Secondary School

Excellence isn’t a skill, it’s an attitude. – Chaz Durack (Baudin), Year Eleven

At this week’s assembly, we celebrated the theme of Excellence. There are so many wonderful things happening at our school and countless students are striving to achieve their personal best; it was the perfect opportunity to recognise some of these outstanding efforts within our community.

We presented Endeavour Awards to Year Ten and Year Eleven students. These awards are given to one student in each secondary class who demonstrates excellence in their studies and approach to learning. Importantly, Endeavour Awards are not about achieving the highest marks, they recognise students who display a strong work ethic, strive for their personal best and show respect and positivity toward their learning, peers and teachers. These students are collaborative, helpful and eager to explore new concepts with enthusiasm.

We also celebrated Colours for our Winter Sports season and athletics. Colours acknowledge not only excellent results but also active participation and positive role modelling within each discipline. It was wonderful to see so many parents join us on Monday to watch their children receive these awards.

In addition, we recognised excellence in engineering, as several students achieved outstanding results in the regional LEGO League competition. We are excited that one of our Year Nine teams has progressed to the National Competition in December, an incredible achievement!

Remembrance Day

On Tuesday 11 November, we marked the solemn occasion of Remembrance Day. A beautiful ceremony, organised by Mrs Jillian Bascombe and led by our senior students, honoured those who served and sacrificed. The stirring sound of the bagpipes set the tone as we observed a minute’s silence to reflect on their bravery. Albany has such a special connection to the First World War, and it is important that we continue to honour those who served in the armed forces and those who lost their loved ones in conflict.

Year Eleven Examinations and Super Week

This week, our Year Eleven students began their Semester Two examinations and we wish them all the best. There is a nervous buzz around the Pratten Centre as students focus on doing their best and supporting one another.

For students not on the ATAR pathway, Mrs Renae O’Donnell has organised three days of activities designed to build employability skills, including short courses such as RSA and White Card certification. Next week, the cohort will finish with two days at Year Eleven Camp, a fantastic way to celebrate the end of the year.

Possum Play

It is performance week for our school production! This year, students and staff have collaborated on a puppeteering masterpiece about the endangered western ringtail possum. A huge amount of creativity and effort has gone into this production and we can not wait to enjoy the Saturday matinée at the Albany Entertainment Centre.

Mr Jordan Owenell | Deputy Principal - Head of Secondary

WA State Winner - McCormick Flavour Forecast Recipe Challenge

We are thrilled to announce that our Year Ten Hospitality students have delivered another winning entry – the WA State Winner. The recipes produced by the class were extraordinary. Some wonderful technical details in each one and amazing flavour combinations.

A big congratulations to all involved, as WA was certainly one of the toughest states this year – a very high level of entries across the board.

This year’s entries for the HEIA/McCormick Flavour Forecast recipe challenge were outstanding. Competition was strong across the country and Western Australia’s entries stood out, with more schools and students participating than ever. Judges are continued to be impressed by the exceptional quality of student work from Great Southern Grammar.

These students submitted an entry demonstrating excellent creative and critical thinking, teamwork, adherence to the design brief and insightful discussion of their ingredient choices, aligned with this year’s flavour trends. The students’ dedication, passion and skills really shone through, continuing to set a high standard and inspire the wider Home Economics community. The judges were particularly impressed by the leadership of Teresa McAllister in supporting her students to submit such innovative and exciting entries. It was another fantastic year of achievement for the school.

- Dr Leanne Compton | President of the Home Economics Institute of Australia (HEIA)

Humanities in Action: Supporting Foodbank

Last Thursday, our Year Eleven Humanities in Action students embraced the theme “Two Cans for Two Hands” during their excursion to Foodbank. The visit gave students a powerful insight into the challenges many in our community face during the current cost-of-living crisis.

Determined not to arrive empty-handed, students brought along generous donations, which were gratefully received by Foodbank. A special thank you to Leanne from Foodbank, who took the time to answer our questions and share how their work makes a difference every day.

This experience was a meaningful reminder of the importance of empathy, action and community support; values we are proud to see our students living out.

