Discovery

Dear Parents, 

NAPLAN Online

This week our students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participated in the NAPLAN Online Test (the Year 3 Writing test was completed by hand).  NAPLAN Online is a tailored test which is run through a real-time internet connection and adapts to student responses, presenting them with questions that may be more or less difficult.  I am told that the online testing will provide better assessment, more precise results and a faster turnaround of information.

Significant planning, development, research and trialling was carried out to ensure Victoria was ready to move NAPLAN Online.  In its first year of transition in 2018, just over 15% of schools participated in NAPLAN Online and overall the platform worked well despite some initial technical issues.  Feedback from Schools at the time of testing was that students found the online assessment engaging.  This Year Casey Grammar School was required to undertake the online assessment along with 1000 other Victorian schools.

If your child was absent during any of the tests this week, re-sit tests will be scheduled for next week and your child will be notified shortly.  

Year 8 Camp

Last week our Year 8 students spent three days on camp in the Otway’s participating in a hybrid experience of camping in tents and apartment style sleeping arrangements. I am pleased to say that the OutBeyond portal, designed to provide parents with information and photos of the camps activities, was accessed over 1,000 times during the first day of camp.

I'd like to say a special thanks to the students for their fantastic behaviour and zest for adventure and also to the attending teaching staff including Mr Palomares, Madame Christensen, Ms Leeson, Ms Upward, Mr Young and camp convener Ms Dourios.  It is no surprise the feedback from the OutBeyond staff, including the Managing Director, was extremely complimentary. They were amazed at the behaviour, attitude, manners and helpful nature of our students.  

Debating

Congratulations to Bella Arnold, Molly Murphy and Mustafa Kezraj of Year 9 for winning round 3 of the Debaters Association of Victoria (DAV) Schools Competition, in the Mount Eliza region.  The DAV is a non-profit association which exists to promote debate.  It is the peak debating body in Victoria and runs large competitions for adults and schools across Victoria, providing training and resources for debaters, teachers and adjudicators.

We have twelve Year 9 students participating in the competition this year, and in their first year of debating we have been impressed with their work ethic and team spirit. Each student has been preparing independently; offering each other moral and practical support and carefully using the feedback offered by the adjudicators. We’re hoping for more wins in the final rounds - but regardless, we’re building a team to be reckoned with in the future!

Special thanks to Mr Cozzio for mentoring the team and to our Head of English Mr Willis for his role in organising, training and running the debating program here at Casey Grammar School.

SIS Public Speaking

To kick off the term in cultural activities we entered a team into our Inaugural SIS Public Speaking competition with two Year 7 students (Sarah Iurescu and Tiyanie Fernando) and two Year 10 students (Lilly Hopp and Spoorthy Bhat). Students had to present a prepared speech as well as an impromptu speech. Congratulations to the team for finishing third and thanks to Mrs Adams and Ms Riviere-Pendle for their assistance.

Head of Careers and Pathways

I am pleased to announce that Ms Blythman will join Casey Grammar School as the Head of Careers and Pathways on Monday 20 May. Sarah has over 15 years of experience as a post graduate qualified Careers Practitioner across the Higher Education (HEd), Vocational Education & Training (VET) and Secondary school sectors and as such, she has a unique understanding and perspective that will be invaluable to our students.

Prior to accepting her role at Casey Grammar School, Sarah has been employed as the Careers Education Team Leader at Chisholm Institute, the Careers Program Coordinator at Monash University and the Careers Counsellor at Swinburne Senior Secondary College. 

These roles have allowed Sarah to gain extensive experience in delivering high-quality career education to students, one on one careers counselling and student support with VTAC applications (including SEAS applications/personal statements).  This knowledge will be an asset to Casey Grammar students wishing to attend University or follow a Casey Pathways program.

We will welcome Ms Blythman with a BBQ for all Year 12 students and senior staff during her first week at Casey Grammar School.

Mr Richard Baird  MBA, B.Ed, ASAM, MACE, MACEL

Principal

I’d like to wish all our Junior School mothers a belated Happy Mother’s Day and I trust you enjoyed last Sunday surrounded by your precious children. I’m sure you enjoyed opening up the presents that your child had carefully selected from our Mother’s Day stall. Thanks to our hardworking group of PFC members who made the stall a possibility. I’m not sure who enjoys the gifts more, the mothers when they receive their eagerly anticipated present or the children as they peruse the table of gifts looking carefully at each piece until they cast their eyes on the thing that they so proudly select especially for their mum. It is with such joy that they hand over their money and clutch the memento that they simply can’t wait to give their mum on her special day. I’d also like to thank our ever reliable PFC for hosting our Mother’s Day morning tea and our Junior School teachers for welcoming our students’ mothers into their classes last Friday morning.

