CCGS Bundara Issue 37

B U N D A R AIssue 37 2011A magazine of the Central Coast Grammar School Community

Science block extension 2 Best Performance nominationsAthletes top the StateCambodia Vietnam tour

BUNDARA is the magazine of the Central Coast Grammar School Community. BUNDARA is published biannually.

Contact Community Relations Central Coast Grammar School Arundel Road Erina Heights NSW 2260 Australia

T: +61 2 4367 6766F: +61 2 4365 1860 Website www.ccgs.nsw.edu.au

Enquiries E: [email protected] T: +61 2 4367 6766

Editor Joan Redmond [email protected]

Design Sunset Creative www.sunsetcreative.com.au

Printer Newcastle Camera Print www.ncp.com.au

Cover image Robert Dredge wins the NSW All Schools 17 years 800m Run. Photo courtesy of Photos-in-a-Flash www.photosinaflash.com.au

CRICOS Provider Code: 02261G

B U N D A R A

Contents

4 Facilities upgrade 14 Overseas tour

6 Environment project 15 Art Show

8 School productions 15 Spring Fair

12 Sport 17 Past students

B U N D A R A Issue 37 C E N T R A L C O A S T G R A M M A R S C H O O L2

I cannot stress enough how important good,

dedicated teachers are to our community and

the vital role they play in providing creative

and challenging programs for our boys and

girls. We are fortunate at CCGS to have

teachers who are passionate about education

and committed to professional development

to keep pace with our increasingly complex

and technological world.

We celebrated World Teachers’ Day on Friday

28 October, to show our appreciation for the

contributions that our teachers make to our

community. As staff arrived at school, eager

and excited Year 6 students gave each teacher

a balloon and a badge, which they wore

throughout the day. The school provided

lunch so staff could come together to

celebrate the occasion. Teachers also received

thank you cards which had been handwritten

by Year 6.

Our parents, too, make valuable contributions,

in so many ways, to support our school. We

thrive because an army of volunteers put up

their hands to say “yes, count me in” for

dozens of major and minor events which

happen in our busy school calendar. While we

take every opportunity to express our

gratitude for the work our families do within

our community, it was especially pleasing for

our parents to receive wider recognition for

their efforts.

At the 2011 NSW Parents Council Awards for

Excellence held in Sydney in June Central

Coast Grammar School parents were very

proud to receive both parent awards

presented at the annual event. Kristine Riley

was presented with the ‘Parent Individual

Award’ and the CCGS Fathers Group received

the ‘Parent Group Award’. Over the 13 years

while her daughter was at school, Kristine

helped out in the classroom and managed

sports teams and from 2005-2010 took on

the mighty challenge of being President of the

P&F. Our Fathers Group were recognised for

their innovative work in creating a strong

father-child culture with our school

community, organising a raft of activities to

engage students and parents.

I take this opportunity to thank our teachers

and parent volunteers for the part they play in

providing nurturing care for our students,

uniting home and school and bringing our

community together for the benefit of all.

William Low

Headmaster

From the Headmaster

Top: Accepting the NSW Parents Council Awards - Mark Griffith, Kristine Riley and Ramy Mezrani. Above: Creating memorable events - Sue Williamsz, Spring Fair Convenor and Deborah Lowndes, Art Show Convenor at the Art Show opening night.

Teachers with Year 6 students celebrating World Teachers’ Day.

C E N T R A L C O A S T G R A M M A R S C H O O L B U N D A R A Issue 37 3

architectsstanton dahl

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central coast grammar school - science building development

general learningarea 1

new science lab 2

existingcoveredwalkway

new science lab 1

void - servicearea below

newwalkway

laboratory 4biology laboratory 3

chemistry

central prep room

corridor-2 new store

general store

staff room

ex. prep room

ex. chem store

corridor-1 corridor-3

ramp 1

laboratory 2earth & environmental

science

laboratory 1chemistry

laboratory 5biology

externalstair

existing stair

ramp 2

futurestair

teaarea

new covered walkway

lift

upper floor plan

50 10

biology

physics

architectsstanton dahl

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stan

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central coast grammar school - science building development

existing storage-1

shop

existing store

general learning area 3

service area

existingcanteen

existingstore

sub fl

oor

area

boys changeroom & wc

staff wc

acce

ss t

ose

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existingstorage-2

girls changeroom & wc

lift

general learning area 2

canteen undercroft

lowercoveredwalkway

externalstair

ramp 2

ex. officeex. store ex. server room

ex. office

ex. office

ex. staff

ex. helpdesk

ex. staff

ex. corridor

ex. staff

ex. kitchenette

existing void

existingcanteen

ex. rails

ex. rails

existing building

artec

50 10

lower floor plan

Science block extension underway

Key

Labs (7)

General Learning Areas (3)

Upper Level

Ground Floor


The first stage of the refurbishment of

the Science facilities began in July this

year with the re-roofing of the existing

Science block. Work has commenced

on the new extension which will

include 2 additional laboratories and 3

general learning areas.

The original Science building housed 5

laboratories, 0.5 classrooms,

preparation rooms and staff rooms.

The new Science block will provide 7

laboratories and 3 new classrooms. The

original facilities are being completely

refurbished to match the quality of the

new extension. Re-arrangement of

some areas will create a larger staff

room, enhanced preparation rooms

and a larger Chemistry laboratory. In

addition there will be a lift, and new

ramps and steps.

