On Friday 22 March, 10 courageous Year 6 students from 番茄视频 Grammar鈥檚 Junior School shaved their heads to raise money and awareness for the Leukaemia Foundation, and many other students showed their support for the cause by sporting crazy and colourful hairstyles.

番茄视频 Grammar has now embraced this annual fundraiser for 17 years, with all donations going towards valuable research to beat blood cancer, which takes the lives of 16 Australians every day.

At a special assembly held in honour of the occasion, the Junior School gathered to cheer on the students shaving their heads and hear from guest speakers who highlighted the importance of their fundraising efforts, including a representative from the Leukaemia Foundation and a member of the community currently fighting cancer.

The students also learnt that they had raised close to $24,000, surpassing their goal of $20,000 and setting a new record in the Junior School.

The Deputy Head of 番茄视频 Grammar鈥檚 Junior School, Mrs Viv Bath, who is a passionate advocate for the event, said the World鈥檚 Greatest Shave means much more to the students than an opportunity to change their hairstyle.

鈥淲hile the shave is certainly a fun and exciting spectacle, it is also very moving to see such young students making a sacrifice of this magnitude,鈥� Mrs Bath said.

鈥淎ll the students involved in the shave wrote a letter to explain what the cause meant to them and why they wanted to participate.鈥�

鈥淲e even had a girl involved this year who is known for her long and thick hair, and she will be donating it to be made into a natural wig that will help cancer patients experiencing hair loss.鈥�

鈥淭he students are very proud to continue 番茄视频鈥檚 long legacy of raising funds and awareness through the World鈥檚 Greatest Shave, and we could not be prouder of their dedication to a cause that impacts so many.鈥�

The school would like to thank SM Hair Studio for providing hairdressers for the event.

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Over the past two weeks, 番茄视频 Grammar School has been delighted to host 12 students and two teachers from Gojo Senior High School in Japan, marking a proud milestone in the schools鈥� longstanding exchange program.

This trip holds special significance, as it not only marks Gojo鈥檚 first visit to our shores since the pandemic put a stop to international travel, but also the 30th anniversary of the sister school relationship.

In one of regional Victoria鈥檚 longest running exchange programs, Gojo has been sending students to Bendigo since 1992 and, in return, 番茄视频 students studying Japanese have had the opportunity to travel to Japan during the spring and summer school holidays.

During this stay, the guests from Gojo have immersed themselves in various activities, including participating in 番茄视频鈥檚 Athletics Carnival, touring Melbourne, staying with 番茄视频 host families, and practising their English language skills while attending classes.

In September, a contingent of 16 番茄视频 students and two staff members will be making the journey to Japan, where they will have the opportunity to visit cities including Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka in addition to experiencing school life at Gojo and residing with their host families.

番茄视频 Grammar鈥檚 Head of Japanese, Mrs Liz Blanks, said both schools are delighted to have this life-changing experience up and running once again.

鈥淔rom our perspective, you cannot put a price on the value of meeting young Japanese people in real life and discovering shared interests despite language and cultural differences,鈥� Mrs Blanks said.

鈥淚 encourage every young person to consider hosting a Japanese student or travelling on exchange to Japan, because there may be no other time in their lives that they can have such a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and culture.鈥�

鈥淎lthough so much has changed in our schools over the past 30 years, from new uniforms to new principals and buildings, the essence of our relationship with Gojo has always remained the same.鈥�

This is the second group of Japanese students 番茄视频 Grammar has hosted this March, after 13-year-old cyclists Konoha Ogawa and Hoho Sasaoka attended the school while they were visiting Bendigo to compete in the International Madison.

As the only school in the region offering Japanese studies, 番茄视频 was pleased to be able to provide language support to the visiting students and their educators.

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番茄视频 Grammar has been honoured to host 13-year-old cyclists Konoha Ogawa and Hoho Sasaoka from Mie prefecture in Japan, who are visiting to compete in the Bendigo International Madison.

The arrangements were made after the school was approached by Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services. 番茄视频 is the only school in the region that offers Japanese language studies, and it was important to the visiting students and their teachers to be hosted at a school that would be able to offer language support if required.

