2023, Term 4, Edition 13 - Senior School

From the Head of Senior School

Welcome back to Term 4! It has been wonderful to return to school at a time when New Holland Drive is open again. Furthermore, our own grounds are looking bright and refreshed thanks not only to the amazing work of our dedicated grounds staff, but also due to the beautiful spring weather (downpours and all)!

With more sunny days on their way, families should remind their children of the importance of staying SunSmart while they are at school, ensuring that the CGS hat is packed in the school bag or remains at school in lockers.

VCE Exams

During the break, VCE students spent much of their time attending revision lectures and completing trial exams, all in preparation for their official exams that will commence in a fortnight from now. In fact, performance and oral exams are already underway for languages, theatre studies and music. Well done to these students!

Upcoming Dates

Tue 17 October – Valedictory Assembly and Guard of Honour
Tue 24 October – announcement of 2024 Student Leadership Team
Tue 24 October to Wed 15 November – VCE written exams
Fri 27 October – World Teachers’ Day
Mon 6 November – mid-term break
Tue 7 November – Melbourne Cup public holiday
Mon 13 to Wed 15 November – Years 7–10 exams
Mon 13 to Mon 20 November – Year 11 exams, including Year 10 accelerated subjects
Fri 17 November – Senior School Art Show Opening
Tue 21 to Wed 22 November – Year 12 (2024) Retreat
Fri 24 November – Year 7 end-of-year celebration (TBC)
Mon 27 November to Tue 5 December – Early Commencement 2024 classes, Years 8–12
* Attendance is compulsory for all students
Wed 29 November – Senior School Awards Evening
Tue 5 December – Term 4 ends

Attendance

Regular attendance and punctuality is expected by students at all year levels.
Students should be in Homeroom each day by 8:45 am.

Students who need to leave school early should bring a note from home so that an Early Leaver Pass can be issued. A request for this pass must be submitted directly to the Head of House/Year no later than 8:40 am on the day, and the pass should be handed in at Reception when signing out.

Medical certificates should be provided following an absence due to illness.

Students who feel ill during the day must go to the School Nurse who will contact families in any instance when a child should be collected.

It is important to note that studying for exams is NOT an approved reason to be absent from school. This is particularly relevant to Year 11 students undertaking an accelerated VCE subject, as coursework is still being covered in Unit 1/2 subjects during this time, and attendance requirements must be met.

Sport News

Year 9 student, Ethan K, was recently invited to participate in the 2023 V/Line Cup Carnival held in Shepparton 25–27 September. This is Victoria’s premier championship competition that brings together the best male and female regional footballers from the Under 15 age group.

AFL South East invited over 60 players from three leagues in the South East region — Frankston and Districts Junior Football League (FDJFL), Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League (MPJFL) and South East Juniors (SEJ). Together they completed seven weeks of training with some of the best coaching staff from the Dandenong Stingrays and each of the leagues to select the best final squads of 24 for each division.

Ethan writes:
“I felt very privileged to have participated in this carnival and showcase my talents. While in Shepparton, I enjoyed meeting new people and being able to play amongst the most talented players in the country. This was something that pushed me to the next level. I was able to gain so much information and really excel on my football knowledge, that I will no doubt use in the future. Overall, the whole process was great to experience and was definitely something that I should be proud of.”

Kate Morgan

Head of Senior School

Trist House Charity Event

On Tuesday 5 September, Trist students from the Senior School came together to raise awareness for Fight MND, their nominated house charity. Students gathered to watch a short presentation on the charity, how it raises funds and how they are used. It was inspiring. They then split into activities designed and run by their year level House Captains. Students were able to design their own MND beanie, get active with Just Dance, exercise their brain with some board games, be competitive with some Kahootz and, the most popular, take part in a few games of dodgeball. A great time was had by all, and through the purchases of hot chocolates (as who wants to do a Big Freeze on a 14-degree Melbourne day?!), we raised $86. A big thank you to the Trist Wellbeing Mentors and House Captains as the day would not have run so smoothly without them.