This week, we were delighted to welcome Cate James, whose passion for storytelling and illustration captivated our students and sparked their imaginations. Her visit was a highlight, inspiring a love of books and creativity in every classroom.

On Friday, the Junior School came alive with colour and excitement as students dressed up as their favourite book characters. It was a joyful celebration of literature and imagination!

A heartfelt thank you to the P&F Committee, our Year 2 families, and Collins Booksellers Thirroul for their wonderful organisation of the cake stall and book display. Your efforts added a special touch to our week.

We are deeply grateful to our community for their generous donations and enthusiastic support. A special shout-out to our Library team, whose creativity and dedication brought the magic of stories to life and made this week such a memorable success.

The Junior School Music Showcase is fast approaching on Wednesday 3 September (Week 7) at 5.30pm in the IGC, and the children are very excited to share their hard work and passion for music with you. This special evening will feature all our Junior School music ensembles, as well as some soloists, highlighting the creativity, collaboration, and musical excellence of Illawarra Grammar music.

Our upcoming Junior School Dance Showcase is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the talent and creativity of our K-2 Dance Ensemble, Year 3 – 4 Dance Ensemble and Year 5 – 6 Dance Ensemble students. In this new and exciting format, students will perform in small groups, allowing their individual skills and unique styles to shine. This special evening is designed to highlight the performing arts in a fresh and engaging way, giving our community the chance to enjoy the energy and passion our students bring to the stage. We warmly invite all families and friends to join us on Wednesday 10 September (Week 8) at 5.30pm in the IGC to enjoy an inspiring night of dance.

Please ensure that all your child’s items are labelled with their first and last name clearly.  Also ensure that second-hand items have been clearly labelled.  We have a growing collection of unlabelled items including sport jackets, blazers, some old swimming gear and hats.  We have made many attempts to return these to students but, without labels, this is very difficult.  Unlabelled items will be sent to our second-hand uniform shop if they are not claimed within two weeks. A reminder to also ensure that your child has a labelled raincoat packed in their school bag at all times.

Wednesday 3 September – Junior School Music Showcase

Thursday 4 September – Kindergarten Celebration of Learning/Assembly

Thursday 4 September – P&F Father’s Day Stall

Friday 5 September – P&F Father’s Day Breakfast

Wednesday 10 September – Year 2 Celebration of Learning

Wednesday 10 September – Junior School Dance Showcase

Thursday 11 September – Year 3 Celebration of Learning

Thursday 11 September – Year 1 Celebration of Learning

Monday 15 September – Year 4 Celebration of Learning

Wednesday 17 September – Orchestra Promenade

Thursday 18 September – Year 6 Showcase of Learning

Friday 19 September – Year 3 Maritime Museum Excursion

Tuesday 23 September – Year 5 Celebration of Learning

See below for information regarding Father’s Day Breakfast and Stall.

Buy tickets for the Father’s Day Breakfast here.

Buy gifts from the Father’s Day Stall here.

The Illawarra Grammar School excelled at the recent CASA Athletics Carnival, finishing second overall.

All athletes contributed to this outstanding result, demonstrating skill, determination and team spirit throughout the day. The event featured numerous standout performances, including three new CASA records. Jonty Greenhalgh set a new 11-year 800m record with an impressive time of 2:25.82, while the Senior Girls’ 4 x 100m Relay Team — Rayna Chieng, Ava Leung, Kirra Oxman, and Nissi Adu-Amponsah — raced past the field, combining speed with seamless baton changes to smash the record by two seconds in 56.75 seconds. In the final event of the day, the Open 1500m, Oscar Sheppard led from the start and convincingly broke the record with a time of 4:50.89. Thomas Silins was named runner-up for the 12-year-old Boys Age Champion.

Congratulations to all competitors for their hard work, commitment and achievements. We are proud to announce that twenty-two Illawarra Grammar athletes have qualified for the CIS Primary Athletics Championships on Friday, 5 September.

CASA Team Members:

Nissi Adu-Amponsah – 100m, 200m, Discus, Shot Put, Senior Relay

Marc Bechara – Senior Relay

Rayna Chieng – 100m, Senior Relay

Ryan Connolly – 800m, 1500m

Leo Gao – Long Jump, Senior Relay

Jonty Greenhalgh – 800m, 100m, 200m, Senior Relay

Holly Horky – 100m, Junior Relay

Isaac Hyland – 100m

Ava Leung – 100m, 200m, Senior Relay

Iris Nicolaides – 100m, Junior Relay

Kirra Oxman – 100m, Shot Put, Senior Relay

Gus Parrish – Shot Put

Raphael Phelan – High Jump

Hudson Rayner – High jump, Shot Put

Yuxuan (Joey) Ren – Relay

Annabelle Roser – Discus, High Jump, Relay

Jada Ryles – Shot Put

Oscar Sheppard – 1500m

Rio Sheppard – Discus

Thomas Silins – 100m, Shot Put, Long Jump, Discus, Senior Relay

Bronte Vermey – 800m

Amelia Murray – Year 9

At Illawarra Grammar, sport is an important part of day to day life. Volleyball is a sport that is rapidly growing in popularity with both competitive and recreational fixtures and practices attracting students of different ages.

