​​Canberra

Our Year 6 students had a wonderful time in Canberra last week and what a special and significant experience it was. Visiting our nation’s capital provided students with a powerful opportunity to deepen their understanding of Australia’s history, democracy and identity. Standing in the very places where key decisions are made makes their learning tangible and deeply meaningful.

We are incredibly proud of the way our students represented our School. They were recognised for their superior manners, respectful conduct and exceptional knowledge, testament to the high expectations we hold and to the culture of care and excellence that defines our community.

A sincere thank you to our dedicated Year 6 and specialist staff who have given so generously of their time and energy to make this experience possible. A special thank you to Mrs Young for her excellent leadership and coordination of this successful event.

We also acknowledge the Australian Government for providing $30 per student through the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program. This funding, paid directly to the School after the excursion, helps support valuable learning opportunities like this one.

Captains’ Training Day

The Year 6 Captains’ Training Day was a great success, providing a valuable opportunity for our student leaders to grow in confidence and understanding of what it means to lead well. Throughout the day, there was rich learning centred on the qualities of strong leadership, with a particular focus on our school values and grit as our priority for the year. Students explored the concept of servant leadership, reflecting on how they can lead with humility, care and purpose. The day also allowed time for the development of student-identified captain roles within the School, which we look forward to sharing at an upcoming assembly. A highlight was a visit from CRU, who supported students in deepening their understanding of servant leadership, and the day concluded with a well-earned pizza lunch together.  

Mrs Jessica Ford – Director of Academic and Pastoral Care (Head of Junior School from Term II)

What a fabulous first five weeks it has been at Illawarra Grammar. As I walk around and see learning in action, I have noticed how caring, respectful and determined our students are. Thank you for making me feel welcome and I look forward to getting to know all families of the Junior School in due course.

Academic and Pastoral Care – a focus on Grit

This term, the Junior School teaching team is focusing on refining our Academic and Pastoral Care systems. At the heart of Academic and Pastoral Care is a shared goal: to know every learner well and to understand how best to support their growth and achievement.

A key focus has been on student engagement and its strong reciprocal relationship with achievement. One factor that consistently influences how engaged a student is in their learning is persistence, often referred to as grit, which also happens to be our school value for the year.

We are encouraging students to develop grit in and out of the classroom by helping them to:

• Try different strategies instead of giving up
• Use feedback to improve their work
• Breaking big tasks into smaller, manageable steps
• Ask questions when they’re unsure
• Celebrate progress.

We look forward to sharing more about this throughout the year.

Miss Melissa Bresolin – Library Manager

As we eagerly await the launch of the Hoskins Building, our library staff will begin relocating our much‑loved Junior School resources during Weeks 9 and 10. To ensure a smooth transition from Goodhew to Hoskins, library lessons will not run during these weeks.

To support students’ reading during this period, we invite all classes in Week 8 library lessons to borrow twice their usual number of books, along with their holiday reading selections.

We can’t wait to welcome students into their new library space. Our team is already busy planning what will be a beautiful, inspiring environment for learning and reading.

Mind Quest 2026 is an excellent opportunity for our most able students to participate in a selection of 33 fast-paced courses over a 2 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 28 – 29 March 2026 from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

Parents and carers 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 6 March and can be made here.

Mrs Kylie Dribbus – Junior Sport Coordinator and Mr Pieter Serfontein – Sport Pathways and Coaching Facilitator

We hosted our annual Junior School Swimming Carnival on Friday 13 February and enjoyed a positive morning of swimming and camaraderie. Not only did we have the vast majority of our boys and girls taking part in the freestyle races, but we also had large numbers of swimmers ‘having a go’ at the more intricate strokes.

Congratulations to Kogara on securing their first inter-house win of the year!

Final House Standings

• 1st – Kogara: 1163 pts
• 2nd – Wolgal: 1014 pts
• 3rd – Coligan: 875 pts
• 4th – Aranda: 827 pts

In an individual capacity, big congratulations must be extended to our three record breakers on the day:

• Alexander Blair – 9 Years 50m Backstroke 47:50 sec
• Austin Ju – 9 Years 50m Breaststroke 54:24 sec
• Yuxuan (Joey) Ren – 10 Years 50m Breaststroke 50:18 sec

Age Champions 2026

8U Girls

• 1st – Amelia Tian
• 2nd  – Jocelyn Wang

 8U Boys

• 1st – Austin Guo
• 2nd  – Robin Safavi

 9 Years Girls

• 1st – Stephanie Pan
• 2nd  – Layla Suleman

 9 Years Boys

• 1st – Alexander Blair
• 2nd – Austin Ju

10 Years Girls

• 1st – Yuxuan (Joey) Ren
• 2nd – Coco Zhang

10 Years Boys

• 1st – Kai Cross
• 2nd – Phoenix Cartwright

 11 Years Girls

• 1st – Eva Heritage & Anabelle Roser

 11 Years Boys

• 1st – Nixon Rodgers
• 2nd  – George Blair

12 Years Girls

• 1st – Cara Serfontein
• 2nd – Charlie Hewlett-Robins

 12 Years Boys

• 1st – Ethan Zhang
• 2nd – Oscar Ju

We thank all the parents and families who were able to join us on the day – your support is always genuinely appreciated. Well done to every student who participated, cheered and supported their House. The atmosphere at this year’s carnival was outstanding and we look ahead to the remainder of our sporting calendar with great excitement.

