From the Principal

It is my pleasure to write this eLink article as Principal of Girton Grammar School for the first time. Accepting the ongoing position of Principal is an honour beyond description for me. Our School mission articulates that at Girton we strive for excellence, and since joining the teaching staff at Girton 16 years ago I have always been determined to create the conditions in my classroom that will enable students to achieve excellence. I am just as committed to striving for excellence in my leadership.  I want every student and staff member to feel like they belong at Girton Grammar School – to take ownership, learn, participate, contribute, and understand the privilege that it is to attend this wonderful place every day. 

With this in mind, as the new Principal I am keen to hear from our School Community. Invitations to a series of Principal’s Focus Groups were extended to students, parents and staff this week and I was pleased to receive a strong response. The insights from these sessions will underpin our first 12-month strategic implementation plan as we strive to achieve our targets set out in the Girton Grammar School Strategic Plan 2023-2028. 

In addition, following a thorough tender process, the School has appointed Bendigo-based Eplus Architecture to develop our 10-year Master Plan. Next week, the master planning consultation process will begin, with sessions run for Junior and Senior School students as well as staff. The results will inform the Girton Grammar School Master Plan 2023 – 2033 and accommodate the future development of the School’s buildings and spaces to align our physical environment with our strategic vision. 

Different perspectives lead to the best solutions and I look forward to exciting times ahead together as a School Community as we plan for the future. While Girton’s footprint may change and our buildings will be transformed for the next generation of learners, we will continue to be guided by the history, traditions and values that have made us what we are today. 

This week was Mental Health Week and our staff at Girton’s 65 Wattle planned a calendar of events for our Senior School students based on four key themes – fun, kindness, exercise, and mindfulness. It was encouraging to see students embrace a range of activities from yoga and meditation to a ‘sleepy bath salts’ workshop. I would like to thank every teacher and staff member who helped plan and run the many great initiatives that took place throughout the week.

What I impressed upon students when I addressed them at Senior School Assembly this week is how important it is to manage our mental health. Even if what we are feeling is considered relatively ‘normal’, it is good to have methods in place to understand and manage feelings of sadness, anxiety and stress when they arise. 

One of the themes we touched on during Mental Health Week is kindness. Neurological and experimental studies have examined whether there are correlations between acts of kindness and levels of wellbeing, and found that there are in fact proven benefits of being kind - not just for the person receiving our kind words and actions but for those performing them. In short, when we act kindly, we help both others and ourselves experience a little moment of genuine satisfaction. The more of those moments we build, the greater our overall satisfaction – and sense of wellbeing - becomes. As a school, we have a golden opportunity to cultivate compassion in our students and create a culture in which kindness is valued and practised every day.

Research shows that high levels of mental health are associated with increased learning, creativity and productivity, more positive behaviour, and stronger relationships. We hope that by talking about mental health openly and providing students with the tools and support to manage the ups and downs that we all experience through life’s journey, our young charges will become more comfortable about expressing how they feel and helping each other through difficult times in order to live fulfilling, productive and joy-filled lives.

My thoughts are with the families who have been impacted by the devastating floods and I encourage any student who is struggling at this time to reach out to 65 Wattle for support. The Department of Education and Training (DET) is offering financial support to impacted students at Victorian independent schools - please refer to the correspondence emailed to parents on Thursday 27 October for more information. 

Dr Emma O'Rielly

Principal