Celebrating 30 Years
Margaret Buttigieg was commissioned as Principal of Casey Grammar School by Rev. John Leaver, and Years 3 to 6 students moved into new classrooms. The multipurpose sports facility was completed in July and work then began on the Performing Arts Centre. Expanding the school’s facilities, the new science building was also officially opened.
In May, Marie Ormandy was elected Chair of the CSV Ltd Board. She replaced long-serving Board member, Rev. John Leaver, who had been Chairman since 1996.
In October, the slab was poured for the new VCE Centre and land adjacent to the school was purchased from the Salvation Army to create a large carpark.
Planning began to develop the Senior School’s ‘Casey Common’.
In July, students moved to the new VCE Centre while the former VCE Centre was refurbished and became the Evelyn Sayers Year 7 Centre.
At the beginning of the year, the school’s second chaplain, Monique Riviere-Pendle, joined Casey Grammar School and immediately formed a hands-on and practical Social Justice Group. Working with the Salvation Army, the group volunteered in various programs, including the Companion Club.
In December, Margaret Buttigieg retired after dedicating 24 years to the school, including eight years as principal. During her leadership, the school saw a growth in enrolments and curriculum expansion, and the Senior School grew to encompass four streams.
Richard Baird became the new principal of Casey Grammar School. He was commissioned on 3 February and began his leadership of a school that now numbered 855 students and 120 staff.
A third stream of Preparatory students joined, and the Primary and Secondary Schools became known as Junior and Senior Schools.
After joining Casey Grammar School as Deputy Principal in 2019, Fiona Williams became Principal in 2020.
The world was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns had forced students into remote learning from home. Fiona made it her mission to send regular video messages to staff and students to keep the school community connected under difficult circumstances.
With the pandemic behind us, Casey Grammar School marked its landmark 30th anniversary in November with a ceremony that welcomed local MPs, founding principal Evelyn Sayers, and her successor, Margaret Buttigieg.
Two music ensembles were named in honour of former principals — the Sayers String Ensemble and the Buttigieg Concert Band.
During the ceremony, Casey Grammar School unveiled a new school tie and revealed plans to bury a time capsule within the school grounds.
The school then looked ahead to building a new Learning Centre that will ensure Casey Grammar School continues to evolve and deliver a rich and contemporary educational experience to every student.