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From the
Principal’s Desk

Dr Julie Greenhalgh
BSc. BAppSc. DipEd. DipMgt, MEd. EdD

New Staff

We extend a warm welcome to the new families who have joined us this term and to the new staff:

  • Mrs Christine Gilbett – in the Library for six weeks while Mr Green is on leave
  • Ms Gillian Hetherington – Director of Cocurricula and History teacher
  • Dr Michael Molkentin – Director of Studies and History teacher
  • Ms Rebecca Theodore – Assistant Head of the English Department
  • Mrs Dianne Paton – in the Science Department for four weeks while Mrs Neal is on Long Service Leave.

We also welcome back Ms Helen McLean who was on Long Service Leave in Term III.

Congratulations to Mr McKay who finalised his wedding celebrations in Japan, and to Miss Bannon (now Mrs Hatheier) and to Miss Pedroza (now Mrs Gallina) who were also married over the holidays.

Over the Holidays

As is usually the case, it was a busy holiday period. Many teachers provided additional lessons for their Year 12 students, while Bronze Duke of Edinburgh students enjoyed their expedition in the Heathcote National Park.

The holidays were also a busy time for our Property team. In the Junior School, the ground works were established for new Junior School classrooms which will accommodate two classes in 2025 until our new Hoskins Building has been opened.

In the Senior School, many staffrooms were relocated around the Senior School, and new classrooms formed. This work is in preparation for the demolition of the H Block which will be taking place at the end of this year.

Once again, we are indebted to our Operation and Facilities Manager, Mr Matt Field, and his superb team for their hard work and attention to detail in their care of our School.

Classes in 2025

As was announced recently, the School is committed to capping class sizes to 24 students. This decision, along with increased enrolments, has resulted in the need to introduce additional classes. Next year, in the Junior School, we will see four classes in each of Years 5 and 6, along with an additional core class in Years 7, 9 and 10.

Anti-Bullying at Illawarra Grammar

There has been much media attention around the issue of bullying in schools in the media over the past few weeks, so I thought I would provide some detail about the ways that we actively work to prevent bullying at the School.

Firstly, we believe that “bullying usually happens where teachers are not”. In other words, the greater the presence of teachers, the less the likelihood of bullying. To this end, we have deliberately positioned staffrooms around the school grounds, which means that teachers are constantly crossing the playground on their different routes to and from their staffrooms.

Secondly, I know from experience that teachers – often with books and laptops in hand – usually prefer not to climb stairs. Therefore, schools with many tall buildings run the risk of having unsupervised spaces on the higher levels that could be prime areas for bullying. I am pleased that Illawarra Grammar is not a “tall” school. Deliberate measures have been taken over the years to keep our buildings at one or two storeys only.

As you will recall, there were significant changes to the Reception building in the Senior School during the year. This means that there is much more ready access to senior staff by the students. Furthermore, my office was relocated so that I can also see into the playground throughout the school day. These changes were designed to enhance quick and easy conversations with senior staff and to ensure that students are better supervised.

Small class sizes where every action and conversation by students is noticed and acknowledged, well-staffed playground areas, a phone-in-the-locker policy, a careful and deliberate pastoral care system and an anonymous reporting system are some of the other measures that the School takes to minimise bullying.

Of course, parents can help too. Reducing the use of social media by confiscating the children’s mobile phones at home goes a long way to protecting students from the cruel, after-hours antics of any bullies. I warmly commend the many parents who are being vigilant in this regard by eliminating or minimising smart phone usage.

Use of Social Media Advice – Instagram

The eSafety Commissioner has announced that Instagram has introduced several changes to their accounts for teenagers. These include:

  • children under 17 now have their accounts set to private and can’t be messaged or tagged by people they don’t follow
  • parents and carers can set daily time limits on Instagram usage
  • teenagers are notified to leave the app after 60 minutes each day
  • parents and carers can see the accounts their children message and the content categories they are viewing
  • hidden words settings automatically hide unwanted comments and messages.

As can be seen from the list above, most of these changes still require parental supervision and oversight of their child’s device. Parents at Illawarra Grammar are strongly encouraged to oversee the issuing and use of the mobile devices in their families. While the School can restrict the use of social media at School by insisting that mobile phones and smart watches are stored in lockers, we have limited control over the use of social media after hours. Consequently, we rely on parents to be limiting this after-hours usage appropriately.

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Deputy Principal

Rev James Rogers
Deputy Principal
Annual School Survey
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Junior School News

Ms Geneva Clayton
Head of Junior School
New STEM Program 2025
Chinese – Mandarin for Years 5 to 6
More Exciting Updates
Gratitude for our Staff
Upcoming Events in Junior School
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Senior School News

Mr Nick Hackett
Head of Senior School
Student Leadership
New Departments
Extended Senior Library Opening Hours
End of Term IV Events
Introducing our Head Prefects
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General School News

Scholarships Open for 2026
Parent Seminar – Responding to Stress and Anxiety in Adolescence
Register for Instrumental Concerts
Building Project – ‘Take a Seat’ Campaign
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Dates For Your Diary

28 October

Instrumental Concerts – Piano
Recital Room
From 3.30pm

30 October

Instrumental Concert – Guitar/Drums/Bass Guitar
Recital Room
6.00pm – 7.00pm

5 November

Amazing Me Puberty Workshops (Years 5 – 6)
The Goodhew Research Centre (Library)
6.00pm

12 November

Year 3 and 4 Instrumental Concert
Rees Hall
1.30pm – 2.30pm

13 November

Instrumental Concert – Brass/Woodwind
Recital Room
6.00pm – 7.00pm
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“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep… because he cares nothing for the sheep.”

John 10:11-12.

With our student leaders’ commissioning service this week, it was the perfect moment to pause and ask: Why do we lead? At the heart of leadership lies a crucial decision—are we leading for our own gain, or for the good of others? If it’s the former, seeking status or recognition, people will see through it in an instant. True leadership, however, always aims to bring others to a place of growth and flourishing, just as a good shepherd leads their flock to green pastures. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, does exactly this. He leads us not for personal benefit, but for our sake—so much so that He laid down His life for us: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” This kind of leadership is sacrificial, selfless, and life-giving. It reminds us that the best leaders are those who seek the well-being of others above all else.

Rev Dave Binggeli
Chaplain
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