Mrs Jillian Bascombe | Teacher

John Doust Cup Albany School Slam Series

Basketball Carnival Wrap-Up

Our recent basketball carnival was a fantastic day of competition, teamwork and sportsmanship. Students represented Grammar with pride, showing resilience, skill and a positive attitude both on and off the court. From thrilling grand finals to nail-biting finishes, every team gave their best effort and supported one another throughout the day. Here are the highlights from our coaches:

Boys A Division – Coach’s Report (Eli Eaton)

On carnival day, I had the privilege of coaching the Year 7/8 Division One boys’ basketball team. They were a fantastic group, eager to learn and open to advice. With such a coachable team, we worked together to secure a grand final victory over ASHS, bringing home the competition title for Grammar!

Standout moments included:

Cooper stepping up in the grand final
Jenson and Tyler working seamlessly off the pick and roll
Watching Stewart’s confidence grow with every game

A special mention goes to Dylan, who volunteered to play for Mount Barker when they needed an extra player, great sportsmanship!

Congratulations to the team on an outstanding win. The boys played like a true unit, showcasing skill, composure and determination throughout the day.

Girls A Division – Coach’s Report (Ava)

I had the pleasure of coaching the Year 7/8 A Grade girls, and what a wonderful group they were! Throughout the day, they demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and played strong, competitive basketball on both offense and defense.

The team finished 5th overall after these results:

DSHS Blue – Win (15–8)
Bethel CS – Loss (19–6)
ASHS – Loss (31–6)
DSHS Blue – Win (17–11)
MBCC – Win (55–4)
NASHS – Loss (10–9)

Highlights of the day:

Offensive plays by Kaitlyn Allen and Molly Stan-Bishop cutting through the keyway
Ball carrying, shooting, and passing from Harriet Hyder, Blythe Marmion and Neve Orzel
Defensive pressure and rebounding by Pippa King, Sophie Mackinnon and Paige Cybula

Congratulations to all the girls for their effort and teamwork throughout the carnival!

Girls B Division – Coach’s Report (Sophie Pearson)

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of coaching the Girls B team at the basketball carnival. The day was filled with teamwork, fun, and competitive spirit.

First Game: We started strong with a win against Mount Barker, which helped settle the excitement and nerves.
Close Matches: Later in the day, we faced Denmark and NASHS in tightly contested games that tested the girls’ skills and determination.
Highlight Game: Our match against ASHS was the closest of the day. In the final seconds, our team scored to even the score, a thrilling finish that showcased resilience and teamwork.

Overall, the carnival was an enjoyable experience and a fantastic chance to get to know the girls better. Their effort and positive attitude throughout the day were commendable.

Boys B Division – Coach’s Report (Patrick Buckenara)

The Division 2 boys faced a tough start with three challenging games but bounced back impressively, securing three wins to finish the day. The last three games showed clear improvement, particularly in passing and spacing skills.

Energy levels were high, and the defense remained intense throughout all matches. Highlights included:

Owen’s high-scoring performances
Cameron sinking a shot and deciding basketball wasn’t so bad after all
Ando scored his first-ever basket on his debut day

Overall, the boys demonstrated resilience, growth and a great sense of fun, making the carnival a rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Coordinator’s Highlight

A standout was seeing staff, coaches, and players all learning to be valuable community members by scoring and umpiring when required. This was their classroom for the day, and students were all very well-behaved, supported each other when not playing, and displayed great sportsmanship.

A huge thank you to David (NASHS) and David Schober (DSHS) for lending us qualified referees when all of our teams were playing at once—showing the value of having senior students at a carnival.

Thank you also to Rebecca Ravenhill for capturing fantastic photos of our players enjoying their day.

Watch this space as we continue to improve our developmental pathways and grow our sporting program—including playing, umpiring, and scoring.

GSG has partnered with Cyber Safety Project to deliver some of the Year Seven Digital Technologies curriculum and they provide brilliant free family resources. We know the new social media age restrictions coming into effect on 10 December 2025 have left a lot of families feeling confused and unsure. Cyber Safety Project are running a fun, family-friendly session to unpack the changes, bust myths and get your family confident and ready!

SOCIAL MEDIA DELAY - A Free Family Workshop for Parents and Kids Under 16 Wednesday 19 November 2025, 7.00pm to 7.45pm AEDT