Senior School News
Last Day of Year 12 | Class of 2024
The graduating Class of 2024 marked their last day of school with a traditional church service at Forest Street Uniting Church. Led by School Chaplain Rev. Karen Reid, the service provided an opportunity for the students to express gratitude to their parents and teachers for their educational journey.
Following the service, the Year 12 students were farewelled at a House Assembly, where heartfelt tributes were shared through slideshows and farewell messages.
Despite the rainy weather, the day was filled with joy as the students played giant novelty games and feasted from food trucks. Special thanks are given to Little Sangria and Favourite Flavours for keeping the festivities alive despite the challenging conditions. The graduating students also took part in interviews with the School Captains, reflecting on their time at Girton.
Later in the day, parents and special guests attended the final assembly, where Dr O'Rielly delivered a moving speech about the impact of this cohort on the school community.
View a recording of the Year 12 Final Assembly >
The day concluded with a final walk through the school halls, accompanied by a guard of honour, and a performance of the School Song in the Gym.
The school is incredibly proud of the Class of 2024 and wishes them success in their upcoming examinations. The Valedictory Dinner is eagerly anticipated as a chance to reconnect with these students.
Japan Tour 2024 | Gojo High School Exchange
On 19 September, a group of 16 slightly nervous and very excited Girton Grammar students from Years 9 to 11 travelled to Japan for a fortnight of language and cultural immersion.
Students and their teachers enjoyed a whirlwind tour of Tokyo, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Kyoto and Osaka, and spent six days attending our sister school, Gojo High School in Nara prefecture. We got to travel by ferries, subways, trams, trains, planes and, of course, the famous shinkansen or bullet train, which Mr Martin clocked at 297 kilometres per hour between Tokyo and Hiroshima!
It was incredible to see our students arrive in Japan, soak up the atmosphere and immediately start using Japanese to order food, say good morning and give directions. Our students were excellent ambassadors for Girton and Australia, and fit in beautifully at Gojo High School. They were lucky to participate in the school festival, a cooking class, a tea ceremony and a calligraphy class, as well as attending homeroom, regular classes, co-curricular classes, school assemblies and a heartwarming farewell celebration party. We were all warmly welcomed by the school Principal, Mr Inaba, and the staff of Gojo High School.
Sadly, our trip came to an end all too quickly. Through floods of tears, we left Gojo with a greater knowledge of Japan and the Japanese language and with new lifelong friendships forged. We will never forget the hospitality and kindness shown during our trip and cannot wait to see our Gojo High School friends once more when they visit us in March 2025!
Mrs Liz Blanks
Co-Head of LOTE Japanese
A visit from Lisa Chesters MP
Lisa Chesters' presentation was informative, educational and honest, and provided the Year 10 cohort with knowledge of the inner workings of the Australian Government system. It was interesting to hear her perspective on government issues and her outlook on solutions to solve them.
The students also appreciated the opportunity to engage in a Q&A session with Ms Chesters, where she answered all enquiries with respect and honesty, and showed that she accepted and valued the opinions of our student body.
Anabel Fleming and Elizabeth McGrath (10 Millward)
Wattle Street parking
Parents and carers are kindly reminded to always use the designated parking bays when dropping off and collecting students in Wattle Street, and to be mindful of pedestrians using the new wombat crossing at the corner of Wattle and Creek Streets.
In particular, drivers are asked to avoid double-parking when dropping off and collecting students. Double-parking not only disrupts traffic flow but can also obscure visibility of the wombat crossing for other road users, creating a safety hazard.
Please note that witches’ hats have been placed beside the parallel parking space in front of the Hub to discourage double-parking in this area due to its close proximity to the wombat crossing.
The school is continuing to work closely with the City of Greater Bendigo to optimise safety and traffic flow in the Wattle Street precinct.