A common question from parents is who to contact regarding student wellbeing and pastoral care matters. Clear communication pathways help ensure that information reaches the appropriate staff member and that timely, effective support can be provided. 

For minor, day‑to‑day matters, parents are encouraged to write a note in the Student Diary addressed to their child’s Mentor Teacher. Mentor Teachers meet with students daily in their Mentor Groups and are well placed to receive, acknowledge and respond to these concerns. 

For more significant or ongoing matters, the Year Group Dean is the most appropriate point of contact. This enables Deans to maintain a clear and comprehensive overview of students within their Year Group and to coordinate care and support as needed. The Dean will communicate relevant information to classroom teachers where appropriate. 

In the event that a Year Group Dean is unavailable, parents may also contact the Dean of Wellbeing, Mrs Cassidy. Mrs Cassidy has a strong presence across the Senior School campus and works closely with students in Years 7–12. She is highly approachable and brings extensive experience in pastoral care and student wellbeing. 

da Vinci Decathlon 

The regional heats of the da Vinci Decathalon, co-hosted by Illawarra Grammar, were recently held at Figtree Anglican Church over three days. This a major event on the cocurricular calendar with schools from as far away as Nowra, the Southern Highlands and southern Sydney joining the regional competition. The Decathlon is comprised of ten separate components:  engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography and legacy (general knowledge) and requires the eight students in each team to both work together and play to their individual strengths.  

This is a challenging day for students necessitating innovation, careful consideration, clear communication, application of skills and time management. Each of our four Senior School teams in Years 7 to 10 placed in the top three for two or more of the decathlon categories, highlighting team abilities across diverse fields. Three of our teams, 7, 8 and 9, will travel to Knox Grammar in Sydney in the coming weeks to compete against schools from around NSW in the state finals. 

Brain Bee Challenge 

Nine Year 10 students recently competed in the Australian Brain Bee Challenge run by the Australian Neuroscience Society. Students prepare for the competition in their own time, learning about the brain and neuroscience. This is a challenging and demanding competition. Four students have successfully progressed to Round 2, which is contested between 60 students across the state. 

Duke of Edinburgh 

It was wonderful to see so many students and parents at our recent Bronze Duke of Edinburgh information evening. Information distributed during the evening can be found on the OLLE Cocurricular Page.

The requirements to complete the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s award have been modified for students who have already started this level or who are to about to embark on this level. This means that the time commitment required to complete the Skills, Physical Recreation and Voluntary Service components of the award are now very achievable.  When combined with the requirement for only a single Adventurous Journey, which will be automatically completed when students attend Year 9 camp, the Bronze award is more achievable than ever. We are encouraging all students in Year 9 to complete the Bronze level of this award. 

To find more information on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program, students can visit their Year Group page on OLLE, visit the Cocurricular Programs page on OLLE or attend a Duke of Edinburgh Help session any Wednesday at lunch time in D18. These lunchtime sessions are designed for Mr Lichi and students working towards their Gold Award workshop questions and help navigate the Online Record Book and its requirements. 

A reminder about upcoming dates for the Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey component. 

Choosing Your Uni National Virtual Expo: 10 – 17 May 2026

Our School is participating in the Choosing Your Uni National Virtual Expo, a free online event held during National Careers Week. Across the week, students and parents can explore live and on-demand sessions from Australian universities, government organisations, and real students, covering topics like career direction, pathways, funding, scholarships and student life.

The Expo is run by Choosing Your Uni, an independent platform that helps students figure out what to study and where. It’s not affiliated with any university — the guidance is unbiased and student-first.

Students can register here
Parents can register here

Make sure to use our unique code when registering:CYUEXPO2792

Not sure where to start?  Students can take the free ‘What to Study’ quiz at https://choosingyouruni.com/quiz to figure out which fields match their interests before the Expo. 

Lunchtime Sessions 

We have also launched What’s Next? lunchtime careers sessions for Years 10, 11 and 12. The What’s Next? Lunchtime Sessions run in addition to our timetabled careers lessons, and further opportunity for students in the Senior Years to hear from universities, TAFE, Defence Force, professionals, trades and more. 

Students are currently being surveyed to guide the ongoing planning of the sessions, ensuring that our careers provisions remain responsive to student needs.

On Thursday 21 May, our Year 8 students will be hosting a Biggest Morning Tea bake sale in support of the Cancer Council. During both recess and lunch, students will be selling a delicious range of baked goods on the Goodhew Lawn to the Senior School community. 

