Senior School Link – Week 5, Term 3 2025 - 21 August 2025
2025 Year 12 HSC & IB Visual Arts Exhibition
Dear Cranbrook Community,
We warmly invite you to attend the 2025 Year 12 HSC & IB Visual Arts Exhibition.
Now in its third year as a combined HSC and IB exhibition, the showcase presents the work of three International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme students and eighteen Higher School Certificate students.
Our DP students have curated their own exhibitions of works, while our HSC students have developed and presented resolved bodies of work. Together, these artworks span drawing, painting, printmaking, photomedia, sculpture, installation, design, ceramics and film, exploring themes of memory, identity, technology, culture and the environment. The result is an inspiring collection that is both personal and profoundly relevant to our contemporary world.
The 2025 Year 12 HSC & IB Visual Arts Exhibition is open from Thursday 28 August to Monday 1 September.
Kind wishes,
Georgia Neeson Head of Department – Visual Arts
Bob Meakin, Head of Senior School / Deputy Headmaster
Dear Parents and Carers,
Yesterday’s Assembly welcomed our Vintage Club Old Cranbrookians. These are former students of the School who left at least 50 years ago. The youngest in attendance was Mr Graeme Wise from 1971 and the oldest was Mr Rodney Gordon, who graduated in 1946. They enjoyed our usual School Assembly which also paid tribute to them and Mr DeBrincat gave a speech and played a video of our oldest Cranbrookian who turned 100 years old last weekend. Mr Frank Tebbutt, who was not only a student at the school but also a Science teacher and Sports coach. His message was met by thunderous applause from the students. Our guests then enjoyed a lovely lunch in the Dining Commons and shared stories of old.
Last Friday, we rewarded our outstanding sporting students from the Winter Season with our Annual Winter Sports Award Presentation followed by a light supper. Thank you to all parents who attended to support their sons receiving their special awards.
Our Debaters had a very challenging topic against Barker College and narrowly fell short of victory; which means that this Friday sees our 1sts team debate against Trinity Grammar School for a must win to claim the CAS Premiership. We wish them the very best.
On Tuesday morning we welcomed Constable Bill Alexander and his colleagues from Waverley Police for a lecture on E-bikes. This was extremely informative for the students and staff on what is legal and the implications of riding illegal E-bikes, not just for fines but also for demerit points on Learner and Provisional licences. Many students asked very relevant questions, and the Police answered them superbly, creating a great deal of clarity around the safe use of legally compliant E-bikes.
Our Year 12s are now back into class for their final weeks of study, but there are still some assessments going on for our IBDP students. Our IBDP Drama students performed their pieces on Monday and Sam Collison, our Senior Prefect – Community performed a magnificent piece on Richard the III. As you can see from the photo below, his presence on the stage extremely commanding.
Athletics continues out at SOPAC, weather permitting. Best of luck to all athletes.
Next Monday sees our Y6.2025 Transition to Y7.2026 | Parent Survival Guide to Year 7 for our Junior School families, and on Thursday 28th August our Year 12 Parent Interviews will be held.
I wish everyone an enjoyable week.
Best wishes,
Bob Meakin Head of Senior School / Deputy Headmaster
National Science Week
Last week, National Science Week was celebrated at Cranbrook School with an assortment of exciting and enriching activities.
Year 7s became EcoChefs – using native Australian ingredients to spark their creativity in producing amazing dishes whilst considering food miles, environmental impacts and sustainability. Each group pitched their dishes and votes were cast for the most delicious and most marketable creations. There were some very impressive dishes!
Year 8s explored the world of marvellous metals – they had a play with the revolutionary shape memory alloy called nitinol, seeing it return to its original shape after bending and heating. They also had a go at some metal alchemy, using metal plating techniques to transform a copper coin into a gold one!
Year 9s delved into the colour changing concept of iridescence – they explored how light interacts with microscopic structures to produce vibrant, shifting colours through bubbles and making their own iridescent rocks with thin film nail polish. They also tested their knowledge with a fun trivia game!
Year 10s partnered with the Junior School to lead the students in many hands-on activities. The Year 3 students ventured up to the Senior School science labs and had a wonderful time exploring flame colours, making copper tape cards and electric circuits, testing the pH of common substances and using microscopes. They finished the session with a demonstration of elephant’s toothpaste which is always a crowd favourite. The other half of Year 10 went to the Junior School and worked with Year 4s to show them mini volcano reaction, paper plane making, joint creation and movement with reaction times and speed. Despite the weather, everyone had a blast during the collaboration.