We also held our Term 2 Awards Assembly last week and I’d like to congratulate all our worthy Award winners. It was also a pleasure for Mr Baird to present his Principal’s Awards to one student from each year level who upholds our School’s values and treats others the way they like to be treated. Well done to the following Principal’s Award recipients:-

Prep      Jasmeh Kahlon

Year 1   Sidakleen Kaur

Year 2    Nathan Carter

Year 3   Kian Mynhardt

Year 4   Addison Whitehead-Bell

Year 5   Ryan Riet

Year 6   Zac Tucker

Congratulations also to Asani Ilayperuma who was the recipient of the coveted “Aussie Of The Month” award which is given to a student who is an inspiring role model who demonstrates good citizenship.

Last week, as huge structures were built in the PAC, onlookers were in awe as creative designs came to life.  All students from Prep to Year 6 spent time at the much anticipated Green Hat Incursion. Using planks provided students with an opportunity for open ended construction play as they collaborated and shared ideas and improved their original designs.  We have now purchased planks for our Junior School which students are all eager to explore.

This week saw our Year 3, 5, 7 & 9 students complete their NAPLAN testing online. Despite a few technical hitches with the Year 5 online Writing test on Tuesday, the assessments have run very smoothly and our Year 3 & 5 students coped admirably with the shift to online testing. We will receive the results in the fullness of time and will update our parent body as soon as we can. I’d like to thank our students for the huge effort they put in over the last four days to complete their assessments in the areas of Writing, Reading, Language Conventions and Numeracy. Thanks also to Miss Testro, Miss Reale, Miss Dascoli and Miss Nolan for ensuring the program ran smoothly while also keeping their students calm and confident to do their best.

Mrs Melissa Roberton

Head of Junior School

This year our Junior School is helping make a difference to the lives of Aussie children and families living with cancer by holding ‘A Musical Day in May’.  Money raised goes to a special charity which is particularly close to our Year 5 student Davin Weerasinghe’s heart.

All funds raised from our ‘Musical Day in May’ will be donated to the Musical Moments Trust which provides funded scholarships for pre and primary school aged children who have cancer or a life-threatening blood disorder.  The scholarships provide these children with opportunities to access music based activities such as music therapy sessions, musical instruments or music and dance lessons.

Besides making a real difference to the lives and happiness of children living with cancer and raising awareness of just how important music is to seriously ill children, our school will go into the draw to win $1,000 worth of musical instruments!

Please come along at lunchtime to the PAC on Thursday 23 May to watch some amazing acts including our very own Drumbeats Group!  We ask for a gold coin donation at the door.  Students, Parents and Teachers are all invited to attend!

Time: 1.10pm - 1.50pm

Date: Thursday 23 May

Location: Performing Arts Centre with a gold coin donation

 We look forward to seeing you there!

Miss Bridgette Reale

Head of Trist Junior School

Year 12 Formal

It was an absolute pleasure spending Saturday night in the company of the Year 12 students at their School Formal. Thanks to the efforts of the Formal Committee and Mrs Prentice, the evening was beautiful. The students looked splendid and thoroughly enjoyed sharing their big night with their friends and teachers.

Senior School Assembly & Student Awards

At assembly this week, we celebrated the diversity of skills and interests in our student body through the awarding of Art, Sport and Service awards. Well done to the students who produced beautiful portraits to enter in the inaugural Casey Grammar School Art Competition, congratulations to Krishna Kunnummal  - Year 11, Tanysha Hogan - Year 10 and Annabella Woo - Year 7 for their winning entries.

Congratulations to the Under 16 Boys Swimming team who won their section at the recent SIS Swimming Championships. They proudly presented their pennant to Mr Baird so it can be hung in the School Gymnasium.  

Congratulations also to the following students for the services they have provided to the local community in recent weeks;

• Delaney Allen for making mittens for koalas burned in the recent fires
• Jasmine Casey and Lilly Hopp for selling ANZAC badges at School  
• Delaney Allen, Anika Best, Grace Payet, Anabella Woo, Olivia Berry, Ellen Streat, Lilly Hopp, Prathyusha Achari and Kathleen Foley for their work for Backpacks 4 Kids during the school holidays

Winter Uniform

All students have now transitioned into their Winter uniform. At assembly this week, I reminded everyone of the importance of wearing their uniform properly. Casey Grammar School enjoys a very positive reputation in the local community and students wearing their uniform with pride contributes to this positive perception. When worn correctly, the Casey Grammar School uniform looks very smart. I have however noticed some individuals breaking some of the uniform rules. Please note the following rules and ensure your child’s uniform is being worn correctly each day as they leave for school:

1)      Blazers are compulsory and must be worn to and from school every day.

2)      Students must arrive and leave School in full school uniform. Students must not arrive or leave from School wearing sport uniform.

3)      Girls’ dresses and skirts are to be knee length or longer.

4)      Shirts are to be tucked in at all times.

