Discovery

Friday, 23 August 2019

Important Dates

Tuesday 27 August                            Year 3/4 Hoop Time

Wednesday 28 August                      Year 9 Program Incursion

Thursday 29 August                          Year 7-9 Parent Teacher Interviews

Friday 6 September                           Year 7 & 10 Vaccinations

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents/Guardians,

On Wednesday morning, Trist House hosted the Senior School Chapel Service which focused on the School's value of Inclusion.  As a Christian School, we strive to see beyond the superficial and be a community that identifies and appreciates how each one of us adds value and diversity.    

The value of Inclusion is not a program or a five step process, it is a mindset that leads us to see and value the uniqueness of people. It helps us to understand their perspectives, cultures and practices that they share with us.  Pastoral Care Groups  have been looking at the Adam Goodes documentary that highlights the issue of racial discrimination and vilification in our society.  We all know that discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender preference, physical ability or any other form, is causing separation within our society.  As a school community, we seek to practise inclusion, not just tolerance and to embrace the value of each and every one of us.  

Thank you to Trist House for their assembly and allowing us to reflect on the gift of inclusion, of which I encourage all our students to extend to their fellow students and peers.

The past fortnight has been an exciting one with a number of events including Book Week and Science Week.  It was a delight to see the Junior School students excitement as they arrived on Tuesday to see the costumes their friends, classmates and teachers had come in for the Book Week parade.  It's also been a busy time for the Junior and Senior School Science departments, who provided fun and exciting learning opportunities for students during recess and lunch times throughout Science Week.

Throughout the past fortnight, our students have been provided with amazing opportunities to showcase their performing arts and leadership skills.  The cast of Matilda were asked to perform to patients at the Monash Children's Hospital.  A rewarding experience for both the students and the patients and families.  In addition to this, selected Year 11 students were invited to the 2019 VESS Leadership Forum in conjunction with The Rites of Passage Institute.  The forum was an engaging and experiential workshop designed to support students as they step into the role of leaders within their schools.  An added highlight of the day was the opportunity to collaborate and form connections with their counterparts from other VESS schools including Balcombe Grammar. 

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

Principal 

JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWS

From the Head of Junior School

The past two weeks have provided a wide range of learning opportunities for our Junior School students. Many students represented CGS in sporting competitions. The first was the Casey Netball Cup which involved three teams which won several games against some very stiff competition. Next, we had seven basketball teams representing CGS at Hoop Time, and they enjoyed themselves and played well in each game. Last Friday, we took a large squad of CGS Year 3-6 students to District Athletics and I’m pleased to report that Casey was victorious against the other six competing schools. Congratulations to our sixteen competitors who have made it through to the Divisional Athletics round. Finally, I was fortunate to accompany six keen gymnasts from Year 6 to the Primary Interschool Gymnastics competition. The girls did themselves proud and came away with the win. Well done to every one of our talented sporting students. A win is always a bonus but I’m more impressed with our students having fun, displaying excellent sportsmanship and representing CGS with distinction. From all reports, I’m proud to say that this was the case for all our competitors. Enormous thanks must go to Mr Batey for all the hard work he put in to ensure our students were able to participate in each of these sporting opportunities.

Book Week has been a big part of the last fortnight. This involved all Junior School students attending Book Week performances. The P-2 students enjoyed “Big Dreams”  which was an interactive show about the characters from each of the books that were shortlisted for this year’s Book Week awards . Roland Harvey, who is an author/illustrator, presented his craft to our Year 3 and 4 students and an author/illustrator, Sunshine, discussed the writing process with our Year 5 and 6 students. Our Book Week activities culminated in our annual Book Week Parade. What a sight it was to see our students parade on our big PAC stage dressed up as their favourite Book Character. The costumes looked simply amazing and I’d like to congratulate our best dressed recipients for each class. Sincere thanks to our Junior School Librarian, Mr Dunkley, for making our Book Week activities possible and to our ever supportive parent body, not only for the effort that went into the costumes, but also for attending the parade. Here’s hoping our students’ love of reading has been further ignited.

Last week we were fortunate to be entertained at assembly by our wonderful students from 1B. The students re-enacted the picture story book, “All the ways to be Smart” by each reading a section of the story, singing and dancing and through their three different costume changes. This is not an easy feat to have three speedy costumes changes behind the scene for 25 students. Bravo Mrs Black! Their costumes were certainly a highlight of the show. The children had all made their own dragon, pirate and space helmet props. This assembly was a true showcase of creativity which concluded with a beautiful rendition of the song, “Lean on Me,” an ode to being a good friend. Huge congratulations to Mrs Black and her students.