The success of Science Week is attributed to the great work of the coordinators in developing each program, the science staff for delivering the amazing lessons and the technician team for preparing the resources and ensuring everything runs smoothly!
Kathryn Whiten Laboratory Technician
Adrian Harrison, Director of Academics – Senior School – Acting
Book Week
Congratulations to our Library team for the amazing work in putting together such a comprehensive, engaging and inspiring programme to celebrate along the lines of the theme – ‘Book an adventure’. Students and staff were able to avail themselves of a range of activities including an adventure themed escape room, VR simulators, Fantasy Map building, Creative writing workshop a Scavenger hunt and a ‘guess the number’ of book worms in a jar (answer revealed next week).
Creative Arts – HSC major works
Our best wishes to our Year 12 Drama students who will undertake their HSC performances next week. They have had a tremendous preparation, working long hours and many weekends under the guidance of our dedicated staff, Ms Redwin and Ms Van Aalen and the entire team, it takes a village. In addition, we will be opening our Visual Arts exhibition, showcasing both IB and HSC, on Thursday evening. This will be open until Sunday and we commend this work to the entire community. Again, I would like to thank our talented staff, Ms Neeson, Ms Young and Mr Ingrey for all their work with these boys.
Year 12 Parent-Teacher
A reminder there are optional Parent–Teacher Interviews for Year 12 to be held on Thursday, 28 August, from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Booking details have been sent via our usual platform, Edval. As in previous years, interviews will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Should you require any assistance please contact aandonovski@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au .
Have a wonderful week.
Kind regards,
Adrian Harrison Director of Academics – Senior School – Acting
A Mindset for Wellbeing: Insights from Dr Anne Johnstone
This week, Cranbrook Senior School staff gathered to hear Dr Anne Johnstone share insights from her doctoral research and her long-standing work in positive education. Her presentation, A Mindset for Wellbeing, explored how schools can actively address loneliness in young people and foster a culture of meaningful connection.
Drawing on global research, Dr Johnstone highlighted the concerning prevalence of loneliness among young people, and the paradox that high social media use often correlates with greater perceived social isolation. She emphasised that schools are uniquely placed to make a difference, equipping students with the skills, behaviours, and mindsets to strengthen their sense of belonging.
Central to her talk was the concept of High Quality Connections (HQC), which are positive, resonant interactions that not only enhance wellbeing in the moment but also create a ripple effect through communities. Her Other Person Mindset (OPM) framework encourages students to focus outward, deliberately acting to build others’ wellbeing. By shifting from “me” to “we” to “us,” Dr Johnstone’s research shows that young people can enhance their own flourishing while cultivating collective wellbeing.
She also shared the outcomes of her interventions, where students who initiated High Quality Connections experienced measurable increases in their wellbeing, alongside powerful qualitative reflections about reduced self-focus and greater prosocial impact.
Dr Johnstone’s work reframes Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) into Prosocial Positive Psychology Interventions (PPPIs), moving beyond individual wellbeing to build connectedness and community. It’s a compelling call for schools to integrate both academic and social-emotional learning through a deliberate, evidence-based approach.
As Dr Johnstone reminded us, by fostering an Other Person Mindset, we can help our students and each other flourish.
Hannah Thomas Director of Professional Learning
Honours Programme Update
This term in the Honours Programme, the students are investigating several forensic science techniques that are used by law enforcement agencies. These lessons build upon the students’ knowledge gained in Term 1, legal precedence and in Term 2, the foundations of scientific thinking.
Students are bolstering their critical thinking and analytic skills by using first-hand investigations to understand how these techniques aid in crime scene investigations. In groups, they are tasked with researching a famous case and creating a mini documentary (à la Netflix), highlighting the ways that forensic techniques helped solve a crime. This assessment will showcase their creativity and communication skills as they will be delving into the world of documentary making and dramatic enactments – with the help of drama teacher, Ms. Van Aalen.
Ms. Schiffmann and I have been blown away by the engagement and high-level questions shown by the honours students as we tackle a new forensic technique each week.
Year 8 Honours – Creating tread marks and identifying shoes by their unique patterns.
Year 9 Honours – Analysing ‘unique trace markers’ such as fingerprints and ink chromatography.
Year 10 – Analysing how blood spatter can tell a story based on height, size and angle.
This term, many of the Honours students have had the opportunity to participate in external academic competitions like the AMC Maths competition and the ICAS exams.
As I read through the string theory essays the students submitted last term, I am so impressed with the level of analysis and knowledge the students have been able to communicate through their writing.
