As our most senior students embark on their final VCE exams over the coming weeks, I find myself reflecting on ambitions, motivations, and dreams.

I am fortunate to have been able to visit our Foundation classes at both St Anne’s and Bairnsdale over the course of this year and learn about the goals and dreams of our students who are nearer to the beginning of their school journey. This year we have talked about friendships, people we care about and what I want to be when I grow up. Likewise, I feel privileged each year to spend time with our senior students as I work through with them the plans for the next part in their journey beyond school. Our topics are not dissimilar to those discussions I have with the Foundation classes. We talk about friendships, people we care about and, what they want to be when they grow up.

The themes are very different and I put this down to not only individual growth and maturity, but to the opportunities that are afforded to Gippsland Grammar students across their journey at our school. Whether you are a student from ELC through until Year 12, or a student who arrived or departed along the way, the opportunities you have influence the people you become.

The ambitions, motivations and dreams that we, as parents, have for our children can often be about providing them with the opportunity to be the best person they can in an ever-changing world. Choosing Gippsland Grammar is a choice that is made by families in the steps towards achieving this.

Earlier this term, the Gippsland Grammar Old Scholars hosted the annual Decades Reunion. This year saw past students from 2013, 2003, 1993, 1983, 1973 and 1963 return to the Garnsey Campus for an afternoon inclusive of reminiscing about what was and learning what now is. About 80 guests attended with highlights including our recent additions including the extension to the Lauire Payne Sports Centre, the new Arts & Design Centre and - in possibly the biggest change over the decades - permission to walk on the ‘sacred grass’ in the quadrangle. This annual event is a wonderful opportunity for past students to maintain connection with our school and I personally take joy in hearing the stories from years gone by and learning about the changes and development of Gippsland Grammar over its time.

The timing of each of these events this year, has enabled me to consider the connection and relationship that people have with Gippsland Grammar and the contribution that a school can make to a person. From our younger students, through to our elder Old Scholars, that connection exists. Community is at the heart of a school and it is the people that build the community.

As we head towards the final month of this academic year, I encourage all of the students at our school to seek out the opportunities that are available to you and continue to be the very best version of yourself.

It has been a busy start to our final term and it’s hard to believe that the year is nearly over ( though we can see how much the children have grown up since they began in January!).

This week is Children's Week. The theme is 'children have the right to relax, play and to take part in activities they enjoy'. At both campuses, we have celebrated with special teddy bear picnics and a variety of related craft and cooking activities. Children's week is an important time to stop and engage with simple pleasures and embrace the joy of childhood. There are many activities in Wellington and East Gippsland Shires you can participate in.

Our Transition children at St Anne's have been exploring animal lifecycles with a focus on the story 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. They have explored this text through art, drama, poetry and music and printed a caterpillar shape using bottle tops and drawing all the healthy fruit the caterpillar ate. Literacy skills were developed as the children had to recall and retell the story in sequence. Using their fine motor skills, the children made a 3D caterpillar using paper strips and added antennas and eyes. They then punched holes around the edge of a big green leaf, just like in the story. The children are waiting patiently to see our butterflies hatch from the two chrysalis in the classroom. At the Bairnsdale campus, the Transition children enjoyed a teddy bear picnic to celebrate their class mascot 'Morris's' birthday. The Reception children enjoyed cooking pasta with the help of one of our families.

In Term 4 we prepare the children for the next stage of their education, whether into Transition four-year-old kindergarten or school. Over the coming weeks, they will meet new teachers and friends and explore new places. We put a great deal of time and thought into helping your child have the experiences they need to help them feel safe, secure and supported during this process. Parent information evenings and orientation sessions are planned, and I encourage all families to engage with these activities fully. Even though you may have been through this before with an older sibling, it will be new for your child.

I look forward to meeting many of you these evenings in the coming weeks or at our Transition class Christmas concerts.

Upcoming events: ‘Getting Ready for Grammar’
St Anne's Campus
2024 ELC/Foundation Parent Information Night: Thursday November 2 from 5.45pm
2024 Orientation Day (student-free): Friday November 24
Transition Christmas Concert: Friday November 17, 9- 10am

Bairnsdale Campus
Transition and Year 5 Buddies Excursion to Raymond Island: Friday November 3
2024 Parent Information Night: Thursday November 9 from 5.45pm
2024 Orientation Day (student-free): Friday November 24
Transition Christmas Concert: Thursday November 23, 2pm

The Term 3 edition of Veritas has been published and features articles on next year’s Centenary celebrations, some recent Leadership announcements and a celebration of our international program.

Our plans for next year’s Centenary are in full swing. One of the first ways for our community to engage with the celebrations is to buy the Gippsland Grammar Centenary 2024 A4 wall calendar, which features a selection of ‘then and now’ images from the past 100 years. The calendar also includes all of our Centenary events and term dates pre-written for each month. We think this calendar is perfect for all current families, but is also a lovely Christmas gift for any Old Scholars in your extended family.

Pre-orders for the Centenary calendar are now open and each calendar is $20/each, with all profits going towards next year’s key Centenary events. Current families can opt to have the calendar billed to your school account, and Old Scholars can opt to have the calendar delivered by post for an additional $4 per calendar.

Pre-order here: Centenary Calendar - pre-order now