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Welcome to a New School Year!
Happy New Year! I would like to extend a very special welcome to all of our new families. We are very pleased to welcome you into our school community and hope your children settle in quickly.
It has been a rather challenging start to the school year with a growing number of staff needing to isolate due to positive COVID test results. It has been particularly difficult for our Foundation students as all three of our Foundation teachers are isolating at the same time. The Foundation children have demonstrated great resilience and are looking forward to seeing their teachers again very soon.
This morning I spoke with a Year 3 student who was super excited because her teacher was returning from her seven-day isolation. It is amazing how quickly our children form a strong bond with their classroom teacher.
Student Activities
We are planning a range of student activities and are spending a lot of time considering the additional COVID risk management strategies for students to safely participate.
Our Year 12 Retreat went ahead in Week 1, although staff and students were disappointed to not be able to camp overnight. The Year 9 Casey Tech School Enterprise project went ahead in Week 2 and Senior School SIS sport matches commence in Week 3.
We are currently making adjustments to the Year 8 Camp so it can go ahead in Week 4. We thank parents and students for their cooperation when late changes are made to activities to keep students COVID-safe.
COVID Update
As you are aware, the delivery of our Rapid Antigen Tests has been unreliable, causing us to ration the test packs we have received so far. Some year levels could not start Rapid testing until week two. This has caused undue anxiety for many people and I apologise to all staff, students and parents affected by this delay.
Our team are liaising closely with the School’s Procurement Helpdesk. Our next deliver of RATs is expected tomorrow (Wednesday 15 February). I will keep you informed of their arrival and distribution.
Information about how to do a test, including a how-to video translated into 33 languages, is available online.
Using Our Car Park Safely
Thank you to all parents who have contributed to the smooth and respectful flow of traffic in and around our carparks. Our carparks empty surprisingly quickly, but during the peak period, patience and consideration of others is required.
As always, pedestrian safety is paramount. This can be assured when pedestrians walk on the designated pathways and drivers use designated parking areas. Recently, I have received some complaints about car park and road safety.
These include concerns about drivers stopping on New Holland Drive in front of the school so their children can alight, parents and children not using the designated crossings in our PAC carpark and parking illegally around the outer perimeter of the stadium carpark.
We ask all parents to:
- Park in designated car spaces,
- Not park on the verges outside the stadium carpark or on the new crossover,
- Adhere to a maximum 40kph speed limit
- Teach your children to use pedestrian walkways, and
- Show patience and respect towards other car park users.
The Basketball Stadium carpark poses additional challenges because it does not have signs or road markings. To ensure safety of all users, please follow the traffic and pedestrian flow in the attached map.
Salvation Army Car Park
I am aware that some parents are using the Salvation Army carpark next to the school for their daily drop off and pick up. We are blessed with wonderful neighbours in the Salvation Army. They are happy to share their car park with us each day, however, they have expressed concern regarding safety in the car park. Again, with no arrows or signs directing traffic flow and no designated pedestrian walkways, this car park has become quite dangerous for users. If you are using this car park, could you please follow the car and pedestrian directions in the attached map.
- Follow the traffic flow as indicated in the map (ie all cars travelling in the same direction in a loop around the car park). This stops two way traffic which can be confusing for children to navigate.
- Instruct your children to walk through the carpark as indicated in the map. With no designated pedestrian crossings or walkways, it is important drivers know where to expect children are walking.
- All cars parked adjacent to the building must BACK INTO their parking spaces (see map). This ensures all drivers can see the children walking towards the car park exit. I have witnessed several near misses as cars try to back out of their parking spots in this area of the car park.
- And finally, please DO NOT park in the two disabled car parks which are located at the entry of the car park.
Uniform Changes Reminder
As you will know, we have made some changes to our uniform policy. The revised policy has students wearing navy blue shorts or trousers. The grey shorts will be phased out over the next three years.
The other change, to be introduced in 2023, is for Foundation students to wear PE uniform every day, graduating into formal uniform in Year 3. This change will be phased in over a three-year period, as the Foundation students of 2023 move through Years 1 and 2. This change does not affect students in Year 1 and 2 in 2023 who will continue to wear formal uniform to school.
Parents and students are reminded of current school uniform rules which have not changed.
- Shoulder-length hair must be tied back at all times when in school uniform,
- School dresses must be knee length ie the same length as the school shorts,
- Students must not wear jewellery to school, except for a watch and a cross on a chain long enough to be concealed,
- Students should wear one pair of earrings in the lobe of the ear. They should be plain sleepers or studs.
All uniform items should be purchased through our official suppliers which is Buxwear.
Fantastic Results for Class of 2021
We were thrilled with the VCE results achieved by the Class of 2021. After two years of disrupted learning, the students performed exceptionally well. Congratulations to the students and thank you to our amazing teachers who guided, supported, encouraged and helped them achieve their personal best. I am very proud to share these results with you.
- 100% satisfactory completion
- Median study score = 31 (2020 = 30)
- Median ATAR: 72.85 (2020: 71.5)
- Mean ATAR: 71.15 (2020: 67.21)
- 34.5 per cent of 2021 CGS students ranked in the top 20 per cent = 80+ ATAR (increase of 8.1 per cent on 2020)
- 55.5 per cent of 2021 CGS students ranked in the top 30 per cent = 70+ ATAR (increase of 2.7 per cent on 2020)
- 9 students achieved an ATAR of 90+
- % of study scores over 40 = 8.3 per cent.
Special Congratulations
Alexia Gherghiceanu: our Dux with an ATAR of 97.55
Alastair McKearney: the Proxime Accessit with a score of 97.00
Juna Gemmell who received a perfect study score of 50 in Outdoor and Environmental Studies
Emily Woolcock who received a Principal’s Scholarship for Melbourne University
Tove-Lise Hannaford who received a scholarship for Bachelor of Design for Deakin University
Lilly Hopp who received a scholarship for Bachelor of Nursing/Psychological Studies for Latrobe University
Casey Grammar is in a period of strong academic growth. Over the past four years, it is pleasing to note the steady improvement in our students’ Australian Tertiary Admission Ranking (ATAR).
Casey Grammar’s Median Study Scores have also been steadily increasing over time. The graph below maps growth over the past 10 years.
Welcome to Our New Staff
A significant contributor to the improved academic performance of students is the high calibre of teachers at Casey Grammar. We are very proud to attract and retain a skilled and dedicated teaching staff who help our students excel while nurturing their overall health, wellbeing and engagement. It is a pleasure to welcome our new teachers this year:
Senior School
Kylie Rose – Head of Science
Diana Bright – Mathematics
Diana Thompson – Head of Joan Reid Learning Centre
Nicole Morphett – Economics
Carol Bennett – Head of SS Leaver House and English
Paul Atkins – Head of Health and PE
Louise Piva – Head of English
Chris Bucknell – Head of IT
Sylvia Ponnusamy – English
Sophia Lee – Mathematics
Nicole Leach – English
Melanie Weinberg – Special Education
Melissa Woolf – AFL Trainee
Junior School
Brent Jenkin – Year 3
Roxanne Lovett – Year 3
Elody Trompeuse – STEM
Vanessa Hodgkiss – Coordinator of F-2
Fiona Laidlaw – Foundation
Vanessa Khvorostin – Year 5
Tutors
Nadia Abdelal
Learning Assistants
Aleisha Sutherland
We welcome back Samantha Griffin who has returned from maternity leave.
Stay safe, stay well.
Fiona Williams
Principal
