Senior School Link – Week 8, Term 2 2024 - 19 June 2024
Angelique Sanders, Director of Student Wellbeing
Dear Parents and Carers,
Our student body was privileged to hear from Alex Noble in assembly on Wednesday. This amazing young man has been able to turn a catastrophic injury into an opportunity to live his life to the fullest. His message centred around having the right mindset, finding inner peace and developing resilience in order to achieve success and personal goals. We would like to extend our gratitude to the CSPA for assisting us in organising Alex’s visit to address the students. In a time filled with negative news stories and events, the positivity and strength of this young man and the message he shared was refreshing and uplifting for our students. Alex’s book, I Fight, You Fight, can be purchased on Amazon or in bookstores, and I highly recommend getting a copy for your sons to read
Each term, in Week 5, we conduct the Student Survey. Students are asked to rate how they feel at that point in time on a scale of 1 to 5. This allows us to gauge the overall average of the student body and then compare this over time and between year groups. Pleasingly, our students averaged a score of 3.72 in Term 2, which is comparable to this time last year when the average was 3.73. There is also a strong positive correlation between how confident students feel with their learning and how they rate their overall feelings. The biggest issues that our students are most worried about are school work and the busyness of school life. Based on this correlation, we have placed an emphasis on study skills and organisation, through the Elevate Education sessions during SWP last week for Year 9 and next week for Year 8. Year 7 had the opportunity to attend the Study Skills session with Dr Prue Salter earlier in the term. We believe that by focusing on these areas, we can further enhance their confidence and overall academic achievements of our students.
Angelique Sanders Director of Student Wellbeing
Bob Meakin, Deputy Headmaster & Head of Senior School
Dear Parents and Carers
Firstly, congratulations to our Senior A Debating team who won the ISDA Grand Final in front of a packed Packer Theatre last Friday night. Angus Malcolm, Robbie Wyer, Jack Stone, Alex Hong and Caspar Nicholson together with Coach Conna beat Sydney Grammar School – a school that has won more titles than any other school – in fine style. It was a challenging topic, but they beat Sydney Grammar comprehensively. A special thanks to Mr Ben Smith for his coordinating of all debating and oratory activities.
Yesterday’s assembly was dedicated to our guest speaker, Alex Noble. Alex is a former Riverview student who was severely injured in a Rugby 7s training session.
The message Alex gave the School on peace, resilience and success was inspiring and captivated everyone’s attention for over 25 minutes. Rather than simply telling his story of personal struggles, he inspired the students with practical advice on how to gradually improve at anything and everything despite setbacks. Alex received thunderous applause and a lengthy Cranbrook Foot Stamp.
We also farewelled Mr Craig Mills, who departs us at the end of term to pursue a career in Counselling in the Navy. Mr Mills has worked for the School on and off for ten years and has spent the last three and half years as the Perkins Head of House. A Biology and Science teacher, as well as an outstanding Rowing Coach, his friendly disposition and care for so many students will be sorely missed. We wish Mr Mills the very best for the future. We did announce that Ms Hannah Bamford will replace Mr Mills as Perkins Head of House. Ms Bamford returns next term after a period of maternity leave and will take up the position at the start of Term 3.
I would like to wish everyone the very best for their sporting fixtures at the weekend, where most teams play Waverley College. This promises to be a big Eastern Suburbs local derby which so many students are looking forward to.
A reminder that House Football Day will take place on Friday 28 June which is our final day of Term 2.
Have a great week!
Best wishes,
Bob Meakin Deputy Headmaster & Head of Senior School
Council Update
Dear Parents,
We are delighted to provide you with this update from the School Council, with the objective to provide regular and transparent communication about our ongoing activities through Link and on Cranbrook Connect during this time.
At the School’s AGM last week, which was attended by approximately 60 people, I expressed gratitude to my Council colleagues for their commitment to serving Cranbrook, which is done in a voluntary capacity, and for their unity of purpose over recent months. Council has met 30 times this calendar year to navigate the School through this period. We also welcomed the Rev’d Antony Weiss who was elected to Council at the AGM, as one of the two Anglican clergy representatives. Antony is the full-time resident Chaplain of St Paul’s College within the University of Sydney and was previously a long-serving master at SHORE.