 Rayna Chieng – Year 7

What an amazing experience Year 7 had on camp! We were able to have so much fun together. And as soon as we arrived, it was scorching hot, and most of us were really glad when our first activity was canoeing. Playing in the cool water was definitely rewarding after the 20 minute hike!

While having fun with the activities, we were able to bond with each other, learning the meaning of teamwork. In Survivor Challenges, teamwork and communication were especially important when going head-to-head with another house. In our House groups, we were able to create a banner to capture the spirit of our houses, each one unique and different. 

On the second day, we had even more fun. My group and I went on the High Ropes course and Gorge Swing. A few of us were pushing ourselves to go to those heights. In the Survivor Challenges, we were able to communicate clearly with each other and support one other. With these skills, we were able to beat Kogara!

As a year group, we got to do the Bush Dance. This was a fun experience for everyone, as we got to learn fun dances while laughing and having a good time with each other. Our amazing Year 10 Peer Support Leaders came along and we were able to have lots of fun with them too during the afternoon.

We were all sad to leave, after having such a good time, and it was all thanks to the supportive and amazing Boomerang staff, and of course, our amazing teachers. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to even make it onto the bus! Camp was a wonderful experience for all of us, full of ups, and of course, some downs. We all learned so much, and got to spend quality time with each other.

Madison Bright – Year 9

Last Wednesday, I  had the opportunity to visit an exciting series of art exhibitions at the Gallery of NSW with a number of students who had chosen either Visual Arts or Photographic and Digital Media as one of their electives. This experience was both inspiring and eye-opening. Throughout the afternoon, we explored a range of contemporary and traditional artworks, each offering something unique and memorable.

One of the highlights was the exhibition by Ron Mueck. His hyper-realistic sculptures were incredible to see in person. The level of detail in the facial expressions, skin texture and body language made the figures feel almost alive, as if they might get up and talk to you at any moment. What made the experience even more powerful was the unusual scale of the works with some sculptures much larger than usual, while others were much smaller. This change in scale made us think more carefully about human emotion and perspective and how to convey ideas effectively.

We also visited ARTEXPRESS which showcases outstanding HSC artworks from across New South Wales. It was especially motivating to see what students close to our age have created. The diversity of ideas, techniques and themes was impressive with my personal favourite being the sparkling blue sculptures by Max Channo. This definitely encouraged many of us to think more creatively about our own personal  projects. Seeing the incredible standard set by senior students in NSW was especially inspiring, as it motivated us to push our own creativity further and imagine producing work of that quality in the future.

Another exhibition featured the work of Mike Hewson whose large-scale architectural drawings transform building spaces into imaginative, almost surreal environments. His attention to detail and use of perspective made everyday structures look completely different. The exhibition was designed for everyone mirroring how art is for everyone to experience and enjoy. This exhibition for me was the highlight of my afternoon.

Overall, the excursion was an extremely valuable experience. Exploring different artistic styles and messages helped broaden our understanding of art and its possibilities. I would highly recommend that students interested in art, or even those who are just curious take the time to visit exhibitions like these. They not only showcase incredible talent but also spark ideas and inspiration for your own creative journey.

Aubrey Koll – Year 11

Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to audition for and film Season 2 of Ultimate Classroom, which premiered on 14 February 2026. Ultimate Classroom is a TV show hosted by Eddie Woo and Stephanie Bendixsen where 18 high school students compete against each other in teams in head-to-head STEM challenges that simulate various high-pressure situations faced by Australian Defence Force (ADF) Personnel.

It all began in late June last year, with the audition form, sent out from Rolla Films and Paramount and received by me via Head of Science, Mrs Baird, who I can’t thank enough for giving me this amazing opportunity. After this, the exciting audition process began, which included videotaping, visiting Channel 10 studios and meeting many other students from all around NSW. 

Filming took place in October and was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I got to meet my incredible teammates, Dean and Lara, and together we proudly supported our team, the Icy Blues. We competed in many exciting STEM challenges, which stretched our brains in so many ways. The challenges were super fun and exciting, and at times quite nerve-racking too!

I found filming in a studio for the first time a really eye-opening experience as I got to witness the mechanics of film in action. Throughout my time on set, I made friendships with the whole production team from Rolla Films, Paramount and Channel 10. And of course, getting to meet Eddie Woo was amazing, from chats over lunch to magic tricks in breaks, it was a highlight getting to know him and creating a friendship with him. 

When filming was finished, it was sad to say goodbye to all the incredible people that I met, but I will forever be grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Through my time on the show, I learnt so many new things, discovering new ways to apply knowledge into real-world situations, I got to understand the ADF a whole lot more and got to test my limits and extend beyond them. It is safe to say that I won’t be forgetting my time in Ultimate Classroom any time soon!

I would like to thank Mrs Baird for opening this door for me and allowing me to make the most of this opportunity, my mum for supporting me throughout the whole process, the production team for making Ultimate Classroom such an incredible experience, and Eddie for taking the time to get to know each of us, despite the hectic filming schedule. And of course, I want to thank Dean and Lara for being the greatest teammates I could ask for. Go team Blue. 

Watch the show: Ultimate Classroom