Senior School News

From the Head of Character and Culture

The beginning of Term 3 has brought with it a number of exciting opportunities for students across the Senior School, from leadership development to important decisions about future learning pathways.

One of the highlights so far was the recent House Captains and Leaders Breakfast. The event brought together student leaders from both the Junior and Senior Schools, providing an opportunity for our School Captains, House Captains and Vice Captains to connect with younger students and share experiences of leadership. It was wonderful to see students from different year levels engaging in conversations about teamwork, responsibility and the positive impact student leaders can have on the wider school community.

As we celebrate the contribution of our current student leaders, we are also turning our attention to the next generation of leaders. The application process for Prefect and House Captain positions has recently concluded, and we are grateful for the enthusiasm shown by students who have put themselves forward. Leadership opportunities play an important role in school life, allowing students to develop confidence, initiative and a strong sense of service. We look forward to working with applicants throughout the selection process in the coming weeks.

Mr Marcus Smalley

Head of Character and Culture 

Gold standard for Girton Choirs

Our three choirs that went to the comps today had a wonderful day of music making.

Junior School Performance Choir was awarded Gold in their section and was also awarded the Marjorie Somerville prize for the Junior Choir of the morning.

Girton Singers was awarded joint Gold in their section.

Girton Chamber Choir was awarded joint Gold in their section and the Marjorie Somerville prize for the afternoon section. They were glorious.

Many thanks to Ms Belinda Moon for her wonderful accompaniment and calm demeanour at all times, Ms Louise Matthews for her fine work with Chamber Choir, Chelsea White, Ashley Cheliah, Vickie Holland, Catherine Collins and Jess Potter for all of their support.

Mrs Laura Dusseljee

Head of Junior School Music

Congratulations to our Girton Chamber Choir on their exceptional achievement at the Bendigo Competitions. This Tuesday saw Chamber Choir competing against Ballarat Grammar Chamber Choir in section SC100.

This section requires A Cappella (unaccompanied singing) and is the first time Chamber Choir has performed with this technique. Our choir received a Gold Standard for their superb performance. Additionally, they were honoured with the receiving of the prestigious Adjudicator's Award, recognising the choir's excellence above all secondary choirs competing.

This remarkable achievement is a testament to the choir's dedication, musical excellence, and countless hours of rehearsal. Congratulations to all choristers and their conductor (Ms. Louise Matthews) and accompanist (Ms. Cheryl Long) on this well-deserved success.

Eliza Jackson-Sloane (11 Aherne)

Chamber Choir Captain

Year 8 Japanese Immersion Cooking

のりまきをつくりました！ We made Nori rolls!

In our second Japanese Immersion cooking lesson, we made Norimaki （のりまき）, or what is commonly known as sushi rolls! Our recipe was written entirely in Japanese, meaning we had to do a lot of decoding in order to figure out how much water we had to add—two tablespoons, NOT two cups—and how long we had to cook our rice for. We used a saucepan instead of a rice cooker, which was a new experience for most of us, and had fun rolling (まきます) our sushi, even though we had some mayonnaise spilling out the sides in some cases.

のりまきはとてもおいしいです！

Audrey Wallace-Wood (8 Millward)

Year 9 Achieve students explore diversity at the Great Stupa in Bendigo

As part of our Year 9 ACHIEVE Diversity unit, students recently visited the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo for an engaging and thought-provoking learning experience.

The excursion provided students with the opportunity to explore one of Australia's most significant Buddhist landmarks and gain a deeper understanding of Buddhism, its teachings, and its place within Australia's multicultural society. Students participated in a guided tour of the Great Stupa, discovering the symbolism behind its architecture, prayer wheels, statues, and sacred spaces. They also visited the Gompa (temple) and engaged in a guided meditation. Hearing directly from members of the Buddhist community encouraged students to challenge stereotypes, appreciate different perspectives, and recognise the importance of religious freedom and cultural diversity.

The visit complemented our classroom learning by allowing students to experience another faith tradition first-hand rather than simply reading about it. It also reinforced the key aims of our Diversity unit: developing empathy, fostering respectful relationships, and celebrating the many cultures and beliefs that enrich our community.

