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• Paul Litherland
• Building Good Men Breakfast
• Siege of Tobruk Service

On the weekend, I was delighted to be joined by more than 60 riders for the 9th annual Principal’s Bike Ride. This wonderful event is always a highlight, bringing together cyclists from across the Christ Church community to connect, enjoy the outdoors, share a coffee, and embrace the pleasure of exercise. The weather was exceptional, and a small but dedicated group of riders announced on Monday that they have commenced training for next year’s ride!

This week, we welcomed Paul Litherland to our campus. A cybersecurity expert, Paul, spoke with our students about staying safe online, equipping them with practical strategies to navigate the digital world. He also presented to families from Years 4 to 10, reinforcing key messages and supporting parents in guiding their son’s online behaviours. This visit forms part of the Centre for Health and Wellbeing’s annual program, which brings expert speakers to the School to address important, age-appropriate topics. It is critical that the School work in close partnership with our parents to support the boys’ broader education in this rapidly changing world. Read more here

Yesterday, our Pre-Primary students continued their exploration of the School’s history with a visit to Archives in the Old Boys’ Gallery. This engaging experience gave them the opportunity to view a range of fascinating items from the collection, including photographs and historical items.

Tomorrow, we look forward to welcoming Conor Coleman (‘19), Mark Crawford (‘11), and Pete Wallace (‘00) to speak with our Year 12 students. The Building Good Men Breakfast is an annual event that connects our senior students with alumni, offering insight into life beyond school. Each speaker brings a unique journey, reminding students that pathways are often varied and not always as expected. Also, tomorrow is our annual Combined Music Concert with St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls. Each year, this event reaches new heights and is a true display of both schools’ musical talents.

On Sunday, our Army Cadets will conduct the annual commemorative service for the Siege of Tobruk at the memorial site on Saw Avenue in Kings Park. This important tradition began in 2003, when the Christ Church Grammar School Cadet Unit became custodians of the site, and continues to honour the legacy of those who served. This year is the 85th anniversary of the battle, making the ceremony even more poignant.

This weekend marks the penultimate PSA Summer fixture of the season, and I encourage our community to come out and support the Christ Church squads in what promises to be an exciting contest against Hale School followed by our final fixture with Trinty College. The Trinity fixture also coincides with the ‘Head of The River’, a much-anticipated sporting fixture on our calendar.

Alan Jones
Principal

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• PSA Swimming Inters
• End of term early departures

The PSA Swimming was an incredible night last Thursday, and our team finished a very commendable third, with Scotch and Hale too good on the night. Special mention to William Kuan who broke the school record in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and to the Under 14 Freestyle Division 1 team that broke the PSA record. Congratulations to all the swimmers on their hard work throughout the season and to the coaches and staff. Read more here

With the end of term approaching a number of parents have enquired about early departures for a range of reasons. Whilst the School encourages students to be in classes until the last period of term, there are occasionally special circumstances that we need to consider. In the case of boarders, the residential staff typically manage this due to flight arrangements. For day students, the process is for parents to be in contact with their son/s Head of House to discuss the need for an early departure and ensure that the documentation is completed by their sons/s regarding the work to be completed for missed classes. In particular, for students in Years 10 to 12 please take particular note of the School’s Assessment policy and the implications for missed assessments.

We look forward to welcoming the Year 8 parents on Sunday evening at the Parents’ Association Sundowner and Camp Information.

Upcoming Senior School Events

• Combined CCGS / St Hilda’s Concert – Friday 20 March, St Hilda’s PAC, 6.30pm
• PSA Sport v Hale – Friday 20 and Saturday 21 March
• Year 8 PA Sundowner and Camp Information – Sunday 22 March 5.30pm
• Year 8 Parent Teacher Student Interviews (online) – Monday 23 March 3.45pm to 7.00pm
• Year 7 Camp (Jupp / Moyes) – Monday 23 to Thursday 26 March
• SIA Nullagine – Monday 23 to Friday 27 March
• PSA Sport v Trinity – Friday 27 and Saturday 28 March
• PSA Head of the River – Saturday 28 March
• USA Stem Tour – Saturday 28 March – Sunday 12 April
• Year 7 Camp (Noake / Queenslea) – Monday 30 March to Thursday 2 April
• Year 12 Ball – Wednesday 1 April
• End of Term 1 – Thursday 2 April 3.05pm

Jamie Foster
Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School

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• Week 8 in review
• Harmony Week
• Building skills with technology

The Preparatory School continues to be a busy environment for our boys. This week students in Years 3 and 5 concluded their NAPLAN testing with Numeracy taking place on Monday. On Tuesday, Paul Litherland, one of the country’s leading experts in cyber safety, presented to our boys in Years 4 to 6. Mr Litherland has presented previously, and his message is an important one for all boys as they learn to navigate their online environments. Boys enjoyed their House Lunch on Tuesday as an opportunity to connect with the other boys in their respective houses and hear from their House Coordinators. Our Year 4 boys have their Cricket Carnival today and are off to Kooringal tomorrow for their Year 4 Kooringal experience, where they will be introduced to the School’s outdoor education facilities. Students access Kooringal in Years 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 as they develop their skills, understanding and appreciation of the natural environment in the lead up to the Year 10 Venture program.

This week we have celebrated Harmony Week, a celebration of diversity within Australia. Each day, boys are learning about the many different cultures that make up the Australian community through messages in our daily student bulletin. Boys have also been participating in Ride to School week with prizes on offer each day for participating boys, who have been encouraged to use their bikes to experience the benefits of starting the day with some exercise.

Each week, boys have access to our Innovation Lab and are guided through Design and Digital Technologies projects that aim to engage, challenge and stimulate boys with their learning. Mr Grant Haggerty, our Leader of Innovative Technologies, works closely with classroom teachers to ensure projects and integrated into other curriculums and boys are provided with scaffolding to support their learning.

Design and Digital Technologies in the Preparatory School offer a range of benefits for young learners, helping them develop essential 21st-century skills. Such skills include:

• Encourages creativity – Designing digital projects (eg animations, apps, websites) allows boys to think outside the box
• Enhances critical thinking – Boys learn to analyse problems, troubleshoot, and find innovative solutions
• Boosts computational thinking – Activities like coding and robotics teach sequencing, logic, and pattern recognition
• Teamwork opportunities – Working on digital projects fosters collaboration, idea sharing, and problem-solving
• Teaches responsible tech use – Boys learn about cyber safety, digital footprints, and ethical technology use
• Develops information literacy – Boys learn to evaluate online sources and use technology responsibly
• Strengthens adaptability – Technology is constantly changing, and early exposure builds confidence in learning new tools

Congratulations to our BGM Award winners!

Dr. Steven Males
Head of Preparatory School