If you visited the breezeway at Friday recess over the past two weeks, you would have been greeted by plenty of excitement as we launched our new Grit Games initiative. As our Illawarra Grammar value for the year is Grit, we are focusing on ways we can build perseverance, resilience and the courage to keep trying when things are challenging.

The purpose of the Grit Games is to provide opportunities for low-risk failure in a fun and supportive environment. By making mistakes, learning from them and celebrating effort, students develop the confidence to tackle challenges both in and out of the classroom.

Our first Grit Game was juggling, led by Mr Richards and enjoyed by students from Year 1 and Year 6. Students quickly discovered that juggling takes patience, practice and plenty of dropped balls along the way.  A special mention goes to our Year 6 Captains, who are working alongside Mrs Allard and Mrs Young to organise and run these experiences. Their enthusiasm and leadership are helping to create opportunities for students to have fun, take on challenges and build their grit.

As you drive along the Princes Highway, you may have noticed the sign for our new Activity Centre. Planning is well underway for this exciting addition to our School, which is set to open in 2027.

The Activity Centre will provide a broader range of after-school opportunities for our students, complementing the many cocurricular experiences already available through our sport, music and dance programs. While these programs focus on skill development and preparing for performances and competitions, the Activity Centre will offer a diverse range of interest-based activities that encourage students to discover passions, build connections with others and enjoy new experiences. We are currently exploring opportunities such as art, chess, coding, mathematics/logic challenges, and outdoor sporting rotations.

We look forward to sharing more updates as this exciting initiative takes shape.

We are excited to share that, from 2027, our new STEM Teacher will be Mrs Jasmin Cooper. Mrs Cooper joins us from Shellharbour Anglican College and is an experienced and innovative educator who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in curriculum and pedagogy, particularly in the Science of Learning, an area for which she has a strong passion.

During Term IV, our Senior School Maths teachers (including Mathematician-in-Residence Miss Onisczenko) will help deliver the Year 5 and 6 Archimedes Maths Program. This initiative is designed to intentionally support students as they transition into Year 7.

We are fortunate to also have Mrs Cooper taking over from Mrs Rachel Gallina from Week 6 Term III, while Mrs Gallina begins her maternity leave. We are delighted to welcome Mrs Cooper to our team and look forward to the valuable contribution she will make to our students’ learning and growth.

Dr Carswell
STEM Coordinator

In Week 5, our Junior School students will be celebrating National Science Week 2026, with this year’s theme, Seeds of Science: Nurturing Knowledge for All. The theme encourages students to explore how curiosity and shared learning help scientific understanding grow and flourish.

Throughout the week’s lunchtimes, students will be able to take part in a range of science learning:

Monday: Students will be dazzled by experiment displays in the Amphitheatre at lunchtime by own very own Senior School Science Department.

Tuesday: Students are invited to bring in a small, recycled yoghurt container or milk carton to create a miniature windowsill garden. Using soil and seeds, students will learn about plant growth and sustainability while creating their own tiny garden in the Chill Zone.

Wednesday: Students can collect data about pollinators in our playground during lunchtime. They will observe and record a variety of insects and birds that help pollinate plants, learning about the important role these species play in our environment.

Friday: To finish the week, students will participate in Science Week GRIT Games challenges. Activities will include building the tallest card tower and testing their memories with a seed matching game.

Throughout the week, students will also discover a variety of additional Science Week activities and competitions in the Library and around the Junior School, all designed to celebrate this year’s theme and inspire curiosity about the world around us.

Miss Bresolin
Library Manager

We’re looking forward to celebrating this year’s Book Week theme, A Symphony of Stories, with a range of exciting activities that encourage students to share their love of reading!

“Read This Book!” Public Speaking Competition

From Weeks 3-6, the Library will be running a public speaking competition called “Read This Book!” Students will prepare a short persuasive speech about a book they love during library lessons and at home. In Week 6, students will present their speeches in class. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to practise their public speaking skills while sharing great books with their peers.

Library Activities

We will also be running a variety of Book Week lunchtime activities in Hoskins Library, including book readings, a book scavenger hunt and a drawing competition.