6R’s assembly this week showcased the talents of each student in a fabulous show, “6R’s Got Talent”. It was incredible to learn just how many activities these students excel at outside of school hours. We had singers, a comedian, sports stars aplenty, gymnasts, an acrobat, a black belt karate expert, dancers, musicians, video game experts, artists, a Scout tying knots, an abacus expert and even a Korean rapper! Thanks also to the judges. Oh, and did I mention that we even had our very own Simon Cowell judge AKA Ebony! Some very harsh critiques were handed out but all in good fun. Congratulations to Mrs Roffey and her incredibly talented students. It was a wonderful show!

Mrs Melissa Roberton

Head of Junior School

Science Week Fun in the Junior School

I had the popcorn.  It has a tiny bit of stuff in it that gets bigger when it gets hot and then it pops.  Then you eat it. Toby, Prep B

Ari, Gareth and I used the Sphero to go through the maze.  It was fun adjusting the Sphero to the  right speed and pointing it the way it needed to go. Ronal, 5N

I liked the Dash soccer as I learnt to control them and I liked versing the other team. Ethan, 5N

I really liked using the planks, being creative and seeing what happens. Ava, 4E

I liked building with the planks.  I got to crash through all the blocks because I was trapped inside. Harlow, 4E

On Thursday I went to the flight room and used the balloons.   If they were too big or too small they wouldn’t go that fast so we had to experiment with the best size. Aayati, 4E

Making the paper aeroplanes was fun.  I hadn’t made one before. Daniella, 2G

Mrs Sandra Torcasio

Head of Junior School Curriculum/STEM Teacher

Junior Sport

Last week was an eventful week in Junior sport.

The Casey Cup Netball competition was held at Casey Stadium, with three female teams from Casey Grammar participating. The girls worked well together and improved throughout the day against tough competition.

Years 5/6 Hoop Time basketball was also held at Casey Stadium. As usual, this was a popular event, with a total of seven teams participating. The students had fun and worked cohesively, displaying pleasing sportsmanship and teamwork. Good luck to the Year 3/4 Hoop Time teams, who will participate next week.

The week ended with District Athletics on Friday, where 50 students from Years 3-6 ventured to Casey Fields to compete. Despite a late turn of weather, we got through the day and had a number of students progress through to the Divisional competition on the 18 of September. Well done to everyone on their efforts throughout the day, which led to Casey Grammar accumulating the highest number of points and being crowned District Athletics Champions for 2019.

A big thank you to all the teachers who attended and assisted with these events; Ms Roffey, Miss Reale, Ms Dascoli, Mrs Willett, Mr Newham and Mrs Nolan. Also, a huge thank you to our Year 9 Sport Coaching students for their invaluable assistance and dedication in attending meetings and coaching teams on the day, and to the large number of parents who came along to support our students at these events. 

Mr Jeff Batey

Head of Junior School Sport

Mums Supporting Families In Need

This term, Trist House will be collecting pre-loved donations for an incredible organisation called Mums Supporting Families In Need. This is a fully volunteer run organisation, providing support to struggling Victorian families, helping over 75 agencies from their Seaford warehouse.

They accept donations of quality new and pre-loved children’s essentials, clothing and baby care items. They also provide clothing, books, footwear, linen, toiletries and food for the whole family.

For August, our focus is collecting clothing, sleepwear and shoes for children ages 8+.  However, all donations are welcome! They can be second hand, but must be in GREAT condition.  Please place your donations in the tub outside 3R’s classroom.

Some volunteers from MSFIN are hoping to come out and speak to Trist House about what they do and ways we can help our local community. Thank you in advance for your support of local families. Hopefully we can find a grateful home for your pre-loved items! 

Miss Bridgette Reale

Head of Junior School Trist

SENIOR SCHOOL NEWS

From the Head of Senior School

In the wake of a terrible car accident in Cranbourne recently, I have spoken to all Year 11 and 12 students about the importance of making good decisions as both drivers and passengers in motor vehicles. Having recently participated in the TRAG (Teenagers Road Accident Group) information session, the Year 12 students are well aware of the tragic outcomes of poor decision making in relation to cars. This week I reminded all students of the school’s Student Driver Policy and the importance of meeting with me when they receive their driver’s licence, to go through the policy and ensure they are following the school rules in relation to driving and parking in and around the school. Educating our young people so they are respectful and sensible road users is a responsibility shared by school, home and the community. We will continue to work with our senior students and I implore parents and the wider Casey Grammar community, when the need arises, to continue to remind our young people to make safe choices on the road.