Rhys Briscoe High Potential Coordinator
Matt Grice, Director of Sport
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Friday night saw us celebrate the 2025 Winter Sports Awards with a wonderful evening recognising the achievements of our students and teams across an outstanding season of competition. It was a fantastic opportunity to acknowledge not only the performances on the field, but also the commitment, teamwork, and character shown throughout the season. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who attended and supported the evening, helping to make it such a memorable occasion. Congratulations to all our award winners, your success is a testament to your hard work, dedication, and resilience. A special thank you also goes to our keynote speaker, Mr Mark DeBrincat, Heads of Sport, and to our Principal, Dr Anne Johnstone, for addressing the audience and inspiring our community with their words.
I’d like to congratulate all the 2025 Colours Award Winners announced at Assembly this week. Being awarded Cranbrook Colours is a significant achievement and a proud milestone in a student’s journey. It recognises not only excellence in their chosen field, but also stands as a testament to their hard work, commitment, and character. This honour reflects the dedication our students have shown in upholding the values of Cranbrook and contributing meaningfully to our community.
This Saturday sees the first of the CAS Athletics Invitationals held at SOPAC, please see approximate timing for events below – we recommend you arrive 1 hour prior to the start of your event. We wish all our competitors the best of luck!
To Note:
The T3 2025 Co-Curricular and Sport Schedule can be found here
Sports Resources – contain essential information regarding sports events, schedules and important updates for the year ahead
We are pleased to invite you to Cranbrook School’s Spring Festival 2025.
The annual festival is a vibrant celebration and showcase of the creative Arts in our School. This year’s programme offers an inspiring array of artistic expression, from the HSC & IB Drama Showcase and Year 12 Visual Arts Exhibition to the TAS HSC & IB Body of Work Exhibition.
The 2025 Spring Festival will also feature a series of Composition Showcases, where our talented musicians will present original works alongside outstanding performances, celebrating the artistry and achievement of our Year 12 HSC and IB students. This year’s Spring Festival 2025 will culminate in a spectacular finale – the Music Finals Recital.
The Spring Festival is a wonderful opportunity to experience the full breadth and depth of artistic talent at Cranbrook. Our dedicated musicians, actors, artists, designers, programmers, and craftsmen have invested countless hours honing their skills, and their passion will be on full display in each performance and exhibition.
Your presence is a valued show of encouragement and support, and we hope you can join us to celebrate the dedication and achievements of our students as they share their creativity with our Community.
We very much look forward to welcoming you to Cranbrook School’s Spring Festival 2025.
Kind regards,
Cranbrook School
Phil Beverley, Director of Music
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The Guitarists of Cranbrook joined Ascham School and Sydney Grammar on Monday evening for the annual Combined Guitar Soirée, this year hosted by Ascham School.
The joy and care on display, coupled with the camaraderie shown by this close-knit community, was a welcome contrast to the downpour outside. The tradition of guitar in the eastern suburbs is unlike any other, led by some of Australia’s most passionate and dedicated performers and educators. To all our Guitar Ensembles involved on the night – congratulations. A special mention goes to Oli Smith (Year 10) and Marcus Chun (Year 12), who were selected to perform solo works. Their performances were captivating and warmly received by both the audience and their peers. Bravissimo!
The dates for the HSC have now been released to Year 12 Music students, who are applying the finishing touches to their Compositions and Performances. This coming week, we will hold a series of Showcases highlighting the exceptional work of these students, and warmly invite all who wish to see a selection of their final presentations.
Year 12 Performance Showcase Wednesday, 27 August, 6.30pm–8.30pm Orchestra Room
Spring Festival Music Solo Competition
More than just another eisteddfod, next week is a festival of solo music-making, where students across both campuses take to the stage to perform and give their best. Nothing worthwhile comes easily; it takes time, dedication, and perseverance over many years. Talent will only take you so far—it is the commitment to consistent improvement that builds excellence in both individuals and communities.
On Thursday, the Junior School will be transformed into a series of recital spaces featuring dedicated young musicians taking to the stage.
On Friday, commencing at 2.30pm, the Senior Campus will host 250 live soloists performing across nine venues throughout the School. Scattered around the campus entries, and next to each venue, QR codes will be available to scan for programmes, providing detailed lists of students and their performance locations. Each venue has been grouped by instrument family so that adjudicators can provide expert feedback. Students are required to remain within their allocated venue, but may step out during alternate sections. Supporting peers, and listening to the adjudicators’ feedback, is an essential part of the learning experience.
As parents and visitors, you are encouraged to review the programme via this links below and plan your concert day.