The Science Building Development is

being designed to achieve a Green Star

Education Design v1 rating from the

Green Building Council of Australia.

To achieve this the GBCA are working

with the project team throughout the

process. This rating represents ‘best

practice’ environmental design, in line

with our school’s environmental goal as

set out in our strategic plan, Future

Directions 2009-2014.

As happened during the building of the

new Library and Lecture Theatre, it is

business as usual in the Science

Department with no disruption to

lessons.

The existing facility will be ready at the

beginning of the school year and the

extension will be ready for occupation

at the end of Term 1 2012.

When it comes to winning gardens,

CCGS has a proud history. In the 90s,

we were among the winners in the

Gosford City Garden Competition

from 1990-94. Now, 17 years on,

CCGS won the Competition’s Best

School Garden, Secondary/Tertiary

schools category. The Council said

this year’s competition was hotly

contested due to the high quality of

all the gardens entered across all

categories.

What caught the judges’ eyes was the

significant work undertaken by our community

in 2008/09 on Stage 1 of the P&F Vision

Splendid project, a 10-year plan to provide a

unique physical environment for future

generations. The 1200 plants bedded by over

100 parents, students and staff are now well

established and the landscape design has

become reality. What began as a scrubby

pond has been transformed into an area of

beauty and tranquillity between the rolling

sporting fields which spread the width of the

campus.

Another area of interest for the judges was

Stage 3 of Vision Splendid which focuses on

the restoration and stabilisation of the banks

surrounding Erina Creek which runs through

our grounds. Led by parent and landscape

architect Brian O’Neil, much work has been

done by our community on weed removal and

planting of native vegetation to enhance

wildlife habitat.

Vision Splendid an all-round winner

Looking across a muddy dam - ‘Sports Day on the Rugby Field’ (by Greg Jarmaine, donated by the Class of 1992) depicts the pond in its original state.

Vision Splendid pond and gardens today.


‘Authentic Engagement’ earns gold for website

Central Coast

Grammar School’s

website received

the Centre for

Marketing

Schools Gold

Award in a

competition that

attracts national

and international

entries.

It was very

rewarding to hear the positive comments of

the judges and delegates and to accept the

award on behalf of CCGS. The judging panel

was made up of parents of younger and older

children, students of various ages and

marketing, design and photography profes-

sionals. Dr Linda Vining, Director of the

Centre for Marketing Schools said, “The

digital era has created new behaviours and

the judges were looking for authentic

engagement that propels a school beyond the

competition online. Central Coast Grammar

School’s website has set the benchmark for

other school websites around the world.”

We find the greater majority of new parents

take full advantage of the website’s full online

facilities. Parents can complete registration,

print enrolment forms, request a prospectus,

book an Open Morning visit or apply for a

scholarship for their child when it suits them,

from their home or office. These features are

particularly valuable to new parents who are

relocating from other states or overseas and

cannot make a personal visit.

Christine Hodgkinson

Manager, Development and

Community Relations

As part of our Strategic Plan to improve our

environmental credentials, students from

Kindergarten to Year 6 were involved in

National Schools Tree Day. This event

provided an opportunity for our students to

increase their level of environmental

awareness and at the same time take pride in

our school’s natural environment.

Curriculum activities across the Junior School

centred on the theme, ‘Life is Better with

Trees’. During library lessons students and

staff enjoyed reading ‘Last Tree in the City’

by Peter Carnavas, an online picture book

about a boy who lives in a city with little green

space and only one tree! Infants enjoyed a

nature inspired colouring

competition. Years 3 and 4

wrote Haikus or Limericks

while Years 5-6 created

artworks and sculptures from

recycled, discarded or found

objects. It was hard for the

judges to choose from the

many very clever creations.

There was much excitement

when the competition winners

were told they would be participating in a

special planting event along the banks of Erina

Creek. However, the torrents of rain

experienced in July temporarily put a halt to

this activity. It was not until a wonderfully

sunny Spring afternoon at the end of Term 3

that the students finally got their hands dirty.

The grounds staff came along to help and it

was wonderful to see everyone working

together to create a better carbon footprint.

As these children journey through school they

will be able to see the project take shape and

feel proud of their efforts.

Rita Boys-Smith

Year 6 Teacher

Life is Better with TreesRita Boys-Smith, the Headmaster, parent Brian O’Neil and grounds staff Timothy Hillman on planting day.


2 Best Performance nominations for Billy

HICES Debating winfor Juniors

HSC Drama and Music student Billy Briggs

received 2 nominations for possible inclusion

in the Board of Studies best performance

showcases, OnStage and ENCORE.

“Being nominated for OnStage and ENCORE is a

very humbling and rewarding experience,” said

Billy. “Every year I would watch the outstanding

HSC performances and imagine myself

performing on the stage. The thought of this

becoming a reality is somewhat overwhelming

yet at the same time thrilling.”