Do you know what a Cuber is? Last week at school assembly we learned that a Cuber is someone who is an expert in solving Cube puzzles (such as Rubik’s Cubes) in an incredibly short time. We were all amazed by the talent and skill shown by Year 9 Cuber Patrick Kleverlaan. Patrick spoke about how he became a Cuber and the various competitions in which he has participated. He then solved 3 cubes in under a minute! An extraordinary skill.

Last week was Science Week and thanks to the work of the Science Faculty, we enjoyed an action packed week of activities including rocket launches, science experiments, awesome scientific displays and a daily quiz of fun scientific facts. This week is Book Week. Students in Year 7 and 8 have enjoyed listening to and working with visiting authors who have taught them more about the writing process. Another exciting Book Week event was held at Monash Children’s Hospital where the cast of Matilda were invited to perform for the children. The children loved the singing, dancing and spectacle of the performances and the excited cast returned to school knowing they had brought some happiness into the lives of the children.

This week we have started the process of appointing student leaders for 2020. We are looking forward to hearing the candidates speak at School Assembly and House Assemblies. Students cast their votes on Monday 9 September and the announcement of the new student leadership team is made early in Term 4. This process is bittersweet for the senior students. While the Year 11s are excited about the challenges and opportunities which lie ahead, the Year 12s are sadly reconciling themselves to officially handing over their leadership responsibilities over the next few weeks.

A reminder to all parents of students in Years 7, 8 and 9 that PTS (Parent Teacher Student) Conferences are being held next Thursday 29 August. Places are filling fast so please make your appointments as soon as possible. Bookings close at 11pm on Tuesday 27 August.

Another important school date is Tuesday 10 December - the CGS Celebration Evening. This is an important school function and it is an expectation that all students will attend. In addition to prize giving, there will be plenty of music, performances, images from the school year and a celebration of the many and varied activities undertaken in 2019.

Thank you to those parents who have put in an expression of interest to be part of the School/Parent Communication group. We will begin our discussions soon and I look forward to receiving feedback and suggestions on how we can improve communication between home and school.

Mrs Fiona Williams

Deputy Principal / Head of Senior School

From the Head of Careers and Pathways

With the Term 3 holidays fast approaching, it is a good time to consider work experience opportunities for your child. Work experience provides the opportunity for students to explore and experience the ‘world of work’. Although Casey Grammar School does not offer a formal work experience program during term time, we encourage students to consider undertaking some work experience during their holiday break.

Work experience provides students with a valuable opportunity to:

-       Develop their employability skills

-       Explore possible career options

-       Understand employer expectations

-       Increase their self-understanding, maturity, independence and self-confidence

Student Experience: Work experience at Footscray Hospital.

Al-Karrar Al-Khalidi (Year 10) recently took the opportunity to undertake work experience during the mid-semester break. Al-Karrar was interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy and decided to undertake some experience in a hospital.

Here is his story:

Who:                 Al-Karrar Al-Khalidi (Year 10)

Where:             Footscray Hospital

When:               Monday 8 – Friday 12 July (2nd week of school holidays)

What did your work experience involve?

During my work experience, I had the opportunity to work across different areas of the hospital. More specifically, I worked in the pharmacy, with a dietician, with a registrar (doctor) and also in the intensive care unit. Some of the things I did include:

-       Observing how medications are dispensed.

-       Working in the pre-admission clinic with doctors who needed to check the health status of patients before surgery.

-       Observing a dietician as they met with patients to review their food intake and identify whether it needed to be adjusted to achieve the appropriate nutrition levels.

-       Attending a multidisciplinary team meeting, which included all surgeons, registrars and students. This meeting allowed the team to discuss severe patient issues and identify possible solutions/treatment options.

-       Working in the intensive care unit (ICU) with a pharmacist, doctor and anesthetist. Their role was to move around the wards to follow up with patient medication and inject any required fluids.

-       Working in the Pharmacy Department manufacturing section, where they created injectable food for patients recovering from surgery.

Why did you choose to do your work experience in this workplace? Does it align with career goals?

I chose Footscray Hospital as I had an interest in Pharmacy. I also wanted to explore other career options within a hospital environment. 

What skills did you develop/enhance via your work placement?

One main skill I was able to develop was my communication skills. I can be quite a shy and quiet person however, I found that once I got used to the environment, I become more open and talkative.

What was your favourite aspect of your work experience placement?

What I found enjoyable was observing the work of a surgeon. The role of a surgeon is so varied; it is not just operating on patients. The surgeon spent time facilitating patient consultations and team meetings. The team meetings were interesting as the medical staff shared case studies of patients they had worked with.