5)      A navy scarf is permitted in Winter. They should not be worn inside the blazer.

6)      Hair is to be tied back if it touches the shoulders and off the face.

7)      No makeup at School including lipstick and coloured lip gloss.

8)      No nail polish and no artificial nails.

9)      No jewellery except for a watch. A small cross on a chain that is long enough for it not the be visible is also permitted.

10)    One pair of earrings only in the lower earlobe.

We will be working with the small group of Senior School students who are not wearing their uniform correctly, and I will be in touch with parents in due course. The full uniform policy is in the student planner if you would like to check it in its entirety.

I look forward to seeing all students wearing their uniform correctly and proudly.

Mrs Fiona Williams

Deputy Principal / Head of Senior School

Our students are currently competing in the Debating Association of Victoria (DAV) Schools Competition.

 We have two Year 9 teams competing at ‘D Grade’ level, and one team of Year 10 and 11 students competing at ‘B Grade.’

For the majority of our Year 9 students, this is their first experience of formal debating, and they have found themselves pitted against Schools with a long tradition of debating. They have maintained a competitive and determined spirit throughout, achieving two wins and gaining valuable experience and feedback from each debate. 

Students have attended workshops led by senior debaters and adjudicators from the DAV. They have organised themselves, and offered each other practical and moral support. Clearly, getting involved in debating promotes excellent teamwork, while sharpening the mind!

Our students will be given the opportunity to return to the DAV competition each year, allowing them to become seasoned debaters and formidable opponents.

 There will also be further debating opportunities, for all ages, later in the school year.

 Students have been reflecting on their debating experiences, and with two rounds to go, here are some of their thoughts.

Mr Gary Willis

Head of English

Round One: 5/03/19

Over the past few weeks, a group of Year 9 students have had the opportunity to learn the skills for debating. It was an enjoyable experience listening to guest speakers talk and train us, so we were prepared to write and present our debates. Our first topic was ‘Horse racing should be banned’ and luckily for both teams we were affirmative (for).

The debate took just under one hour as we presented and rebutted back and forth, between both the affirmative and negative teams. I think it's fair to say that we were all a little worried about presenting and coming up with rebuttals, as there wasn’t a lot of time to plan.

Both teams competed and did a fantastic job, and we all were very proud of ourselves. We all spoke really well and presented some strong points. Unfortunately, both teams lost by just one (CGS team 1) and four (CGS team 2) points, two very close rounds! As we prepare for our next debate, ‘All political parties should have quotas for female candidates’, both teams are determined to get a better result and hopefully win!

We all really enjoyed the experience so far, and we’re excited about the upcoming debates throughout the semester.

Molly Murphy, Year 9D

Round Two: 26/3/19

The second round debating topic was “All political parties should have quotas for female candidates”, basically meaning that there has to be a certain amount of woman in a political party. My team was on the negative side meaning that we didn’t want quotas, it was a strange topic and my team and I spent a lot of time researching and planning. 

We were going up against Peninsula Grammar, who are known for their debating skills. My team and I were terrified going, especially since it was my second debate, but for my other two team mates it was their first debate! My team produced strong rebuttals, spoke clearly, stayed true to our arguments and it felt great! It felt like we were doing a good job and it turns out, the results reflected it. My team won by four points and I was lucky enough to be awarded best speaker! Planning, researching, writing speeches and actually participating and attending the debate is all hard work and it felt amazing to have that work recognised in the form of a win.

Teah Dorman, Year 9D

Round Three: 7/05/19

This was my first time debating. I walked up the podium and realised I had lost my cue cards. I started to panic, signalling to my teammates from the podium as everyone in the room waited for me to start. I then realised  that I had grabbed an extra copy of my speech. Letting out a sigh of relief, I apologised and started speaking. After finishing, I gave myself a metaphorical pat on the back.

I thought I did well! However, I started doubting myself after the adjudicator constantly pointed out my mistakes.

Unfortunately we lost… but at the end, there were a lot of hugs, smiling and a little sadness. The adjudicator’s decision must be respected, but Mr Willis thought we’d been robbed!

It was quite an experience as I was the only debater out of everyone that had not debated. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would recommend it to anyone. Even if there is a small part of you that feels like you would like to do it, I encourage you to try!

Daksh Singh, Year 9C

On Wednesday 1 May, the Duke of Edinburgh class completed their CPR award in preparation for the upcoming hiking expedition to the Mornington Peninsula. Students completed the e-learning units prior to the practical assessment. Thank you to Hero HQ for a fun and important way to learn this important life skill.

