Whole School News

Whole School Athletics Carnival

Any athletics carnival provides plenty of numbers to talk about. Individual performances, House totals, champion points, records broken. These figures all help tell part of the story and deserve to be celebrated.

For me, however, the most significant number from this year's Whole School Athletics Carnival was our participation rate.

More than 85% of secondary students entered and competed in at least one event, with the majority choosing to participate in many more. On paper, that is an impressive statistic. But what matters most is what sits behind it.

Participation is about much more than simply turning up to an event. It reflects students willing to challenge themselves, support their peers, contribute to their House, and be part of something bigger than individual success. Throughout the day, I saw students encouraging one another to step onto the track, applauding personal best performances, celebrating achievements regardless of finishing position, and proudly wearing their House colours.

Not every student arrives at an athletics carnival dreaming of standing on the podium. For many, the greatest achievement is having the confidence to enter an event, step outside their comfort zone, and give their best effort. Those moments are just as important as any record-breaking performance.

Strong schools have a strong House culture, and our carnival was a wonderful reflection of that. The energy, colour, friendly rivalry, and genuine support between students created an atmosphere that was impossible to miss. The House system continues to provide students with opportunities to connect across year groups, build relationships, and develop a sense of belonging within our school community.

While the final results and champion awards will be remembered, what I will take away most from the day is the level of engagement shown by our students. The participation, encouragement, and House spirit on display were reminders that school sport is about far more than competition. At its best, it brings people together, creates lasting memories, and strengthens the culture of our school.

The Whole School Athletics Carnival did exactly that. It was a day our community can be proud of.

Congratulations to Baudin House, who claimed the Inter-House Athletics Shield with an impressive overall total of 6,190 points!

Baudin: 6,190 points
Mokare: 5,735 points
Wilson: 4,719 points
Camfield: 4,424 points

Congratulations to our individual award winners from the day:

Congratulations to our students and their record-breaking performances listed below:

Please find the Secondary Overall House Points here.

Please find the Secondary Individual Champion results from 1st to 6th place here.

For individual results of specific secondary students, including times and distances recorded in all entered events, please email sports@gsg.wa.edu.au and we can provide those for you.

Primary results will be provided after the results have been announced to students.

Mr Paul Donaldson | Head of Health and Physical Education

The Song Catchers

On 23 October, a group of GSG students, from Year Nine Drama to Year Eleven Media students and even boarders, watched The Song Catchers at the Albany Entertainment Centre, produced by West Australian Opera.

The performance was a musical which expertly mixed Indigenous culture with beautiful oral sound. I found the experience wonderful, and I really enjoyed the practical and digital effects used, especially from a Media student’s perspective. This was a great experience for all who watched, and I 100% recommend seeing it if it’s still showing at the Albany Entertainment Centre.

Max Cruse | Community Captain

Carrying the Fire

On Saturday 7 November, we have one of the final events of Albany 2026. This event will take place along Middleton Beach and aims to gather large numbers of people holding handmade lanterns to literally light up the shoreline. The event will be a tribute to Albany's past (each lantern design pays tribute to the Menang people and culture) and is also about coming together to light up our future.

The lantern designs can be found at Southern Edge Arts: Lantern Designs PDF

Students in Primary School and Year Seven students have made lanterns in their Visual Arts classes. We strongly encourage families to register to be part of this very special event. Registration will provide specific directions for where to go on the evening and instructions for downloading an app that will operate choreographed lighting through your mobile phone.

The lights in the lanterns can be provided either through a mobile phone or a torch.

When registering, you can enter 'Great Southern Grammar' as the name of your group, and you will be allocated a location alongside other GSG families. All students attending must be supervised by their families, as large numbers are expected.

To register for this event, please use this link:

We look forward to seeing you there.

Ms Rachel Mordy | Head of the Arts