Book Parade

On Friday 28 August, students are invited to dress up as their favourite book character for our annual Book Week Parade. We can’t wait to see everyone’s creative costumes!

Encore! A Special Author Visit

The celebrations don’t stop when Book Week ends! On Monday 31 August, we are thrilled to welcome author Nathan Luff to our School, extending our Book Week celebrations and continuing to inspire students with a love of reading and writing. Students will have the opportunity to hear from Nathan and purchase signed copies of his books. More information about this exciting event will be provided closer to the date.

We can’t wait to celebrate A Symphony of Stories with our School community!

We have an exciting update from our Athletics Carnival held in Week 1. We are delighted to share that Kogara claimed 1st place overall, and several outstanding performances resulted in new Junior School Athletics Carnival records being set.

Record Breakers

Nissi Adu Amponsah

• 12 Years Girls 100m: 13.64 sec
• 12 Years Girls 200m: 28.14 sec

Jonty Greenhalgh

• 12 Years Boys 800m: 2 min 28.21 sec

Hudson Rayner

• 12 Years Boys High Jump: 1.55 m

Kogara Boys Relay Team (Isaac Greenhalgh, Ethan Bottele, Hudson Rayner and Jonty Greenhalgh)

• Relay: 1 min 1.34 sec

Age Champions

9 Years Girls

• 1st: Temilolu Owoeye
• 2nd: Harper Pan

9 Years Boys

• 1st: Austin Ju
• 2nd: Cooper McCormack

10 Years Girls

• 1st: Yuxuan Ren
• 2nd: Iris Nicolaides

10 Years Boys

• 1st: Finlay Rowe
• 2nd: Remy Vickers

11 Years Girls

• 1st: Eleanor Buttfield
• 2nd: Eva Heritage

11 Years Boys

• 1st: Gus Parrish
• 2nd: Micah Rowan

12 Years Girls

• 1st: Nissi Adu-Amponsah
• 2nd: Cara Serfontein

12 Years Boys

• 1st: Ethan Bottele
• 2nd: Hudson Rayner

Congratulations to all our students on their outstanding efforts and achievements, and for representing their Houses with pride throughout the carnival.

Junior School Fathers’ Day Stall: Thursday 3 September

Learn more and buy your tickets/gifts here.

Junior School Fathers’ Day Breakfast: Friday 4 September

Learn more and buy your ticket here.

Sienna Bohm and Sophie Deck  – Year 10

In Week 10 of Term II, a group of twenty Year 10 students embarked on an unforgettable journey to Vietnam, where we immersed ourselves in a blend of service, culture and personal growth. From navigating the fascinating intricacies of Vietnamese culture to building a house for a local family, every day introduced new experiences to challenge ourselves while connecting with the community and each other.

Whilst exploring the sights, history and culture of Vietnam was an unforgettable experience, nothing compared to the opportunity of being able to support a local family by helping to build their new home. Each morning, we cycled to our construction site, spending hours mixing concrete and laying bricks while gradually watching the house take shape. Despite the intense heat and humidity, everyone worked with such enthusiasm, and by the end of our three days on site, we had completed our part of the build. Meeting the family and seeing their gratitude was a powerful reminder that even a small contribution can make a lasting difference.

Alongside our community project, we were given the opportunity to explore so much more of what Vietnam has to offer. We visited the Kim Phuoc Orphanage, explored the Cu Chi tunnels, travelled through the Mekong Delta by boat and learned more about Vietnam’s history at the Peace Museum. Later in the trip we visited the beautiful town of Hoi An, where we tried our hand at traditional lantern and pottery making, tested our bartering skills at the local markets and even took part in a Vietnamese cooking class.

As the trip came to an end, we reflected on everything we had experienced. Beyond the incredible sights and activities, the journey gave us a greater appreciation for the resilience and generosity that define Vietnamese culture, ultimately encouraging us to think differently about service, gratitude and the privileges we often take for granted.

We would love to extend a huge thank you to Mrs Rowe, Mr Rossiter and the Boomerang Staff who looked after us so brilliantly, and of course our parents for giving us this incredible opportunity.