This initiative is part of a wider effort to raise funds for cancer research, as well as vital support and prevention programs. Through this event, we are working towards our fundraising goal, and we are incredibly proud of our Year 8 students for their enthusiasm, generosity, and commitment to such a meaningful cause. 

We encourage all students and staff to come along, enjoy a treat, and support the event by purchasing baked goods during recess or lunch. Parents and carers at home are also invited to support the cause by making an online donation here.

Every contribution, big or small, will make a difference. Thank you in advance for your support! 

It’s been a big week of sport in the Senior School, with over 160 of our secondary students competing at the NSWCIS Swimming Championships, CIS Boys Football Cup, CIS Netball, AICES Football Bill Turner Cup Football, CASA Cross Country, Interschool Rugby and the Regional Basketball Championships.

A particular highlight from the week was the outstanding performances from our swimming team, with almost all of our relay teams and individual swimmers finishing in the Top 8 places in their events. Jack Gibson (Year 11) and London Campbell (Year 9) were standouts, with Jack winning three gold medals and London winning one silver and three bronze medals.

A reminder that Parent Teacher Interviews will be held in the Goodhew Library from 3.30pm – 7.00pm on the following dates:

• Year 11 – Tuesday 26 May
• Year 10 – Tuesday 2 June
• Year 7 – Tuesday 9 June
• Year 9 – Tuesday 16 June
• Year 8 – Tuesday 21 July

Year 11 interviews will be 10 minutes in duration, while parents/guardians of students in Years 7 – 10 will have the option of selecting either 5 minute or 10 minute appointments. Students are strongly encouraged to attend with their parents/guardians and are expected to wear full school uniform.

You will receive an email from school approximately two weeks prior to your relevant session/s with your unique login details. Once this has been received, you will be required to follow the following steps to login to the booking system:

• Log in to the TIGS Portal
• Click on the Booked Icon
• Click the Senior School Booked Icon
• Enter unique login details from the email

Please note that the system will be accessible from 5.00pm on the day the email is sent until 10.00am on the day of the Parent Teacher Interview evening.

You will be guided through the remaining steps after login. Please note the following points:

• Bookings are made for individual parents/guardians, not for couples. If two parents/guardians wish to attend a single timeslot, one parent/guardian should make the booking, and both parents can attend that timeslot.
• Booked prevents double-booking of teachers or parents/guardians. You will only see timeslots that are available.
• Please ensure that you confirm your bookings by clicking on the green plus ( + ) sign to the right of the time selection window.
• Once you have made your bookings, you can print the details.
• You can log in and change bookings any time up to 10am on the day of the interviews.
• If you see this symbol ( ! ) displayed alongside the class name, it means this teacher recommends that you book an interview.
• Other parents may be making bookings while you are using the system. It is possible, though unlikely, that a timeslot is displayed to you as available but is then booked by another parent. If you attempt to book this time slot, it will not be available and a message will be displayed to indicate this.

If you are unable to attend your evening/s or find suitable timeslots, please contact the School to arrange an alternative time to speak with your child’s teacher/s.

This term, students will receive their Half Yearly Reports which provide a valuable snapshot of their academic progress so far this year. These reports are designed to offer meaningful insights into each student’s current achievements, highlight areas presenting the greatest opportunities for growth, and reflect their broader contribution to the life of the School.

At Illawarra Grammar, we believe that reporting is not merely a record of past performance, but an important part of the learning process. Reports help students develop self-awareness and agency by identifying their strengths and areas for improvement. For families, they serve as a platform for meaningful conversations about learning, study habits, and personal goals. Importantly, they also enable teachers to continue shaping instruction and support based on each student’s evolving learning needs.

Please note that Half Yearly Reports will be accessible at 5.00pm on OLLE on the following dates:

• Year 11 – Friday 22 May
• Year 10 – Friday 29 May
• Year 7 – Friday 5 June
• Year 9 – Friday 12 June
• Year 8 – Monday 22 June

To access reports via OLLE, please follow the steps below:

1. Log in to OLLE via the TIGS Portal under the Parent tab.
2. In the My Students section, click the three dots next to your child’s name and select Academic Reports.
3. Alternatively, click on your child’s name and then select the Academic Reports button.

These reports will frame the conversations at Parent Teacher Interviews. Should you have any further questions about your child’s progress after Parent Teacher Interviews, please do not hesitate to follow up with the relevant classroom teacher.