From the Principal

As I write my final eLink article for Term 1 and reflect on our superb start to the year, I am filled with confidence about the trajectory of our school and all those within it. As always, our primary goal at the commencement of the year is to help our students establish a firm foundation within their new classes, year level and educational environment – a bedrock from which they can flourish and thrive. 

In our Senior School, I believe the introduction of our Co-Connect program has played a pivotal role in enabling our students to build a strong sense of belonging and positive connections with their peers from the very outset of 2024. Each week, it has been immensely gratifying to see our students engage with each other and with their educators as they work through the program's various elements. The merits of this initiative were recently underscored for me by a paper from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, which explored the profound influence of peer relationships on mental health.

Some of you may recall my address from last year’s Year 7 to 9 Speech Night, where I spoke about the increased importance of peer relationships during the middle years of schooling, which is a time of immense physical, social and emotional development. Recognising the significance of these peer relationships, the paper strongly advocates for institutions that work with young people to encourage them to participate in activities that promote social interaction and enhance their interpersonal skills. It found evidence of a strong correlation between positive peer relationships and good mental health in the middle years, which in turn is linked to stronger mental health outcomes in later adolescence and the development of the social and cognitive skills needed to navigate relationships in later life. 

I was also interested to read that while a large body of research has been dedicated to the damaging impacts of peer victimisation and bullying, the beneficial impacts of positive peer relationships have not yet received the same attention. The key takeaway for me was that it is not enough to simply have strong anti-bullying policies and counselling services to mitigate the impacts of negative peer relationships, but that schools need to provide programs that proactively encourage students to develop positive and supportive relationships. It brings me great peace of mind to know that we are doing this at Girton through the Co-Connect program, as well as through RULER in our Junior School. I am grateful for the support of our staff and students throughout the introduction of Co-Connect, and while I know she would not want the recognition, I would like to express my deepest thanks to Ms Barb Fielder for the enormous amount of time, effort and passion she has poured into creating the program. It is no mean feat to design and implement an initiative of this scale, and I cannot wait to see how it will benefit our students as they progress through this school year and beyond.

Aside from the launch of the Co-Connect program, Term 1 has been filled with many enriching experiences for our students. Since the last issue of eLink, our students have taken part in the Junior and Senior School Athletics Carnivals; performed their own creative works during the Senior School One Act Play Festival; made lifelong memories with the special guests visiting us from our sister school in Japan, Gojo Senior High; and raised money and awareness for blood cancer through the World’s Greatest Shave. I would like to thank all the families who generously hosted our visitors from Gojo and provided them with a valuable insight into life in Australia. I would also like to congratulate all the students and staff members who took part in the World’s Greatest Shave and Crazy Hair Day, particularly the 10 brave shavers and Mrs Viv Bath for the incredible effort she has put into supporting this important cause for so many years. To round out the term, tonight our Year 10 to 12 students will have a well-deserved opportunity to socialise with their friends at our Senior Formal, and next Monday our Senior School students will be setting off to engage in a variety of transformative experiences during Camps Week. 

As this wonderful term draws to an eventful conclusion, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to you, our parents and carers, for helping to make the beginning of 2024 so enjoyable and memorable. 

Dr Emma O'Rielly 

Principal