Junior School News
Head of Junior School
As we settle into Term III, it has been a joy to observe the vibrant activity and learning taking place across our Junior School. From transition programs to milestone celebrations, each experience is intentionally designed to support student growth, connection and confidence.
One of the great blessings of a Prep-12 school is the opportunity for seamless transitions across the key stages of a child’s learning journey. Over the past fortnight, both our oldest and youngest Junior School students have begun important transition programs.
Year 6 students participated in their official program launch with Dr Greenhalgh, who outlined the exciting opportunities and responsibilities ahead as they prepare for Senior School. This was followed by the first in a series of sessions led by our Year 6 teachers and counselling team, focused on understanding this unique stage of life. These sessions will continue throughout Semester 2, ensuring our students are equipped with the confidence, understanding and support needed for the transition ahead.
At the other end of the Junior School, our Prep students have begun more regular visits to the Junior School. Our Early Stage 1 Coordinator, Mrs Cook, has commenced weekly sessions for our Prep students, helping them build relationships with their future peers and teachers, while becoming familiar with new routines. This purposeful and nurturing approach will continue throughout the remainder of the year, helping to ensure each child begins their Kindergarten year feeling secure and confident.
The Junior School Athletics Carnival, held at the Keryn McCann Athletics Track, was a wonderful celebration of student effort, house pride and athletic achievement. From the track to field events, the day was full of determination, sportsmanship and many memorable moments.
A huge congratulations to Wolgal House, which was crowned overall champions. Wolgal also set the track alight with record-breaking victories in both the Girls’ and Boys’ House Relays — a standout highlight of the day!
Despite challenging, windy conditions, three students managed to break existing records:
- Ava Leung – 12 Years Girls 200m, running 29.45 seconds
- Leo Gao – 12 Years Boys Long Jump, with an incredible jump of 4.53m
- Hudson Rayner – 11 Years Boys High Jump, clearing 1.42m.
We also acknowledge our Age Champions and Runners-Up who showed consistent performance and excellence:
- 9 Years: 1st Iris Nicolaides & 2nd Yuxuan (Joey) Ren | 1st Isaac Greenhalgh & 2nd Luke Junior Wilkshire
- 10 Years: 1st Eleanor Buttfield & 2nd Annabelle Roser | 1st Gus Parrish & 2nd Micah Rowan
- 11 Years: 1st Nissi Adu-Amponsah & 2nd Cara Serfontein | 1st Oscar Sheppard & 2nd Jonty Greenhalgh
- 12 Years: 1st Kirra Oxman & 2nd Rayna Chieng | 1st Leo Gao & 2nd Thomas Silins.
Thank you to our Year 10 PASS students who supported field events throughout the day with maturity and leadership. Their contribution helped the day run smoothly and was a wonderful example of service in action.
Well done to all students for their participation, enthusiasm and achievements. Thank you also to our incredible staff and volunteers for their planning, energy and care.
Ms Bresolin (Library Manager), Ms Bowmaker, and Miss Luke, Junior School Library Teachers
We’re excited to announce our upcoming Book Week celebrations! From Monday 18 to Friday 22 August, our Junior School will be filled with engaging activities, special guests and a lot of literary fun. Here’s a sneak peek at what we have got planned:
Monday: A Visit from Cate James, Renowned Australian Illustrator
We are thrilled to welcome Cate James, a celebrated Australian illustrator, to our School. Cate will be visiting the Junior School to share her journey as an illustrator and teach students how to draw some of her favourite iconic Australian animals. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about the creative process behind illustration and gain hands-on experience in bringing these animals to life!
Library Classes – “Book An Adventure!”
In the spirit of this year’s Book Week theme, “Book An Adventure!”, our library classes will focus on exploring the shortlisted nominee books which students read last term. During these lessons, students will reflect on their favourite books from the nominees and vote for the one they would love to see win. It is a fantastic way to engage with the theme while encouraging students to continue their literary adventures.
Friday: Book Parade + P&F Book Stall and Bake Sale
The grand finale of Book Week will be our Book Parade, where students are invited to come dressed as their favourite book characters. There will be a parade for all to enjoy, showcasing the creativity and imagination of our students in their costumes. Parents are welcome to join us for the parade, which will take place from 9.00-10.00am on the Junior School Oval. Parents will need to park on surrounding streets as there is no parking available on-site.