Our MAD (Music and Drama) Committee plays an instrumental role in supporting this event—not only financially, through the hiring of adjudicators and accompanists, but also by providing refreshments from 4.00pm onwards. If you would like to learn more about MAD or are considering volunteering, please email MADCranbrook@gmail.com
I look forward to welcoming you at our events next week.
Phil Beverley Director of Music (P-12)
Chaplain’s Note
Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan was as controversial to his hearers as this parable of the Good Waverley Boy, on which it is based, would be to us. None of his hearers thought there was such a thing as a ‘good’ Samaritan, to them they were the enemy next door.
Once, late one afternoon, there was a Cranbrook student waiting for a bus on Victoria Rd when he was confronted by some thugs who beat him unconscious and took his phone. Soon after, a teacher walked out the school gates, noticed the figure lying by the road, looked at their watch and walked by on the other side of the street. Later, a prefect came by, checked their duty roster, made sure it wasn’t their responsibility and also walked on by. Later still, a Waverley boy was walking down the road when he noticed the student slumped on the roadside. He approached the boy and seeing that he needed medical help he summoned an Uber and travelled with him to the hospital where he waited with him until the Cranbrook boy’s parents arrived. The next day, he went back to make sure the student was okay.
The Good Samaritan parable was told in answer to the question of ‘who is my neighbour?’, the implication being, who are the people we should love when Jesus says, ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. Jesus’ parable rejected tribalism; the notion that we should only like those who are like us. In a school context like ours such tribalism is a constant danger, both between groups within the school and between us and other schools.
It is all too easy for our support, our passion and our loyalty, all of which are good things, to spill-over into an unthinking, unwavering general prejudice against our occasional competitors. It can be hard not to. I know this because I’m guilty as charged.
Jesus, however, preached and practiced a better way. He insisted that we should treat all people as if they were ‘us’ rather than ‘others’; to love our neighbours as ourselves. To recognise that what we all share in common, is far greater and more significant than the differences we often create and emphasise. The Samaritan showed the kind of care that Jesus required, for someone who would have considered him an enemy.
Last assembly Mr Meakin spoke about the difference between jeering and cheering as supporters at a sporting fixture. It was a reminder that our tribalism between schools is taught and caught by the culture within the schools. Do we allow positive ‘differentiation’ to become an excuse for exclusive ‘tribalism’? Do we create a culture which motivates our students to be competitive due to external ‘enemies’ rather than internal ‘excellence’? Contrary to Christ’s command, do we actually teach our students and sons to hate their ‘neighbours’ especially if we happen to compete against them on the sporting field!
Don’t get me wrong, this is not to say that those who follow Christ can’t be competitive on the sporting field. Wallabies Taniela Tupou and Samu Kerevi may pray before they play, but it would be foolish for an opponent to think this will make them soft. But the right attitude is to keep the competitiveness on the field, on the field, where it belongs. Then, when the match ends, to be able to shake hands, as neighbours, having enjoyed a contrived moment of rivalry, in the midst a lifetime of shared humanity. Like Taniela Tupou you might even pray for the recovery of those who tried to tackle you!
Rev Rod Farraway Chaplain
Daisy Turnbull, Director of Coeducation
Dear Parents and Carers,
Coeducation Update – Inclusion and Equity
This week in Assembly, our Director of Sport, Mr Grice, announced the Colours for winter sports and co-curricular pursuits. Colours are awarded to students who have demonstrated excellence in their sport or activity, either through selection in Firsts teams or through elite representative pathways.
As we move towards coeducation, it is important that these long-standing traditions reflect consistency and equity for our incoming girls. The Co-Curricular Committee has been working carefully to ensure that, from next year, girls entering Year 11 will have the same opportunities as their peers to achieve Colours. This means that if they are selected in a Firsts team for their chosen sport, they will be eligible for Colours.
It is worth noting that Colours can only be worn from Year 10 onwards, so this will not affect the incoming Year 7 students in 2026. For the girls beginning in Year 11, however, it is essential that they are welcomed into our traditions on an equal footing, with their achievements recognised in the same way as those of their peers.
By taking these steps now, we ensure that Cranbrook’s culture of recognising excellence continues to evolve in a way that is inclusive, equitable, and true to the spirit of our community.
As we embark on our exciting new chapter in Cranbrook’s history, we are delighted to bring together the Cranbrook Community to mark the beginning of co-education and to warmly welcome Dr Anne Johnstone, our new Head of School.
We will be hosting a Gala Evening on Saturday 6th December 2025 6pm at Cranbrook School. Please mark the date in your calendar. Further details will be announced over the next few weeks. The event is open to all parents from Preschool to Year 12. Tickets will go on sale in September.
We look forward to celebrating this exciting new era together!
