Senior School News

House Dinner Reminder

A friendly reminder: House Dinners will take place in the first week of Term Four. Please find the event details listed below: 

Year 11 Geography Excursion 

Last Tuesday, the Unit 2 Geography class took an excursion to Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill for our upcoming Fieldwork report on “How open-air museums such as Sovereign Hill can be sustainable as well as historically accurate”. 

We began the day nice and early at 8.00am beginning our one-and-a-half-hour drive to the 1850s-inspired museum. When we arrived, we first hit “The Diggings” and tried our luck at gold panning, which was mostly unsuccessful apart from the few specks uncovered. Then we took a walk along the main street, viewing the shops of the 1800s and looking at their level of historical accuracy to the times.  We also did a Red Hill Mine tour, which informed us about the historical findings of the second largest gold nugget ever found, “The Welcome Nugget”. 

After a short lunch break at the Hope Bakery, we took part in a VCE Geography Master Class run by Andrew, a member of the education team at Sovereign Hill, who provided us with an abundance of information about the site's history and sustainability approaches. This was followed by an educational behind-the-scenes tour of the location that provided further information. Thank you, Andrew! 

Then we waved goodbye to Sovereign Hill and began our journey back home. We would like to thank Mr Crickmore for being our bus driver on the day.  

Tully Mahr Inspires Senior School with Culture and Cosmos

On 13 August, Senior School was honoured to welcome Tully Mahr - a proud  Gundungurra woman and STEM advocate - who spoke about how her Indigenous culture shapes her understanding of self, the world, and the universe. Drawing on deep cultural traditions of connection to land, sky, and community, Tully reminded students that Indigenous ways of knowing are not only rooted in the past, but are also vital in guiding our future.

Tully shared her extraordinary experiences working with NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where she has been involved in research projects in robotics and life in deep space. She explained how her cultural background informs the way she approaches science and innovation, offering unique perspectives that bridge traditional knowledge with cutting-edge technology. Her stories from NASA highlighted how different ways of seeing the universe can coexist and enrich one another.

Staff and students were particularly inspired by her message that culture is not separate from progress—rather, it is the foundation upon which meaningful progress is built. By weaving together insights from her Indigenous heritage and her work in space exploration, Tully reminded us all of the importance of culture in shaping our past, guiding our present, and imagining our future.

Girton celebrates Wear It Purple Day!

Girton Grammar School celebrated Wear It Purple Day on Friday 31 August. Our school community came together to celebrate diversity and show support for LGBTQIA+ young people. The day was filled with colour, conversation, and connection, reminding everyone of the importance of creating safe and inclusive spaces for all.

Students and staff embraced the purple theme by enjoying delicious, purple-themed cupcakes and fairy bread, while also purchasing purple wristbands as a sign of solidarity. The energy across the campus was vibrant and positive, with everyone encouraged to stand up, speak out, and show that every young person has the right to be proud of who they are.

Wear It Purple Day was more than just a celebration—it was a reminder that, together, we can make a difference, support one another, and continue to build a community where every student feels seen, valued, and included.

GCAG raised $172 at the cake stall, and this money will be donated to Minus18, an organisation which develops programs to support LGBTQIA+ youth.

Building Connections during Term Three

In Week 5 of this term, the new Building Connections program kicked off during Wednesday Co-Connect time. With more than 20 diverse activities on offer—including dance, drama, art, yoga, sport, gaming, philosophy, sustainability, and science—students had the chance to connect with friends, meet new people, and discover fresh skills and interests.

The program is closely aligned with Giron’s mission and values, encouraging students to explore their passions, collaborate across year levels, and step beyond the familiar. By testing their limits and moving out of their comfort zones, students not only grow in confidence but also strengthen the bonds that make our community vibrant and inclusive.

The launch of Building Connections has been a fantastic success, and we look forward to seeing how students continue to embrace this opportunity to learn, lead, and connect in meaningful ways during Term Four.

Year 9 Achieve: Building Connections during Term Three

This term, Year 9 students have been participating in the Mind and Body Achieve Health rotations, a program designed to promote physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Across the rotations, students have taken part in a wide variety of activities that not only build important skills but also set them up for healthy futures.