The P&F has arranged for Collins Booksellers in Thirroul to join us with stalls offering books for purchase. Parents can donate a book to the School Library, with their child’s name featured on a special book plate inside. This is a wonderful way to contribute to the Library and share the gift of reading!
Additionally, the P&F and Year 2 parents will be hosting a delicious bake sale, so be sure to bring your appetites! Cash and card sales will be available. It will be open to parents during the parade, and students during recess.
And don’t forget, the much-loved tradition of the Book Week Door Decoration competition continues! Each class will vote for their favourite door, showcasing the creative efforts of our students and teachers alike.
Dr Anna Carswell, Junior School STEM Coordinator
This year’s National Science Week (August 9–17) focuses on the exciting theme Decoding the Universe. Throughout the week, Junior School students will be involved in a range of exciting hands-on activities, including interactive experiments, scientific photography challenges and problem-solving quests to explore the wonders of the universe. It will be a fantastic week of celebrating science, sparking curiosity, investigating nature and inspiring the next generation of explorers, right here at School.
Mind Quest 2025 is an excellent opportunity for our talented students to participate in a selection of thirty-three fast paced courses over a two-day weekend program for students in Years 1-6.
This year’s Mind Quest will be held at St George Girls’ High School, Victoria St, Kogarah on 20 – 21 September 2025. Parents are welcome to register their children for a selection of course offerings. Please note that student transport, supervision and cost are the responsibility of families attending this event.
Registrations close Friday 29 August and can be made here.
Last week marked an exciting milestone for our Kindergarten students, their first 100 days of school! It has been a delight to watch their growth and development since the beginning of the year. We thank our Kindergarten and specialist teachers and support staff for their dedicated care and encouragement, and our Year 5 buddies for the meaningful relationships they have formed with our youngest learners. A special thank you also to families for your ongoing support and partnership.
Senior School News
Head of Senior School
Our annual showcase of Year 12 HSC Major Works will take place on Thursday 28 August, commencing at 4:00 pm. Members of the Illawarra Grammar community are warmly invited to join us in celebrating the exceptional achievements of our students across English Extension 2, Society and Culture, Visual Arts, Drama, Music, Industrial Technology and Design and Technology.
Exhibition Schedule:
- 4.00pm Exhibition opens
- General viewing of major works on display for English Extension 2, Society and Culture, Visual Arts, Industrial Technology and Design and Technology
- 5.00pm Official opening with guest speaker, Simon Cunich (Class of 2003)
- 5.15pm Drama performances
- 6.15pm Music performances
- 7.15pm Evening concludes.
We encourage parents, families and friends to attend this celebration of creativity, innovation and dedication, and to experience firsthand the outstanding calibre of work produced by our Year 12 students.
The Duke of Edinburgh program is in full swing. Many students are busy undertaking the Volunteering, Skills and Physical Recreation components of the award as they work towards achieving either their Bronze, Silver or Gold awards. As students log these activities via the Online Record Book (ORB), the School is advised to sign off on these entries. The ORB entry then passes to the Duke of Edinburgh scheme for approval where the entries are once again reviewed to ensure that all requirements have been met. In some cases, ORB entries may be returned to the School because of insufficient information, and students must then rectify the issue before their entries can be processed.
Some Duke of Edinburgh dates for your diary:
- Silver Adventurous Journey: 29 September – 1 October | Great North Walk
- Bronze Adventurous Journey. 10 – 11 October | Royal National Park.
National Science Week will run from 9–17 August, and our students are already showing great enthusiasm and ingenuity in the lead-up to this annual celebration of science and technology.
A group of ten students from Years 9–10 has been participating in a cocurricular project during lunchtimes, where they are working to construct their own photovoltaic cells. Using zinc oxide coatings and natural dye from raspberry juice, the students are experimenting with renewable energy technologies and learning first-hand about the photovoltaic effect. Watch this space for a full report on their progress and findings later in the term.
Meanwhile, a group of students from Years 7–10 took part in a qualifying round quiz to test their recall of the periodic table of elements. The top three scorers — Jesse Bryers (Year 10), Joanna Miller (Year 7), and James Meades (Year 9) — progressed to the final round, held during this week’s Assembly. The final was a thrilling and closely-fought contest, with all three students demonstrating exceptional knowledge under pressure. The event reached an unforgettable climax in the tiebreaker round, when Jesse and Joanna simultaneously identified the element “einsteinium”, stunning the entire hall with their quick thinking and perfect synchrony. In recognition of their extraordinary performance, Jesse and Joanna were jointly awarded the title of Periodic Table Champion 2025.
