Secondary School

From the Head of Secondary 

Welcome to a new academic year in our new Secondary School!  There has been a sense of excitement this week as we begin our 25th year and engage with the new structure, new building names and all of the other changes that support these. 

Tuesday felt like a little like a treasure hunt as students collected maps from the Secondary Administration office and set off to find their homerooms, lockers and classrooms. Having so many of our boarding students join us after their welcome lunch was a wonderful addition to the afternoon and I enjoyed watching all the students catch up with old friends and meet some of their teachers.

The new Homeroom structure in House groups has been warmly received by students and staff and I look forward to the power of friendships and support across age groups adding to the sense of community at our school.

I look forward to welcoming you all next Friday 10 February for our Parent and Guardian Information Sessions. There will be a presentation for families of Year Ten students and meetings for families of Year Seven students. Mr Ian Robson and Heads of House will also be available for queries about camps and anything else you may wish to enquire about.

I have already heard some amazing stories from our students about their summer breaks.  Our young people have been involved in some incredible sporting opportunities, work opportunities, cultural adventures and academic activities, not to mention some fantastic holidays.  Others made the most of some quiet time at home with family and friends.

Sam Jeffery (Year Eleven) and Heath Turnor (Year Twelve) attended the West Australian Maths Summer School for young, talented mathematicians at UWA in Perth for a week.  Sam reported:

The Western Australian Maths Summer School was an interesting experience where me and a group of other like-minded students went to Perth for a week of difficult problems and informative lectures. We covered abstract topics such as number theory, group theory, modular origami geometry and forensic mathematics, all topics which while interesting, were difficult to a whole new level. In the beginning, the mathematics was so advanced that I could barely grasp the concepts, however after a few days of support from the tutors and lecturers I could finally start to understand the reasoning behind the topics, something I doubted I would be able to do. Overall, the WAMSS was a great experience allowing me to explore the more advanced side of maths and preparing me for the coming years of maths at school and perhaps even past school.

Several students including Jaap Smit (Year Twelve), River Waters (Year Eleven) and Matt Edwards (Year Twelve)  participated in voyages on the Leeuwin over the summer.  Jaap is quite the veteran now and made the following comments:

The Leeuwin is an amazingly fulfilling experience, that connects you with both nature and incredible individuals.

I have gained a lot from the voyages I have done with the Leeuwin, communication skills, teamwork, and confidence.

I would recommend the Leeuwin to anyone who wants to develop skills in sailing, communication, leadership, navigating, and making friends.

Grace Franzinelli (Year Eleven) took part in some work experience at the hospital where she completed an Allied Health rotation.  She worked with physiotherapists, podiatrists, dieticians and a variety of occupational therapists.

Grace reported that: 

The week was interesting and lots of fun.

At the end of the week, I found that my main interests were in Podiatry and Physio Rehabilitation.  I found it very useful and did not want to leave at the end.

NAPLAN 2023

NAPLAN is a national Literacy and Numeracy Assessment that students in Years Three, Five, Seven and Nine sit each year.  It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake.  This year NAPLAN testing will be held in Term One. 

At Great Southern Grammar students will sit this year’s suite of assessments between Wednesday 15 March and Monday 20 March, with opportunities for catching up held on Friday 24 March.  More information will be made available in the coming weeks but please see an information sheet for families here.

Mrs Victoria Turnor | Head of Secondary