Mr Dennis Garoni

Dennis Garoni’s long association with Girton began when he came across an employment advertisement in The Age. Dennis’s colleagues at Brighton Grammar, where he had taught for 13 years, advised him that going to Girton would be a terrible idea given the recent turbulence it had experienced – so, naturally, he applied. While the leadership hadn’t advertised for a Head of Junior School, Dennis told them they would probably need one, and so began a journey that would shape his life forever.

Dennis’s key memories of the early years at Girton Grammar are of laughter and fun in the face of adversity. Prior to the school’s opening in 1993, he remembers painting; carpeting; gardening; interviewing staff, parents and children; and placing his six-week-old baby in a capsule under a table at the Queen’s Arms Hotel as he and wife Lynette met with the Headmaster and other staff members. In addition to the school’s run-down facilities, limited teaching resources, and precarious day-to-day financial position, one of Dennis’s key challenges was ensuring parents and the wider community understood the ethos of the ‘new’ Girton.

He learnt that he could best demonstrate his commitment to that ethos through small actions – picking up the rubbish on the ground, straightening the picture on the wall, and taking an interest in the lives of the school’s stakeholders. Dennis’s ability to find common ground with people from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences helped him forge a sense of cohesion and belonging within Girton’s Junior School that still thrives today. After navigating the challenging early days through a combination of hard work, a collaborative spirit and strong, consistent communication with the school and local community, Denis was proud when, after 18 months, he came to realise student numbers were increasing dramatically.

Though retired for over three years, never a day passes that Dennis doesn’t think of Girton. He is kept busy by his toddler grandson, Charlie (with another grandchild on the way), national and international travel, watching test cricket and working on the committee at his own cricket club, for which he still plays the occasional game. He also contributes to the betterment of the local community through volunteer work for Parks Victoria, including founding a group called the ‘Bushrats’ that locates and removes illegally dumped rubbish in bushland.