Amongst other things, I reported at the AGM that, further to the School’s new masterplan approved by the School Council in 2023, we are now working through the design process for some of the additional facilities contemplated under the masterplan and for coeducation at Cranbrook. The Building & Development Committee met this week to progress this. There was also an update on the School’s new Strategic Plan, that we will release to the School community.
Once again, we encourage parents to apply to become Members of Cranbrook School, as an opportunity to contribute to the governance of the School.
We have been pleased with the progress on coeducation as monitored through our participation in the Coeducation Steering Committee. We have helped facilitate presentations of the new uniform to the CSPA enabling feedback from the Senior and Junior School communities through this channel.
This week, we again joined staff members for lunch at the School. This is an initiative we started earlier in the year to enable staff to have informal and direct access to Council members in a two-way exchange for learning. Being close to our staff community is very important to us and we are grateful to be able to continue this engagement.
The external review process instigated earlier this year is progressing and Your Call has received a number of reports from members of the School community, including positive expressions of support. While these reports vary in complexity and some concern historical matters, many matters have now been closed; with all others being actively attended to. Along with Mrs Marquet and the Vice Presidents of Council, Amelia Hill Salter and James Sheller, I have been participating in weekly meetings with the School’s external advisors on the review process. We are committed to keeping the School community informed as we move through this.
We again take this opportunity to recognise Mrs Marquet’s generosity of spirit in taking on the role of Acting Head of School earlier this year and thank her for all her hard work in difficult circumstances. We have now commenced the search for a permanent Head of School and more details about this process, including consultation, will be made available very shortly.
We welcome feedback as we continue to serve the best interests of the School. Please feel free to do so via the Council Secretary email address: councilsecretary@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au
Finally, we take this opportunity to wish all families a restful and well-deserved mid-year break.
Kind regards,
Geoff Lovell President of Council
Nick Jolly, Director of Academics / Deputy Head of Senior School
Dear Parents and Carers,
Many thanks to those Year 8 and 10 families who were able to join us for our Subject Information Fairs on Monday evening in our Vicars Centenary Hall. It was a great opportunity for us to celebrate our curriculum and engage with students and parents about the broad opportunities available for study from Years 9 and 11. I hope that you found the event to be informative and helpful.
A short note to advise parents that school reports will be sent home toward the end of term, or certainly by the first few days of the school holidays.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Have a great week.
Nick Jolly Director of Academics / Deputy Head of Senior School
Peter Young, Director of Students
Dear Parents and Carers,
The end of Term 2 is a busy time for students and staff. Year 7 and Year 8 students, as well as many music students, are busily preparing for the Gala Concert at the Town Hall next Monday night. The SRC have run a successful House Tug of War competition over the past week despite a few interruptions due to persistent rain interruptions. To finish the term off the Prefects have arranged for a Talent Quest over two days next week. At last count there were 14 entrants.
The annual House Football Day will be held on Friday 28 June. Many students view this day as the most enjoyable one on the school calendar with students having the opportunity to represent their house in a well organised and competitive atmosphere. Attendance is compulsory and we would ask that any holiday plans are put on hold until the following day.
Peter Young Director of Students
Oratory Article
Cranbrook makes history in the ISDA Debating Competition History was made on Friday night as Angus Malcolm, Caspar Nicholson, Jack Stone, Robbie Wyer and Alex Hong took on and won against thrice consecutive reigning champions Sydney Grammar in the ISDA Debating Grand Final! It was a tremendous evening that saw every seat in Packer Theatre filled and, perhaps more impressively, the normally stoic Head Coach Jerry soar into the air in celebration when the result was announced.
The team held the negative side of ‘That we regret that the UN was established as a non-military body that requires consensus decision making from the 5 major powers.’ Drawing on their combined debating and Model UN wisdom, the Senior As ran an early, targeted surgical strike on the affirmative’s case and impressed most of the judging panel to cast a vote in our favour.
This is the toughest division in NSW debating to win and the speeches from both Cranbrook’s and Grammar’s speakers were awe inspiring, testament to the high personal and team excellence of all debaters who spoke and to the quality of coaching instruction received. Special thanks goes to Conna Leslie-Keefe, who has coached our team throughout the season and who will continue to guide them as the CAS 1sts in Term 3.
The ISDA Senior A shield will soon bear the name of Cranbrook School for the first time. It is a fitting end for our Semester 1 season, which saw 10/12 teams make finals and three Grand Final appearances across the ISDA and Eastside competitions.
