Secondary School

There’s a wonderful buzz around the school as Term One gets underway. From classrooms to sporting fields to expeditions, students are diving into activities with energy and curiosity, creating a strong and positive start to the year. 

Mr Jordan Owenell | Deputy Principal - Head of Secondary

Years Seven to Nine Interhouse Swim Carnival  

The philosophy behind our major Interhouse carnivals is to promote healthy competition and strengthen students’ connection to their House, while still providing opportunities for our stronger athletes to shine. This year’s event showed that our students' connection to House is strong, and that the rivalry between Houses is alive and well. 

Throughout the day, we saw a surge of students entering additional 50m events—many of which they had not originally nominated for—as they looked to maximise points for their House. Because of this participation, we needed to hold a number of extra races, which ultimately meant that some of our planned novelty events had to be cancelled. While disappointing, it is, on reflection, a wonderful problem to have and highlights just how invested our students were in supporting their House. 

The carnival was full of energy, joy, and positive action. It was fantastic to see so many students stepping outside their comfort zones, giving their best, and deepening their connection to their peers and their House. I have no doubt that many students walked away from the day feeling proud of their efforts. 

Mokare proved dominant this year. With the highest percentage of students entering races, they were always going to be difficult to catch—and their strong participation translated into overall victory. 

Final Placings: 

Mokare 2528 points 

Camfield 2347 points 

Baudin 2073 points 

Wilson 1569 points 

I have already sought feedback from staff and students regarding the carnival, but I also welcome feedback from parents—whether positive, suggestions, or areas for improvement. While I cannot promise that all feedback can be actioned, it is always helpful to gain a complete picture when planning future carnivals. If you would like to share your thoughts, please feel free to email me at paul.donaldson@gsg.wa.edu.au.  

Individual Champions, Runner-Up and Third Place awards will be presented at Week Seven’s assembly and parents will receive an email informing them that their child will be receiving an award at this assembly.

Mr Paul Donaldson | Acting Director of Sport and Head of Health and Physical Education

Years Ten to Twelve GSSSSA 20/20 Cricket Carnival 

Match Report by Team Captain, Lucas Smart 

On Tuesday 24 February, a team of 11 students travelled to the Graeme Wood Shield Cricket Carnival, where we competed in three matches across the day. The team showed excellent sportsmanship, strong skills, and a great attitude throughout all games. 

Game One – vs NASHS 

Our day began with a match against NASHS. They won the toss and chose to bowl first. Grammar opened the batting with Fraser King and Lucas Baker, setting a steady foundation. Lucas delivered an outstanding performance, top scoring with 29 runs off just 21 balls. His efforts helped settle the innings and brought Evan Pretorious to the crease, who contributed a valuable 23 runs. 

We did face some early setbacks, with both Matt Cant and Nick Hams unlucky to be dismissed for ducks. Despite this, the team pulled together and completed the innings with a strong total of 141 runs. 

When it was our turn to bowl, Fraser continued his great form, claiming 2 wickets while conceding only nine runs. A solid bowling effort from the entire team ensured a confident start to the carnival.

 Game Two – vs Denmark 

Heading into the second game, we knew Denmark would be tougher opposition. Denmark won the toss and chose to bat first. Opening the bowling, Tristan Harris made an immediate impact, taking two wickets in the very first over. Our bowlers maintained the pressure throughout, restricting Denmark to 109 runs. 

To begin our chase, Evan and Lucas Baker opened the batting. After losing Lucas early, Archer Coghlan stepped in with a clear goal: stay at the crease and keep the scoreboard ticking. His calm, strategic approach created opportunities for teammates—most notably Lucas Smart, who came in and played a spectacular innings. Lucas delivered an exciting display of power hitting, smashing three sixes and three fours, lifting team morale and energy. 

Harrison Woithe finished the job with composed singles, guiding us comfortably to victory. 

 Game Three – vs ASHS (Undefeated Showdown) 

Heading into the final match, both ASHS and Grammar remained undefeated, making this game the decider. We won the toss and elected to bowl. 

The team delivered the best bowling and fielding performance of the day. Wickets were shared across the lineup, with standout contributions from myself (two wickets), Matt Cant (two wickets), and Lucas Baker (two wickets). Our tight lines and sharp fielding kept ASHS to a very modest total of 65 runs. 

In response, Fraser and Lucas opened the batting with confidence and patience, playing smart cricket to chase down the total in just six overs, securing another strong win. 