Highlights of the program include learning First Aid and CPR, where students are working towards earning a nationally recognised qualification—an invaluable skill that could one day help save a life. They have also engaged in self-defence training, empowering them with strategies for personal safety and confidence, and yoga sessions, which support mindfulness, flexibility, and stress management.

By developing these skills, students are strengthening their resilience, supporting their own wellbeing, and gaining tools to look after others. The Achieve Health rotations reflect our commitment to nurturing well-rounded young people who are prepared to face life’s challenges with confidence and care.

Year 8 Your Story Elective | Bendigo Historical Society Excursion

Last Wednesday 3 September, the Year 8 students of the Your Story elective took a short spring walk to the Bendigo Historical Society’s History House in MacKenzie Street. 

Students were mesmerised as they stepped into History House, immediately seeing how historians work with the past, scanning and analysing documents. They received a brief introduction to the session, before they entered the archives room at the back of the house. In here, students examined objects from the past and heard a "What’s in the Box" presentation about a clock from Bendigo’s past. 

This excursion has greatly informed these eight students, and they are now enabled to move further on with their research projects. A great day had by all!

Mr Jack Smeelie

Teacher of Humanities

The Bendigo Historical Society was a really fun trip! They gave us lots of information about the items they were showing us and helped us locate many items we desired to see. They gave us an example of how they would do their work by showing us an item, a swinging doll clock. They also helped us by giving us a tour of all the areas of the building. They showed us many items that were not on display publicly and even helped us find items and information that would help us do our current research task. I would heavily encourage going there again next year. At the beginning of writing this, I was under the impression that our review was meant to rate it out of five stars, so FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE. 

Orsen Winzar (8 Aherne)

On Wednesday, the 3rd of September, we went on an excursion to the Bendigo Historical Society. Everyone was excited. We left school at 11 a.m. and walked together to the building. As soon as we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by Yuen and Felicity, who guided us through the experience and supported us with our research. They began by showing us around the collection, and then we sat down in an area surrounded by Bendigo’s rich history. We were amazed by the number of valuable and fascinating objects on display , each one telling a story about how the city has grown and changed over time. Throughout the visit, we had the chance to ask questions and explore topics connected to our projects. The answers we received helped us understand Bendigo’s history in a much deeper way. Overall, it was a memorable and inspiring excursion. I would highly recommend visiting the Bendigo Historical Society to anyone who wants to discover more about Bendigo’s rich past.

Lisbet Roy (8 Frew)

Last Wednesday the your story elective class had the Honor of going to the Bendigo historical society, on Mackenzie street. We walked from Girton senior school to the historical society on period three, after a mostly uphill walk we arrived. We were greeted by two very welcoming and kind people, Euan and Felicity they showed us around the society. We then sat around a table as they showed us some very old and very interesting pieces of history, we even looked at blueprints from the renovations that George Lancell did to Fortuna villa. After a informative hour or so we made our way back to school in time for lunch. It was a cool experience and we all learnt a lot about Bendigo and its history.

Quinn Thacker (8 Aherne)

Last week we went to the Bendigo historical centre to see Yuan and Felicity

So, we could get more details and evidence about our famous chosen person from Bendigo. We started off by sitting down in a room with boxes of historic things like clocks, dolls and notes that all originated from Bendigo. Felicity started with showing us an old clock that used to be in a jeweller, that people from years ago use to meet at and all the research she had done about it. We then asked them many questions about things like ‘what’s their eldest piece and what’s their favourite piece? ‘They then showed us some of the pieces that related to our chosen person. Lastly, we looked around the museum part and then we took a photo and walked back to school. The museum offered an enriching pieces of history.

