Community Service is highly valued at The Illawarra Grammar School. We want to form children and young people who are alert to the needs of others. One way we do this is by curating service experiences for our students while they are at school. Most service occurs during school hours.

In Year 11, students are invited to participate in a unique Community Service initiative. They are presented with a range of service opportunities to be undertaken in their own time. Students are invited to serve some of the most vulnerable groups in our community including people who are disadvantaged and people with disabilities.

I met recently with the Year 11 cohort and explained the initiative to them. I also presented a range of service opportunities for them to consider, including volunteering with The Disability Trust’s Sport and Recreation program and participating with local churches as they provide meals and friendship to the disadvantaged. 

I was excited to learn this week that some students have already commenced serving with the Disabled Surfers Association. The aim of this service initiative is to provide an opportunity for people with disabilities to spend time in the ocean. Volunteers ensure the safety of participants as they ride surfboards into shore. It is such an enriching experience for participants and volunteers.

I believe the Year 11 Community Service program is one of the most important aspects of an Illawarra Grammar education. It is character-forming. Often, as students reflect on their learning experiences, this program stands out as one of the most impactful. I look forward to following the progress of our current Year 11 cohort as they participate in the program.

On many Monday afternoons, teaching staff of The Illawarra Grammar School participate in professional learning designed to extend them as educators. Last Monday we were led in our learning by Ms Emma Collett. Ms Collett is the Dean of Education and Director of the Centre for Christian Education at Youthworks College. The topic we considered this week was Education as an Act of Hospitality.

In educational terms, hospitality was defined as the intentional act of creating spaces where students feel welcomed, valued and cared for, both spiritually and practically. UK Educator, Dr David Smith, one of the chief architects of this way of viewing education, said, “when we design learning, we offer a temporary home in which students will live for a while, and we shape the patterns of life together within which they will grow.”

Ms Collett grounded the practice of hospitality in the person of God who through Jesus has made a place for us in his family and invites us in to experience abundant life with him and all those who love him.

Staff were enthralled by this way of visioning the task of teaching. Ms Collett gave us many opportunities to reflect on our practice and discover ways we could be more hospitable as educators. We were encouraged and enthused to put our learning into action as a vivid expression Christian teaching.

All Year 7 to 12 students are invited to the Hope Youth Event on Friday 28 March.

We’ll start the night with a BBQ dinner at School from 5:30 pm, then we’ll hop on a bus to the WIN Entertainment Centre, where students from across the Illawarra will gather for an epic night of music, fun, and a powerful message of lasting hope. 

It’s a chance to hang out with friends, meet new people, and be inspired. It’s sure to be a great event—come along and be part of something bigger! More info and an opportunity to sign-up will be included in the Daily Notices closer to the event. If you have any questions, be sure to ask somebody on the Chaplaincy team, or email dbinggeli@tigs.nsw.edu.au.

More information can be found at the Instagram page.

Join us for a special evening showcasing the incredible talent of our Year 12 Music students.

When: Thursday 27 March, 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Where: Recital Room

This concert is an opportunity to support our senior music students as they present their performance pieces.

We encourage families, friends and music lovers to attend and enjoy.

UOW Information Sessions

UOW Year 11 Parent & Carer Webinar – Monday 17 March, 7.00pm, online. Find out why Year 11 is important, how UOW Early Admission works, how to pick the ‘right’ HSC subjects, and advice on how to support your young person through the next two years.   

Register here: UOW Year 11 Parents & Carers Webinar 

More UOW events can be found here. 

Sydney HSC and Careers Expo

Saturday 31 May – 9.00am – 3.00pm – Royal Randwick Racecourse

Saturday 28 June – 9.00am – 3.00pm – Sydney Olympic Park

Are you the parent of an HSC student who is uncertain about their future path? Help them make an informed choice by bringing them along to the HSC and Careers Expo 2025 on Saturday 31 May at Royal Randwick Racecourse. For more information, click here. 

A similar event will be held on Saturday 28 June at Sydney Olympic Park. For more information, click here.

Mr Chris Breheny – Head of Academics

As we enter assessment season, I encourage all parents and students to familiarise themselves with our academic policies.

The School is committed to fostering an environment that values academic excellence, integrity and fairness. Our academic policies are designed to provide all students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a transparent and equitable manner.

In taking responsibility for the submission of tasks and completion of set work, it is important that students are aware of the following:

• Tasks not submitted in the specific manner or place will be classified as a ‘non-submission’ of assessment and result in a zero (0) being recorded for that task.
• Failure to submit a task before the due date and time will result in a zero (0) being recorded for that task.
• Technology issues (such as computers not working, work not saving, losing work, or inability to print work) do not constitute exceptional circumstances and therefore will not be considered sufficient reasons for the work to be handed in late.
• Hand-in tasks must be submitted before 8.40am on the due date.
• Assessment tasks which are missed for reasons other than illness, misadventure, elite sporting or performing commitments, significant cultural or religious occasions, or official school business will result in a zero (0) being recorded for that task.
• If a Year 11 or Year 12 student is unable to complete or submit an assessment task on or before the due date/time, they are required to complete an online Illness and Misadventure Form found on the students’ Year Group OLLE page. This includes an absence on the school day before, or partial absence on the day of, an assessment task.
• If a Year 7 to Year 10 student is unable to complete or submit an assessment task on or before the due date/time, a parent/guardian is required to email their Dean outlining which task has been missed, explaining the circumstance and providing supporting documentation (e.g. doctor’s certificate).
• In instances where a student is shown to have cheated or gained an unfair advantage in an assessment task, a zero (0) will be recorded for that task.
• It is an expectation that students hand in homework to a suitable standard, in line with the deadline communicated by their teacher. Students failing to meet their deadlines (without prior approval from their teacher or satisfactory reasons as to why they were unable to do so) or submitting sub-standard work should expect to be issued consequences such as staying in at lunchtime or receiving infringements.

Please note that this is a condensed list of expectations from our academic policies. Students are responsible for reading, understanding, and adhering to the entirety of the school’s assessment and academic integrity policies.

The 2025 School Immunisations for Year 7 and Year 10 will be held here at School.

• Year 7 immunisations will be taking place on Monday 31 March 2025. On this day students will receive the Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (dTpa) and HPV Vaccine.
• Year 10 immunisations will be taking place on Friday 20 June 2025. On this day students will receive the HPV Vaccine.

These vaccines are provided free to our students at School.

If you wish to provide consent for your child to participate in the program please go to https://engage.health.nsw.gov.au/engage and complete the online consent from. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

For more information please visit: health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination