From the Principal

Last Friday, we gathered to honour our Year 12 graduates at the 2025 Valedictory Dinner. This wonderful evening marked the end of 13 years of schooling, and the beginning of a glorious new chapter of their lives.

On Monday, I welcomed the 2026 Year 7 cohort at our Year 7 Information Night. To move so quickly from saying final farewells to warm welcomes might seem jarring in any other context, yet this is the nature – and the joy – of teaching. We welcome students to our school to guide and nurture them on their journeys of self-discovery. We walk beside them as they grow in independence, broaden their horizons, and set their sights on their bright futures, then ultimately the time comes to applaud them as they step confidently into the world beyond our gates.

Our role in this partnership is to provide opportunities, guidance and support across all areas of school life. As we near the end of 2025, I would like to share more detail about some changes we will be introducing in the areas of academic excellence, co-curricular engagement, pastoral care and student wellbeing.

In 2026, we will begin implementing our updated Teaching and Learning Framework, a shared vision and approach to education based on the science of learning. This empowers teachers to adopt evidence-based practices, ensuring every student equitable access to effective, high-quality instruction. Under the leadership of our new Head of Teaching and Learning, Mr Wilbur Donovan, Girton will advance interactive explicit instruction in the classroom.

At an information session earlier this month, I presented this framework together with Board Member Professor Pamela Snow. We thank you for your attendance, for engaging with the framework, and for your insightful questions.

Our 2026 Co-Curricular Program has been refreshed following a comprehensive review. Details of these changes were outlined earlier this week in an Astra post, which you can visit here. These changes provide greater flexibility for parents and ensure that student involvement in this important program is maintained. This program promotes teamwork, connection and belonging, the power of which cannot be underestimated when it comes to students achieving academically.

The House System is part of the fabric of Girton Grammar and is something we want to strengthen. Currently, each student is part of a House Tutor group with assigned House Tutors. Next year, we have adjusted the title of these very important groups to better reflect the intent of this pastoral care structure. In 2026, each student will belong to a House Mentor group and will be assigned a dedicated House Mentor.

Unlike the current structure, not all teaching staff will be assigned these duties. Teachers with a particular passion for student wellbeing will be responsible for supporting students’ wellbeing day-to-day, monitoring their academic progress, and delivering the social and emotional program Flourish. Your child’s House Mentor will be your primary point of contact for information and queries about the school and your child’s progress.

Our inclusive education team will be working across all of these areas holistically. In line with the Teaching and Learning Framework, our approach to inclusive education will include evidence-based interventions, with continued use of the programs MacqLit, MiniLit and Spelling Mastery, and the introduction of the numeracy program QuickSmart. In 2026, we will also continue working with the experts at The Inclusive School to provide professional learning to all teaching and support staff across both campuses.

Beyond the school gates, more change is ahead for some of our students with Australia’s introduction of world-first social media restrictions for those under the age of 16.

From 10 December 2025, social media apps including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube will be required to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or maintaining an account on their platforms. There are no penalties for the users who access accounts on these platforms – the changes are designed to hold the platforms accountable, and they will face fines of up to $49.5 million if they fail to uphold the new laws.

Although this is widely referred to as a social media ban, the Australian Government is calling it a delay, with the goal of protecting young people’s wellbeing at this critical stage in their development. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, shares these important words for families: “The delay gives you extra time to talk about online safety and wellbeing with your child, to help them prepare for the risks and pressure of social media when they turn 16. It’s breathing space for them to build digital, social and emotional skills, and to understand the importance of reaching out for help if things go wrong.”

Further guidance is available on the eSafety Commissioner’s social media age restrictions hub, which includes information for young people, for families and for educators. I recommend visiting the hub for more information on how to support your child with the transition. Suggestions include talking openly with your child about the restrictions and the reasoning behind them, encouraging them to download any app-stored memories or photos they wish to keep before the changes come into effect, and ensuring that they have other ways to contact their friends. It is important to acknowledge that adapting to the incoming laws might be difficult, and to validate their frustrations while reinforcing the positives.

A recent article in The Age’s Good Weekend publication (which you can read here with a digital subscription) chronicled the experiences of four teens who undertook a five-day trial of life without their favourite social media apps. Before starting, they shared a mix of concerns, including potential boredom, a fear of being out of the loop, and worries about maintaining friendships, especially with friends who lived interstate or overseas.

However, they all benefited from the break. They kept in touch with their friends with messages and FaceTime calls, organised more in-person catch-ups, got more sleep, and felt less pressure to constantly post updates and maintain platform ‘streaks’.

In closing, I would like to thank you all for your support of our community during our end-of-year events. Last night, we enjoyed our annual Service of Carols at six churches across Bendigo. Tonight, I will join our Year 6 students and Junior School staff to celebrate and congratulate these students as they prepare to leave their primary school years behind.

And next week, I look forward to reflecting on 2025 with you as we applaud our students’ achievements at our Speech Night events. I hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend with your family.

Dr Emma O’Rielly

Principal