During their time at 番茄视频, the students have enjoyed attending Senior School classes with buddies in various year levels and even joining in Co-Connect sessions. The students also had a wonderful time with the Junior School students, who they found very cute!

The visit has enabled 番茄视频’s students to hear about the lives of young people in Japan, complementing their studies of the Japanese language and culture. It has also provided an opportunity for students to apply the words they have learned in class in a real-world setting as they communicate with the visiting students using a mixture of Japanese, English and gestures.

Thank you to all the students who acted as buddies for the visiting cyclists during their time at 番茄视频.

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Students representing over 60 schools from across Victoria have showcased their equestrian skills at the Interschool Dressage Championships hosted by 番茄视频 Grammar School.

Held on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 March at the Elmore Equestrian Centre, the event saw 79 riders participate in the show jumping competition on Friday, and 127 entrants compete in dressage on Saturday.

番茄视频 was delighted to win the show jumping competition, clinching first place thanks to outstanding performances from students Francis Walls, Harriet Williams, Annika Hall and Maggie Walmsley. Braemar College secured second place, while Marist College came third.

Toorak College emerged as the victor among strong competition in the dressage event, with Flinders Christian College and Assumption College taking out second and third place respectively. The dressage event forms part of the Victorian Equestrian Interschool Series and serves as a qualifier for the Victorian team competing at the Australian National Interschool Championships.

Now in its second year, the 番茄视频 Grammar Horseland Bendigo Interschool Dressage Championships are organised by teacher and 番茄视频 Equestrian Club coordinator Mrs Nic James, along with parent Mrs听Jody Pickering.

Mrs James said the school is proud to be able to host a major equestrian event that attracts competitors to the region from across the state.

鈥淚t has been wonderful to see the event go from strength to strength, providing a valuable opportunity for students from our school and many others to showcase their talents,鈥� Mrs James said.

鈥淚 would like to congratulate all the riders for their efforts this year, and we look forward to continuing to host this event in the years to come.鈥�

Students have the opportunity to join the 番茄视频 Equestrian Club as part of the school鈥檚 Co-curricular Program. Meeting throughout the year, students compete individually and in teams in a variety of interschool show jumping, dressage, games and showing competitions 鈥� locally, regionally and interstate.

In addition to the successful show jumpers, 番茄视频 would like to congratulate students Harrison Walls, Charli Walmsley, Laura Knox, Caroline Batters, Amelie Miller and Leah Pickering for their notable performances in the competition.

The school would also like to thank the event鈥檚 sponsors for their generous support, along with all the student, staff and parent volunteers who made the competition a success.

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Today it is widely accepted that our interpersonal connections are just as important to our mental and physical wellbeing as exercise and healthy eating. For young people in particular, connections play a powerful role in their emotional, social and cognitive development.

With those benefits in mind, this year 番茄视频 Grammar has proudly unveiled a unique program designed to empower its Senior School students to build their 鈥渃ommunity of connections鈥�. Named Co鈥慍onnect, the program provides dedicated time each afternoon for students to engage in a wide range of activities that foster collaboration, personal development, inclusion and belonging.

Senior School teacher Ms Barb Fielder spent the second half of 2023 mapping out the detailed program of activities and creating the extensive array of materials required, consulting with students at every stage to ensure the program met their needs.

鈥淭he idea is to give our students an opportunity to build strong and positive connections with themselves, their peers, their studies, their House, the school as a whole, and the broader Bendigo community,鈥� Ms Fielder said.

鈥淭he program was designed to be challenging, educational, inclusive, enjoyable and, most importantly, to encourage our students to embrace connections 鈥� something that will benefit them not only during this crucial phase of their development, but throughout their lives.鈥�

鈥淥ur connections are so important, playing a fundamental role in providing us with a sense of happiness, security, support and purpose.鈥�

To maximise student engagement, Co-Connect time is used differently each day of the week. While Monday involves a rotating roster of assemblies, often led by students, Tuesday centres around social and emotional learning (SEL). Following a program developed by the school鈥檚 SEL Coordinator, Ms Jo Christie, students are guided through practical and thought-provoking workshops on topics such as resilience, mindfulness and self-awareness.