“Billy has made an incredible effort to be

awarded this prestigious nomination for

OnStage,” said Head of Drama Mrs Natalie

Parsons-Clair. “To perform at this level doesn’t

just come about because of luck or even just

talent on its own. Billy has achieved this through

commitment to Drama over the years. Billy has

studied Drama from Year 9 through to Year 12,

becoming the 2010 Drama Captain. He has

performed in 6 Elective Drama Entertainment

Nights exploring a diverse range of dramatic

styles, from physical theatre to realism to

Absurdism. Billy played lead roles in the annual

productions, including the loveable Mr Bennet in

‘Pride and Prejudice’ (below right) and the

hilarious Biggley in ‘How to Succeed in Business

Without Even Trying’ (below left). Billy has

represented CCGS at the Regional Shakespeare

Festival, performed in the Year 11 Production of

‘The Cage Birds’ and represented CCGS in the

Mindplay Festival. As Drama Captain he also

directed the Year 7 Drama Club performance.”

Mr Alan Caulfield, Billy’s music teacher in Years

11-12 commented, “Billy is an excellent pianist

and vocalist who has worked hard to perfect his

performance. His HSC music piano program

included ‘Cat and Mouse’, ‘Prelude’ by Bach and

‘Lotus Land’. In Voice he sang a Lady Gaga

medley he devised called

‘Papparzi/Poker Face.’ ENCORE

nomination for best performers in

course is a prestigious award in

itself. Next step is an invitation to

perform at the Sydney Opera

House.”

Before considering performing arts as

a career, Billy will study for a 4-year

Bachelor of Communications / Public

Relations and Bachelor of Business.

“There will be plenty of opportunities

to be involved with Drama at

University and I’m

looking forward

to new

experiences,”

said Billy.

Above: Winners of the Junior HICES Debating Competition Joseph McGrath, Daniel Mezrani, Jannah Anderson, Jessica Balthazaar.

Inset: Natasha Naidu.

Our Year 8 Debaters established

themselves as top of their division

by taking out the much coveted

Chapman Cup in the Grand Final

of the Heads of Independent

Co-Educational Schools (HICES)

Debating Competition.

In 2009 and 2010 our Senior

team won this competition

and it is wonderful to see our

young debaters following

in their footsteps.

To add to this success, Daniel Mezrani Year 8

and Natasha Naidu Year 10 were named Best

Speakers of the HICES competition for their

divisions having gained the highest point scores

in the preliminary and final series across NSW

and the ACT. Jannah Anderson Year 8 was

awarded Best Speaker

of the Grand Final

debate. Earlier this year,

our Year 8 team also

won the Josie Mitchell

Debating Competition.

It was Natasha Naidu’s

solid arguments and

ability to engage the

audience which earned

her a grand final place

in the Legacy Public

Speaking Competition, one of eight finalists

from 450 participants. Unfortunately Natasha

was unable to compete in the final due to being

overseas on Exchange. No doubt we will hear

more from this talented speaker as the enters

the senior level of competitions next year.


Pygmalion

With money on his mind Eliza’s dad (Ruben Fela) clinches a deal with Henry to hand over his daughter.

Mrs Higgins (Madeleine Paradise) asks Henry what will happen to Eliza when the experiment is over.

Col. Pickering (Ryan McGrath) is ready to take Eliza to her fi rst social gathering.

Class-aware housekeeper Mrs Pearce (Heather Sillince) disapproves of Higgins’ experiment.

In a scene from George Bernard Shaw’s romantic

comedy, ‘Pygmalion’, flower seller Eliza Doolittle

exclaims to Professor Higgins in a not so genteel

accent, “aaaaaah-ow-ooh! I’m a good girl, I am!”

However, being good was not sufficient to be

classed as a lady in early 20th century Britain.

Shaw wrote ‘Pygmalion’ to highlight class

distinction that came with having a certain

accent. The play follows Eliza’s fortunes as she

embarks on a quest of self-improvement and

begins a journey that will change her life forever.

Drew Anderson was highly comedic in his

portrayal of the unconventional and impatient

Professor Higgins. Victoria Knowles, as Eliza, was

brilliant in her mastery of both Cockney and

upper-class British accents. Ryan McGrath

played a very thoughtful and perfect gentleman,

the linguist, Colonel Pickering. Other excellent

character portrayals included Henry’s long-

suffering mother Mrs Higgins played by

Madeleine Paradise and Eliza’s father, Alfred

Doolittle who had a lot to say about middle class

morality, played very convincingly by Ruben Fela.

Henry’s disapproving housekeeper, (Heather

Sillince), love-struck Freddy, (Joshua Green) and

the snooty Eynsford-Hills (Grace Fowles and Lucy

Gahan) along with a superb ensemble cast,

presented an outstanding interpretation of this

challenging play.

Against a backdrop of creative and highly mobile

set designs, a host of wonderful actors perfectly

captured the tone and style of British society in

early 20th century London. The actors presented

their story with such tremendous professionalism

that it was hard to imagine they were school

students. The Back-Stage crew, Make-up, Music,

Sound and Lighting performed their tasks to

perfection, enhancing each performance and

ensuring seamless changeovers and a visual

splendour.

‘Pygmalion’ was a superb team effort by staff and

students and another wonderful Central Coast

Grammar Drama production.

Lindsey McMaster

Production Director

Eliza turns up at Wimpole Street to ask Professor Higgins for speech lessons.Top: At Mrs Higgins’ social gathering, Eliza holds guests spellbound with her Cockney ‘small talk’.


The classic, heart-warming story of a

young man’ s quest to win the hand of a

beautiful Princess was brought to life by

our Year 6 Junior School Performing Arts

students in this year’s production of

Aladdin.

