Co-Curricular Handbook May 2024

JUNIOR AND SENIOR SCHOOL

Co-curricular Handbook

Co-curricular philosophy and overview

Our co-curricular program is an integral part of the educational experience at Canberra Girls Grammar School (CGGS). In the pursuit of personal excellence, we offer a diverse range of co-curricular opportunities that enhance the formal academic curriculum.

Students are encouraged to embrace new opportunities, extend themselves and explore their world through their passions and interests. Involvement in our co-curricular program nurtures the whole person and provides opportunities for students to realise their potential and foster essential life skills. CGGS’s robust co-curricular program celebrates growing global and cultural connections, providing enriching experiences for our community.

Our co-curricular program:

• Enriches student wellbeing and academic success.

• Encourages participation by all students regardless of their skill level, and builds teamwork, courage, resilience, empathy and creativity.

• Strengthens students’ integrity, grit, determination and capacity for self-management.

• Cultivates the social conscience of our students through leadership and service learning.

• Provides social interaction across year groups and fosters a culture of contribution and connection, supporting our students’ sense of belonging to the CGGS community.

• Invites teachers, parents and volunteers to build relationships, to enhance connectedness with our students, and to develop their own personal and professional journey.

• Supports a variety of competitive and participative activities that promote the importance of physical and intellectual pursuits, offering pathways to representative honours.

• Tests our students depth of skill against personal and external benchmarks, teams and other students.

• Dares each student to be adventurous, discover their own potential, and showcase their talents.

Sport

CGGS has a long tradition of valuing physical activity in the lives of students, to ensure their overall health and wellbeing is supported.

Our culture of participation encourages students to take part in physical activity and supports their physical fitness as they develop their sporting skills. Whether our students are competing in local, state, and national competitions or simply having fun in a social team, they are encouraged to do their best while learning the benefits of teamwork and building lifelong healthy habits in physical activity.

Sport is strongly encouraged and widely taken up by the majority of students at CGGS. We offer a variety of sports across Summer and Winter, as well as a range of non-competitive sports on offer all year round.

Many of our high performing student athletes progress through qualification from our School carnivals (athletics, cross country and swimming) to represent CGGS at the next stage. These students will have the opportunity to compete in the Associated Southern Colleges (ASC), School Sport ACT and the Independent Girls Schools Association (IGSA). carnivals. Junior School students also compete in the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) competitions.

CGGS is the only ACT school that takes part in the Sydney based IGSA Competition, competing against other Independent Girls schools from all over NSW. CGGS supports interstate travel to these competitions in our School buses, supervised by our qualified Sport and HPE staff.

During the year, students also have an opportunity to compete in a number of Gala Days through various ACT Sporting competitions.

These are typically held during the School day and include:

• Touch Football

• Football (Soccer)

• Water Polo

• Netball

• Hockey

• Badminton

• Mountain Biking Championships

• Basketball

Competitions

The Music Academy

Music education at CGGS aims to create pathways for students to achieve through music.

It encourages each individual to experience the joy of music, regardless of age or ability, as an integral part of The Music Academy program. A diverse range of ensembles and classes are offered through The Music Academy at CGGS. Throughout the year, ensembles participate in School concerts, eisteddfods, music festivals and tours. Ensembles also regularly provide musical support for community events, School functions and services. The Music Academy ensembles and classes are divided into six main categories: Bands, Orchestras, Choirs, Small Ensembles, Chamber and Specialisation.

Bands

CONCERT BANDS

• Empire Concert Band* (Years 7–12)

• Holst Concert Band* (Years 7–12)

• Sapphire Concert Band* (Years 7–12)

• Bandicoot Concert Band (Years 3–6)

• Beginner Instrumental Program (BIP) (Years 3–10)

JAZZ BANDS*

• Adelaide Avenue Jazz Band (Years 7–12)

• Grey Street Stage Band (Years 5–9) Orchestras

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

• Glanville-Hicks Symphony Orchestra*** (Years 5–12)

STRING ORCHESTRAS

• Sutherland Chamber Orchestra* (Years 7–12)

• Holland String Orchestra* (Years 7–12)

• Alma String Orchestra (Years 1–6)

• Celtic (K–12) Choirs

*There are audition requirements for this ensemble.

**Ensembles and classes are semester-based.

***Project-based ensemble for specific concerts.

• Chorale (Years 7–12)

• Gabriel Singers* (Years 9–12)

• Bella Voce Chapel Choir* (Years 7–12)

• The Decibelles (Years 7–12)

• Cantantes (Years 5–6)

• Les Petits Chanteurs (Years 3–4)

• Minisingers (K–2)

Small ensembles

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES

• K.T. Percussion Ensemble (Years 7–12)

• Hit It Percussion Ensemble (Years 1–6)

GUITAR ENSEMBLES

• Kain Guitar Ensemble (Years 5–12)

• Schaupp Guitar Ensemble (Years 3–6)

CONTEMPORARY

• Rock and Pop Ensembles (Years 7–12)

HANDBELLS/CHIMES ENSEMBLES

• Strike! Handbells* (Years 7–12)

• Resound Handbells (Years 7–12)

