From the Principal

Threshold of growth

A threshold is commonly known as the strip at the bottom of a wooden or stone doorway that is traversed when entering a house or room. 

Thresholds are places of transition that symbolise space and time between what was, what is and what is to become.

Thresholds shape future growth, open new opportunities, and create uncertain challenges.

Great Southern Grammar stands at a threshold, ready to cross into an exciting chapter of growth, culturally, strategically and operationally, with ever-increasing enrolments.

This threshold is ready for us to walk through and grow into the school we wish to become, nurturing every young person to go out into the world and create impact.

As we take our next steps to increase enrolments for 2027, there are important things I wish to share with our learning community.

• An additional Djinda class (three-year-old program) will be activated. Djinda will be a two-day program.
• Due to the introduction of two classes in each year group of the Early Childhood Centre (ECC), a new classroom will be built within the current ECC building.
• An additional Year Four class will be activated due to the increasing number of families joining the school at this new entry point.
• Anchorage Boarding House will be reopened to cater for Junior Co-educational Boarding. Numbers are increasing in Years Seven and Eight, leading to this change. Furthermore, families wishing to delay their child's entry into boarding in Year Eight is not guaranteed.
• Due to the increasing needs of upper primary, Years Four, Five and Six classrooms will be integrated into the Tamungup Centre.
• A new co-curricular structure and offerings to strengthen student experience beyond the classroom will be launched.
• A new timetable structure to maximse academic rigour, strengthen personalised learning and cultivate greater pastoral care of students will be launched.

These are indeed exciting developments for our school.

Staffing

Pointing to thresholds at assembly this week, the school had the privilege of honouring Ms Sheryl Moncur and celebrating her remarkable career in education, spanning close to 50 years of dedicated service to young people and their families as she writes the next chapter of her life in retirement.

Ms Moncur joined Great Southern Grammar in 2002, where she made an extraordinary contribution as an English Teacher, Dean of Pastoral Care, Acting Deputy Principal, Head of Michaelmas Boarding House, Councillor and Mental Health First Aid Instructor. Her time at GSG has represented a period of great purpose and impact.

She has been deeply committed to supporting and empowering young people, believing that every student has unique worth and the capacity to shape their world.

While Ms Moncur retires from her role at the end of this term, she will remain involved in mental health professional learning within our community. As was shared at assembly, this is not a farewell, but a “goodbye for now”; once part of the GSG community, always part of the GSG community.

We thank Ms Moncur for her outstanding contribution and wish her every blessing for the future.

Country Week

Best wishes to our Country Week athletes and their coaches as they head to Perth next week and represent our school in the largest sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere. Over 50 schools and 3,500 students from regional WA.

May they play with courage, sportsmanship and humility. I know they will do their school proud.

Go well.

Mr Mathew Irving | Principal

May every threshold we cross in this new season for our school be filled with peace in the knowledge of the rich blessings of God.

May every step we take be guided by grace, 

May every transition remind us that God goes before us, walks beside us, and is behind us.

May we reflect God’s perfect plan for us, as we seek to reflect the light of Christ in our community and nurture young people who will go out to serve others for the common good.

May threshold moments uphold the stewardship and responsibility we have of our school.

May our endeavours bring fulfilment and delight.

Amen