 Final Result 

With three wins from three matches, Grammar finished the carnival undefeated. It was a fantastic day for the team, marked by excellent teamwork, determination, and impressive performances across all three games. 

Lucas Smart | Sports Captain | Year Twelve Student

City of Albany Youth Forum 

On 24 February, nine students attended the City of Albany’s Youth Forum Workshop at the Albany Entertainment Centre, where students from a variety of schools got together to help the City of Albany develop their new Youth Plan. We worked in mixed groups identifying areas that are going well for the City about Youth, and some areas that might need to be improved. We then worked in a Shark Tank style environment where we created a sample scholarship to help students study in Albany post-secondary. We then presented our scholarships to two Councillors and the Deputy Mayor. Getting asked questions about our scholarships and why we chose what we did. After enjoying a catered lunch and a quick Hazbeanz trip, we settled back into our tables and listened to a panel interview with both current and former Youth Advisory Council members, learning about what they do and how we could get involved. 

It was a great opportunity to learn about how the City impacts Youth, what they can and cannot do, and have a chance to put our thoughts into the new Youth Plan, which should hopefully be adopted by the end of the year. Massive thanks to the Community Development Team at the City of Albany for organising this event, the Elected Members who gave up their time to listen to us and Mrs Franklin and Mrs O’Donnell for accompanying us. 

Nyomi Johnson | Service Captain

Year Ten Geography Fieldwork Excursions

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the Year Ten students were conducting Geography fieldwork – a beautiful day at Lake Seppings! Our Year Ten Humanities class was joined by Kylie Outhwaite (Climate and Sustainability Project Officer) and Kerry O’Flaherty (Reserves Officer – Design) from the City of Albany, to learn more about the value of nature in our urban areas.  

Our class looked closely at the revegetation that has taken place at Lake Seppings over the last several years and discovered more about the challenges that are involved in this kind of project. For some students, this was their first visit to this socially and environmentally important green space, but all students walked away with a better understanding of the benefits the place provides. Tree-rrific!

 Mr Tone Ritchie | Head of Humanities 

Years Ten to Twelve University Regional Tour 

Secondary students gained significant insight from yesterday’s combined University visit. Representatives from each of Perth’s universities were in attendance—University of Notre Dame Australia, Curtin University, Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University, and University of Western Australia. Students also heard from the Great Southern Universities Centre based here in Albany. 

The informative session offered students a comprehensive overview of university life and the application process, including key requirements such as English proficiency. Presenters also explored alternative entry pathways, course options, accommodation choices, study abroad programs, campus experiences, and more. 

Later this term, an enthusiastic group of GSG students will travel to Perth for this year’s University Tour, eager to broaden their horizons and take meaningful steps toward their future pathways. I look forward to sharing highlights and reflections from the tour upon our return. 

Mrs Renae O’Donnell | VET & Careers Coordinator 

Paris Tour 2027

Plans for the Paris Tour in April 2027 are currently underway, and it promises to be a wonderful experience. This ten‑day tour will be based in Paris, exploring the City of Lights and all the magic and history it has to offer. Students will also enjoy four days visiting key sites outside of Paris. The tour will provide a rich cultural experience and an excellent introduction to European travel.

Dates

(To be confirmed upon release of the final itinerary)

The tour is scheduled to take place during the April Holidays in 2027, departing on 9 April and returning on 21 April.

The proposed itinerary includes a visit to Mont Saint‑Michel in Normandy, a Parisian cabaret show at the Moulin Rouge, a tour of the Catacombs, a boat cruise along the River Seine, and bike tours of both the Palace of Versailles and Monet’s Gardens. The opulence of the Louis Kings and Marie Antoinette will be on full display at the Palace of Versailles.

Students will also visit key galleries, including the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée de l’Orangerie, the Picasso Museum and the Atelier des Lumières. Other highlights include visits to Sacré‑Cœur, the Eiffel Tower and Notre‑Dame, as well as a gourmet walking tour of Paris. The itinerary also features a market visit to the famous Marché des Enfants Rouges and a performance of The Lion King at the Mogador Theatre.

It promises to be an amazing tour filled with history, art and culture!

For further information and for the expression of interest please click link below.

2027 Paris Tour Expression of Interest

There will be an information session on Monday 16 March at 5.00pm in the school Library. (NB this can be attended via Teams). For any queries about the tour, please contact Ms Rachel Mordy by email, rachel.mordy@gsg.wa.edu.au 

Ms Rachel Mordy | Head of the Arts