• Chimers (Years 3–6)

KEYBOARD

• Keyboard Ensembles (Years 7–12)

JAZZ*

• Jazz Ensemble (Years 7–12)

Chamber

STRING ENSEMBLES*

• Gabriel Quartet (Years 7–12)

BRASS/WOODWIND ENSEMBLES*

• Clarinet Ensemble (Years 7–12)

• Brass Ensemble (Years 7–12)

• Flute Ensemble (Years 7–12)

• Saxophone Ensemble (Years 7–12)

• Wind Quintet (Years 7–12)

KEYBOARD*

• Piano Quartets (Years 7–12)

VOCAL*

• Vocal Chamber Ensemble (Years 9–12)

OTHER*

• Khachaturian Trio (Years 9–12)

Specialisation

TECHNICAL

• Audio Production** (Years 5–12)

THEORY, AURAL AND MUSICIANSHIP

• Theory, Aural and Musicianship** (Years 3–12)

PERFORMANCE

• Performance Class (Years 7–12)

For further details visit: cggs.act.edu.au/music-academy

Dance Company

Dance Company caters to all ages and abilities, from beginners to the elite, developing a diverse range of dance skills and techniques for performance.

Dance encourages young people to be creative risk takers who feel motivated and challenged in a supportive and inclusive environment. The language of movement enables students to communicate meaning about themselves and the world they live in. The Dance Company program is a platform for social and emotional growth as we aim for students to develop self-expression, confidence and a sense of belonging.

Throughout the year, students participate in a range of live performance opportunities including school concerts, eisteddfods and community events.

The School has a long tradition of participating in the AusDance ACT Youth Dance Festival, affectionately known as Dance Fest, available to all students in Years 7–12. Dance Fest is an opportunity that empowers students to lead in dance creation, choreography, and theatre production and facilitates peer mentoring in the rehearsal process.

Senior School students can also join the Student Assistant Teaching program where they are mentored by a Dance Coach and the Dance Company Coordinator to learn skills in coaching, movement instruction, rehearsal, choreographic techniques, supporting students’ needs during dance lessons, and event support.

Dance performance opportunities include:

• CGGS Fete

• Winter Concert

• Lights Up! End of year concert

• Local Eisteddfod competitions

• Dance Fest at Canberra Theatre Centre

Dance Company offers classes for students in Kindergarten to Year 12 in the following styles:

• Ballet

• Contemporary

• Jazz

• Hip Hop

• Dance Festival for AusDance ACT’s Youth Dance Festival (Years 7–12)

• Student Assistant Teaching

Drama at CGGS aims to engage, inspire and enrich our students.

Our Drama program offers performance opportunities to interested students, providing a great way to connect, build confidence and learn. Students participate in a range of activities, not only as performers, but also as directors, choreographers and production crew-members.

Drama opportunities include:

• Junior School Musical Production (Years 4–6)

• Senior School Musical Production (Years 7–12)

• Spring Shorts (Years 7–12)

• Senior School Drama Production (Years 7–12)

• Encore Musical Theatre Group (Years 7–12)

Debating and Public Speaking

The CGGS Debating and Public Speaking (DPS) program has a long and successful history.

The ability of students to express themselves clearly is encouraged through debating and public speaking.

Students participate in a range of events, including:

• Debating 101 (Years 4–6)

• Rostrum (Years 4–6)

• Canberra-based competitions such as the ACTDU Junior, Senior and Advanced Premier (Years 5–12)

• Public speaking competitions run and/or sponsored by The Legislative Assembly (Years 7–12)

• The Plain English Speaking Award (Years 11–12)

• The Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships (Years 7–11)

• Sydney based competitions such as the IGSA Speech Festival (Years 8–12)

• Mock Trials and Mock Mediation (Years 9–11)

The Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh Award provides students at CGGS with the opportunity to develop into well-rounded human beings, to challenge themselves in the outdoors, and to have their accomplishments recognised in a formal way.

The Award is offered at a Bronze, Silver and Gold level, depending on students’ age and level of commitment. Available at CGGS to students from Years 9–12, the Award involves logging weekly participation in the areas of Physical Recreation, Skills and Service. Many students find they already undertake these activities through areas such as sport, music and volunteering, so the Award becomes a great way of recognising this commitment.

The most recognised and rewarding part of the program is the expeditions. Each Award level involves two Adventurous Journeys, where students venture into the wilds of Kangaroo Valley, the Snowy Mountains, the South Coast, and other captivating locations such as the Whitsundays and Tasmania. These journeys serve as a platform for individuals to push their physical and mental boundaries, practice their leadership and bushcraft skills while fostering a sense of camaraderie in a supportive group setting.

As well as being a highly regarded accomplishment, achieving a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award can help students gain entry into university. The ANU now accepts a Gold or Silver Award as fulfilling all aspects of their co-curricular requirements, while UNSW will grant Gold Award recipients two ATAR adjustment points.

Each year, all students in Year 9 will undertake the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Academic Enrichment

Tournament of Minds, da Vinci Decathlon and the Ethics Olympiad are academic competitions for students who are interested in working in teams, to develop their knowledge and skills, in order to compete against other schools locally, regionally and possibly globally.

