Welcome back to Term 4! I hope that you found the time to relax and recharge over the break, particularly as the term ahead is a busy one. This term:

• We farewell our Year 12 students in Week 3 during a Valedictory Assembly and Guard of Honour on Wednesday 19 October commencing at 9am sharp

• VCE students will be sitting written exams over a three-week period starting Wednesday 26 October

• Year 7 to 10 exams will take place in Week 7 and VCE Unit 2 exams in Week 7 and 8

• Early Commencement (2023 classes) takes place in Week 9 - Monday 28 November to Friday 2 December. This is compulsory for all students entering Years 8 to 12.

With the warm, sunny weather on the way, families are reminded to send students to school with their Casey Grammar School sun hat that should be worn at recess and lunchtimes, and during all outdoor sporting activities. These hats should remain in students’ lockers throughout the summer months.

Kate Morgan

Head of Senior School

SIS Chess Tournament

On Thursday 8 September, twelve students from years 7-11 represented Casey Grammar in the SIS Chess Tournament held at Nazareth college.

They each competed in seven rounds of chess against students from seventeen schools.

For some of our students, it was their first time competing in a tournament, and they were unsure of what to expect.

The first few rounds were a quiet affair as students concentrated on their moves. After each round, the students would re-enact their games to each other and share tales of victory and defeats, as well as analysing their games and figuring out how to avoid repeated pitfalls.

By the end of the day, they were laughing and joking with their competitors and enjoying the common interests.

A few games drew large crowds as they were hard fought battles, and you could feel the tension in the air.

Our top placed student was Ryan R, coming 33rd out of one hundred and seventy five students.

In the end, Casey Grammar finished in 10th place - a good first-time effort.

All students came away from the day having achieved a goal of winning a game and learning something new, and more importantly enjoying the day!

Mrs. Gina Upward & Mr. Shane Evans

Senior School Teachers

CASEY Tech Recount

Upon reaching Casey Tech School in Berwick recently, Year 8 students were separated into five groups from the 106 students in the cohort.

We were then introduced to the teachers and the activities we would undergo during the excursion. My group began with the heart rate lab, where we all learned how to apply our heart rates to our physical lives and the difference between ECG sensors and PPG sensors.

This activity provided us with a more sophisticated understanding of how heart rates can determine fitness levels. Then came the robotic suction arms where we would code functions to make the arm move. This was both fun and educational, as we all learned the benefits and disadvantages of having robots operating on people.

Robots provide precise cuts and smaller incisions allowing quicker recoveries, but they have drawbacks such as a high cost.

After a short break, we continued with our learning with the help of VR technology. This machinery allowed us to examine functioning organs on both the inside and out, as well as inspect different body systems like cardiovascular, nervous and circulatory.

We then proceeded to the blood activity after promising to recount this event as ‘boring computer stuff’. This venue provided us with lots of information about why we can’t simply transfer blood to people without checking what type it is, as it may be recognised as a foreign or unwanted substance.

We were then further taught about how technology can be applied in the medical field using a humanoid robot which can be utilised in the practice of surgeries. Our last activity was primarily based on drones, where we were educated about how drones can deliver organs to hospitals and how it is significantly more time effective. We experimented with the drones using the software that was provided, using coding blocks and measuring tapes to figure out the perfect route. 

These activities provided us with insights into how technology can facilitate tedious jobs, such as delivering organs, operating on humans, and analysing parts of the body.

In my opinion, this excursion assisted in giving me a perception of the circulatory system. It was a fun and educative day

David I and Paul G