Administration News
Students in the Spotlight
We are thrilled to have three of our Year Twelve students and one Year Nine student have their books published within the Our Yarning collection. For Faith Bin Omar this is the second book she has had published about her younger cousin, Azriel, who is also in boarding. Faith's first story focuses on the love of motorbike riding in her story Azriel rides her motorbike. Her follow up book Azriel goes for a boat ride is about using her five senses and what can she find out at sea.
Charlie Ritchie's first story is a level 3 book called Larry's lost shell. In this story Larry goes on an adventure to find his lost shell. Where could his shell be?
Wayahpo Manolis' first story is a level 2 reader called The big tummy ache. This is the story of Azzy and Tony who have $10 and decide to buy as many lollies as they can. However, eating so many sweets comes with consequences.
Azriel Bin Omar's first book is a level 2 book called Looking out the window. Azriel's book is a story about her cousin Faith, who has just graduated Year Twelve at Great Southern Grammar. The story is about Faith's boredom on the drive back home, so her mum tells her to look out the window and describe what she sees.
Our Yarning is a literacy program that publishes stories written by indigenous children to empower them in their learning and the learning of others. These books are part of a culturally diverse library collection, offering levelled reading to help boost literacy and encourage a love of reading.
We are very proud of Faith, Charlie, Wayahpo and Azriel and congratulate them on their achievement.
Please encourage your local library to include these books in their collection.
World Mental Health Day
On Thursday 10 October we acknowledged World Mental Health Day with Conversation Bingo at dinner. It was a great atmosphere with a simple but effective game to raise awareness around Mental Health week.
There was lots of chatter happening across the dining session with some Kit Kat prizes.
Thank you to Mrs Nyree Mackenzie for facilitating the game.
ICPA RRed Day
On 9 October, the Isolated Children’s Parents Association (ICPA) launched the Rural and Remote Education Day (RREd Day). This is a dedicated awareness day to shine a spotlight on the unique challenges faced by students and families in rural and remote areas of Australia.
The theme for the inaugural event was "Wear Red for Rural and Remote Education". Boarders from all houses wore a red ribbon in their hair or on their blazers in support of the day.
Our Head of Boarding spoke at the assembly and delivered the following message to staff and students:
"Today The Isolated Children’s Parents Association (ICPA) is proud to announce the launch of Rural and Remote Education Day (RREd Day). It is a dedicated awareness day to shine a spotlight on the unique challenges faced by students and families in rural and remote areas of Australia.
Currently around Australia we have over 200 boarding schools who support 21,000 boarding students to attend a quality education. There are 4600 boarding staff supporting our boarders. Within the Great Southern Region GSG is the only school with a boarding facility combined. We have the second largest enrolments for boarding students in our Region.
The Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association of Australia had its beginning in the NSW outback town of Bourke, in April 1971. Families were struggling with drought and the consequences of such an event, and most importantly, the effects of the drought on the education of their children. Out of this grew an amazing organisation, with branches of ICPA springing up all over Australia, and eventually its national overarching body – ICPA (Aust) was formed. Its members have helped to improve the educational opportunities and outcomes of geographically isolated children.
RREd Day is an opportunity for the entire nation to come together to acknowledge the significant barriers to education that rural students face, and to advocate for better support and resources to ensure equitable access to education for all Australian children, regardless of where they live.
The theme for this inaugural event is "Wear Red for Rural and Remote Education," encouraging ICPA members, schools, and supporters to wear red as a symbol of the urgency and passion behind the cause.
“Rural and remote students face extraordinary challenges every day, from connectivity issues to limited access to educational resources. RREd Day is about bringing these issues to the forefront of national conversation, ensuring that rural and remote education is not just an afterthought but a priority. By wearing red, sharing stories, and joining forces, we can each work to drive the positive change that our rural, remote and isolated children so desperately need.”
“Wearing red on RRED Day is more than just a statement – it symbolises the vast heart of our country, the red land that sustains us, and the families who live and learn in the most remote corners of Australia."
Halloween
Halloween in the Boarding Village was a night to remember, with students from all houses embracing the spooky spirit in an impressive array of costumes. Lollies, chocolates, and even the ever-popular 2-minute noodles flowed in abundance as everyone came together to trick-or-treat and celebrate. The energy was infectious as students prepped and dressed up in their dorms—Amy, Mary, and Chloe went all out as mummies, while McKayla, Tilly, Esther, and Issy spiced things up as the Spice Girls. The creative costumes didn’t stop there: from the Walking Dead cast to a collection of cute crayons, an enormous cow, a fierce pirate, Dennis the Menace, and the Donaldon crew transforming into the Addams Family, the night was filled with surprises. Voldemort even made an appearance, along with a host of other terrifying masks, and Carter stole the show as a possessed schoolgirl.
The event was a refreshing break from the usual weekday routine, filling the village with laughter and excitement. Huge thanks to Carter for organising and getting everyone hyped. Halloween will definitely be a tradition to look forward to next year!
Gratitude
In Week Two, the Year Twelves had their Boarding Farewell Dinner and you will find lots of photos from the night on both the Eclipse and Breaksea pages. During the dinner I was surprised with a speech from our Boarding Captain, Brianna Cunningham thanking me for my work in boarding. I received two lovely gifts along with some cards from the students. It was unexpected and very much appreciated. Thank you!
Mrs Dianne Franzinelli | Boarding Administration Officer