The day prompted meaningful discussions about inclusion, prejudice, and the importance of treating all people with dignity and respect. Students reflected on how understanding different worldviews can help build more accepting and connected communities.

We thank the volunteers and guides at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion for their warm welcome and for sharing their knowledge and experiences. The excursion was a valuable opportunity for our Year 9 students to broaden their understanding of diversity and to appreciate the role that respect, curiosity and open-mindedness play in creating an inclusive society.

Mrs Melinda Naughton

Co-ordinator of Co-Connect Program

Assistant Head of Humanities

Learning Leader Achieve Program

Success at the Science and Engineering Challenge

On Tuesday 28 July, a group of Girton students joined 160 students from five other schools to take part in the annual Science and Engineering Challenge hosted in Girton's gymnasiums. 

The aim of the event, co-ordinated by local Rotary and Newcastle University, is to immerse students in the creative problem-solving used in Science and Engineering. They work as teams to solve real-world problems in an exciting and innovative way, building connections with other like-minded students. 

Some of the activities encountered were completely new to the event and our students were able to come up with some extremely novel and effective solutions with very little guidance or support. It was a close competition throughout the day, with the last “test” either making or breaking our bid for success. Only 30 points separated the Top 3 teams.

I am pleased to say that at this year’s event Girton was the winning team, beating Creek Street (second place) and Bendigo South East (third place). By winning our local event, the team will now travel to Geelong for the State finals. 

Congratulations to the following 18 students for participating so enthusiastically and conducting yourselves in such a respectful manner.: Thomas Andrews, Meer Brahmbhatt, Rory Brown, Wilbur Carr, Davis Cheng, Bailey Doyle, Anusheh Goodman, Eddie Harris, Sidrat Islam, Rafay Jeddi, David Jerry, James Knipe, Jonathan Maslunka, Will McGrath, Bao Long Nguyen, Owen Pomeroy, Azlaan Qureshi, Yoseph Syed.

I’d also like to give a big shout out to all of our staff members for your assistance on the day. Without you, events like this cannot happen.

Onwards to States!

Mr Christopher Simpson

Head of Technology

Primary Champion School and a trip to the National Aeroschool Championships ahead

As shared in our Junior School News update, congratulations to our students who travelled to Darebin to compete at the Victorian Aeroschool Championships. 

Our 13 Senior School students celebrated some strong results against difficult competition. 

Congratulations to Eliza Carmody and Lauren Leung who won the gold medal at the Aeroschool State Championships in the top level for the Year 7-9 section. They have qualified for the National Championships on the Gold Coast in September.

The Year 7-9 Division C Trio, with Abbey Leversha, Spencer Price and Mia Woodhouse came 9th in a huge section with 29 teams and have also qualified for the National Aeroschool Championships on the Gold Coast. 

A huge thank you to our coaches from Palmers Gym, Sally Moore and Amelia Carmody. We also need to mention our student coaches Stephanie Carlson (Captain), Rosie Kuhle, Rittal Al-Timini, Callam Macdonald, Eliza Carmody who come along each Thursday to coach our younger students. Rosie Kuhle, Rittal Al-Timini and Emelia Carlson also trained the Junior School students throughout the term. 

We wish the students luck as they prepare for the National Aeroschool Championships. 

Mrs Belinda Vernon

Head of Junior School Inclusive Learning

What Connection looks like to a Girton visitor

Two exchange students have spent time this year at Girton; Philippine Thevenet from France and Chiara Caligiuri from Italy. Both arrived not knowing anyone, but both will leave having found a place here. Their reflections say something about our community that we could not say as well ourselves: that connection is built in the ordinary moments. 

From France to Frew for Philippine Thevenet

My name is Philippine, I’m 16 years old, and I’m from France. I’m here as part of a cultural exchange program organised by Rotary Youth Exchange Australia.

