Canberra Girls Grammar School

25 November 2016

YEAR OF INNOVATION WRAP-UP

2016 was declared the Year of Innovation at CGGS and as a result, students and staff across the entire School have embraced the theme enthusiastically.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

On Wednesday I attended the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) Awards Dinner in Canberra.

ACEL actively supports the development of leadership capabilities across Australia through its national and branch initiated professional learning activities, international conferences, publications, online programs and other partnership activities in leadership development. ACEL’s stated purpose is to inspire, support, recognise and advocate for excellence in educational leadership. I am pleased to serve on the ACEL committee for the ACT. I enjoy working collaboratively with my Catholic and Government School colleagues.

The evening on Wednesday gave awards to teachers across the ACT in three categories. Firstly, ‘Growing in Leadership’ for those beginning their leadership journey in their schools and the ACT community. Then, ‘Excellence in Leadership’. These teachers had not only made a difference in their schools but more widely across the Territory. Finally, we had one Principal who gained a National Fellowship Award for his significant contributions and the engagement with the Catholic Education system, the ACT Education Directorate and the ACT Association of Independent Schools.

Encouraging leadership development is a key factor in ensuring schools provide the best quality of teaching and learning for their students. In my view professional learning is enhanced when teachers have the opportunity to find their own paths for professional learning and the pace with which they do so. It is enhanced when there is collaboration around a shared project. This enables rich learning between professionals with different perspectives. It is enhanced when settings for professional learning are transferable smoothly to their aims and tasks in school.

At CGGS we value professional learning highly and encourage our staff to undertake appropriate learning regularly, underpinning this with the necessary funding.

Anne Coutts
Principal

FROM THE HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Today we held a morning tea to recognise the 2016 Staff and Student Innovative Award recipients and nominees. The Innovation Award winners were:

Staff Awards

Junior School: Jane Crawford – Number Wonder Board
Senior School: Mark Falkland – Infographic poster / project template / multidisciplinary approach

Student Awards

Junior School: Lauren Faulder – New student IOS app coded in Swift (in Xcode) – map swipe to learn about CGGS
Senior School: Carla Sanfrancesco – School Environment Improvement solution document

Nominees acknowledged were:

Junior School

Lucy Badzim – Beanies for Brain Cancer
Marina Markova – Laser for Writing
Indiana Saunders and Isra Eski – Ready, Settled, Go! – Refugee app
Elsa Guile, Lana Sault, Emily Ezaki-Swain and Zoe Theodorakis – Orang-utan Environmental Protection information gathering robot
Isabella Mitchell – Scan for Me – app for Cystic Fibrosis medication Creon - dose indicator
Charlotte Wright – Neuroplasticity – website with 11 quizzes to strengthen neuroplasticity
Bella Laverock – Beeware! App to give emergency alert information including asking for help/maps/pictures/texts/what has happened/nearest safe place

Senior School

English Faculty – Genius Hour
Ms Rhea Chopra – Bracelet Yourself – wrist/mobile phone safety
Ms Mai Vannavong – Staff Online Interactive Calendar

Our thanks to all students and staff involved in the Innovation Awards. As you can see from the variety of responses there are fantastic initiatives happening in both the Junior and Senior school on the innovation front. The creativity of all participants reminds me of the Helen Keller observation ‘No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an unchartered land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.’

Peter Milligan
Head of Senior School

THE LONG GOODBYE25 November

Wednesday morning saw our soon-to-be graduating Class of 2016 taking over of the Senior School campus in scenes of lively water-fights, jubilant singing, reminiscing over the year that was and finally, leaving the School grounds via a ‘guard of honour’. In what must have been a long night, Year 12 students decorated various parts of the School with everything from balloons and streamers right through to a banner hung from the top floor of the Administration Building displaying the message: ‘90th Anne-iversary’.

YEAR 6 MINI-FETE25 November

The Junior School was a flurry of activity during lunch time on 14 November as the annual Year 6 Mini-Fete got underway. Students had been busily preparing for this event since the start of term – designing their stalls, conducting cost and revenue analyses, perfecting spread-sheeting skills and of course, making the items to go on sale.

