I am pleased to share the news with you that Christ Church Grammar School has received full accreditation from the Council of International Schools (CIS). We commenced our journey in 2017 to be the first school in Western Australia to gain global accreditation which signifies the School’s commitment to high quality, best practice education and global benchmarking, and will assist us as we identify areas for continuous improvement and commence strategic planning in 2019. I would like to thank all staff and community members for their support throughout the accreditation journey.
This week our Year 12 boys approach the end of their school experience. It is a week of celebrations and farewells leading up to final exams and at assembly today we took the opportunity to acknowledge the cohort and their collective contributions to the School.
Last Thursday we celebrated The Midnite Youth Theatre Company Awards for 2018 at a new venue. Congratulations to MYTC Artistic Director Gregory Jones on a successful evening and all of our Drama students who received awards and recognition on the night.
The Principal’s Parade last Friday was a great spectacle and testament to our rich co-curricular program. The parade is wonderful to witness as all of the boys walk to the parade as individuals and then as the parade commences they become a team and their practice and team work is evident. We had a number of old boys watching from the balcony above and then later that evening there was a dinner for the unit, special guests, staff and the parents of our Year 12 boys. A fitting way to finish the year.
This evening I look forward to attending the official opening of the Senior School Art exhibition, Construct. This exhibition celebrates the diverse talent of our Year 12 Design, Media and Visual Arts graduates and is supported by Art students from Years 7 to 11. Members of the school community are invited to the exhibition weekdays from 19 October to 16 November between 8.30am to 3.30pm in the DVTA Building.
This Sunday we have our rowing House Regatta which will be conducted out of the new river precinct. This is always a great start to the day with kick off at 9.00am and the main races commencing at 10.15am. Recently Rowing WA introduced twilight regattas for PSA schools and tertiary institutions, held at Elizabeth Quay twice a year. The boats are brilliantly illuminated and the 200 metre sprints allow spectators to get close to the action. Convenor of the Christ Church Alumni team, Hamish Rose (’07), encourages old boys to join the festive activity on the river bank and cheer the team on. The next regatta takes place on Saturday 10 November with further event details available through the Old Boys’ Association website.
We are lucky to have a very engaged Parents’ Association (PA). The PA’s aim is to unite and engage the school community to enhance the boys’ success. We have recently confirmed our PA positions for 2019 and for more information you can go to www.ccgs.wa.edu.au/ccgs-world-page/parentsassociation. All parents are encouraged to become involved, and if you are interested in becoming a class or year representative in 2019, please join the Representatives meeting on Thursday 25 October at 7.30pm in the Senior School Staff Room.
In a week when prizes are determined, leaders chosen and awards given, it is important for us to celebrate the wonderful talents and qualities that students of Christ Church Grammar School possess. We have witnessed the Cadet Unit Parade last Friday and now await the opening of the 2018 Senior Art Exhibition, Construct this evening. As educators, it is an immense pleasure to witness the realisation of talents, and to see the values that guide and give purpose to student lives demonstrated in so many different ways. At such a time, I think it is important to highlight some of the values that guide us; care and compassion, excellence, respect, responsibility, understanding and inclusion, honesty and trustworthiness.
As a cohort, this year’s Year 12 have been steadfast. They have been both dedicated and determined in all of their competitions, displayed considerable talent in a wide range of forums and kept their heads when it mattered most. I look forward to celebrating their collective efforts at the Valedictory Dinner next Tuesday evening.
Please note formal uniform needs to be worn each Tuesday and Thursday, and normal summer uniform applies for the rest of the week. On Wednesday 24 October, school commences at 9.45am.Boys who come to school at the normal time will be able to go to the Library or ICT Centre. Classes will begin Period 2 on that day.
And finally, a reminder about where to find sport information – the CCGS Sports page contains fixtures and results plus venues and team information, and the CCGS Twitter account, which has been active for the past year, provides the latest sports news, great photos and important updates in real time.
Roger Bayly
Deputy Principal
Head of Senior School
This week I had a conversation with a parent regarding screen time and specifically, the popular game, Fortnite. Michael Carr-Gregg, a frequent guest speaker at Christ Church, has raised concerns on use of the game’s voice and chat functions, and how it is inappropriate for children. Secondly, there are no ‘save points’ throughout the game, making it difficult for children to leave and ‘let down’ their team. Another previous speaker at the School, Susan McLean, the Cyber Cop, advises that Fortnite is not for Preparatory aged children. Please note, games as such are not accessible via the school network.
The overall advice remains the same, we the parents need to set clear boundaries in terms of all screen time and control what games our son’s access. This is an ever-increasing pressure on all parents and like many aspects of parenting, your values may not match those of your son’s friends – this has been a challenge with parents as long as communities have existed. Reinforcing your expectations and values, along with the give and take of all parenting, is required to reach the equilibrium. I will also remind all parents of what we are modeling in terms of screen time and device distractibility. Our children are always watching and learning from us.
Tomorrow morning we welcome Dr Steven Males (watch his recent interview with our Prep boys) to the campus. Dr Males will be meeting with staff and boys and attending assembly, followed by a morning tea in Sandover. All Preparatory School parents are welcome to attend the assembly and morning tea.
We are lucky to have a very engaged Parents’ Association (PA). The PA’s aim is to unite and engage the school community to enhance the boys’ success. We have recently confirmed our PA positions for 2019 and for more information go to www.ccgs.wa.edu.au/ccgs-world-page/parentsassociation. All parents are encouraged to become involved, and if you are interested in becoming a class or year representative in 2019, please join the Representatives meeting on Thursday 25 October at 7.30pm in the Senior School Staff Room.
Richard Wright
Head of the LW Parry Preparatory School