Ms Angela O'Driscoll

Head of Health & PE

On Tuesday 30 April the Unit 3 and 4 Business Management classes went on an excursion to see a working production line at the Yakult factory in Dandenong. We went on a tour throughout the factory and saw firsthand the different steps and processes that go into making a final product. This has helped us better understand our current area of study which is Operations. During our tour we learned about the history of Yakult and what ingredients are used and at the conclusion of the tour we were given samples and had the opportunity to ask questions. This excursion has given all the Unit 3 and 4 Business Management students a better understanding of how a production line works and what goes into making it successful.. 

Thank you to Mr Subban for organizing the excursion and Mr Duffy for coming along with us. 

Catherine Thornton - Year 11 

The things we take for granted…

Although there are many stresses and pressures that can be a part of our everyday life, we are fortunate in Australia to have the luxury of taking some things for granted. Events like getting water from the tap doesn’t rate a mention in our day, drinking water and not feeling sick is not an event we feel specifically grateful for. It’s just our reality; when we want water it is there; clean, easy to access and available. We can use it not only to drink, but to wash in, water the garden with and to assist with cleaning.

However, this is not the case for the 844 million people globally for whom accessing water is at least a 30 minute walk away. This year, Casey Grammar School Senior School is going to be part of the 6k Global Water Challenge. Here are the ways our Senior students are getting involved:

1.       Our Booth House Chapel (Mon 20 May during PACA time for all Senior students in the PAC) is on the theme of Water. The students in Booth have been donating money towards the cause and we are creating a water droplet feature for the stage during the Chapel that will represent the funds raised. All students in Booth are encouraged to buy a water droplet (or a few) for $1 or $2.

2.       On Monday 27 May during PACA time we will be having a big 6k Global Water Challenge event. Students across all PACAs will be participating in a relay to demonstrate the average distance a person in a developing country has to walk to access water. However, for our non-runners there will be a range of different activities to engage with the issue. We are asking them to bring a few 50 cent pieces to participate in the games there will be opportunities to win prizes along the way.

3.       On Monday 27 May at lunch we are hosting a BBQ for Senior students to raise further funds. There are vegan, non-beef and Halal options available.

We look forward to both raising awareness and funds for this important cause. Martin Luther King adapted a famous Bible verse when he first presented his well known ‘I have a dream’ speech. In Amos the prophet writes, ‘But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!’ I’m sure we can all agree that the metaphor works well in describing the type of world we would all like to live in.

God’s blessings on you all in the week ahead. 

Mrs Monique Riviere-Pendle 

Chaplain

In mid-2018 Joel Rasmussen had dreams of putting together a band of peers from Casey Grammar School and in pursuit of his dream, he put flyers around the school calling for talented Senior School students. Following a couple of meetings, the band was formed with the musical talents of:

Joel Rasmussen – Lead vocals and rhythm guitarist

Joel started playing the guitar in Year 6 and has always been keen to pursue vocals.

Luke Holland – Backup vocals and bass guitarist

Starting his musical journey in Year 1 with Acoustic guitar, Luke also studied Drums from Year 3 and can also play the Piano.

Phoenix Brousse De La Borde – Lead guitarist

Phoenix first started acoustic lessons in Prep, he can also play bass, but 6 string electric is his favourite.

Charlie Hermans – Drums

Charlie began learning the drums through lessons in Primary School starting in Year 1.

The boys needed somewhere to practice so the then Head of Music Mr Chiodo, offered the band use of an Instrumental classroom on a Friday after school which the boys still practice in weekly. It was then time to come up with a name.  Joel reflected: ‘After a few weeks of practice, we decided we needed a name. We all went off and came up with names, and at our next practice, which was at Charlie's house, we started going through the list. None of us really liked any of the names we came up with so Charlie started reading out the things he saw in his garage ("we could be the 'ceiling fans' or the 'paint scrapers''). I started looking at stuff too and I noticed Charlie's drum kit model was a Pearl Export - "What about 'The Exports?" I asked. We all liked it, so that's what we went with.’

The Exports' debut performance was at a Senior School assembly in November 2018 performing the Brian Adams classic "Summer of ’69" and the band's engaging stage presence that day made them an instant crowd favourite. The Exports have gone on to perform at the End of Year concert, Harmony Day lunchtime performance, Senior School assemblies and in December performed their first gig at a friends house party with a set list of ten songs.

Last Friday, with the help of Mr Collidge and Mr Hall, the band was busy recording their first debut single "TV". The lyrics and rhythm for "TV" were written by Joel, while each band member wrote the music for their pieces.

Listening to the song you can clearly hear the influence that some of the band's favourite artists have had on their musical style including the likes of Green Day, Blink 182 (early years) and Aussie bands such as AC/DC, The Chats and Dune Rats.

Date:  Monday 20 May until Friday 24 May

Time:   Before School Monday to Friday and After School Monday to Thursday  

Place:   Casey Grammar School Library                                                                                                                                               

We are in need of volunteers to assist us in running the Book Fair in the mornings.  If any parents or guardians are interested in helping before school, please speak to Rebecca in the Library.