We congratulate all students involved and look forward to a week of curiosity, discovery and scientific exploration.
The Year 8 Camp Information Evening will take place on Monday 25 August, commencing at 5.30pm in the Library. Parents and Year 8 students are encouraged to attend to hear more about this year’s camp, to learn about gear requirements and to ask any questions.
The P&F will host the inaugural Senior School Father’s Day Breakfast on Thursday 4 September from 7.00am-8.00am. All details below. Buy tickets here.
Last week, thirty-two students from Years 9 and 10 represented our School at the Science and Engineering Challenge, held at the University of Wollongong. Across the day, eight teams of four students each took on a series of challenging STEM activities. These included designing a wind turbine, solving complex scheduling problems, building a bridge, supplying electricity to a city and creating an environmentally-friendly house. Our students performed exceptionally well – taking out first place in the Eco-Habitat, Confounding Communications, and Wind Turbine challenges, and placing a very close second in the Bridge Building activity.
We are very proud to share that The Illawarra Grammar School achieved the highest score across the two-day event, which means we have earned a place in the State Final at the University of Newcastle in three weeks’ time. Congratulations to all students who competed on the day!
The last week of Term III is a special time for Year 12 students. On Tuesday 23 September, students and their Mentor teachers will be travelling to Sydney for a memorable harbour cruise to mark the culmination of their time at Illawarra Grammar and enjoy time together ahead of the formalities of the following day.
On Wednesday 24 September, families, teachers and students will come together to farewell our Year 12s and celebrate their achievements during our Graduation Event. This will be followed by our formal Valete Dinner.
This week I had pleasure of sending formal Graduation Day and Valete Dinner invitations to our Year 12 families. A physical copy of this invitation has also been posted to parents. Tickets for the Valete Dinner are priced at $99 but there is no charge for students who are attending the event. Parents/carers wishing to attend can secure their tickets here.
General School News
Student Voice
Rena Hamut (Year 11)
Last term, Year 11 had the opportunity to participate in a Careers Convention hosted by Sydney Grammar School. During this convention, we attended a presentation by Mr Eric Knight, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (People and Operations) and Professor of Strategic Management at Macquarie University. During his presentation, he advised us on choosing our career paths and other study opportunities. The Student Voice Team then had the opportunity to ask him a few questions that are relevant to students in senior years. See his responses below:
Is it okay to not know what you want to do? Even up until Year 11/12?
Absolutely! Many of us are in this position…but the question is, how do you respond? I think it is good to respond by reading books, talking with people, writing a journal, doing things that are interesting and seeing how you find them. That is the most important thing. I personally find biographies really useful to read as they share people’s stories and life journeys. From this ideas might arise!
How early is too early to start thinking about university?
It’s never too early. Think about Harry Potter…that is a kind of university! From an early stage, we become more attuned to school, learning, education, and what it means to learn from others. University is a natural extension of this. You should be able to already go onto YouTube or Coursera and begin to get an experience of what a university lecture is like.
What’s something you are grateful for doing in high school?
I really appreciated doing an optional philosophy (ethics) exam called the Headmaster’s Exhibition. One of the texts was Martha Nussbaum’s Cultivating Humanity. I’m an academic, but it made me realise for the first time that higher learning, reflection, and research are a job in themselves and one well suited for those who choose a career in academia. I’m grateful that I realised and had the opportunity to be exposed to ideas and texts well outside my comfort zone and to be challenged by those ideas and texts.
What does the balance between academic and social life look like? Is it different based on the individual?
All people have both academic and social elements in how they relate to the world. Rene Descartes once conceived of the notion of a Cartesian dualism, which is that the mind and body are distinct, separate substances. Since then, the philosophy of the mind has developed much further to realise that these things are interconnected. My point is that going to university is an immersive experience. It is intellectually challenging, socially engaging…and it is both “good” and “bad”. You will be forgiven for being both excited and scared, overwhelmed and bored…these are normal emotions and experiences that build your capacity to learn and engage as you continue on life beyond and outside of university.
Do you have any general or final advice you could give to students?
Talk to people, reach out, read books, watch videos, engage with ideas and people who do things that interest you. This is a social endeavour, so be sure to embrace that side of things. Even if you don’t feel particularly social, books are a safe way to stretch your mind and imagine life beyond school.
