It has been a busy start to Term 3 and as I move about the School it is
terrific to see happy students engaged in all manner of activities. I
can sense a real sense of community amongst our students, staff and
parents.
My visit to South Korea seems a long time ago but the memories are rich
and are influencing my thinking. Foremost in my mind is the need to
help our students understand how their counterparts are approaching
their schooling in other parts of the world. We can very easily be
cocooned from the realities in other countries as we go about our lives
in Australia.
I visited Daeil Foreign Language High School whilst in
Seoul and had the most enjoyable experience of teaching a Year 11
class. My thanks to Dr Pauline Griffiths, Head of ESL at Canberra
Grammar, and some of her ESL students for preparing the lesson for me.
Their support was most valuable. My one lesson was part of a longer
visit to the school and provided the opportunity to talk with students
and staff. It was followed by dinner at the home of one of the Year 11
students and his family. What did I learn? A great deal. These students
work very hard.. perhaps too hard. School starts at 8.30am and runs
through until 4.30pm. After a short break the vast majority of students
have extra classes that continue until 10.00pm. Students then return
home and by 11.00pm they have settled down to more study and homework
which will see them working until about 2.30am. They do this every
weekday and most of the weekend is spent on schoolwork.
Whilst many of
us might believe that this approach towards school does not have the
right balance it is nonetheless the reality for many hundreds of
thousands of boys and girls throughout the world. What I saw in South
Korea repeats itself in many countries throughout the world. It is also
true that there are millions of children who have no opportunity for
formal schooling. There is a divide and we are caught somewhere in the
middle of this.
Children in Australia by and large have the wonderful
opportunity for an excellent education but I worry that too many are
far too complacent about their schooling.We want them to develop into
well rounded, and well grounded boys and girls but we also want them to
be competitive in the world of work beyond school. To be competitive I
believe many need to be working harder. This is a shared
responsibility.
The school must play its part in tandem with students
and parents.
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Headmaster's News - July 2008
One of the key strategic goals for Canberra Grammar this year has been to develop programs to prepare our boys and girls to be successful global citizens.
Whilst this will be a continuing priority for the School over the years ahead, much has already been achieved so far this year to ensure Canberra Grammar is doing this well.
Increasingly there is a need for the young men who graduate from Canberra Grammar, and the girls who leave us at the end of Year 2, to have an understanding of what it means to be a global citizen. Knowledge, respect and empathy towards different cultures, religions and languages combined with a sound grounding in language, history, geography, economics and politics are the essential elements for becoming a global native.
We are fortunate that our school community is made up of boys, girls, parents and staff from over 50 different countries. This brings a real richness to us but it remains an unreaslised opportunitiy for our mission if we simply acknowledge it and not look for ways where it can enrich the work we do.
We need to explore more rigorously how the nature of our school community can better be used to prepare global natives and I'd welcome advice and suggestions from all in this regard.
There is much happening at the School that has a global dimension and recently we conducted an audit of our curriculum from Pre-primary through to Year 12. I use the word curriculum in its broadest sense where it encompasses every aspect of school-life.
We are already doing a great deal and I look forward to communicating this to you in the months ahead. We have much to celebrate but also the need to look for ways to extend the offering further. In Primary and in the Senior School we have students regularly in France, Germany, United States, New Zealand, England and Canada. We have a strong foreign language program with good numbers of students studying up to the end of Year 10. Whilst the numbers are good in Years 11 and 12 Australians don't seem to have the same passion and commitment to language learning as our counterparts in Asia and Europe. We need to look to ways to address this and there may be a role for beginning language courses in Years 11 and 12.
The International Students Club (ISC) in the Senior School was formed in 2006 and has organised events to celebrate our cultural richness and more are planned. Last Term the Club held a competition to identify what it means to be a global citizen.