Volleyball training, hosted by Mrs Cassidy on Tuesday afternoons from 3.15pm to 4.15pm, has been offered to accommodate the growing number of students interested in the sport. Under the guidance of experienced players and teachers, students develop their skills and confidence in a relaxed and enjoyable environment.

Each session begins with the basic skills of volleyball: digging, serving, setting and spiking. In pairs or groups, the first 15 minutes are dedicated to correct technique before moving to court play. For the remainder of the session, students practise their gameplay, often divided by beginner and experienced levels to ensure everyone has the opportunity to play at their own pace.

The Senior Boys lunchtime training for the Gala Day also attracted attention from younger players, many of whom are eager to learn the game in hopes of representing the School in the future.

In Term II, two Senior teams represented The Illawarra Grammar School at the Volleyball Gala Day in Minto. Both teams were successful, winning all their matches and progressing to the finals. The Senior Girls team played strongly in the final, narrowly missing victory and finishing second overall. The Senior Boys team won the day, defeating the final opponent in two sets and remaining undefeated. The Gala Day was an excellent opportunity for players to put their skills into practice in a competitive environment.

This competition inspired many students who, seeing the success and enjoyment of their peers, chose to join the growing volleyball community at TIGS. Any students interested in participating in volleyball with Mrs Cassidy are welcome to attend Tuesday afternoon training.

Caitlin Mitchell – Year 8

Year 8 students recently reached an important milestone in their academic journey: selecting Year 9 electives. These choices begin to shape the pathway towards the Higher School Certificate. Cambridge International courses also offer opportunities to support entry to prestigious universities worldwide.

Elective subjects offered

• Chinese (Mandarin) – continuation from Year 8
• Commerce – economics and investing
• Dance – dance concepts and styles
• Design and Technology – design projects for target audiences
• Drama – acting and dramatic elements
• Food Technology (new) – kitchen safety and nutrition
• French – continuation from Year 8
• Industrial Technology – Multimedia (animation and graphic design)
• Industrial Technology – Timber (woodworking and tools)
• Japanese – continuation from Year 8
• Music – theory and performance
• Philosophy – metaphysics and world views
• Photographic and Digital Media – photography and filmmaking
• Physical Activity and Sport Studies (PASS) – sport and anatomy
• Visual Arts – artmaking and theory

By invitation only:

• Extra English – for students whose first language is not English and who have lived overseas for most of their life
• Finding Time – for excelling students who commit significant time to a specialised skill

For students showing passion and potential, Global Perspectives and Coordinated Sciences are internationally recognised courses that highlight academic commitment and achievement. Food Technology will be offered at Illawarra Grammar in 2026 for the first time allowing students to explore nutrition, food packaging and its impact, alongside practical lessons using kitchen equipment to prepare healthy meals.

Choosing electives is an exciting step for Year 8 students as they begin shaping their future pathways. The range of subjects available at Illawarra Grammar encourages students to discover new interests, strengthen existing skills and prepare for the opportunities ahead in Senior School and beyond.

Sienna Bohm – Year 10

On 7 June, two Illawarra Grammar Year 10 teams had the privilege of speaking at the New South Wales State Parliament for the annual Rotary Club Model United Nations Assembly. The event aims to replicate a real United Nations General Assembly debate.

Teams were given resolutions weeks prior to the competition and dedicated countless hours to researching their country’s stance, identifying allies and adversaries and perfecting their cultural dress for the day.

Our two teams represented very different nations. James Dalton, Aubrey Koll and Zahra Freeman represented Germany, while Ashley Parker, Saskia Esslinger, Pearl Bramble and I represented Sierra Leone.

We debated resolutions on nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, the glorification of neo-Nazism and global food security. 

As the Chair of the Assembly noted, one of the greatest challenges of Model United Nations is representing views that may not reflect your own. This highlights that one of the most valuable skills developed through the process is the ability to accept and understand other nations’ world views. This strengthens understanding of global politics and improves the ability to actively listen to others.

Our Germany team won the award for Best Cultural Dress, the second consecutive year that Illawarra Grammar has received this honour.

For the current Year 9 students who will have the opportunity to compete next year, I encourage you to seize the chance and make the most of the guidance and support you will receive. Strive to understand your assigned country deeply and, most importantly, listen carefully to the stances and viewpoints of other nations on the day. By doing so, you will gain knowledge of the world around you and learn to appreciate new perspectives.

We would like to thank Mrs das Neves and Grace Russo (Year 11) for their support and guidance throughout the process.