From the Principal

From the outset of 2023, there was a palpable sense that this would be an extraordinary year at Girton Grammar, as we commemorated 30 wonderful years since our school’s founding. Now, looking back on the year that was, I can see our optimism was well-founded. This milestone year exceeded all expectations, as our school community embraced the inspiring story of our founders and relished opportunities to collaborate and connect without the disruptions of previous years. 

An enormous variety of events and activities filled our school calendar with colour and excitement in 2023 – from Swimming and Athletics Carnivals, to camps and co-curriculars, to concerts and productions, to shared acts of community service. Cherished events like Foundation Day, Carols and Speech Night remained pivotal fixtures, accompanied by exciting new experiences, such as our whole-school ArtsFest and the opening of our fully refurbished Morey Building and Lumination Learning Lab. I was delighted to see our entire school community immersed in every aspect of life at Girton, continuing our time-honoured traditions and creating new ones. For me, this harmonious blend of innovation and tradition stands out as the overarching theme of 2023. 

On many occasions throughout the year, we reflected on the remarkable plight of our founders who, through great courage and sacrifice, laid the foundations for Girton Grammar School in a matter of months. To commemorate the school's 30th anniversary, we are honoured to bring their inspirational stories together in this edition of Under the Peppercorn Tree. The visionary thinking and determination of our founders have been passed down to our present students, who have been at the forefront of fostering a culture of innovation and positive change at Girton. A prime example can be found in our Year 12 Class of 2023, of whom we are enormously proud. Not only did they achieve outstanding academic results and brighten our school with their care and kindness, but they worked together to drive many important changes that will benefit those who follow in their footsteps, such as revising our SunSmart Policy, establishing our Student Delegate Council and initiating the development of our Reconciliation Action Plan. 

Our teachers too have displayed great commitment to continuous improvement. As always, they have worked tirelessly to help our students fulfill their potential – both inside and outside the classroom. But behind the scenes they have also been leading transformative projects, including developing a fully revised curriculum, a new whole-school assessment model, an exciting Co-Connect program that will form a key feature of the Senior School timetable in 2024, and explicit teaching approaches for cornerstone subjects such as English and Mathematics. They have travelled both near and far to ensure our programs align with the latest research, from working with La Trobe University’s SOLAR Lab to incorporate best-practice approaches to literacy, to visiting the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence in the US to gain insights that will enhance our RULER program. Together, our staff are laying the foundations for enhanced student outcomes in 2024 and beyond, and we are most grateful for their efforts. 

Likewise, our Board has been at the forefront of many exciting developments in 2023 – most notably, the adoption of our Girton Grammar School Master Plan. This vital document outlines our vision for enhancing Girton’s infrastructure over the next decade and beyond to ensure the school’s continued growth and success. We are already making significant headway with this year’s reopening of the Morey Building, and we look forward to commencing many more developments around our school from 2024. The end of the year also saw the retirement of our esteemed Board Chair, Mr Dave Jemmett, who has provided dedicated service to our Board since 2017 and outstanding leadership as Chair since 2018. On behalf of the entire school community, I would like to express our profound gratitude to Mr Jemmett for the position of strength in which he leaves Girton Grammar, and wish him and his family the best for the new chapter ahead. I am very much enjoying working with our new Chair, Ms Fleur Jackson, who assumed her role in 2024.

In a year marked by continuous improvement, perhaps what has been most heartening is not the improvements themselves, but the way our school community has collaborated to make them a reality. Behind every positive change and every memorable event, there were parents and carers, staff and students working together as one – focused on achieving collective goals for the benefit of our entire school community. Our founders rebuilt Girton so its students could continue to strive for excellence, and their spirit resonates in every achievement. 

Thank you for your invaluable contributions to Girton in 2023 as an Old Girtonian, and for sustaining the legacy of our founders for generations of students to come. I hope you enjoy this edition of Under the Peppercorn Tree.

Dr Emma O’Rielly

PRINCIPAL