Bob Meakin, Deputy Headmaster & Head of Senior School

Dear Parents and Carers

A special thank you to our Year 7 parents and students who joined us online for our information webinar on Monday evening. We hope you found the presentation informative and reassuring. I would like to go on the record and say that Year 7 have started magnificently. Maybe it’s because they had an extensive orientation programme, led by Mrs Angelique Sanders, but they are simply an enthusiastic and very capable year group. Either way, as we head towards the end of Week 2, they have been amazing.

At last night’s CSPA meeting, we heard from our Senior Prefect, Theo Walsh and our Second Prefect, Angus Malcolm about their plans for the year. Their passion for this community and for the wellbeing of all students was incredibly impressive. They have some wonderful plans for supporting their younger peers in the School and I commend them and all of Year 12 for their care and engagement.

Tonight is our CSPA Annual Cocktail party which follows our Welcome to Year 11 College for Year 11 parents. To date we have over 800 in attendance so this promises to be a packed and enjoyable community evening.

This weekend sees a full round of sport, commencing on Friday evening with 1^st/2^nd Basketball. Good luck to all students.

A special shout out to our Water Polo players who had victories across the board against Scots College in the juniors and came first against Riverview. Mr Greg McFadden, Head of Water Polo is an excellent coach, and his training is clearly paying off. Superb results!

Next week we welcome back our top performing Scholars of 2023, where we celebrate our very high academic achievers in a formal assembly following by morning tea.

Have a great week.

Bob Meakin
Deputy Headmaster & Head of Senior School

Peter Young, Director of Students

Dear Parents and Carers

There are two ways to contact the School if your son is absent:

By Phone:

The Senior School Absentee Line is 9327 9499. Parents/guardians are prompted to leave a message including the name of the student, his year group, House and the reason for the absence. You are also requested to leave your name and contact number. The Student Services Coordinator will record the absence and the message is forwarded to the relevant Housemaster who keeps a record, monitors absences and follows up with the student and parents/guardians if necessary.

By email:

The Senior School Absentee Email is attendance@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au. Parents/guardians are requested to include the name of the student, his year group, House and the reason for the absence. You are also requested to leave your name and contact number. The email is forwarded to the relevant Housemaster who keeps a record, monitors absences and follows up with the student and parents/guardians if necessary.

If arriving to school late, students must report to the Student Services Coordinator, whose office is situated on the lower level of Bishop Building. When leaving the School prior to the end of the school day, students must sign out with the Student Services Coordinator. All leave must be approved prior through the Housemaster.

The Hive Café is undoubtedly the most popular place for our students during recess and lunchtime. Students are encouraged to order their lunch online through the My Student Account facility. An online order can save a student up to ten minutes waiting in a lunch queue. Instructions on how to order online can be found on the school website www.cranbrook.nsw.edu.au. Go to the Quick Links tab at the top right-hand corner of the page and choose Tuck Shop on the drop-down box.

Peter Young
Director of Students

Matt Grice, Director of Sport K – 12

Dear Parents and Guardians

Saturday saw the majority of our summer season teams in trials and practice for CAS Round 6 starting this week.

The Water Polo community were straight into it though, as they started the combined CAS/GPS competition. A huge congratulations to our 1sts team who came away with a 17-4 win against Riverview to start the year in a very positive manor. The 2nds and 15As were victorious against St Aloysius, while the 16As, 16Bs, 14As, 14Bs and 13As all had strong wins against Scots. Well done to the entire Water Polo community for such a fantastic day in the pool. A lot of hard work was put in over the holiday period and the results are certainly showing.

Year 7 took the big leap into Cranbrook Saturday sport on the weekend which was an incredibly positive and exciting experience. The students demonstrated enthusiasm, engagement, and a willingness to try new activities. It was evident that they were eager to make the most of their sporting opportunities and showcase their talents. The students also displayed great sportsmanship and respect for their peers and coaches. They listened attentively to instructions, followed the rules of the games, and treated each other with kindness and fairness. It was evident that they understood the importance of good sportsmanship and were committed to displaying it throughout the day.

Overall, the first day of sport for the new Year 7 students was a resounding success. The positive energy, teamwork, and enthusiasm displayed by the students was truly remarkable. We are excited to see their continued growth and development as athletes and look forward to witnessing their achievements throughout the school year and beyond.

Tomorrow morning sees Speed and Agility return to Hordern Oval at 6:45am. It was fantastic to see 300 students show up last year. Hopely we can match those numbers this year! The full Co-Curricular & Sport Timetable can be found here.

Tomorrow night also see our first Friday night lights game in the VCH for the 1sts and 2^nd V Basketball at 7:15pm and 5:30pm respectively. We would love as many spectators as possible to support our boys we continue the CAS season against St Aloysius.

Our CAS swim team will also be out at SOPAC tomorrow for the final CAS invitational before the CAS Championships. We have 6 weeks until the CAS Swimming Championships. For those students interested in the 2024 Cranbrook CAS representative swim team selection or have any questions regarding selection or swimming at Cranbrook, please email.

Daniel Arnamnart – darnamnart@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au – Head of Aquatics                                                                                                                                        

Please find this week’s fixture list in full here.

Looking forward to seeing everyone around the grounds this weekend. 

