From the Principal
May 20, 2026 – Edition 6
Movies as Conversation Starters with Your Children
As part of our ongoing partnership with families in supporting student wellbeing, I
encourage parents to consider watching The Social Dilemma, Childhood 2.0, and Your Attention Please with your children, particularly in the middle and senior years.
Each of these documentaries explores the growing influence of digital technology and social media on young people’s lives, highlighting impacts on behaviour, mental health, and relationships. They provide a valuable starting point for conversations about responsible technology use, online safety, and maintaining balance in an increasingly digital world.
For families with younger children, films such as WALL·E, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and Ron’s Gone Wrong offer age-appropriate and engaging ways to explore similar themes.
Through humour and storytelling, these films gently raise important ideas about screen time, the role of technology in our lives, the value of real-world relationships, and what it means to be human in a digital age. Watching these together can help parents introduce foundational ideas around healthy habits, empathy, and critical thinking in a way that is accessible and enjoyable for children.
Playground Safety After School
A reminder to all parents that the school playground is only available for use while yard duty supervision is in place, concluding at 3.35pm each day.
Children are welcome to use the playground during this supervised period but are expected to leave at 3.35pm. Once yard duty concludes, any families who remain on school grounds do so at their own discretion, with parents and carers assuming full responsibility for the supervision and safety of their children.
I would also like to take this opportunity to remind families of the importance of adhering to our anaphylaxis policy.
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, parents and caregivers are asked not to share food with children other than their own on school grounds or after school. While these gestures are often well-intentioned, they can pose serious risks for students with food allergies. We greatly appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe environment for every member of our community.
You can view the full policy here.
Wellbeing Dog
A reminder to all parents and caregivers that the following expectations apply to everyone when interacting with Buddy, our school wellbeing dog.
Your support in modelling these behaviours is essential:
- Say hello to the person, not the dog
- Give plenty of space when passing Buddy
- Keep moving as you pass
We ask that all parents follow and reinforce these expectations at all times to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both students and Buddy. Thank you for helping us maintain a calm and respectful environment.
City Experience: Year 4 and Year 9
Our Year 4 and Year 9 cohorts enjoyed time in the city last week. The Year 4 students stayed overnight and explored key landmarks during the day to deepen their understanding of our city’s history and culture.
Year 9 students travelled each day into the city, immersing themselves in a range of real-world learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Throughout the week, students navigated the city environment while developing independence and collaboration skills.
Their program included visits to The Big Issue, the State Library of Victoria, Melbourne Museum, and IMAX, as well as physical activity along the Tan Track. These experiences exposed students to social enterprises, cultural institutions, and broader community contexts, while also encouraging reflection on social and civic issues.
Careers Week
Careers Week has also been a highlight, providing students across the school with opportunities to reflect on their aspirations and explore possible future directions.
Senior School students enjoyed a series of guest speakers and activities encouraging them to consider how their strengths and interests can shape their pathways. The whole school enjoyed dressing up in their chosen careers outfits at the conclusion of the week.
Mother’s Day Celebrations
We were delighted to celebrate Mother’s Day in Junior School. Our Parents and Friends Committee (PFC) once again did a wonderful job organising the popular Mother’s Day stall, which was greatly enjoyed by students.
Junior School teachers also facilitated special classroom activities, providing valuable time for mothers and special friends to share in their child’s learning. A highlight of the celebrations was the much loved Mother’s Day Morning Tea, also organised by the PFC, which saw a large number of mothers and special friends attend.
We sincerely thank the PFC for their ongoing commitment to strengthening our school community.
Senior School House Cross Country Carnival
Our Senior School House Cross Country Carnival was a fantastic success, filled with enthusiasm and a wonderful sense of house spirit.
The carnival atmosphere was evident throughout the day, and I commend all students for their effort and encouragement of one another. Thank you to our Head of Sport Mr Ryan Murdock for organising this event, to the PFC for providing sausages, teaching staff for supervising the track and to the students who ran activities throughout the afternoon.
It was a great demonstration of community spirit!
Casey Grammar Teachers Excel
I am extremely proud of our Senior School Economics teacher, Ella Clifton, who has won a prestigious early career award for her outstanding work as a Commerce teacher.
The Victorian Commercial Teachers Association (VCTA) Award for Excellence in Commerce Education – Early Career Teacher recognises Ella’s exceptional achievements in less than two years of teaching.
The award acknowledges a teacher who shows excellence in their first five years through VCTA involvement, student learning and engagement, innovation and commitment to their commerce education career.
Among other things, Ella has engaged with her colleagues by developing two Economics resources published on the VCTA Compak website, joined a Monash University research team to review a Gold Rush-based Economics lesson plan and won a Monash University Dean’s award.
She was also invited to present at the VCTA’s Comview25 conference, join a teaching exchange to China and attend a Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) immersion event.
Ella demonstrates excellence in her teaching everyday!
Dr Robert Jacob and Mr Shane Bell
Congratulations to Dr Robert Jacob and Mr Shane Bell on being named Excellence Awardees in the 2026 Australian Education Awards.
This recognition is a wonderful testament to their dedication, professionalism and the positive impact they have on our school community and the broader field of education.
Dr Jacob has been recognised in the Deputy Principal of the Year category, while Mr Bell (Years 3 – 6 Team Leader) has been acknowledged in the Primary School Teacher of the Year – Non-Government category. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and the leadership and expertise they bring to our school each day.
Both will attend the national awards ceremony in Sydney on Friday 7 August, where one excellence awardee in each category will be named the national winner. We wish them every success and look forward to celebrating alongside them.
Fiona Williams
Principal