Wednesday follows a unique timetable with an extended block of Co-Connect time at the end of the day focused on enhancing connections. Activities include mentoring programs that pair older and younger students as well as 番茄视频 Games, which sees students compete in fun academic and group work tasks to earn points towards the House Cup presented at the end of the year. This time will also be used for community engagement activities such as charity work.

On Thursday and Friday, students spend time engaging with their House groups through House assemblies and fun inter-House competitions, or they enhance their study skills through the school鈥檚 鈥楢 Step Ahead鈥� program. In the first week of this hands-on program, students learnt about the importance of time management firsthand as they raced around the school searching for hidden items in a scavenger hunt.

In designing the program, Ms Fielder ensured it was tailored for specific year levels, with the activities for Year听7 students focused on supporting their transition to Senior School, while the activities for senior students complement their VCE studies.

According to Ms Fielder, initial feedback on the program from the school community has been overwhelmingly positive.

鈥淪taff and students greeting me with smiling faces as they left activities was the feedback I was looking for,鈥� she said.

听

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This week, 番茄视频鈥檚 Year 12 students started their final year of school with a very different kind of camp experience.

Rather than navigating a path through the wilderness as they have done on camps in previous years, they instead journeyed to Melbourne to complete a two-day VCE Conference that will help them navigate the path to their future beyond school.

From their accommodation at University College, a residential college located at the University of Melbourne, the students toured four universities across every corner of the city 鈥� from Monash in Clayton and Swinburne in Hawthorn to La Trobe Bundoora and the University of Melbourne on their doorstep.

番茄视频 Grammar Principal Dr Emma O鈥橰ielly said the purpose of the conference is two-fold: to illuminate the higher education options available to students after completing school, and further strengthen ties and support networks within the cohort.

鈥淏y bringing our students to Melbourne, we hope to unshroud some of the mysteries about what their life after school might look like 鈥� in terms of completing further studies, as well as living in a new environment away from home. This will hopefully empower them to choose the path that most resonates with them.鈥�

鈥淚t also gives our Year 12 students a fantastic opportunity to spend time with each other and enhance their bond as a group before they begin the year. While they are all on an individual path, Year 12 is ultimately a shared experience.鈥�

The highlight of the conference was a formal dinner at University College that included keynote speeches from past 番茄视频 students Rachael Welling and Dean Armstrong, who discussed how they pursued their passions and achieved success in Year 12 and in their lives beyond school.

After graduating from 番茄视频 Grammar in 2013, Rachael attained a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering (Honours) and a Bachelor of Science from Monash University. A passionate environmental advocate, she is currently employed as an environmental engineer, working with clients from local councils to international development agencies to implement projects that enhance community wellbeing and minimise environmental impacts.

Dean graduated from 番茄视频 Grammar in 2011 and continued his academic journey at the University of Melbourne, where he completed a Bachelor of Commerce and Juris Doctor. He now works as a specialist in human resources law, bringing his legal expertise to global tech giant IBM.

According to Dr O鈥橰ielly, 番茄视频 Grammar鈥檚 ultimate goal is to help students access the future of their choice, whatever form that may take.

鈥淎s Rachael and Dean so beautifully illustrate, all our students have different passions, strengths and goals after Year 12. Our aim is to set them up for success, whatever that means for them, and to help them enjoy the wonderful, challenging, life-changing journey they are about to embark on,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e want to inspire them to achieve their personal best 鈥� academically, as leaders of our student body, in their co-curricular pursuits, and in every element of their lives.鈥�

听 听

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番茄视频 student Tom Marchant (11 Millward) has been announced as one of four national recipients of the prestigious John Bell Scholarship.

Tom performed a prepared monologue from a Shakespeare play in a 15-minute one-on-one workshop audition with a Bell Shakespeare artist.

