Issue 70 / Winter 2020 N • C I O E T N I T D E E N A Y R R Y A YEARS N E E INSPIRED D T I T N E I O C N • HAPPY BIRTHDAY! OUR 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS STARTED THE YEAR WITH UNBRIDLED ENTHUSIASM & EXCITEMENT At the beginning of every year, School they might not have quite grasped the church hall, trams and cars were heard The Venerable Greg Allinson, who STAFF Chaplain, Revd Helen Creed holds a significance of this hall until they arrived. thundering down Burke Road. She provided thought-provoking reflections commencement service to formally As the service began, they learned about questioned as to what noises those and prayers. start the academic year. what happened in that church hall 100 children would have heard all those COMMENCEMENT years prior. years ago as they began their learning The service was a perfect start to a very SERVICE Being the year of our centenary, Helen journey at the school. Would it have special year for all at CGGS, and put thought it was only fitting to mark the A century ago, Miss Dorothy Collier been animals? People talking..? Nothing into perspective our rich history as we start of this momentous year where the gathered her 8 students and started compared to the hustle and bustle of celebrate our great school. CGGS story began, in the small hall (now teaching the first class of St Mark’s what could be heard now. What a known as Brooksbank Hall) at St Mark’s Church School - later to be known as different world, and a different school, All staff members at CGGS were now well Church on Burke Road. Camberwell Girls Grammar School. CGGS has become. and truly ready to celebrate a century of educating young women. As staff walked down Burke Road towards As Debbie Dunwoody spoke of the Staff enjoyed listening to both Revd Helen the church hall at the beginning of 2020, school’s humble beginnings in the Creed and The Vicar of St Mark’s, CREATE YOUR TOMORROW RIGHT Principal, Debbie Dunwoody pictured with 2020 School Captains Felicia Spiridonos, Loren Palma and Laurya Dang-Nguyen BELOW Birthday messages from Principal, Deputy Principal, Head of Junior School, School Chaplain and Executive Members of School Council Congratulations CGGS! This year is a major milestone in the history of our fi ne From humble beginnings in the St Mark’s Church Hall with CGGS community will only become stronger and more school as we celebrate our 100th birthday. Camberwell just eight students and one teacher, to one of Australia’s unifi ed as a result of this unprecedented time, whilst CHAIR OF Girls Grammar School has been educating young women for leading independent schools for girls, the school has not continuing to teach and learn, albeit from home for a while. a century - and what a century it has been. only survived, it has thrived. Now located on two beautiful campuses just a stone’s throw apart, and complete with As you enjoy this centenary edition of CamLife and its great COUNCIL Our school has survived the Great Depression and World award-winning buildings, the school bustles with 800 reminders of our history, I sincerely hope that you feel proud War II; merged with Ormiston Girls’ School - Australia’s students, 150 staff, and a community of parents and old to be a member of the Camberwell Girls Grammar School oldest school for girls; become an early adopter of grammarians all tied by that special bond: community. I know I certainly do. technology and a leader in its use; achieved a long and a CGGS education. continued pattern of academic excellence; stayed true to With best wishes, our Christian identity; welcomed students of all faiths and As I write this, we are sadly in the middle of a pandemic, Christine Cussen cultures; and truly lived our motto - Useful in Service - for following the outbreak of COVID-19. In true CGGS style, the Chair of Council a full 100 years. Remarkably, all of this and much more school has been agile in its response and has seamlessly has been accomplished under the leadership of only seven transitioned to remote learning. As with all the other female Headmistresses/Principals. challenges that have come before it, I am certain that the A centennial celebration is one that Howard AM QC, as our special guests December 1937, the then Headmistress, were shared broadly in educational FRONT COVER IMAGE Re-enactment of is greatly anticipated; a signifi cant at our Centenary Commencement Miss Taylor wrote in the Tenth Annual communities, and some of our staff also the fi rst day of school in 1927, milestone in history. On 11 February Ceremony. Bishop Genieve Blackwell Report for Speech Day: “This has proved facilitated professional learning for those at Torrington House - 1920, amidst sheep paddocks and offi ciated and Murrundindi conducted a to be the most diffi cult year which the beyond CGGS. our current site. Performed during orchards, eight students greeted their Welcome to Country. educational world in Melbourne has had our Centenary Commencement teacher, Miss Dorothy Collier, and to face since the depression.” She was, of Whilst we do feel some disappointment Ceremony. shared their fi rst day at St Mark’s The Governor generously spoke to course, referring to the outbreak of polio. about postponing a number of our Church School on Burke Road. The all groups in our community, starting centenary events, there is so much to school was under the stewardship with the students. She acknowledged Miss Taylor went on to say, “I wish to celebrate - here and now. During the last of the Vicar of St Mark’s Church, The the importance of our school in the record with gratitude that parents, staff few months, we have developed new Reverend Hubert Brooksbank. community and the signifi cance of and children have shown a fi ne spirit ways to connect and care for each other. reaching such a milestone in our history. of co-operation, and a great measure Our educational programs have been One hundred years later and with a of common sense in assisting me to designed and implemented to specifi cally student population that has increased one The Governor highlighted our commitment cope with the diffi culties which have respond to the current learning and hundred-fold, our school is now known to service through our school motto Utilis arisen since June of this year. By the wellbeing needs of our students - from as Camberwell Girls Grammar School. No in Ministerium, encouraging the students maintenance of correspondence lessons Early Learning 3 through to Year 12. longer at St Mark’s Church, our Senior to take this commitment into their lives and visits by members of staff, the Finally, we have continued to focus on School is located on Torrington Street and beyond school. In educating our students general routine of school work has been service within families and the broader our Junior School, known as Ormiston, to respond to a changing world, the hampered as little as possible.” community. on Mont Albert Road. Both within walking Governor spoke about the complexity distance of where the school started all of the future of work and organisations. In 2020 the shift to remote learning did All these actions were possible those years ago. She also acknowledged the work of not involve home visits, but rather a pivot because of the rich culture of the CGGS community. A culture marked by gratitude, trust, appreciation and kindness, and a community that has been built through the efforts of ten decades of students, staff, leaders, governors and friends of our school. Together we are now transitioning to create a ‘new normal’ as the reality is, we won’t return exactly to where we were before the pandemic. There is much discussion globally about the new opportunities in education that this global pandemic has forced us to consider, and we will. Our foundations and values remain the cornerstone of our centenary celebrations and of a CGGS education. There is no doubt that the next stage of our journey will continue to have purpose and be designed for educating our students for their future. In celebrating our centenary, we are honouring all of those who contributed to the growth and development of our incredible school and its history. Indeed, it is because of the strong foundations laid by all those who have preceded us that we are able to rejoice in our school today. In continuing to build upon this work, our students are engaged in an education for their time: as learners and young people YEARS of good character. Each of our Headmistresses and Principals has been female, and each one has made her mark as a progressive educator. I am incredibly proud to have the opportunity to build upon their inspiring work. JOYOUSthose who volunteer their services for in the use of technology to facilitate daily Here’s to another century of educating Over the decades, there have been the important role of governance, laying interactions, both live and in recorded young women. recognisable characteristics that strong foundations for the benefi t of form, between teachers and students. remain an integral part of a CGGS future generations. In addition to that, our school remained With best wishes, education today. As a connected and physically open for the entire period of the Debbie Dunwoody caring community, we value the growth As the world came to realise the restrictions, enabling health professionals Principal and development of each individual impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other essential workers to continue student.