A VISUALLY SPECTACULAR EXHIBITION25 November

The Waterman Centre was dressed up to its finest for the Visual Art and Photography exhibition held last Friday evening. The main foyer, upstairs balcony and two classrooms were full of artworks produced by Year 7-12 students.

A DRAMATIC START TO CHRISTMAS25 November

Watching a magic bauble, busy elves, jolly Santas, disgruntled reindeer and Christmas songs in abundance was how Year 3 classes from the Junior School spent Wednesday afternoon. The students had been invited to watch the Year 10 Drama students’ performance of their self-devised Christmas plays.

GABRIEL GIVING - ENHANCED INNOVATION SPACES25 November

Thank you to everyone who has already generously contributed to Gabriel Giving. Through the generosity of the Malkjovic family gift (made earlier this year) the School was able to purchase a 3D scanner/computer enabling Junior School students and teachers to reinvent the way we teach and learn.

BE AWARE – PARKING AROUND OUR SCHOOL25 November

The Parking Operations team from Access Canberra contacted me this week requesting that I remind the School community about parking around the School – specifically, on Melbourne Avenue. Melbourne Avenue is officially a median strip and is therefore zoned as a NO STOPPING area under the Australian Road Rules. The primary reason for this zoning is in relation to safety.

1 January

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS25 November

Dancer Amy Andersen (Year 7) is performing in the Queensland Ballet Company’s production of The Nutcracker at the Canberra Theatre Centre this week. Congratulations on being selected, Amy!

GRAMMARIANS’ NEWS25 November

This week we are changing up the Grammarians’ News slightly. Above is a photo that appeared in The Canberra Times of Canberra Girls Grammar School students ready to embark on a school trip to China in 1981. Can you help us identify these students?

THE ASSOCIATION OF PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF ACT SCHOOLS (APFACTS) NEWSLETTER

This newsletter is proudly provided on behalf of the CGGS P&F Association.

Schools for All

APFACTS recently attended a meeting held by the Education Directorate on Schools for All. Whilst the focus was on the progress of Schools for All from the perspective of the ACT Education Directorate, there are some areas that apply to students across the sectors. It will of course take some time for schools to address the 50 recommendations that have come from the Schools for All report.

The good news here is how proactive the independent sector has been on this issue. The AISACT (Association of Independent Schools of ACT) have made a significant contribution to the development of the report.

From the AISACT Schools for All Report –Quarterly Report- June 2016 “A precise indication of this commitment is evidenced in the agenda of both AISACT Board and Executive Committee meetings. Further, the Executive Committee has established a Schools for All Subcommittee to provide it with advice on strategies, opportunities and approaches in direct reference to the Schools for All Report, and the responses to the recommendations from the Association. The establishment of this Subcommittee was noted and endorsed by the full Board of AISACT.”

One of the discussions at the Schools for All presentation was about conversations tips with your school if your child needs additional assistance. We have listed some phrases here:

‘I found that it helped my child when the school ……’ Be explicit about what those helpful things are. For example: that my child was able to meet the teacher before starting in their class which alleviated my child’s anxiety about a new teacher, that the email outlining some changes in class support personnel in advance of the changes was very helpful as I was able to help my child prepare for those adjustments.
‘What I would find supportive is to establish a method of communication’ Discuss what is reasonable & acceptable to you both. It may be an occasional email, a phone call or a communication book.
‘I'd be interested to know…..’ Once again be explicit. It may be that you would like to know some details about your child’s individual learning program ILP, or what the schools is focusing on for your child’s learning outcomes.

If you would like to attend one of the open meetings on Schools for All in the future please contact the office and we will be in touch ahead of the next meeting.

Contact:

Linda Fleming
Executive Officer
Email: executiveofficer@apfacts.org.au

CHANGES TO PRIVATE VEHICLE CONVEYANCE (PVC)

From 20 December 2016, Transport for NSW will begin phasing out the Private Vehicle Conveyance (PVC) subsidy and introducing the new School Drive Subsidy.

If you are affected by this change, more information is available on the Transport for NSW website.

Weekly Update 25 november