Henry Chen (Year 10)
At the end of Term III, I, along with thirty-three of my peers in Year 10, had the opportunity to be a part of a ten-day service trip to Vietnam for our Year 10 camp. We were accompanied by three Illawarra Grammar teachers – Mr Deck, Dr Gollan and Mrs Cassidy – as well as Boomerang Adventures staff Rocky and Ellen. We were also joined by our incredible local guides: Ms Ha, Sonny and Mr Long.
We arrived at school at 5.30 am on 22 June for an early start, ready to leave for Sydney airport. After passing through airport security, we boarded our flight and began our journey to Ho Chi Minh City. After arriving in the afternoon, we settled into the vibrant energy of Vietnam by tasting some Vietnamese cuisine in a restaurant and resting up in a local hotel.
The next day, our group travelled toward the Mekong Delta, first stopping at the Cu Chi tunnels, where we gained insight into the resilience of the Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War. We then arrived at an Orphanage, where we met children living with disabilities caused by the lasting effects of chemicals from the Vietnam War, such as Agent Orange and presented the gifts we had brought. We spent our time interacting and developing connections with the kids, making the visit a special experience for us all.
Upon arrival in the Mekong Delta, we prepared for the core part of our trip, a 3-day service project, building a home for a family in need, where we also stayed at a homestay. Each morning, we biked 30 minutes to the build site and began mixing cement, transporting and laying bricks.
Over the three days, we worked alongside one another and with local builders guiding us through the process. At the end of day 3 of the build, we all witnessed the progress we made and handed the house over to the family and said farewell to the family and builders.
Following our time in the Mekong, we returned to Ho Chi Minh City to visit the War Remnants Museum, before boarding a flight to Hoi An. We spent our final three days in Hoi An, enjoying the beach, night markets, delicious food and a cooking class, experiencing the vibrant culture of Vietnam.
On 1 July, we made our way back to Sydney via an overnight flight. Before departing, we all reflected on the unique experiences we shared as a group and the connections and perspectives we had gained.
We are all incredibly grateful to the teachers and Boomerang staff who guided us through this journey and made this unforgettable trip possible.
Lucy Bernie (Year 11)
Early on 12 July, a group of eighteen Year 11 students and three teachers embarked on a week-long, life-changing trip to the Northern Territory to visit the Nganambala community.
After a four-hour flight from Sydney to Darwin, we arrived in the warmth and sunshine of the Northern Territory. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the hotel, exploring Darwin, and readying ourselves for the big few days of travelling ahead of us before arriving at the Nganambala community.
Our second day was spent driving, interspersed with stops at the Original Croc Jumping Cruise, where we witnessed the incredible saltwater crocodiles in their natural habitats, and the magnetic termite mounds of Litchfield National Park. Our final stop of the day was the Buley Pools, where a much-needed swim awaited us all before we spent the night in Litchfield National Park.
After an early start the next day and a very bumpy drive, we finally arrived at the Nganambala community.
At first, we could only see shy faces peering out at us curiously from the school, and when a few of us wandered over, a timid game of Duck, Duck, Goose quickly evolved into a chaotic, tumultuous game of tip, that managed to involve all of us, and evolved into the stealing of all our hats! We had been forewarned that the students loved stealing hats, but we hadn’t quite realised the extent to which this game would go; nor did we realise that stealing our hats wasn’t just a game, but a way of forming connections and relationships between ourselves and the Nganambala kids. By the end of two hours chasing each other and playing on the newly built playground, we were exhausted, but the experience alone was one we’d cherish forever.
We spent the next few days immersing ourselves in the lives of the community, preparing an Athletics Carnival for the school students, foraging for bush honey, visiting sacred cave paintings and an incredible waterfall. We spent our mornings playing with the students, getting to know them and building friendships. The middle part of the day was too hot to do much, but the evenings always resulted in another group game of tip, hats flying everywhere.
By the end of the week, we all knew saying goodbye to the beautiful friends we had made would be one of the hardest things we’d do, but it was well worth the memories we’d have to look back on forever.
A huge thank you to Mr Trenerry, Ms Lokys and Mrs Neal for accompanying us on such an amazing trip.
Across the School, students are participating in Social Skills and Child Protection programs, led by classroom teachers. These age-appropriate sessions are designed to build student awareness, resilience and essential life skills, supporting their ongoing wellbeing and safety.
The Social Skills program focuses on helping students navigate friendships, regulate emotions, manage conflict and develop empathy and respect for others. The Child Protection component reinforces personal safety, protective behaviours and knowing how to seek help from trusted adults.