I will always remember the moment I received the email telling me that I was going to Australia. It was in the morning. I had just arrived at school at 7:30 a.m. because, yes, we start really early in France. I was checking my emails when I saw one from Rotary. At first, I thought, "It's probably just more paperwork." I opened it, that's when I found out I was going to Australia. I started crying with happiness, and here I am, six months later, at Girton.

When I arrived for my first day at school, I was so nervous because everything was new: the uniform, the school, and especially the language. I had been told that I would have buddies, but I was worried that we wouldn't get along or that they would think my English wasn't very good. But I had worried for nothing because they were amazing. They helped me find my way around the school and understand things that we don't have in France, like Co-Connect, which seemed really strange to me at first, and also the House system, which I think is a really great idea.

You are actually very lucky because your school timetable is amazing. I feel like I'm on holiday! Your school day is from 8:40 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., whereas in France my school day is from 7:50 a.m. to 5:50 p.m., except on Wednesdays when we finish at midday. Another thing that surprised me is that you don't have study periods like we do in France. We have times when we stay in a large study room and work on whatever homework we need to do. Something else that feels different is the relationship between teachers and students. It is much less formal and less hierarchical than it is in France.

If someone asked me whether I would come back to Girton, my answer would be 100% yes because this school is so welcoming. The teachers and all the staff do their very best to provide the best education possible for their students. They offer a wide variety of activities while also teaching students how to live together as a community and helping them build confidence in themselves.

Everyone told me, "You have to try Vegemite—it's a real Australian tradition!" So, being the innocent French girl that I was, I tried it… but I spread it on my toast the same way a French person would spread salted butter. I regretted that decision almost immediately! I think Vegemite is a bit like a joke that's passed down from one generation to the next. Everyone knows about it, but nobody warns the newcomers!

Philippine Thevenet (10 Frew)

Chiara Caligiuri joined us for six months from Italy. 

First place for ICCES Chess team!

Congratulations to our Intermediate Chess Team, including Neel Girish (9 Frew), Michael Huangfu (9 Jenkin), Nevan Mallikaarachchi (9 Jones) and Quentin Pemmelaar (9 Jenkin), who took home the first-place trophy at the ICCES Chess Tournament in the Year 9/10 division.

Neel had a magnificent tournament at Board 1, winning all seven of seven matches. Congratulations also to coach Robyn Kristenson for preparing the team so well.

Senior School Ensembles Evening - Tuesday 11 August

Experience one of the musical highlights of the year at the Girton Grammar Senior Ensembles Concert on Tuesday 11 August, 6:00pm at Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo. This spectacular concert will feature around 150 Girton students from Years 7–12, performing alongside our outstanding Senior Music teachers and Ensemble Directors. It is sure to be a wonderful celebration of the talent, dedication and vibrant music culture that thrives at Girton.

The evening's program promises something for everyone, with an exciting repertoire spanning Corelli to Coldplay, Classical to Jazz, contemporary favourites, film music and much more. From soaring orchestral works and stirring choral performances to energetic big band classics and contemporary hits, this concert showcases the incredible diversity and excellence of Girton's music program. Performing ensembles include:

• Symphony Orchestra
• String Orchestra
• Christopher Field Strings
• Segovia Guitar Ensemble
• Django Guitar Ensemble
• Girton Chamber Choir
• Girton Big Band
• Girton Concert Choir
• Flute Ensemble
• Girton Singers
• Senior Concert Band
• Wind Symphony

As my first year at Girton, I am especially looking forward to experiencing my first Ensembles Concert and seeing so many talented students share the stage. From everything I've heard, it is one of the highlights of the Girton calendar, and I can't wait to experience it alongside our school community. 

Whether you're a member of the Girton community, a supporter of the performing arts, or simply enjoy outstanding live music, this is an event not to be missed. The Junior School Ensembles Concert the following evening has already sold out, so don't miss your chance to attend this wonderful celebration of music. We encourage families and members of the wider community to book their tickets soon to avoid disappointment. Bring your family and friends and experience the passion, energy and musicianship of our students in the magnificent setting of Ulumbarra Theatre. 

We look forward to seeing you there for what promises to be a truly memorable evening of exceptional music.

Ms Min Hunter

Head of Senior Music