In February 2024, Tom will spend a week training with the Bell Shakespeare Company in Sydney. He will undertake acting masterclasses with Bell Shakespeare artists, observe rehearsals, receive specialist training, see live theatre and more. He will also have the opportunity to perform his winning monologue for Founding Artistic Director John Bell, Artistic Director Peter Evans, and Bell Shakespeare artists, receiving feedback and mentoring.

Sammy Johnston (12 Frew) has received a letter of invitation to audition her high-scoring VCE Drama Solo Performance for the VCE Top Class. Top Class is the prestigious recognition of Drama, Theatre Studies, Music and performance exams in the VCAA season of excellence. This is a well-deserved acknowledgment of Sammy鈥檚 talent, hard work and effort in Drama.

The below photos show Tom and Sammy in their respective roles of Friar Laurence and Lady Capulet in 番茄视频 Grammar School鈥檚 production of Romeo and Juliet, staged in June of this year.

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番茄视频 Grammar School鈥檚 class of 2023 has concluded their final year of schooling with outstanding VCE results.

With over 32% of 番茄视频鈥檚 Year 12 VCE students ranking in the top 10% of the state, Principal Dr Emma O’Rielly said these results are a fitting finale to a wonderful year for the graduates.

“I and all the staff at 番茄视频 could not be prouder of our Year 12 students,鈥� Dr O鈥橰ielly said.

鈥淣ot only have they shown enormous dedication to their studies this year, but they have demonstrated remarkable leadership, kindness and cohesion throughout their time at 番茄视频. After giving our school so much, it is wonderful to now see them rewarded with magnificent academic results.鈥�

Other VCE highlights for 番茄视频 Grammar School are as follows:

• 7 students achieved ATARs above 99, placing them in the top 1% of the state
• 6.7% of 番茄视频’s students finished in the top 1% of the state
• 7.6% of 番茄视频’s students finished in the top 2% of the state
• 19% of 番茄视频’s students finished in the top 5% of the state
• 32.4% of 番茄视频’s students finished in the top 10% of the state
• 57.1% of 番茄视频’s students finished in the top 20% of the state
• 2 students achieved a study score of 50 in Psychology
• 15.9% of students achieved study scores over 40
• median ATAR of 83.15

While the release of ATARs focuses attention on students鈥� academic achievements, Dr听O鈥橰ielly stated that academics are only one measure of the success of this cohort.

鈥淲hile academic excellence is a key pillar of our ethos at 番茄视频, we aim to give our students opportunities to excel in many other areas 鈥� whether it鈥檚 on the stage, in the sporting arena, in community service, in emotional intelligence or in leadership roles 鈥� as we equip them for a fulfilling life beyond our school gates.鈥�

鈥淥ur ultimate goal is to empower our students to pursue the future of their choice, and I鈥檓 confident these graduates will be able to do just that by drawing not only on their excellent study scores but every element of their 番茄视频 education.鈥�

Despite the academic rigours associated with the final year of school, the class of 2023 remained fully engaged in school life outside the classroom and even found time to enrich the collective school experience for their fellow students.

鈥淲hile our Year 12 students had every excuse this year to put on their blinkers and focus on themselves and their own studies, they have chosen to immerse themselves in every aspect of our school and driven important initiatives that will benefit the students who follow in their footsteps,鈥� Dr听O鈥橰ielly said.

鈥淚n doing so, these impressive young people have shown they are truly the leaders of tomorrow, and I have every confidence they will go on to do incredible things in their next chapter after 番茄视频.鈥�

鈥淚 would like to extend a special thanks to our dedicated teachers and Year 12 parents 鈥� such excellent outcomes would not be possible without their invaluable support.鈥�

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Thousands of members of the 番茄视频 Grammar School community united in the spirit of giving on Thursday 30 November at the School鈥檚 Service of Carols.

The service saw students from Prep to Year 11, accompanied by their families and staff members, fill six of Bendigo鈥檚 churches with generosity and song.

The cherished annual tradition provides an opportunity for the School community to come together and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, with students participating in the service by singing carols and having the opportunity to place a gift at the alter or under the Christmas tree.

