From the Principal

Term Three continues to be jam-packed, and I commend our students for their efforts and enthusiasm as we approach the end of term.

Congratulations and thank you to all students and staff across Junior and Senior School who were involved in our Ensembles Evenings last week. I was – and am constantly – amazed to hear our talented musicians across the school as they performed. I’d like to congratulate the performers, the conductors, the tech crew, the event organisers, and everyone who played a role in these events, great or small. 

Congratulations also to our Tournament of Minds teams, who recently competed in the regional finals. Girton entered eight teams in total, with a Junior and Senior team entered in each category of Language Literature, Social Sciences, STEM and The Arts. Six of our teams were successful at regionals, and will now travel to La Trobe University in Bundoora to compete in the state finals. Best of luck to everyone involved!

Last night, the Middle School Production of Spamalot Young@Part opened in our Black Box Theatre to raucous laughter and thunderous applause. Congratulations to the cast and crew and director Miss Emily Holmes on a terrific opening night – once again, I was impressed by the depth of talent at this school. If you’re attending one of the three remaining shows, prepare to be amazed by the performances and dazzled by the costumes. And keep your eyes peeled for a fun cameo – it’s not just our students who can turn in an amazing performance!

Yesterday, I had the privilege of welcoming our 2026 Year 7 group to Girton for Imagine Day. Imagine Day is the first day of the Year 7 orientation program, and we welcomed students from primary schools around the region as well as our own current Year 6 students. These students heard from Senior School students, toured Senior School, participated in some Senior School activities and classes, and got to know each other.

Many parents and carers of this group also toured the school. It was wonderful to welcome such a large group to the Senior School and, in the case of new parents and carers, to the Girton community. Thank you to everyone who attended, and to the staff and students who welcomed, presented to and toured with our 2026 Year 7s. They’ll be back for a second orientation day later in the term, and will complete their orientation program in Term Four.

On Tuesday 9 September, the Girton Board will host the annual Board Parent Forum. I encourage all parents and carers who are interested in learning about our revised mission and values and in hearing directly from the Board to register for this event. You can find details in the ‘Notices’ section of this edition of eLink.

All students across the school, from Prep to Year 12, have been preparing for the opening of AQUA: a celebration of water in art, our 2025 ArtsFest exhibition. This year’s exhibition will be on display for the public to enjoy at Bendigo’s iconic Beehive Building from 12 to 14 September. It opens on Thursday 11 September with an event featuring special guest, artist John Wolseley. Please visit this Astra post to learn more about the exhibition and to book your spot at the opening night.

Earlier this week, I wrote to the Girton community to share an update on the John E Higgs Hall on the Junior School campus. You can read this message in full in the 'Notices' section of this edition of eLink. I would like to thank the community for the support we’ve received since sharing this update. It is sad to say farewell to the memories that the Hall holds, but we will be celebrating and honouring these memories as we make plans for the future. 

Dr Emma O’Rielly

Principal