A Team Effort to Fight Famine

We are so proud of the 23 students who have been taking part in the various challenges associated with the 40 Hour Famine. You can read more about some of them in our new feature highlighting students who are contributing to the wider community.

Recently it was wonderful to see our Senior School students supporting the Year 7 Team Riders and the Year 12 CGS Squad in their drinks and bake sale fundraising efforts. These were both entirely student initiatives and it was wonderful to see the teams working together to plan and implement their ideas to make the stalls happen.

You can read a bit more about them here: Students Living our Values

We had students working individually and in teams raising more than $3,000 which is an incredible effort, not only by the students but by their families and friends who have supported and sponsored them.

If you would like to donate, please go to https://40hourfamine.com.au/t/casey-grammar-school where you can look at the students and select someone to sponsor. You can also find out more about the challenges they have completed. I’m sure you will agree we have rather impressive students!

As we conclude our work to raise funds and awareness of famine globally, please continue to remember the millions of people for whom food security is a dream.

Community Film Screening

We were delighted to host our first Community Film Screening last Thursday with “The Last Daughter”. It was great to be able to share a film that may not otherwise be seen and to meet together with parents, staff and students to learn more about the stolen generation from Brenda’s unique perspective. It is a wonderful reminder of the way that each person can have a part to play in reconciliation. Simply learning and hearing different voices is a very valuable step in doing this. With the holidays approaching, I would also highly recommend the Lume exhibit ‘Connections’, which is an incredible collaboration of over 100 First Nations artists. For parents in education, please note that teachers are able to access a free pass. We have so much to be proud of as Australians living in a place with the oldest continuing culture in the world.

Beneath the Surface

I will share more about the Leaver/ Trist House Chapel service in our next newsletter, but I wanted to conclude by connecting to the theme. Our theme encouraged students to consider beyond the superficial and the surface to see the complexity of the people who are around us each day. We explored the story of Joseph from the Old Testament — a man who at the end of his life was the second most powerful man in Egypt. To those who met him then, they would have only seen a man with immense honour and power. Yet, they would never have known that he had once been sold as a slave and imprisoned wrongfully. In our interactions with people, we can never know the journey they have been on nor the challenges they face. It is a wonderful reminder of the power of compassion and grace in our interactions.

Have safe and happy holidays with those you love.

Every blessing over the break and I look forward to seeing everyone again for Term 4. How fast the year is going!

Monique Riviere-Pendle

Chaplain