State Schools Spectacular
Last Saturday’s matinee and evening shows at John Cain Arena were incredible to mark the 30th anniversary of this annual event. The more than 3-hour show combined singing, dancing, acting, acrobatics and instrumental pieces to delight the audiences from the start to finish. The talent on show from over 1500 primary and secondary students was incredible. Fifteen GPS students were part of the mass dance troupe and were involved in 7 dances throughout the shows. These dances looked spectacular as more than 1000 students were on the floor at the same time. It was a truly memorable experience for the students and staff involved, along with the family and friends who attended each performance. Congratulations to the students involved for their commitment to rehearsal sessions over several months along with how well they performed in both shows. The smiles on their faces said it all. The students’ participation in the show was a result of a huge amount of work from Kirstin Tuminello and Amber Raffaele. They spent many months teaching the students each dance, including managing rehearsal sessions with local schools. They also managed the huge amount of administrative work required with group rehearsals, costumes and travel. They were assisted by Claire Knell throughout the past months, and she also attended on Saturday to help during the performances. It was a brilliant team effort.
AeroSchools National Championships
This year’s national championships commence on the Gold Coast today. Two combinations are performing today with the remainder performing tomorrow. Every student involved in this event has been training extremely hard and they will no doubt perform to a high level and achieve fantastic results. We wish them well and look forward to hearing of their achievements. It is very exciting for all team members to be competing in a national championship. Thank you to Caitlin Shipsides and Aude Joyce for their ongoing work to train and prepare the students so thoroughly, along with managing all administrative tasks to compete in this competition. They will both be attending the championships to manage the team throughout each day. Thank you also to the many parents who are travelling to QLD with their children to allow them to participate in this. This is a big undertaking for everyone, but very much appreciated by Caitlin and Aude. Go, Go, Greythorn Go!
Footy Fun Day
Our annual Footy Fun day is always a highlight and yesterday was no exception. The students and staff looked fantastic in their AFL gear or a sport code of their choice. During the day, the students had a great time participating in the AFL Roadshow activities despite these being held indoors due to the weather forecast. The parade in the stadium after lunch gave everyone an opportunity to show off their team colours and sing their song as they marched around. The parade was attended by many families and friends who also enjoyed the festivities and spectacle. Go Hawks! Thank you to the JSC and Mr Mays for organising all aspects of the day. Additionally, $150 was raised from the gold coin donations for the Fight MND Foundation.
Year 5 – My Best Self Program
The Year 5 students have been participating in this program throughout the term. The program is designed to build confidence, respect, resilience and teamwork through the weekly dance lessons. The students have thoroughly enjoyed being taught by Craig from Dancing with the Stars and they have developed amazing skills along the way. Yesterday was their showcase day where they danced the styles they had learnt to the staff, students and parents in the audience. They all did a brilliant job to the delight of everyone watching. And I congratulate them all for their positive participation throughout the program. Thank you to Ms Nitsos, Ms Banez, Ms Shipsides and Ms Gibson for giving the students this wonderful learning experience.
School Uniform
School council has recently approved of changes and updates to several aspects of the current school uniform range. This includes changing the current royal blue to navy blue and updating the polo shirt design, sport top and House t-shirt. The current track pant, short and skort designs will also be upgraded and produced in a more durable fabric. Additionally, a shell jacket, puffy vest and beanie will be added to the range. The change to navy blue allows for more items to be included in the range due to manufacturing flexibility and provides greater opportunity for parents to purchase items from retail stores if they wish, to match the uniform. We have been working closely with Dobsons regarding these changes including the timeline for this transition. At this stage, the new items will be available for sale from September next year and we envisage a 2-year transition phase. Once the new items become available, students will be able to wear any item from the current uniform for the life of the garment.
End Term 3
A reminder that the students will be dismissed at 2:30pm this Friday. Wishing you all a relaxing break from the rigors of daily school life.
Andrew Searle
Principal