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Middle School Report

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Staff Notes

Staff Notes

‘The purpose of a Camberwell Grammar education is not to change our students, but to help them to explore, foster, and mould their strengths to make a positive impact on the world.’

I wonder what schools would have been like through the Great Depression. The prolonged social and economic unrest following World War I and II would have been devastating. I am not sure how the last few years compare, but they must be the most challenging in many of our lifetimes. Each of us can face life’s difficulties at any particular moment and these have certainly become more accentuated by the uncertainty resulting from the lockdowns.

The Middle Years are a time when students go from having most of the decisions made for them, to a time when they want to start making more decisions for themselves. There are also a number of other changes that we have to consider throughout these important years. This year we had all of that to consider while factoring in the wellbeing and academic impacts from 2020/21 that students, parents, and staff had to contend with.

Indeed, following the long summer holidays, the return to school is usually accompanied by feelings of dread and panic. But this year was very different as most students and staff happily swapped their boardshorts and sleep-ins for school attire and alarm clocks; bustling to get back into the classroom and school routine.

Whilst we were not returning from a war, we were returning from a trauma of another kind; with significant implications on our community’s mental, physical, and academic wellbeing. This year, our Parent Education and Personal and Social Development programs were tweaked to help us address the current needs.

We strengthened our partnerships with The Man Cave and Elephant Ed, and restored our Entrepreneurship Program (Opportunity Challenge) this year in conjunction with Fintona and Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College. This program is always followed by the Year 8 Social, and a sincere thanks to Mr Smith, Ms Massey as well as several staff from Camberwell Grammar, Fintona, and Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College. School camps, concerts, plays, sport, House and Friday Activities, Outdoor Education, and excursions. We had a lot of ground to make up for and we were going to do all we could to restore our school culture, which makes the School such a special place. The return to schooling on-site saw us regain the social connections that we craved throughout 2020/21.

In addition to this, and as a result of the pandemic, we streamlined communication, offering parent education and PTI sessions from the safety and convenience of our homes. Through the trial of hybrid models, we are learning what works and how they can be exercised to make learning more engaging and successful. While the world reviews the purpose of education in schools, we are also looking to capitalise from unrest, to ensure all of our systems are reinvigorated.

We are very fortunate to be a part of such a supportive and positive community and there is no doubt that our community is stronger as a result of the hardship experienced over the past couple of years. Thanks to the versatility of our talented teaching and support staff and the industriousness of our students, we were able to find ways of doing things that not only adapted our teaching and learning to overcome the obstacles, but to improve teaching and learning.

This year, in the classroom, we introduced new subjects aimed at enhancing positive interactions and developing 21st Century skills. Drama, Music, and languages were restructured so that all students had the opportunity to take part in House groups. We also introduced Creative Design Solutions (CDS) and STEM.

In 2022, the return of Sport could not have come sooner for our Middle School students. Many of our students gain so much of their self-esteem, camaraderie, and school culture through their involvement in school Sport. This year featured many of our Middle School students in the Swimming and Athletics Premierships; an unbelievable achievement in one year. Additionally, the increased participation in ‘voluntary activities’ like Swimming, Athletics, Cadets, hikes, and Waterpolo is a true reflection of how much the students missed their sport and how grateful they are to be a part of this school.

In Term 3, Music students were excited and stretched through the Hamer Hall Concert, and what a highlight that proved to be for all involved. Furthermore, several other concerts, both big and small were held. The Middle School play The Time Machine came at a time when Covid-19 restrictions were all but forgotten and it was a true celebration of the theatrical talent that exists here at Camberwell Grammar. Through the careful watch of Mrs Penelope Wood, the play saw eleven Lyrebird nominations; quite a remarkable achievement.

In Outdoor Education and Camps, Ms Kirsty McDougall did an amazing job balancing each of her roles this year. This year was particularly challenging, not only moving Year 7 to Kangaroobie and Year 8 to Lake Eildon, but also running Year 8 and 9 camps at the same time to ensure that disruptions to teaching and learning were minimised.

In Term 4, Open Day was a celebration of the wonderfully talented and supportive people in our community. A stunningly beautiful day, only eclipsed by the generosity of the Friends of Groups, participation of our students, and the industriousness of all of our staff. The purpose of a Camberwell Grammar education is to help them to explore, foster, and mould their strengths to make a positive impact on the world.

As always Mr Scott Wyatt, Mr Shaun Burke, and Mrs Georgia Barnes were critical to the running of the Middle School, whilst subject coordinators provided an engaging and robust curriculum for teaching and learning.

I am sure that in 2022 we were all very proud to play a significant role at Camberwell Grammar School.

Mr Troy Stanley

Head of Middle School

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