Has doing work experience helped you to make informed decisions regarding your career pathway?

After completing work experience, I have realised that Pharmacy might not be the right career pathway for me. Although I was able to see first-hand what pharmacists do on a day-to-day basis, I am not sure if the role aligns with my strengths and interests.

Without undertaking work experience, I would have not known the truth about Pharmacy and would have continued to pursue this field, even if it were not right for me.

Well done Al-Karrar on taking the initiative to undertake work experience!

If you child is interested in undertaking work experience, they must speak to me to discuss.

There is a formal process that they need to undertake prior to commencing work experience, which includes the completion of OH&S training and assessment, and similarly the school, parent/guardian, student and the employer must sign insurance documentation.

From the Head of Careers and Pathways

Important VTAC dates (reminder)

VTAC applications open                                            5 August 2019 (9:00 am)           

Timely applications close                                         30 September 2019 (5:00 pm)   

SEAS applications close                                             11 October 2019 (5:00 pm)

(+ supporting documentation)

Scholarship applications close                                 11 October 2019

ATAR results released                                                 12 December

Change of Preference (1st round) closes               14 December 2019

December offer round                                                18 December 2019

January offer round                                                     15 January 2020

February offer round 1                                                3 February 2020

February offer round 2                                                10 February 2020

February offer round 3                                                17 February 2020

February offer round 4                                                24 February 2020

Note: Timely VTAC applications cost $39. Applications can be submitted after the 30 September 2019 however the cost increases significantly (i.e. over $100).

Upcoming Open Days

Whitehouse Institute of Design                                     24 August (Saturday)

Latrobe University (Bendigo)                                         25 August (Sunday)

Deakin (Burwood)                                                            25 August (Sunday)

Deakin (College)                                                               25 August (Sunday)

Box Hill Institute                                                              25 August (Sunday)

Federation University (Gipps., Ber., Ballarat)              25 August (Sunday)

For further information, please visit: https://www.vtac.edu.au/opendays.html or the website of the relevant University, TAFE or Private Provider.

Casey Grammar Careers Website

Students and parents/guardians are now able to access the Casey Grammar Careers Webpage via the Casey Grammar homepage.

This website is a terrific source of information for both students and parents/guardians, and I strongly encourage you to regularly check the page for important career updates. Information regarding Open Days and similarly, the VTAC application process can be found on this page.

http://www.caseygrammar.vic.edu.au/careers

Ms Sarah Blythman

Head of Careers and Student Pathways

From the Chaplain

This week we had the Trist House Chapel that looked at the school value of Inclusion. Recently as a college we have asked the students and the whole community to not only have a tolerance for others, but to actually adopt the mindset of ‘Inclusiveness'. As a school with such cultural diversity, it is a real pleasure to work amidst the cohesion that the community has. We are pleased to say that students feel empowered to embrace their culture and uniqueness without fear of discrimination or vilification. At the chapel service we explored practical ways how to employ the act of inclusion in the everyday life of the college.

As we look at the stories of Jesus in scripture, his willingness to seek out the marginalised, the outcast, the downtrodden and those who were left out, was driven by a great sense of compassion. He looked beyond the superficial and understood the value of the whole person. To demonstrate this he simply made a space that made others feel welcomed in his presence and he embraced them for who they are. This is Inclusion in its purest form. As a college we continue to strive to create a space where all feel welcomed both in the classroom and in the playground and are embraced for their unique qualities that contribute to this building this welcoming school culture.

In other events: preparation for The Backpack Challenge is underway and we look forward to creating opportunities for those in situations less fortunate than our own, in other areas globally. If your child would like to participate in the BackPack Challenge, please make sure they find their way to me in the Chapel Office.

As we continue with the vast array of activity within the college, remember that you are always welcome.

Many Blessings.

Mr Stuart McKenzie

Chaplain

PFC News

Father's Day

All fathers, grandfathers and carers are invited to attend a Father’s Day breakfast on Friday 30 August.  The invitation recently sent out on Consent 2 Go was incorrectly addressed to students as well as their guardians.    As the students will be in their classes at the time, they will be unable to attend and the breakfast is not suitable for pre-school aged children.  We're sorry  for any confusion that may have been caused due to the invitation that was sent.

Student Absences

Important Reminder Regarding Student Absences

If a student is going to be away from school, for any reason, notify the school ASAP via the Absentee Line 5991 0801 as well as your child's teacher.

If your child is going to be absent for an extended period during the school term, a letter must be written to Mr Richard Baird, highlighting the dates and reason for the student absence. 

Casey Grammar School

Every day, a discovery.