When choosing the cast for the production

we aim to give as many talented students

as possible the opportunity to perform in

lead roles. This year’s production included

4 students in the role of Aladdin, 4

magicians, 2 sultans, 2 princesses and 6

storytellers. And as the story goes there

were the fabled 3 wishes, 1 super magic

carpet and 1 much sought after and fought

over Genie’s lamp!

The production played to packed houses

over 2 nights and was an overwhelming

success thanks to the high energy of the

actors, spectacular set designs, colourful

costumes and toe-tapping music.

Sam Marker

Production Director

Aladdin


Moving up to‘big’ school

Visit www.ccgs.nsw.edu.au to view our new and popular webisode featuring Year 3 student learning, and parents and teachers talking about

their experience of Year 3.

After 3 years of being nurtured down in the

cozy corner of school, the time comes for our

Infants to take the next leap in their education

and enter Year 3. Moving up to ‘big’ Prep

school means so much more than just a move

to another area of the campus, they enter a

whole new phase of learning and opportunity.

To begin with their friendship circle expands as

they join with other children who begin CCGS in

Year 3. They commence Stage 2 learning,

become familiar with the routines and culture in

the Prep and experience many new

opportunities.

On the academic side, in addition to the

classroom teacher, support is offered every

school day for all learning styles by Learning

Support staff, teachers’ assistants and through

specialist lessons. We have a whole school

Literacy and Numeracy program which

embraces the needs of Year 3 who for the first

time sit the NAPLAN tests.

At CCGS, we have specialist teachers dedicated

to their own area of knowledge providing

classes in many subjects. These teachers work

in collaboration with classroom staff to provide

depth to the curriculum in art, health, languages,

library, music and physical education.

Having learnt French in Infants, our Year 3

students begin learning Indonesian, taking in

the cultural aspects as well as gaining a grasp of

the language in fun and interactive ways.

Another new experience for Year 3 is

the Instrumental Music program

where every student learns a string

instrument – violin, cello or viola –

with their friends in music classes

and can then join an ensemble or

take additional private tuition.

Year 3 students have real scope to try

new sports every Friday afternoon.

They also participate in school

carnivals in swimming, athletics and

cross-country. Talented athletes have their

first chance to represent their school in the

sporting arena across a variety of codes.

Coming top of the list of exciting new

experiences for Year 3 is the 3-day camp held

at Crosslands, Galston Gorge in March.

This means spending 2 nights away from

home in an unfamiliar setting and is a first big

step toward independence. On camp they get

to spend fun time with classmates and

teachers in an informal setting,

experience new challenges and learn

the value of teamwork.

Year 3 is a wonderful growth year

and a tremendous stepping stone in

children’s personal development.

When I see these students in Term 4, I

can only marvel at their increased levels

of maturity and fresh spirit of adventure

developed in their new environment.

Linda Webb

Head of Junior School

B U N D A R A Issue 37 C E N T R A L C O A S T G R A M M A R S C H O O L1 0

Rising Generations presented a lively and

engaging series of fun activities during the

Year 5 Leadership Day in September.

Some of the themes explored in the

workshops included healthy relation-

ships, self-identity, tolerance, resilience,

motivation, goal-setting and service

learning. The teamwork activities

encouraged participation and created

strong group dynamics, helping to build

confidence and school spirit among the

cohort. The high energy day provided

many positive messages for students about

leadership and working as a team before they

enter Year 6 and take on these roles.

Indonesian Night

Year 5 prepare to lead

In September, we were delighted to welcome

members of the Indonesian Consulate in Sydney

– Vice Consul Dhanny Perkasa (inset right),

Information Officer Tim Golder and Secretary

Yoen Yahya – to join our community to celebrate

a night of Indonesian culture.

Years 3 and 4 students performed the

songs they had learned and sang

throughout the year in Indonesian class

time. On the day of the performance,

Year 4 attended dance workshops led by

our guest Indonesian performers: Alfira,

Murtala and Tata. After just one afternoon of

rehearsal, our dancers performed as though they

had been practicing for months. On stage, their

nervousness quickly turned to enthusiasm; the

smiling faces showing the audience how much

they were enjoying the experience, with everyone

wanting to be in the front row! The audience was

amazed to hear they had only learnt the dances

that day. The World Drumming students had

learnt a special piece that used Indonesian

instruments and a Sumatran song. Year 9 sang,

played guitar and performed shadow dancing.

Indonesian is taught in Years 3 and 4 and through

senior school. The night was a chance for our

juniors and Year 9 Indonesian students to

demonstrate their learning to family and friends,

in a relaxed and happy atmosphere. Another

successful aspect of the evening was the lighting.

The venue was fully lit so students could see the

faces of their families when they performed.

The Consulate visitors commented on the skill of

our dancers, showed interest in the Year 4 songs

which they had not heard before, and grew

nostalgic over the songs sung by Year 3, which

reminded them of their childhood. The night was

entertaining for both students and families who

all experienced aspects of Indonesian culture not

seen before.

Sue-Ann Douglas

Junior School Indonesian Teacher

C E N T R A L C O A S T G R A M M A R S C H O O L B U N D A R A Issue 37 1 1

In an amazing coincidence CCGS

clocked up 2 hat-tricks in the ISA

Football grand finals.

First Xl Boys remained

undefeated in this their first year

in the competition, recording a

massive 53 goals for, with only 4

goals against. They defeated

Chevalier College to take out the

premiership thanks to Scott

Smith’s hat trick and a goal from

Will Hunt.