This event is a significant part of Bendigo’s Christmas giving initiative, seeing thousands of toys and gifts donated to local charities to support those in need, including the Kangaroo Flat Uniting Church Food Pantry, Bendigo Central and Axedale Christmas Appeal, Bendigo Baptist Community Care, St Luke鈥檚 Anglicare and St Vincent de Paul.

Thank you to staff, students and parents for their valuable contributions towards these special events.

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The 番茄视频 Racing Team (GRT) has achieved outstanding results at the 2023 Maryborough Energy Breakthrough, a gruelling 24-hour event that draws competitors from close to 100 schools around the state to race human-powered and energy-efficient vehicles of their own design.

番茄视频 entered three teams in the annual event, which concluded on Sunday 26 November. Team Xception, racing an energy-efficient vehicle powered by an electric motor, was crowned overall winner of their category. Team In-Sync, racing a hybrid vehicle, finished 7th. Team Intrepid, racing a solely human-powered vehicle, finished 16th.

Despite the wet and muddy conditions and a spate of mechanical issues seeing Team Xception lose time in the pit, they persevered and managed to claw their way back in dramatic fashion to cross the finish line in second place behind Bendigo Senior Secondary College.

It wasn鈥檛 until the awards presentation on Sunday afternoon that the team learned they had been awarded overall winner thanks to their excellent scores in the ‘Design and Construction’ and ‘Display’ categories.

番茄视频 Racing Team coordinator Mr Nigel Vernon said Xception was elated with the win after a series of mishaps and technical difficulties in 2022 resulted in them losing their lead and receiving runner-up.

It was also a fitting end of the road for the four members of the team who have just graduated Year 12 鈥� Christian Iuliano, Lincon Hocking, Liam Jones and Matthew Saxon 鈥� after having raced together since Year 7.

The Maryborough Energy Breakthrough is the highlight event for the 番茄视频 Racing Team, with students working throughout the year to design, build and test their machines within detailed specifications.

This year, countless hours have been spent training at the Tom Flood Velodrome and Bendigo Go Kart Track. This has helped to build a strong camaraderie within the team, which Mr Vernon says functions more like a family than a co-curricular activity.

鈥淚t is a tight-knit club of students and adults who all come together to make each and every race meeting a success, both on the track and in the pits,鈥� Mr Vernon says.

鈥淚t is not a co-curriculum that one simply turns up to for a couple of hours a week. It takes a full commitment of time and energy to not only train but attend weekend races in various locations around Victoria and South Australia.鈥�

The team has grown into a thriving community within 番茄视频 over many years, with the students supported by several passionate staff members as well as their own families.

This includes Robin Kirby, who is described by Mr Vernon as 鈥渢he heart of the club鈥�, despite his son Lucas having graduated from 番茄视频 a number of years ago.

Both Robin and Lucas provide engineering support that is critical to the team鈥檚 success, with Lucas having since transformed the love of racing and automotive engineering developed through the GRT into a successful career as Lead Project Engineer at Garry Rogers Motorsport.

More than simply racing, Mr Vernon says an important aspect of the GRT is the values it instills in students, who are encouraged to be collaborative, innovative in their use of the latest technologies, and considerate of their impact on the environment.

鈥淪o much of the GRT is learning life lessons 鈥� leadership, teamwork, coping with adversity, keeping your head in the game, and being committed to supporting not only each other but our competitors,鈥� he says.

GIRTON RACING TEAM RESULTS

Team Xception
Category: Energy Efficient Vehicle 鈥� Electric Vehicle
Placing: Overall winner
Score: 91.6/100
Team members: Charlie Baker, Harrison Phillips, Lincon Hocking, Liam Jones, Matthew Saxon and Christian Iuliano

Team In-Sync
Category: Energy Efficient Vehicle 鈥� Pedal-Electric
Placing: 7
Score: 65.5/100
Team members: Hayden Foster, Eiliyah Daneen, Bella Draper, Sebastien Loraine, Henry Hall and Chloe Phillips

Team Intrepid
Category: Human Powered Vehicles (Secondary) 鈥� B2
Placing: 17
Score: 53.3/100
Team members: Jack Pickering, Teagan Whiteman, Lily Middlemis, Emily Currie and Dylan Currie

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