Welcome to the OGA

Honorary Associate Life Members

Welcome to the OGA

This year 87 of the 91 Year 12 students have joined the OGA. This is the biggest uptake of the OGA Life Membership that we have had to date.

The OGA is delighted to welcome the following Year 12 members:

In December 2021, three staff members were welcomed into the OGA after receiving an Honorary Associate Life Membership for having worked at the School for 20 years.

Congratulations to Mr Graham Crickmore, Mrs Laura Dusseljee and Mrs Christine Phillips.

Board members Andrew Hosking, Fleur Jackson and Carolyn Starr are also congratulated on serving 3 years on the Board and who have received an Associate Membership to the OGA.

We reflect on the outstanding service that Mr Crickmore, Mrs Dusseljee (more affectionately known as Mrs D) and Mrs Phillips have given over the last 20 years.

Mr Graham Crickmore

As a person of great Mathematics and Science skill, it comes as no surprise that Graham Crickmore is a meticulously organised and efficient Head of Camps at Girton Grammar School. Since starting at the school in 2001 as a Science, Mathematics and Physics teacher, as well as a Riley House Tutor, Graham has held a range of positions and has become known as ‘a man of the people’.

With an empathetic ear and a generous heart, Graham has always gravitated to roles in the school that allow him to look after others. He has been the Staff Association President, Secretary and Treasurer, representing and supporting staff on all manner of things. In his early years at Girton, Graham was a supervisor at the Boarding House, a Library helper, and in 2002 he put his passion of the great outdoors to positive use by establishing the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme at Girton, leading to the presentation of a special award at the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.

Graham was recognised at the award ceremony for the strong program he has created at Girton Grammar School. During his time as an Award Coordinator, he has integrated all levels of the Award (Bronze, Silver and Gold) into the school and championed the creation of a Duke of Edinburgh Captain position, to sit alongside other student leadership positions.

In 20 years, Mr Crickmore has overseen more than 400 Girton students on their Duke of Edinburgh journey, and in doing so, has nurtured their confidence and leadership skills and helped them to discover their passions and purpose. Graham deeply believes that the Duke of Edinburgh journey is life-changing for many young people, and in his typical selfless way, he describes it as a privilege to watch the students grow as they tackle new challenges, as well as humbly recognising his peers in supporting the programme.

As Head of Camps, Graham has taken students through jungles, fire grounds, storms and borders on World Challenges, year-level hikes and Gold Duke of Edinburgh trips. Much of the work that supports these outdoor adventures is unseen. In the weeks leading up to Camps Week he spends weekends ensuring everything is ready, including purchasing and bagging up food, checking tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and other equipment. On return from camp, the first week of the school holidays is spent checking tents, airing everything, then repacking. Generations of Girton students have benefited from Graham’s outdoor skills and his ability to give students a positive experience in a challenging environment.

As a man of many words, Graham is comfortable with a microphone and has become famous at the school for his brilliant, informed and entertaining hosting of many school events, most notably the House Athletics and Swimming Carnivals, which would simply not be the same without him.

Graham is described by close colleagues as unflappable and a man of boundless energy. His positive energy and can-do attitude towards everything he undertakes is energizing and empowering to those around him. Graham is considered by his peers as tuned in to the needs of others and an extremely supportive colleague. Without fuss, Graham frequently steps in to cover any hole that needs filling, which he does with humour, cheerfulness and good grace.

In 2006 Graham was awarded the Board’s Prize for General Excellence and since 2019 Graham has been the Head of Daily Operations, making him the ‘go to’ person in the Senior School. As a natural problem solver, Graham is tenacious and determined when confronted with obstacles, which on any given school day could be many. Rather than fixating on the problem, Graham is quick to start work on a solution, enabling those around him to get on with their day.

As a VCE teacher of Physics, Graham is credited with giving some of Girton’s best and brightest students wings for a positive and productive future. From pilots and actuaries, to statisticians and engineers, Graham is as enthusiastic in the classroom as he is in life. His students find it easy to build report with their Physics teacher and they know he wants to see them do well in science and in life. His students understand that he takes their learning, but not himself, seriously.

Through his positive interactions with both students and colleagues, Graham is one of the people who makes a significant positive contribution to the culture and tone of Girton Grammar School. He has many good friends at the school and his devotion to making Girton the best that it can be is clear.

Mr Graham Crickmore, for twenty years of outstanding service to Girton Grammar School, we thank you.

Mrs Laura Dusseljee

Laura expects her students to be brilliant, and so they are. Judges at high profile music competitions have frequently acknowledged the vocals from her youngest charges as exceptional. The Junior School Choir and Performance Choirs, founded by Laura, have been lauded at multiple music events all over the State, and the comprehensive classroom music program in the Junior School is a product of Laura's vision and hard work.

Starting at Girton Grammar School in 2007 as the Assistant Head of Music and having taught class music, choirs and piano in South Africa and Botswana, Laura is an asset to the school and integral to the solid musical reputation that the school enjoys with Laura as the Head of Junior School Music.

With a wicked sense of humour and a penchant for having fun, Laura has made music come to life for five-year-old’s in their classroom music lessons through ninety-five-year-olds in the Forever Young Rock Choir, which Laura founded in 2011.