Our Junior Girls, many of whom

had never played football before,

grew into a cohesive squad

under trainer and parent

Bill Yates. There was no stopping them in the

grand final where they defeated Chevalier

College with a hat-trick from our Player of the

Year, Maddie Yates.

Our footballers also played well in the Bill Turner

Cup (boys) and Bill Turner Trophy (girls), a

knockout style competition for aged 15 years and

under. The boys reached the semi-finals where

the game against Gosford High School ended in a

dramatic penalty shoot-out with Gosford

winning the match. The girls also reached the

regional final where they lost in very wet, muddy

conditions to a stronger St Peter’s Catholic

College, Tuggerah.

Trina Hide

Football Convenor

3+3= 2 hat-tricks in finals

JUNIOR SPORT

The 2011 Hockey season ended with a

premiership win for the Firsts giving

back-to-back honours to CCGS.

In the ISA competition we fielded Firsts, Open

C and Junior A. Led by Captain of Hockey and

goalkeeper Claudia Meere, the Firsts finished

an undefeated season with a significant win

against Chevalier College. The Opens Cs

marginally missed out on a place in the semis

while the Junior As were narrowly defeated in a

very exciting semi final.

We won the ISA premiership in 2010 and were

overall School Champions. This year we shared

the championship trophy with Oxley College.

Many players were selected as ISA and CIS

representatives with Samantha Danckert and

Georgina Woods making the State team.

This is a great achievement, especially for our

younger players, and paves the way for a bright

future of Hockey at CCGS. We are sad to loose

our terrific Year 12 players and hope to see

them back again on the turf in the annual

Old Girls Cup.

Allyson McNally

Firsts Hockey Coach

FOOTBALL

‘We Are The Champions’, again!

For the 7th

consecutive

year CCGS has

won both the

HICES Athletics

and the HICES

Cross-Country

trophies.

As a result of

their performance,

25 students took

the next step up and competed in the

Combined Independent Schools Carnival.

In spectacular form, Robert Stott Year 6

broke an amazing 4 CIS records in the

AWD 11-13 years group: 100m, 200m, Long

Jump and Discus Throw. Robert also placed

1st in Shot Put and Alexander Herford

placed 2nd in the 12-13 yrs 200m.

Over the years, CCGS athletes have set

many CIS records. One still standing for

over a decade is the record set in 1999 by

past student Thomas Mutch 2005 in the

Boys 12-13 Shot Put 3kg 12.59m.

Above: Madelene Yates. Right: Scott Smith.

Alexander Herford and Georgia Radcliff.


Congratulations to top runners Robert Dredge – 1st in the 17 years 800m

Run and Charlie Hunter – 1st in the 3000m at the SKINS All Schools Track

and Field Championships at SOPAC, Homebush in October.

Our other athletes also did well in this highly competitive event.

Jason Dredge placed 3rd in the 15 years 3000m Race Walk, Matthew

Scarr placed 5th in the 13 years 1500m Run and Sophie Meere placed 6th

in the 16 years 200 Metre Dash.

Both Robert and Charlie are in great form and looking forward to

capping off a great season at the Nationals to be held on the Gold Coast

in late December.

Keelan Bridge has produced

some great performances this

year in swimming and

lifesaving. At the NSW All

Schools Swimming Champion-

ships in May, he placed 1st in

the 200m Butterfly, and 2nd in

the 400m Individual Medley

and the 200m Backstroke.

At the national championships

in August Keelan had an

outstanding meet, placing 1st in the 200m

Backstroke, 1st in the 200m Butterfly and 3rd in

the 400m Individual Medley.

In the Australian Swimming Championships

Keelan was pitted against the best junior

swimmers in the country. He finished 1st in the

400m Individual Medley and 4th in the 200m

Backstroke.

Keelan has also made his mark in lifesaving.

He is a member of the Royal Life Saving Society

Australia Silver Barras Under 19 Development

team and toured New Zealand with the

Australian Under 21 team. At the 2011 Australian

Pool Championships Keelan collected an

impressive 11 medals and set 3 Australian

records. As a result of his brilliant performance

Keelan was selected in the Australian Pool

Rescue Team to compete at the 21st

International German Cup in Warendorf

Germany at the end of November where he will

race against the world’s best lifesavers.

Against strong competition, 4 CCGS riders were

among the top 4 placegetters in the State and

were eligible to compete in the 2011 Equestrian

Australia Interschool Championships held at

Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre,

Victoria in October. Hannah Simmons Year 10,

Java Jacobson Year 7, and Emma Farncomb and

Macey-Rose Malone Year 5 competed in a

combination of dressage, rider class and led class.

Before the girls could compete there was the

arduous trip to Victoria. Travelling to an event

974km from home, towing a horse float, requires

considerable planning by the families involved.

The 2-day trip to Werribee required an overnight

stay and multiple stops so the horses could graze

and drink. And like children who often complain

when they have to return to the car for another

long haul, horses too need lots of

encouragement to return to their float!

When horses and riders finally reached

their destination, there were vet checks

and trot ups to ensure the horses were

fit to compete and then hours of

training before competitions began.

Hannah riding Beltana La Contessa

had 15 riders in her classes. She was

awarded 3rd in 4C, 6th in 4A and was 4th

place Champion in Medium Dressage.