Kind regards

Matt Grice
Director of Sport

Duke of Edinburgh 2024

To all students and caregivers, welcome back to 2024 for what promises to be another rewarding year of learning, growth, and development across our amazing community.

I have been delighted by the strong interest already this year in the Duke of Edinburgh programme across the student body and would like to thank those parents who attended the information sessions during Meet the Mentor Day earlier this week. For those of you unable to attend and whose sons are interested in participating in the Duke of Edinburgh programme this year I would like to extend an invitation for any interested students to attend our bi-weekly meetings in V4.13 on Mondays and Wednesdays during lunch.

Three staff members, Ms Pedersen, Mr Lilley and Mr Nolan as well as Cameron La, Student Leader for the Duke of Edinburgh Programme, will be present to discuss all things Duke of Ed including sign-up processes, programme requirements, ideas for service and so on.

Students in Year 8 and up are eligible to participate and so we strongly encourage all students to consider the benefits of partaking in this prestigious and globally recognised award. The benefits of involvement are many and set students apart as leaders and changemakers.

We look forward to meeting many of your sons over the year.

Aaron Nolan
Director of Service (Acting)

CETOP Tour to Ladakh September 2024

CETOP is very excited to be offering another tour to Ladakh, Northern India this year to continue its incredible 30+ years of work and support for the local communities in this area. After the success of last year’s trip, the Cranbrook Explorers and Travellers Overseas Programme is delighted to be working with World Horizons to provide staff, students and parents of Year 10/11 with an opportunity to visit this beautiful region in the September holidays. From Saturday 21^st September to Sunday 6^th October, this 16 day trip will allow participants to visit and engage with students from our original nursery school in the Shara Valley, trek into the Himalayan mountain range and work closely with CETOP supported initiatives in the town of Leh.

This will include the women’s welfare group, Leh Mahila Mandal – a group dedicated to improving the lives of women in the local areas. Topped off with a trip to see the iconic Taj Mahal, a visit to Agra Fort and the chance to play street cricket with the children of Delhi, this promises to be an extremely memorable, service driven trip for all. IBDP students can use this experience to contribute towards their CAS project and, students interested in completing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, can work towards their adventurous journey and residential project whilst on the trip. For those interested, please refer to the detailed itinerary attached and we look forward to seeing you at our Information Evening, including a presentation from World Horizons, on Wednesday 14^th February, 5.45pm, V4.13.

Depending on interest, students may be asked to submit an application detailing why they would like to attend this trip.

For any further details, please contact Elizabeth Fletcher: Efletcher@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au

Elizabeth Fletcher
Head of Year 11 College / English Teacher

Articles of Interest

Please find articles of interest below; 

Podcast: Talking to Teens

Why do we have single sex schools? What’s the history behind one of the biggest debates in education?

Why February is the best month for resolutions

Teenage cyber safety

Ted Talk: The Adolescent Brain

All best,

Matt Banes

Celebrating the Women Leaders at Cranbrook

In celebration of International Women’s Day 2024 on Friday 8 March, we are proudly profiling our female leaders at Cranbrook as part of our commitment to championing diversity and fostering inclusion in education. This year’s theme, Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress, underscores the importance of celebrating the invaluable contributions of women in the teaching profession. By spotlighting female educators, we are sharing their inspiring stories, and showcasing the diverse perspectives they bring to the classroom, whilst instilling a sense of belonging and empowerment for us all.

Read the full interviews here.

Perspectives Podcast

The third episode in our Perspectives podcast series; a series of conversations between our Headmaster, Nicholas Sampson, and his peers and colleagues in education on matters of mutual interest is now available to listen to.

In this enlightening podcast, Phillip Heath AM, Head of Barker College, discusses with our Headmaster their pathway to the full implementation of coeducation, exploring how the school’s ethos and rich history paved the way for the transition.

Phillip and Nicholas discuss the importance of finishing your schooling with friends of both genders, and in this way stepping aside from some of the social concerns, deconstructing what is classed as ‘traditional pathways’ for each gender and how coeducational schooling is very much the springboard for the next stage, into tertiary education and beyond.

Providing personal insights and anecdotes, they reflect on the culture of each school, the pastoral culture and the tone of conversation around coeducation. 

To listen please click here.

NBA Basketball Flyers

Access the Term 1 flyer here.

Cranbrook Bus Services

Dear Parents

The booking links for the 2024 subsidised Cranbrook private bus services are now available.  Please use the link below if you wish to purchase a bus pass for your child.

Eastern Suburbs – Cranbrook Junior School Students only – https://events.humanitix.com/2024-cranbrook-bus-service-junior-school-eastern-suburbs

Eastern Suburbs – Cranbrook Senior School Students only  – https://events.humanitix.com/2024-cranbrook-bus-service-senior-school-eastern-suburbs

Inner West – https://events.humanitix.com/2024-cranbrook-bus-service-inner-west

North Shore – https://events.humanitix.com/2024-cranbrook-bus-service-north-shore

Please note that our pricing structure has changed and the minimum period that a bus pass can be purchased for is one semester. The price for a semester pass is $1,034, or you can purchase a discounted annual pass for $1,965.

View the 2024 Bus Schedules here.

For public transport information, including how to apply for a School Opal Card,  please refer to the Transport Information website.  

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us.

Kind regards

Cranbrook School