From the Principal
May 5, 2026 – Edition 5
As we move into the heart of Term 2, I would like to take a moment to thank our community for the wonderful way you continue to support our students and our school. The conclusion of Term 1 was filled with learning, celebration and achievement, and it has been fantastic to reflect on all that has taken place.
I’d like to begin with a gentle reminder to families that our school grounds are smoke-free and vape-free at all times.
A reminder to Junior School parents that after yard duty concludes at 3.40pm, families who remain on campus do so at their own discretion. Parents and carers are responsible for supervising their children after this time. We also ask that if you provide snacks for your child after school, these are not shared with other students. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and caring environment for everyone.
Teaching Excellence
I am incredibly proud to celebrate the excellence and dedication of our staff. Congratulations to Ms Ella Clifton, who has been recognised with the Victorian Commercial Teachers Association (VCTA) Award for Excellence in Commerce Education – Early Career Teacher. This is a significant achievement and a reflection of Ella’s commitment to high quality teaching and student learning.
We are also pleased to share that Mr Ryan Murdock has recently commenced the Teaching Excellence Program at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. This prestigious program supports highly skilled teachers to further develop their practice through engagement with contemporary educational research and inquiry into key areas of teaching. We value the ongoing learning of our staff and look forward to Mr Murdock sharing his knowledge and insights to continue strengthening student learning and wellbeing outcomes across our school.
Easter Services
At the end of Term 1, the school community enjoyed Easter Chapels and Easter Services organised by our wonderful Chaplain, Mrs Riviere-Pendle. The chapels were thoughtfully and confidently led by our students in both Junior and Senior School. Thank you to the parents and families who joined us for our community Easter service. It was lovely to share the special occasion together.
Junior School Events
Junior School highlights last term included the Foundation – Year 2 Teddy Bear Picnic, the colourful Easter Bonnet Parade and Pyjama Day – which supported the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Our Junior School Cross Country Carnival for Foundation – Year 6 students was another highlight, showcasing enthusiasm and a great sense of sportsmanship.
Senior School Events
Our Senior School students also enjoyed a strong finish to Term 1, with events that demonstrated both talent and determination.
The Senior School House Athletics Carnival saw some outstanding performances with several records broken. The SIS Big Night Concert was a fantastic showcase of creativity and musical skill, and our Senior School Swim team performed exceptionally well in their first SIS Division A competition – an achievement we are all very proud of.
Year 12 students enjoyed their School Formal on Saturday night. It was a wonderful celebration which offered the opportunity for students to get dressed up and dance the night away.
Year 9 history students were recently lucky enough to spend a lesson virtually touring Anzac Cove. Their tour guide live streamed from historically significant places from around the cove. It was a fascinating experience for staff and students.
Women Deliver Global Conference
Year 12 student, Shamita, was invited to be a panellist at the Women Deliver Global Conference held last week in Melbourne. She spoke about the Fred Hollows Foundation and her experiences of growing up with her father who is blind.
Casey Grammar sent two staff and two students to be part of this gathering of influential leaders from around the world. I have no doubt the event made a lasting impression on them.
ANZAC Day Service
Many Casey Grammar students participated in this year’s Cranbourne RSL ANZAC Day service. In addition to laying a wreath, our drum line led the march, the Buttigieg Concert band played the National Anthems of NZ, Australia and England and our school captains were invited to read a poem.
I was extremely proud of the way our students represented themselves and their school in front of hundreds of people.
Community Service
Over the holidays, a group of enthusiastic Senior School students and staff volunteered to sort donations for Backpack for Vic Kids.
This has grown to be a very popular community service in our school community and I thank the growing number of people who volunteer to assist.
Fiona Williams
Principal
Living in Harmony, Even When We Disagree
Last term we celebrated Harmony Week, the theme of which is always the same: “Everyone belongs”.
This is something we deeply believe in at our school, and our diversity is one of our strengths. I have already touched on the theme of harmony this year, but I wanted to return to it to focus on one aspect of harmony; that is, living harmoniously when we disagree.
Over the last few weeks, I have read two books which I found inspiring. One was about Abraham Lincoln who, while serving as the 16th President of the United States of America, was a leading advocate for the abolition of slavery. The second book I read was about William Wilberforce who, like Lincoln, also acted against slavery.
One characteristic of these two impressive leaders was their ability to remain on good terms with other parliamentarians with whom they disagreed. Believing as strongly as they did that their cause was the right path could have led to vitriol and animosity between them and their opponents, but this is not what happened.
They continued to work with and remained on generally good terms with a broad group of leaders in their respective countries. This ability to disagree ‘well’ showed tremendous courage and character and ultimately helped them achieve their ends.
It can be tempting to believe that this is a dying art in a world in which outrage and anger seem to get all the attention. But we can all play a part in making our school community one in which the overriding character is one of harmony and mutual respect.
Robert Jacob
Deputy Principal & Head of Wellbeing