Macey-Rose riding Jindabyne Hullabaloo and

Emma riding Springmead Lewis both placed 3rd

from 21 riders in their class and Java placed 8th.

For all our riders to achieve top 10 placements at

national level is a wonderful credit to both the

riders and horses.

Hannah will continue her training at elite level

having been accepted in the NSW Junior

Scholarship Dressage U16 team and the

Australian Junior Squad, that will train in

Germany for 2 weeks in 2012. Macey-Rose,

Emma and Java are studying the Equiskills course

run by Jessemma Equestrian in conjunction

with CCGS.

Four riders compete in Nationals

Athletes top the State

Keelan earns Australian jersey

ATHLETICS

SWIMMING

EQUESTRIAN

Java Jacobson, Hannah Simmons, Emma Farncomb and Macey-Rose Malone.

Above: Chalie Hunter. Left: Robert Dredge.


Confronting. Inspiring. Life Changing.

Characters come to life in Year 7 picture books“Ah, the pleasure of sharing a book with a child! … You are setting them up for a

lifetime of story loving and that is a wonderful basis for a lifetime of literacy.”

Libby Gleeson, Author

Book Week is the longest running children’s festival in Australia, celebrating

its 66th birthday in 2011. At CCGS we were fortunate enough to have Libby

Gleeson, a highly awarded children’s author, visit our school. She ran a

writing workshop for Year 7 students focusing on the intricacies of creating

picture books.

Building on this Book Week activity, Year 7 students learnt about Visual

Literacy during their Library periods. To enhance this learning experience,

students were then asked to create their own picture books. Taking

advantage of the CCGS K-12 cohort, Year 7 students met with younger

students from Years 1-3 to assist with the writing of their picture book.

The Year 7 students interviewed the younger students during a group

session, asking them about favourite foods, pets, friends and hobbies.

This information was then used by Year 7 to write their picture books, with

the younger student becoming the central character of the picture book.

The results have been outstanding. There has been such a variety of styles

and skills displayed by the students. It is evident that they have learnt from

Libby Gleeson regarding layout and content. The personal connection with

the younger students is apparent, and the importance of this link cannot be

underestimated. The need to deliver a quality product to a specific

individual ensures that the book is audience appropriate and that the Year 7

students take the process seriously.

Both the Year 7 students and their younger buddies are looking forward to

the time that they can meet again and share the picture books. In a fun and

celebratory environment, the Year 7 students will present their picture

books to the younger students in Term 4.

Karen Seeneevassen

Teacher Librarian

Karen Seeneevassen with the amazingly diverse range of picture books created by Year 7.

Janne Ritskes.

“The Cambodia and Vietnam Humanitarian Tour is an opportunity that only

comes around once in a lifetime. This tour has changed the way we see

ourselves and our problems, it makes us aware of poverty stricken countries

only 7000km away, it has an effect on an individual’s psyche in changing our

perspective of the world around us.”

Jessica Frogley Year 11

After 16 action packed days in the

September holidays, the tour group returned

home, having built another 12 houses in rural

Cambodia. In addition to the $20,000 raised

for the Tabitha Foundation, the students

also raised $3500 for Sunrise Children’s

Village, Phnom Penh. We also took 5 full

football kits from Terrigal, Budgewoi and

Kincumber Football Clubs, many pairs of pre-loved boots and 28

basketballs. The dancing, singing and football games are all things we

will never forget!

While in Phnom Penh our tour group met with Tabitha Foundation

founder, Janne Ritskes. She commended our students on their

fundraising efforts and our school’s continued support of this amazing

global community project.

The remainder of the trip was dedicated to cultural activities and

sightseeing. Everyone agreed that the food was superb and plentiful.

A trip to the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City at the end

of the tour was a vivid reminder of the destructive nature of violent

conflict.

Michele Hockey and Sandra Peebles

Tour Organisers


Art ShowWith over 500 art and artisan pieces this

year’s Art Show was a tremendous success

with a lively gathering for opening night and

crowds streaming in across the 3-day show.

We decided to change the promotion of the

event to include local radio stations 2GO and

Sea FM, who advertised the event and

broadcast live crosses on the day to promote it.

For the first time we went ‘green’ using a

combination of our school’s website, Facebook

and Twitter to advertise the event with the dual

benefit of saving costs and our environment.

We attracted many followers and promoted

the artists via our Facebook page.

As the new event organiser, taking the baton

from Nereda Murray who has produced a

successful event for the last 2 years, I wanted to

input my event management experience and

create a show that had wow factor. I believe we

achieved this with many comments about the

layout and quality of art pieces.

It was my first year in and I have many plans to

work with our committee of volunteers, staff

and parents to make the event even bigger

next year!

Deborah Lowndes

Art Show Convenor

Our Spring Fair continues to be a must-attend

event on the Central Coast Calendar.

Organisers Sue Williamsz and Johanna

Hetherington built on the great ideas of past

Fairs, adding some new organisation and

innovative concepts.

A different layout, new rides, increased food

stall provisions and sunny skies saw bumper

crowds throughout the day.

The takings exceeded expectations and the

sense of community and good fun was

apparent for all to see.

Spring Fair

The Art Show Committee were presented with bouquets on opening night: Kylie Cochrane Smith, Deborah Lowndes, Nereda Murray and Colleen Abbott.