These academic competitions are designed to stimulate and challenge the minds of school students. They are highly rigorous, drawing upon an extensive knowledge base and skill set. These provide students with a unique opportunity to develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration and communication.

• Tournament of Minds (Years 4–12)

• Homework Helper (Years 3–6)

• da Vinci Decathlon (Years 5–12)

• Ethics Olympiad (Years 5–12)

• Kid Lit Quiz (Years 5–6)

• Readers Cup (Years 5–6)

Clubs and activities

Clubs and activities are offered to provide students with the opportunity to explore and cultivate their passions and interests.

Junior School

• Art Club (Years 3–6)

• Chess club (K–6)*

• Cooking classes (K–6)*

• EV3 Robotics (Years 4–6)

• Grammar Green Thumbs (Years 3–6)

• Junior Robotics (Years 2–4)

• Mini Artists (K–2)*

• Mini Coders (K–2)*

• Mini Engineers (K–2)*

• Puzzle Time (Years 2–6)

• Read, Write, Create (Years 3–6)

*Kindergarten students will be able to select clubs and activities from term 2 only.

Senior School

• Amnesty

• Art Club

• Book Club

• Ceramics

• Chess Club

• Creative Writing

• Environmental Club

• eSports

• Indigenous Focus Group

• Melbourne Avenue Tech Crew

• NEXUS

• Safe Schools Committee

• School Newspaper

• The House

Co-curricular Policy

Eligibility

Students can only participate in CGGS co-curricular programs if they are enrolled at CGGS. As soon as a student’s enrolment at CGGS ceases, so does their participation. Some co-curricular activities require trials, grading or auditions as part of the selection process. Please refer to individual activity information on Agora.

Activity clashes

Every attempt will be made to ensure that student clashes between co-curricular activities are minimised in the construction of the schedule. However, with a broad range of co-curricular activities available to students, this will not always be possible. In the event of a clash between co-curricular activities, students must honour the original commitment made. For example, if a student has enrolled and committed to dance for the academic year and then wishes to take part in a winter sport on the same day commencing in Term 2, the student must honour the dance commitment. Similarly, if a student has enrolled and committed to a summer sport in Term 4 and then wishes to take part in a music ensemble from Term 1 the following year, the student must honour the sport commitment. As always, we encourage students in the Senior School and parents in the Junior School to discuss any individual situations with the relevant staff members responsible for the activity or the Director (Cocurricular).

Participation and commitment

Participation in a co-curricular activity is not compulsory, however, students are strongly encouraged to undertake a sporting activity, a cultural pursuit, an activity of interest, and a component of service during the year. Once a student has committed to an activity, the School expects them to demonstrate commitment and respect for the group through regular attendance and participation at all scheduled sessions for the full duration of the activity. A two-week trial period applies for all students in the Senior School, after which point a firm commitment is expected and the levy charge will be non-refundable.

Registration

Co-curricular activities run for seasons of different lengths. Many activities run for the full academic year while others, such as competitive sports, run for the Winter (Terms 2 and 3) or Summer seasons (Terms 1 and 4). Registration is required at the beginning of the new academic year and for competitive sports, at the beginning of the new summer or winter seasons Information regarding registration for co-curricular activities will be communicated with students and parents at these times.

Uniform requirements

All students are required to wear the correct cocurricular uniform for training and competitions, sessions, concerts, and performances. Unless otherwise advised, formal School uniform is to be worn to all events. Relevant sport and music uniforms are available for purchase through the school shop

Levies and charges

Levies supplement costs incurred in the running of the co-curricular programs. These costs cover purchasing materials and equipment, competition fees, staffing and transport. The levy does not cover costs such as accommodation and transport associated with tours or events. Co-curricular levy charges are advertised at the beginning of the year or sporting season.

Representing the School

CGGS participates in local, national and, at times, international competitions and festivals across sporting, music, debating and public speaking, and academic extension activities.

Students requiring leave for competitions

Parents of students participating in co-curricular activities that are not on the School calendar must write to the relevant Deputy Principal/Head of Junior or Senior School to request leave for the required time.

Celebrating achievements

We encourage parents to notify the school of their child’s results in all co-curricular endeavours and to provide, where possible, a photograph.

Please send details of student achievements to Nancy Lee

Contacts

Tara Bourne Director of Junior School (Students Care and Experience) tara.bourne@cggs.act.edu.au

Lisa Christie Administration Officer lisa.christie@cggs.act.edu.au

Tamara Phelps Head of Sport sport@cggs.act.edu.au

Tim Norman Dean of Music timothy.norman@cggs.act.edu.au

Rebecca Rowe Music Academy Administrative Assistant rebecca.rowe@cggs.act.edu.au

Sara David Deputy Dean of Music sara.david@cggs.act.edu.au

Patrick Marman Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator patrick.marman@cggs.act.edu.au

Maree Cronin Dance Company Coordinator maree.cronin@cggs.act.edu.au

Sandie Simons Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator sandie.simons@cggs.act.edu.au

Yvette Riordan Drama Coordinator yvette.riordan@cggs.act.edu.au