Each year we have the privilege of welcoming new parents to the school community during our New Parent Dinners. Earlier this week, over 250 parents joined us on campus in Manjar Square, taking the opportunity to slow down and connect over a shared meal.
On Tuesday, Year 11 and 12 students participated in a Consent and Healthy Relationships session presented by We Are W/M as part of the School’s Senior Health and Wellbeing program. The presentation built on the work already occurring in Health and Wellbeing classes and through the House pastoral system, and explored consent, communication, boundaries, and respectful relationships in real-world contexts. This was followed by a well-attended parent information evening, where families gained practical guidance, shared language, and strategies to support meaningful conversations at home, reinforcing the importance of consistent messaging between school and home. You can read more about the presentation here. We are fortunate to welcome a number of expert speakers to the School to present to parents and students throughout the year courtesy of the Centre for Health and Wellbeing. Keep an eye on Year Group Notices for details of these upcoming events.
Our connections with tertiary institutions continue to provide enriching opportunities for our students. This week, our Year 12 ATAR Design students immersed themselves in Murdoch University’s Design Discovery Workshop, while the Year 10 Investing and Enterprise class headed to UWA for a tailored excursion that brought their learning beyond the classroom.
Christ Church is a member of a National Group of Eight Schools. Membership of the group is made up of like independent schools across the country with the aim to come together at various levels, collaborate and share information. This weekend the School host the Principals from these schools in Perth. I look forward to connecting with them and showcasing the exciting initiatives and developments happening at Christ Church.
The first rowing regatta for 2026 took place over the weekend with the CCGS teams placing an impressive second overall. In this second half of the season, all regattas take place at Champions Lake, giving students valuable experience on the water heading in to the Head of the River in March. I encourage families to head down to the lake and watch a regatta for themselves this season – it is truly a wonderful experience. The Don Fraser Club, our parent-run volunteer group, do a fantastic job of supporting our rowers and making sure each regatta is run smoothly.
On Monday night it was encouraging to see how effective the goal setting process was with students and parents. To ensure consistency across the Senior School this process is embedded into each student’s NEXUS page so that it can be referenced regularly by students and tutors; to check progress and review actions. The role of the Tutor is integral throughout a student’s journey to becoming a man here at Christ Church. A Tutor is many things; a parent’s single point of contact at the school, a student’s first point of contact every morning, and the first person a teacher reaches out to about their students’ academic or pastoral performance, good or bad; just to name a few. Our Tutors play a significant role, and this is what continues to set our students apart from others.
Service in Action (SIA) is an integral part of the Christ Church education and provides our students with opportunities to contribute outside of their own community. Christ Church has a strong relationship with Cambodia Children’s Fund and our Year 11 students have an opportunity to visit this school in December. The service journey will be spent in Phnom Pen working with CCF, visiting local communities, exploring the Mekong river, visiting the Killing Fields and a number of service opportunities. Application forms for limited places have been sent to Year 11 students and are due by Monday 23 February for consideration. Queries can be directed to Christy Dangerfield at cdangerfield@ccgs.wa.edu.au or 9442 1789.
A couple of reminders:
Firstly, the CCGS student card, is the only means by which your son can borrow library books and purchase items from the Canteen and Bookroom. It can also be used to travel on public transport. The card is essential in supporting the school’s cash-free environment, and without it, a students’ ability to access these important services is limited. If you son has lost his student card, he must order a replacement via the Student tab in NEXUS (left-hand margin and select Student SmartCard order form). Please note that canteen purchases cannot be made without a student card or a canteen voucher (available from Reception and payable by debit or credit card).
Should you need to come onto campus during the school day, please enter via Main Administration and check in at Reception.
We look forward to seeing the boys in their House shirts at the swimming carnival on Tuesday 17 February at 5.30pm.
Upcoming Senior School Events
CCGS Valentines Swim meet – Friday 13 February at 4.30pm
PSA Sport v Scotch – Friday 13 and Saturday 14 February
While our boys appear to have settled in well to the first few weeks of school, transitions can be difficult for students and families. These times can bring increased uncertainty, stress and new demands. The CCGS community has access to an online wellbeing resource called SchoolTV. This resource provides detailed information to support and educate parents on ways to support their sons. This week, there is a special edition on school transitions. If you are interested in reading more, please click here.
Our first Parent Forum took place on Tuesday, which covered the 2026 Focus Areas for the Preparatory School. These include the use of data, collected from a variety of sources, and how it assists us to better understand each individual boy as a learner. An ongoing priority for the Preparatory School is Personalised Learning, the use of data from school developed assessments, standardised assessments and various assessment tools, that allows us to identify areas of literacy and numeracy that require support for an individual or a cohort. This information shapes our planning, assessment development, classroom differentiation to ultimately support all boys across the Preparatory School to progress with their learning.
Teaching and learning experiences within the Year 5/6 cohort are targeted and planned around the CCGS Phases of Learning: He explores his character. This phase encompasses a strong focus on responsibility, initiative and making connections through the programs across all learning areas. Next week the Year 5 cohort will be taking part in an excursion to the zoo to explore animal adaptations and the structural features that enable species to survive in various ecosystems. In preparation for the Year 6 upcoming camps to Kooringal and the annual tour to Canberra in Term 2, parents are warmly invited to attend the Parents’ Association Sundowner this Sunday in the Chapel to be further informed of these two ‘big learning’ experiences.