Laura is known for ensuring her students, no matter what age, are on task and motivated to have fun and to succeed. She is renowned for practically tricking even the most reluctant student into being excellent by using a combination of expertise and good humour. With all Junior School students in Year 3 to 6 participating in a choir, Laura has been integral in embedding musicality in Girton students. Many have gone on to great musical heights or simply to have a lifelong appreciation for music - both acceptable outcomes for Laura – but equally, nothing less would do.

Laura's colleagues describe her as passionate and enthusiastic in all that she does and an honest and loyal peer who is not afraid of hard work, especially if it benefits the students. She is known for constantly working to improve student results and is a proud Girtonian who sets high standards for students, herself and those around her. Laura is described as fun to be around and a wonderful storyteller and entertainer.

Laura's reach and impact throughout the school over twenty years is legendary. Over the years, she has been involved in the Senior School co-curricular, including Girton Singers and Senior Choir. Her older students have developed enormous respect for her skills and hard work. She is determined that students make the most of every opportunity and supports them as they grow, often starting early in the morning or finishing late in the day to allow students to meet her outside school hours.

The jewel in Laura's musical crown at Girton is the Forever Young Rock Choir. She is not only the founder of the choir but the ongoing heart and soul of it, to which any choir member will attest. With a long history in South Africa of involvement in community choirs, Laura always dreamt of forming a choir of older singers. Laura is famous for saying that the only prerequisite for entry into the Forever Young choir is to be 65 years young. Supported by the Girton String Orchestra, the school Rock Band and rehearsing each week in the Junior School Hall, the Forever Young Rock Choir puts on an annual sell-out concert at the Ulumbarra Theatre, featuring a repertoire of classic and contemporary rock and pop songs that has the audience toe-tapping all night. The choir and its members are a much-loved part of the Girton community, enriching one another's lives and those of the students and staff.

Laura is a friend and supportive colleague to many teachers and is encouraging and positive to all those around her. She is a living, breathing example of the school's mission, expecting students to strive for excellence in all they do and believing firmly that she should lead by example.

Mrs Laura Dusseljee, for twenty years of outstanding service to Girton Grammar School, we thank you.

Mrs Christine Phillips

From teaching Junior School Literacy in 2002 to becoming Head of Jenkin House in 2016, Christine Phillips has held numerous teaching, co-curricular and leadership positions in her twenty years at Girton, and in the process, she has upheld high standards that have had a life-long impact on her colleagues and students.

In her professional capacity, Christine is known to be meticulously organised and hard working. For meetings, classes, and events, she is always thoroughly prepared because she cares about her students and believes preparedness to be a sign of respect to others. This values-driven approach to her profession has made Christine an exceptional teacher and a reliable colleague. Coupled with a generous spirit of collaboration, Christine is known for sharing her resources and ideas, always wanting to do things better and give students every possible learning opportunity.

Christine’s English students say that it is impossible not to strive to meet her high expectations, such is their respect for her craft, her hard work and her belief in them. Her passion for English is contagious, and her students are regaled often with stories of the beauty of figurative language or the difference between common and proper nouns. It is little wonder that most afternoons she has a queue of students waiting outside her office with their most recent English drafts in hand, keen to gain her feedback.

Christine’s capacity to care is boundless, and she has held many positions of pastoral care during her time at Girton, including Frew and Millward House Tutor, Assistant Head of Millward, and Head of Jenkin House. Christine is renowned for reminding students to be thankful for everything they have. Her Jenkin charges understand that they ‘get to’ attend Girton, and they ‘get to’ access an enviable range of opportunities at this school. Christine’s brand of care is empowering, not mollycoddling, inspiring, not spoon-feeding. As a result, those in her care benefit from being more resourceful, more resilient, and more self-aware. Colleagues say that the legacy Christine leaves at Girton is one of connectedness. By leading the way in forging connections between people, Christine has nurtured a culture at the school, especially within Jenkin House in recent years, of inclusion and acceptance, making the sum of the group stronger than the individuals within it.

Christine’s ability to remain poised and measured in all situations and accurately read a room has made her a respected leader in the school, both in official and unofficial capacities. She is diligent in gathering facts, clear and sensible in devising the best course of action, open to suggestions and innovation and meticulous with documentation. She is referred to often as the consummate professional.

When it comes to co-curriculum participation, Christine is one for rolling up her sleeves. She has been involved with Basketball, Netball, Volleyball, TEDx and Girton Community Service, in all instances, looking for opportunities for people to shine and connect with others in a meaningful way. With her organisational skills standing her in good stead beyond the classroom, whatever she is doing with students, they always have a sense that they are well looked after when in Christine’s care.

Christine considers her beloved subject, English, an essential life skill applicable to every vocation and indispensable to functioning in a global community. Her students benefit from this belief, and the passionate approach to her career is one of the reasons Christine won the Board’s Prize for General Excellence across the school in 2017. Christine lights up when students in her classroom believe in themselves and strive to improve their skills and when they are as excited about writing, reading and speaking as she is.

Mrs Christine Phillips, for twenty years of outstanding service to Girton Grammar School, we thank you.