Supporting Each Other in Times of Need

I hope this newsletter finds you well and refreshed in whichever way the recent holiday period worked for you. Over the past weeks, while we have witnessed some tragic stories in our news headlines, I continue to be in awe of the displays of assistance, empathy, support and compassion among people. The invaluable role of our first responders, who bravely step forward in the face of adversity is inspiring. Their dedication and selflessness serve as guiding beacons of hope in challenging times. I believe it is ever more crucial to continue to nurture a culture of empathy and solidarity in our community.

Just recently, as one of our junior school families arrived at the Garnsey campus for a tour, a heart-warming incident unfolded. A senior school student encountered an unfortunate accident on her bike and, without a moment's hesitation, members of this family rushed to her aid. Their swift action, care, and concern exemplify the essence of what it means to be part of our school family.

As educators and parents, we have a profound responsibility to instil these values in our children. We must empower them to become the first responders in their own right, equipped with a readiness to lend a helping hand. It is through nurturing these qualities that we can foster a generation of individuals who are not only academically accomplished but also socially conscious and proactive in serving others.

In our School Community, there are countless opportunities for our students to embody the spirit of service. Whether it's through volunteering initiatives, peer support programs, or simply extending a gesture of kindness to those in need, each act contributes to the fabric of our collective empathy, where reaching out to one another in times of need is second nature.

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’.
– Martin Luther King Jr.

Welcome to Term 2! As a campus, we are thrilled to see both new and returning faces as we embark on another exciting term filled with learning, growth and community opportunities.

Community
We formally welcome two new students to our community. Millie Cropley (Year 4) and Elle Harris (Foundation) received their School and House badges at this morning’s Fellowship as a sign of beginning their connection with Gippsland Grammar. We also welcome back Eliz Noble after a well-deserved long service leave in Term 1. I want to thank Liz Foat for running our library during this time. Mackenzie Donaldson has returned from parental leave and is back in our front office and is joined by Katrina Thompson as our receptionist and student services officer. Katrina will be job-sharing with Mackenzie.

Moana Jnr the Musical (June 12-13)
Our St Anne’s Campus production this year is ‘Moana Jnr the Musical’, which is a beautiful story involving Moana and friends venturing across treacherous waters, encountering fearsome beasts, charismatic demigods and daunting challenges. Our main cast and each year level have been busy practising in preparation for the musical throughout Term 1 and into Term 2. Soon we will ramp up our advertising, which will involve information on tickets, show times and all other relevant information. Biennially, our St Anne’s Campus performs a musical for our School Community and these musicals provide an amazing opportunity for our students to foster creativity and performing arts skills, boost confidence and bring our community together.

Sporting Success
I am excited to acknowledge and celebrate the sporting success of some of our students. On the gymnastics front, over the holidays Emily Millar and Indiana McKay competed in the Senior Victorian Gymnastics Championships in Geelong. Both girls represented Maffra Gymnastics in the Tumbling Level 4 with Emily coming second and Indiana sixth in the State.

Brothers Lachlan and Mitch Black represented Gippsland Grammar at the Equestrian Victorian State Interschool Championship. Our Gippsland Grammar team, consisting of Lachlan, Mitch, Bairnsdale campus student Mabel Fry and Emily Wagstaff from our Garnsey campus, came third!

We also have a strong team of swimmers representing Gippsland Grammar at the SSV State Swimming Championships in Melbourne today. Tom Williamson, Henry Arnup, Baylin Said, Ben Edgar, Eli Hutty, Sonny Millier, Angus Turnbull and Fletcher Fyfe rounded out our team. Our 9-10yrs and 11yrs boys relay teams will challenge the best swimmers across the state. Tom (11yrs Boys 50m Backstroke) and Henry (9-10yrs Boys 50m Butterfly) also compete in individual events today.

Grandparents & Special Friends Day
Our Grandparents and Special Friends Day will be this Monday April 22, commencing at 10.30am in the Lorna Sparrow Hall. As part of our Centenary celebrations, Gippsland Grammar is launching the ‘Generation Badge’ at each campus’s Grandparents’ Day events for students whose parents or grandparents (or great-grandparents) also attended our school. These students and their Old Scholar family members will be presented with their Generation Badge on this day. We look forward to seeing as many of our St Anne's Grandparents, Special Friends and Old Scholars on Monday.
Could you please follow the link below to RSVP for catering purposes. Please indicate how many family members will be attending and their dietary requirements. RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/gippsgrammar

St Anne's Campus start and finish times
As a School, the safety of our students is paramount. At the beginning of Term 2, I would like to remind our School Community that our campus grounds are not supervised before 8.20am. The School provides adult supervision from 8.20am each morning until school officially starts at 8.50am. Our students are dismissed at 3.15pm each day. From this point, our students are in the care of their parents/carers. Our School does not provide supervision on the school grounds after 3.15pm.

Key Events
A reminder to keep checking our VOS calendar and news items for information regarding our key St Anne’s Campus events.
Monday April 22: Grandparents & Special Friends Fellowship, 10.30am
Wednesday April 24: House Cross Country, 10am
Friday April 26: ANZAC Day service, 9am at the front of St Anne’s
Thursday May 2 and Friday May 3: Year 6 Melbourne Camp
Wednesday May 8 and Thursday May 9: School photos

The Gippsland Grammar Foundation will host a Giving Week next week to raise funds for our School’s Building Fund. Our School relies on the Foundation – our fundraising arm – to raise funds for capital projects which would otherwise be impossible. Recent initiatives supported by the Foundation include the Garnsey Art & Design Centre, the St Anne’s Years 3/4 Learning Centre and the Bairnsdale Campus basketball roof structure. The current fundraising focus is for the new St Anne’s ‘early years zone’, which includes the ELC and Foundation classrooms, as well as other building improvements at our Bairnsdale and Garnsey campuses.

Giving Week donation fliers will be available at each of our Grandparents Day events next week or donations can be made directly via our website at: www.gippslandgrammar.au/community/foundation

Next week we celebrate our grandparents and special friends at events at each of our campuses as part of our Grandparents’ Week celebrations. And in honour of our Centenary year, these occasions will be when we present students whose parents or grandparents (or even great-grandparents) with our new ‘Generations Badge’. This badge will be given to each current student and their Old Scholar family member who also attended our school. To ensure our records are as accurate as possible, we are asking families to let us know of any grandparent or great-grandparent connection, so please email Sarah Guinness at development@gippslandgrammar.au if you have a Generations connection you wish to be recognised in this way. Our most recent edition of Veritas included a list which showed which family connections we have already confirmed.

Our two Centenary books have been hugely popular since they were launched over our Centenary weekend in Term 1. ‘Memories, stories from 100 years of Gippsland Grammar’ by Ann Andrew is a wonderful compilation of 100 stories from students from our earliest years until today; while its companion publication ‘Wheelbarrow’s Birthday’ is a children’s book that reimagines 12 of those stories in a form more suitable for our current youngest students. Both books will be available at our Grandparents’ Day events or online here: https://gippslandgrammar.mysho...