Ruby Polson (8 Riley)

The Bendigo Historical Society is a society dedicated to preserving the history of Bendigo. It is located at 11 Mackenzie St Bendigo and includes more than 40,000 historical antiques and artifacts. My Your Story class and I went on an excursion to The Bendigo Historical Society in one of our doubles. When we first arrived, we were greeted by Felicity and Euan, two of the volunteers that works there. They first told us a little bit about themselves and how they work at the Bendigo Historical Society, we then told them our names and who we had been researching for the past few lessons. Then they gave us a tour of the building showing us where they keep the artifacts, the mini museum and where they take pictures of the historical items. We then walked into a room, and all sat down at a large desk and Felicity showed us through a PowerPoint of ‘What’s in the box.’ She had a box as well and it consisted of an Ansonia Bobbing Doll. She showed us the process of looking up historical items and how she finds them through looking up an item on her computer on their website, then finding it’s box number online, then finding the box and opening it. We found boxes with old wedding dresses, clothes, bathers, dolls, blueprints and so much more. Then we had a look around in the museum part of the building and found a John Quick plaque, old judge wigs, handcuffs and other items. Overall my visit to The Bendigo Historical Society was very enjoyable and was a great opportunity to expand my knowledge and learn more about the history of Bendigo.

Airlie Brown (8 Riley) 

The Bendigo Historical Society is a place where you can go to learn about Bendigo’s History who what when and where about it. When we entered, we were greeted by two historians Euan and felicity they were very welcoming firstly we made our way to information room where they had lots of information about Bendigo’s past then we made our way to the room where they take all there photos they use a special light so they don’t get any shadows or uneven bits then we made our way to the storage room where they keep most of there stuff we got to sit down o their spiny chairs and have a look at what was in the box that was on display which there was an old angel bobbing clock although they said that the angel was a replacement it still looked pretty old then we looked at some blueprints for fortuna villa then we got to look at some old dolls some of them were over 100 years old after that we asked some questions about the place then we got to have a quick look at the information room then we had to go back to school.

Olivia Laity (8 Aherne)

The Bendigo historical society was an amazing experience to be able to enjoy, and it was an opportunity for us to learn about some of Bendigo’s public history. When we arrived on our excursion we were greeted by Euan and Felicity, two very friendly volunteers who work at the Bendigo Historical Society, who first showed us how, and where the volunteers work there and what they do. We then had a quick wander through the museum before going into the storeroom where we learned about “what’s in the box”. “What’s in the box” is usually a short film posted on their website and Facebook, and consists of an item in a box, that is historically significant or very interesting. Instead of watching a video though we got an in-person presentation of it, and in our box, there was a clock antique of a girl on a bobbing clock. It was very interesting. We then got to ask a few questions, and they showed us some things out in the storeroom before we headed back to the museum to take a closer look at some of the more famous and interesting antiques and items they had collected. Most of their objects come from donations from many people around Bendigo as well as some other rural areas. The best thing about the excursion was that we got to see some of the items we wished to see like dolls, blueprints and letters and postcards from some famous Bendigonians from the 18-1900s. It was all so interesting. They are open two days a week and are run completely by the help of volunteers. I would really recommend the Bendigo historical society because they do an amazing job at working to preserve some of Bendigo’s history. Make sure you check them out at 11 Mackenzie st Bendigo.

Zali Cullen (8 Riley)

Senior School Mobile Dental Van Checkup - NEW DATES

We would like to inform you that the Martin Vale Dentistry Mobile Dental Van visitation date has been changed to 14, 15 and 16 October. There is still time for your child to participate - please complete the linked form here: https://form.jotform.com/220327988392062

The Commonwealth Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) allows eligible children basic dental treatment over a 2-year period. This can be accessed during school hours via the services of a school dental van.

School dental vans are fully equipped to perform examinations, x-rays, fillings, scaling, and cleaning, as well as apply preventive medicaments and extractions.

The process

First visit - Students eligible for CDBS receive an examination, x-rays, fluoride & fissure sealant. Parents are then contacted by phone to discuss a treatment plan if required. Students not eligible for CDBS funding receive dental screening, and parents are contacted by phone to discuss if a private appointment is recommended.

Follow-up visit - Students undergo the treatment plan discussed and consented to. Parents are welcome to attend the van while their child has treatment.

Please submit your request to participate