Senior School Report
September 14, 2026 – Edition 12
An Inspired and United School Community
As we conclude a full and varied Term 3, one of the highlights was our recent World’s Greatest Shave fundraiser. It brought together our Year 12 cohort in honour of a classmate and in support of the Leukaemia Foundation.
Inspired and led by Year 12 student Davin W, the campaign saw students and staff unite, with the support of families and the wider community, in an extraordinary display of generosity and care. We are incredibly grateful to our brave shave participants, the many people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes and everyone who contributed to the success of the event.
Together, we raised more than $24,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation, far exceeding our original fundraising goal and making a meaningful difference to those affected by blood cancer.
The Spirit of Giving
This commitment to supporting others has been evident across the Senior School throughout the term. Alongside the World’s Greatest Shave, many students participated in the 40-Hour Challenge, raising funds for and awareness of young people experiencing poverty and hardship around the world.
These initiatives reflect the compassion, empathy, leadership and social responsibility of our students and their willingness to step forward in support of causes that improve the lives of others.
Thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered and supported these important causes. The generosity and spirit of service shown throughout the term have been truly inspiring.
As Term 3 ends, I would like to thank all students, staff and families for their contributions to school life. I wish everyone a safe, restful and enjoyable break and look forward to an exciting and successful Term 4.
Kate Morgan
Head of Senior School
Showcasing Creativity and Imagination in the Humanities
What a fabulous Humanities Week we had!
It began on the Monday with our Mosaic Activity. While the beautiful sunshine may have tempted some students outdoors, those who joined us enjoyed developing their own mosaic designs and embracing the opportunity to get creative.
Our Biome Activity was then a full house! Students enthusiastically embraced the air-dry clay, crafting their own miniature biomes. The activity showcased our students’ imagination and innovation while, we hope, encouraging them to appreciate the incredible beauty of the natural world and the importance of protecting it.
Thursday saw one of the week’s most popular events: Mummifying Abe! Students and staff gathered to witness Ms Kearney’s friend Abe have his body carefully prepared for the afterlife. After a rather tricky imitation ‘brain removal’, we successfully wrapped Abe and ensured he received the respect and care he deserved for the journey ahead.
Throughout the week, Ms Nettleton ran a fantastic competition on the Casey Daily, while sharing some fascinating and surprising facts through our On This Day in History slides. These little glimpses into the past gave our community plenty of opportunities to discover something new.
A Terrific Team Effort
A huge thank you to the Humanities Team for its hard work, creativity and enthusiasm in preparing and running the week. We would also like to thank Ammar for his enthusiastic and engaging speech at assembly about the importance of Humanities.
Most importantly, we’d like to thank our students for their wonderful participation and support. It was fantastic to see so many students engaging with Humanities in such original and thoughtful ways.
We are already looking forward to Humanities Week 2027!
Tegan Kearney
Head of Humanities
Year 7 Students Investigate Freshwater on Campus
As part of our Water on Earth Unit, we investigated the freshwater availability here at Casey Grammar. Through a series of activities, we built our fieldwork skills as well as developing an awareness of the ways we use our precious freshwater resources on our campus.
We had a lot of fun working on this unit inside the classroom and outside around our campus.
7B Students
Geography Students Explore the Rye Foreshore
In year 10 Geography we’re working on the topic of environmental change and management. We’ve been investigating the impact that climate change has on the world and the possible future outcomes if we don’t shift our habits.
On the 24 August, two year 10 classes set off from school at 9:00am to Rye Foreshore, where we had the task of investigating the coastline and the natural and human impacts on the area. We went about doing this through a booklet we were given that entailed collecting primary data through written and photographic observations.
These observations were taken by the students using digital cameras that we used to create a report about the day. The excursion opened our eyes to the vulnerabilities of our coastline and the impacts that we continue to have on it daily.
It was also interesting to see the management strategies used to help prevent these issues, especially in person when many of us had never seen them implemented. Overall, we were very lucky to be able to experience this trip, particularly with the weather as the predicted rain cleared and we were able to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and ocean breeze.
10B Students
Top Team Effort at the SIS Chess Tournament
Fifteen students from Years 7-12 travelled to St Margaret’s Grammar on 3 September to compete in the SIS Chess Tournament against students from 12 schools in the district.
We spent an enjoyable day competing in a Swiss-system tournament, where winners play winners and non-winners play against non-winners, with many of our students sitting in the top-ranking position, even if only for a brief time.
Team points are awarded according to the top four players.
At the end of the day, our Senior team finished a respectable fifth and our Junior team came equal second. Nathan C was again our best placed student, receiving a third individual place.
Well done to all our competitors.
Mr Shane Evans and Mrs Gina Upward
Senior School Teachers
Exploring the Elements and Principles of Art
Our Year 7 Visual Arts students recently completed an exciting creative project exploring the elements and principles of Art, the foundational building blocks that artists use to communicate ideas and generate meaning.
Throughout the unit, students investigated key elements including line, shape, colour, texture, value, form and space, while also considering principles such as balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm and unity.
Rather than simply learning these concepts through theory, students were challenged to apply them creatively in a highly personal and imaginative artwork.
The resulting artworks showcased an impressive range of ideas, styles and approaches. Students experimented with bold colour combinations, inventive compositions, intricate patterns and expressive mark-making techniques.
Many students demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of how visual elements can be combined to develop engaging and meaningful artistic outcomes.
Embracing Artistic Risk with Enthusiasm
What was particularly pleasing was the enthusiasm with which students embraced creative risk-taking. They explored original concepts, solved visual problems independently and developed confidence in expressing their ideas through art.
The diversity of responses highlighted artistic skill and each student’s individuality and imagination.
The Art Department is extremely proud of the effort, persistence, understanding and originality demonstrated by our Year 7 students. Several artworks have been selected for photography and display, providing an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of these young artists and share their success with our wider school community.
We congratulate all Year 7 students on their wonderful work and look forward to seeing their artistic journey continue throughout the year.
Mr John Palomares and Mrs Bonnie Midwinter
Senior School Teachers