Our wonderful mums took time out to help at the very busy Book Fair in the Library on Grandparents Day.

Head of Sport Paul Geddes (left) and the Headmaster (right) welcomed former Headmaster Richard Lornie (centre) to the Royal Newcastle Grammar rugby game in July.

The Headmaster (centre) and HOJS thank our dads for cooking up a feast for the Fathers and Children Breakfast.

Ho, ho, ho and a lot of fun! ‘Christmas in July’ revellers packed the PAC to the rafters for the annual friend-raising and fund-raising P&F Trivia Night.

Thanks, Pat

CCGS first met Pat Williams in 1987. Without

being there myself, I could only imagine Pat to

be a parent who wanted to be closely involved

in the growth of what was a very new school.

The CCGS Clothing Pool became the key vehicle

for Pat’s involvement in 1988 and beyond, and

over the years, Pat became synonymous with the

Clothing Pool. The service started in a small

room, now the IT rooms, and then moved to the

back room of the current location of the Uniform

Store. Due to its popularity, it grew to a size

where it had to be relocated to a shed near the

tennis court - which was also the old gym I

believe. After struggling with extreme heat, cold

and damp, the Clothing Pool ended up in its

current location in the PAC car park in 1994.

Pat has probably met more parents within this

school than any other person, washed more

school uniforms than any other parent, and is

probably the only parent in the school who not

only welcomes our new families, but also

farewells our departing families. Pat’s passion for

this school has been evident in the words she

used to describe our school to new families, and

in the connections she has made with parents

and friends within our community. It is this

passion and dedication that a school’s P&F

works hard to find in every parent entering the

grounds, and then works even harder to not take

advantage of this generosity!

Pat’s tireless efforts singularly provided parents

with a more affordable uniform option and

recycling service, not to mention giving some of

us somewhere to go on a Thursday. When I use

terms like volunteer, fibre of our School

Community, parental involvement, and explain

the concept of becoming a part of our school to

new parents, I will tell the story of Pat Williams

– the lady who well and truly shared her life with

Central Coast Grammar School and gave

meaning to these terms. The P&F thanks Pat for

her outstanding dedication and wishes her all

the very best with her retirement.

Sue Williamsz

President CCGS P&F

Pat is presented with a retirement gift at the P&F farewell high tea: Lee Hunter, Pat Williams, Sue Williamsz and Margaret Alexander.


Matthew Graham 2012

It’s not every day a 17-year-old gets

to topple an Olympic Champion.

That’s exactly what Matthew

Graham did, beating current

Olympic gold medalist and world

champion, Alexandre Bilodeau to take out his

third consecutive Abom Moguls Challenge

at Mt Buller on August 27 2011. This capped

off a terrific year for Matt who also won his

7th consecutive Australian Interschools title

and came 2nd in the Australian Open on

countback. The Abom Moguls Challenge win

was all the sweeter as Matt only returned

to skiing in May this year having suffered a

stress fracture in his back in August 2010.

When this story broke, Matt was still in

Year 11. However, he has decided to take

his personal motto “Just go with it” as far

as it takes him. He is heading overseas

with the 2012 OWI/AIS National Mogul Ski

Team to train for the world championships

and will complete his studies through

distance education. We wish Matt every

success in his future endeavours.

Solid goal-setting made dreams come true Caitlin De Wit 2004

In her teen years, Caitlin was a

keen rider and set her sights on

being a VET. However, it was not

to be at this stage and she

followed another path, studying

Equine Science at CSU Wagga.

At the end of her first year

studies, while riding on a

cross-country track with

friends, Caitlin’s horse bolted

and she fell off, hitting her head.

She sustained severe injuries

which left her a paraplegic. Not

willing to let her injuries take

priority over her studies, Caitlin

finished her uni exams from her

hospital bed and later while

undergoing rehabilitation. With

amazing determination, she

completed the degree’s

compulsory 8-week practical

component. In 2006 Caitlin

was awarded an NRMA sponsored

ParaQuad Scholarship and successfully

finished her course in 2007

Caitlin began her working career as an

administrator with a racehorse

syndication business; however, she

always wanted a hands-on job, never

giving up on her dream of being a ‘big

animal’ vet. Caitlin is now in her 2nd year

of Veterinary Science at the University

of Sydney.

Her other passion is basketball and for

5 years Caitlin played in the National

League. Aiming high, she set a goal last

year to make the Australian team and

succeeded by representing Australia in

the first-ever U25 World Wheelchair

Basketball Championships in Canada in

July 2011, where Australia achieved a

silver medal.

As one dream is fulfilled, another

emerges. Caitlin has now set her sights

on one day representing Australia in

the Paralympics.

Mogul Matt matches it with the best

Matthew Graham (left) in the finals of the Abom Moguls Challenge with Olympian Alexandre Bilodeau. Photos: Andrew Railton.

Caitlin De Wit representing Australia in the U25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships.

PAST STUDENTS


Katie-Rose Svich 2009

Katie-Rose has been studying Government

and International Relations and Japanese

Studies at Sydney University for a

BPESS (Bachelor of Political Economic

and Social Sciences). This year, she

received a MEXT scholarship to enter

Keio University in Tokyo to study

Japanese, Politics and Economics.

Many students from around the world

apply for approximately 200 Japanese

Government Ministry of Education, Culture,

Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)

scholarships, offered to foreign students

who are interested in deepening their

understanding of the Japanese language,

affairs and culture. The Scholarship

covers tuition fees for 1 year, return

airfares, insurance and cash (approx.

