From the Principal

Education is changing

As the world becomes increasingly globalised and complicated, it is imperative that consideration is given to the manner in which we educate our young people, so they are best prepared to live in a society that is changing at a rate faster than ever before. Even as the Federal Budget is handed down in a post COVID-19 era, our environment is characterised by volatility, uncertainty and ambiguity. How we educate our students must adapt to account for this. Being resilient and adapting to change is part of a GSG education. The world is not perfect, neither are we. Building resilience or even going further by developing a resilient school, are ways in which we can achieve educational success.

NAPLAN

Schools and students who sat the NAPLAN tests in Term One will now receive their results in Term Three.  The NAPLAN reports will be simplified with students placed into proficiency bands 'exceeding', 'strong', 'developing' and 'needing additional support'.

AFL 12 Years & Under State Team Announcement

Congratulations to Harrison Ponsford (Year Seven) for being selected in the 2023 State Schoolboys AFL 12 Years & Under team to travel to Lavington, NSW in August.

Amy Coombe

The power of personal story is one form of education that can engage young people.  Amy’s story of resilience and personal struggles provided students with the opportunity to walk in the shoes of someone who has bravely dealt with challenges that have resulted in survival followed by personal success. Amy facilitated three age-appropriate student workshops on Wednesday. Her presentation provided practical strategies and tips for students dealing with the complexities of life.  Mental health is important to everyone, and we should not shy away from conversations or be embarrassed to express our feelings. Her personal insights, stories and connection to relevant statistics provided opportunities for us to reflect upon our own mental health.  Could I thank the P&F for their support in making this event happen.

There will be a wrap-up of the P&F Great Southern Gathering event with Amy Coombe, which was held on Wednesday evening, in the P&F section of next week's Anchor.

Dads in the Great Southern (DIGS)

The DIGS held a sleepover on the school grounds last Saturday. This group, which is connected to the Fathering Project, encourages dads to spend quality, uninterrupted time with their children. The simple act of sleeping over, lighting a fire and enjoying each other’s company, away from the hectic normal weekend activities, is clearly in the best interest of developing parent-child relationships. Could I congratulate the participants along with former GSG parent David Marshall, who willingly organised this event. To assist with home comforts, the dads managed to bring in the largest fire pit I’ve ever seen.  

Mr Mark Sawle | Principal