Recently I attended a National Forum on Asia in my role as Chair of the NSW/ACT Branch of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools in Australia. There was a strong emphasis on the need for what has been termed 'Asian literacy' I would support this but would extend it further to 'global literacy'. Global literacy will enable our boys and girls to become successful global citizens.
I have recently returned from South Korea where I participated in a study fellowship sponsored by the Korea Foundation. It was a most worthwhile two weeks and I look forward in my next blog to telling you more about it.
 I much enjoyed the dinner held in Seoul for the Canberra Grammar Community of current and past famlies and Old Boys.
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Community Qualitative Survey |
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Canberra Grammar School regularly seeks the views of members of the School community through a variety of formal and informal methods. This helps inform our decision-making on issues affecting the short, medium and long-term interests of the School.
As a further step in this process, the School has engaged independent research firm Crosby|Textor to conduct research amongst Parents, Staff, Students and Old Boys throughout April and early May this year.
As with previous research, it is our intention to publish the key findings so they are available for the whole School community.
Naturally, enthusiastic participation and open and frank views from our School community will contribute greatly to the success of the project. To facilitate this, Crosby|Textor has advised that all research will be conducted on a completely confidential, non-attributable basis and the School will never be informed of the identity of any individuals who participate.
Your co-operation in assisting Crosby|Textor with any facet of the research in which you may be invited to participate is appreciated.
Thank you for assisting with this important project. If you have any inquiries about the research, please contact my office.
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Fete a Great Success and thanks from an Old Boy |
It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Anne Frisch for organising such a splendid Fete for 2008. It really was one of the best ever and a great achievement for a solo volunteer who took over only in February. Thank you Anne from everyone in the School community.
I am delighted to be able to announce that Anne has agreed to be the Fete convenor for 2009.
Of course many people blended their organisational panache with Anne's which contributed so much to the success of the day. Ross Jenkins provided the financial management on the day and a great deal of sensible advice in the run up to the Fete. Gay Woods, Director of Development at Grammar was terrific in providing support from the School in the months leading up to the Fete. Sharon Woolmer and Heather Whittle helped with the hand-over from the P&F then ran the excellent Major Raffle. To the many stall holders, Housemasters, P&F committee members, teaching and grounds staff, boys, parents and Old Boys who worked so hard to make it all happen - thank you too.
Almost as soon as the last tables were cleared away, the School received a letter from an Old Boy, Graeme Phillips, describing his feelings on being back at School on Fete day:
I was fortunate to accompany my son to CGS on Saturday 5 April to allow him to play as part of the All Saints College Bathurst Under 16 team. And what a joy it was, on many fronts! I offer the following comments to possibly be forwarded to the relevant people:
The spirit and level that the Rugby games were played was magnificent, and the coaches/players of the Under 16 and open teams should be congratulated. Whilst the standard of your Under 16 and First XV teams were a little above ours, I am convinced the contests were a good learning experience for us.The best match up seemed to be our First XV against your Second XV we even scored first! On a personal note, I was impressed with my short interaction with your Captain of Rugby,Tom Gilmore he was articulate, warm, yet humble. A great ambassador for both CGS and rugby.
The warmness and generosity of parents and supporter was also obvious, and I would like to thank (if possible) all parent/ supporters who welcomed ASC and our few parents/supporters. It made me proud to know the spirit of CGS lives on, and with more than just the boys who attend the school.
The school fete was FANTASTIC! Thank you to all involved for putting on such a tremendous event a great range of food, activities and stands.I also watched the cooperation of many boys, parents, the Headmaster, the Bursar and the School Sergeant all doing their bit with a smile and with enthusiasm!
I managed to show some of the school to my son, and again was very proud to be an Old Boy! The facilities, the grounds, and also the offer of assistance from a few boys/teachers/ parents were wonderful. I was also proud to show my son a few photos of me in the Long Room as part of the First XI!
Well done to all! And a big thank you to a wide range of people, from the boys to the Headmaster. Keep up the great work.
Warm regards
Graeme Phillips
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