$1500) for living expenses. Ms Kazuko

Sakamoto, Scholarship Coordinator at

the Embassy of Japan said “competition

is fierce as the candidates from the Asian

countries have very strong Japanese

language skills. However, Katie-Rose

demonstrated exceptionally high

standard of the Japanese and that was the

reason for her being chosen as the only

successful applicant from Australia.”

Katie-Rose has settled in well and

has benefited from having access to

other faculties in addition to receiving

career advice post grad in Japan.

Brad Green 2009

Throughout his senior school year, Brad

has had a passion for the theatre. His

first school production was in 2000 with

‘Journey of the Torch’ to celebrate the

Sydney Olympics. This was followed by

lead roles in ‘Oliver’ 2004, ‘Big Night

Out’ 2005, ‘Footloose’ 2006, ‘Sherlock

Holmes’ 2007 and ‘Guys and Dolls’ 2008.

He placed 1st in the Shakespeare Festival

presenting duologues in 2007 and 2008,

and in 2009 with a song he composed

with Katherine Hogan (2010).

“After leaving school I took a gap year off

and worked and travelled to America. I’m

now studying for a Bachelor of Media with

the aim of directing and producing theatre

and musical theatre. In 2010 I returned to

school as a Performance Director of ‘How to

Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and

returned again to

assist in directing

‘Pygmalion’.

I had an awesome

time with both

students and staff

and I’m really

looking forward

to hopefully being

a part of the next

production!”

On Saturday 29 October 60 past students

teamed up for their first official reunion since

leaving CCGS 10 years ago. They enjoyed an

informal gathering of barefoot bowling and

interhouse banter at the Terrigal Bowling

Club, organised by Laura Hood and Jon

Stokes. Within the grade there had been two

romances, with one baby born a few weeks

back and another due in a few weeks time.

Memorabilia and a photo story from the

school archives turned back the years and

guests enjoyed catching up with their

teachers too.

PAST STUDENTS

Katie -Rose Svich at Keio University, Tokyo .

Brad Green (centre) with lead characters from ‘Pygmalion’.

Jon Stokes and Laura Hood (organisers).

Grevillea House barefoot bowling team.

Ken Gross (staff, 2nd from right) catches up with boys from the Class of 01.

Brad helps direct ‘Pygmalion’MEXT scholarship for Katie-Rose Class of 2001 - 10 Year Reunion

Brad Green as Nathan Detriot in ‘Guys and Dolls’.


Jessica Taunton 2005

Jess is an experienced wilderness

guide, keen photographer and

videographer with an obsession

for the outdoors. She always

knew she wanted to work in the

outdoor industry and be a

photographer, but she never

thought she would be able to

achieve it all, as well as go on

massive sailing expeditions by

the age of 23!

After finishing school, Jess went to the UK

and Europe to hone her adventuring skills

and learn about the diverse cultures and

societies of the world. She gained a Bachelor

of Social Science at Macquarie University,

majoring in Anthropology. She completed a

professional climbing qualification, went

tramping in New Zealand’s South Island and

cycled her own 1,300 km route around

Tasmania with her partner Chris Bray.

Jess has also worked with Southbound

Adventures. “Going on SBA school camps

was the highlight of each school year,” said

Jess. “When I became an a SBA instructor I

loved working with CCGS, being able to share

the outdoors with young adults and

remembering what it was like being a student

on the camps really made it an amazing

experience.”

For a girl who grew up on a farm and never

set foot on a sail boat her latest adventure is

stepping way beyond her comfort zone. Jess

and Chris have embarked on a world first

expedition, sailing Teleport – a North Atlantic

29 junk rig yacht – through the North West

Passage across the top of the Canadian

Arctic. They have completed half the journey,

sailing along the coast of Greenland, winding

through the tangled mess of islands that is

the Arctic Archipelago, stopping eventually

at Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island.

“Back in Australia we have been interviewed

on Nine’s Today breakfast show, and are

getting stuck back into the routine of shore

work, and running

photography

courses and photo

safaris. We will

work for the next 7

months so we can afford to fly back to

Canada, when the ice breaks, and sail

Teleport again.”

In 2012 Jess and Chris will carry onwards to

Alaska and in 2013 perhaps across to Siberia

and then...? “We will make it up as we go

along,” said Jess.

You can follow Jessica’s adventure at

www.yachtteleport.com .

PAST STUDENTS

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Taking the cold way home


OPEN MORNINGS2012

SCHOLARSHIPSJunior & Senior - Entry 2013Music Year 7 Academic Years 5, 7 and 11

K - 12 | Coeducational | K - 12 | Independent | Nondenominational www.ccgs.nsw.edu.au

Open Mornings provide an

opportunity for your family to

meet the Headmaster and key

staff members and take a tour of

our campus.

Term 1 Tuesday 28 February

Term 2 Tuesday 29 May

Term 3 Tuesday 21 August

Term 4 Thursday 8 November

Book online at www.ccgs.nsw.edu.au

NEW SEASON OUTDOOR FURNITURE COLLECTION

www.tofs.com.auERINA 4367 0434 227 The Entrance Road www.facebook.com/TheOutdoorFurnitureSpecialists

IN STORE NOW!

Documents

CCGS Bundara Issue 37