CAS awaits us at the end of July, and we now turn our attention to replicating these successes.
Cranbrook at State Final of NSW Evatt Model UN Competition We now turn to another Grand Final! On Tuesday, Year 12 students Diego Lerma and Alex Hong spoke as delegates of Japan at the 2024 State Final of the Evatt Model UN Competition, held at NSW Parliament. The event brought the best teams from across the state to compete at the highest level, having progressed over hundreds of students who registered and spoke in the heats held over the month of May. Although Diego and Alex did not get much speaking time, they won many allies through corridor negotiations and by applying a charm offensive strategy with countries that were perhaps not as amenable to their proposals and amendments.
At lunchtime, delegations were treated to two guest speakers. Dr Amanda Cohn, a Greens MLC, spoke about the art of negotiation in parliament from the perspective of a minor party on the cross bench and how smaller voices to the major parties can make effective change by harnessing media and other political tools. She was followed by Andrew Mack from the Evatt Foundation, who spoke about the value of Australia’s engagement with the world since the 80s and 90s, and the significance of smaller and medium powers like Australia in helping to shape global conversations and being advocates for democracy and a voice from all quarters.
It’s unclear yet whether our duo will be offered a spot at nationals, which is awarded to between 2-7 teams from NSW in each competition year. We’ll know more in the term to come once other states have concluded their competitions and the national delegation is selected.
We congratulate Diego and Alex for making it to this high level of competition, following in the footsteps of our 2022 and 2023 Model UN seniors who made Evatt finals.
Public Speaking Showcase On Tuesday evening, public speakers were on display with some truly fantastic speeches they’ve been working on throughout the term. It was wonderful to welcome families and friends to hear the fruits of the students’ labours, with an engaging array of topics presented based on the generally broad stimulus of ‘What Matters’. On the night, we heard about the value of reading global literature, the struggles of learning a foreign language, the experience of spontaneity, whether to get a tattoo, Indian cinema, whether money can truly buy happiness, and even a speech all about the wonderful world of desserts!
Good public speaking attracts the attention of audiences. Great speakers take their room and audience on a journey through storytelling, and that is precisely what those present were able to experience. It was beautiful to witness the diverse ways that students applied what they’ve learnt in public speaking club each Monday afternoon, using their voices and non-verbal cues to communicate with clarity and authenticity. Although the group who presented were at different stages of their public speaking journey – from beginners to seasoned competition speakers – all set a high bar in giving thought provoking speeches that evoked emotions. There was plenty of well-executed humour, too, with students having learned how to moderate comedy in their speech writing and how to execute it effectively.
Sincere gratitude to our public speaking coach, Luisa Baker, who has done a phenomenal job encouraging the best from students and who has so expertly modelled effective speaking to inspire their own responses. Thanks also to Student Head of Public Speaking, Piers Alcott, whose leadership has been second to none, giving his time and expertise to assist fellow students of all ages to find their voice and to use it for effect.
Next semester, students who enrol in Monday afternoon public speaking will have the opportunity to continue developing traditional speech giving, as well as learning the art of impromptu, and they will delve into a wider range of speaking formats such as interviewing, podcasting, and news reporting.
Upcoming oratory events
Term 2:
Model UN on lunchtimes Wednesday 19th, Thursday 20th, and Friday 21st June
Mock Trial and Social Debating 3.30-5.30pm Thursday 20th June
CAS competition training and mock debates on Friday 21st June
AMEB Voice and Communication group from 3.30-5.00pm Friday 21st June
Term 3:
CAS competition Round 1 debates (away at Trinity) on Friday 26th July
Public Speaking Club 3.30-5.30pm Monday 29th July
Model UN on lunchtimes Wednesday 31st July, Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd August
Legal and Social Debating Thursday 1st August
Note, Public Speaking, Legal Debating, and Model UN Semester 2 sign up closes for students 8.15am this Friday 21st June. Students must sign up using the links emailed to them. CAS Debate teams have already been finalised.
Annual House Debating Competition Grand Final winners Congratulations to Davidson (vs Chelmsford as runners-up) for winning the junior division of the House Debating Competition and to Strickland (vs Northcott as runners-up) for winning the senior division during Wednesday lunchtime! Both debates were close, though the panel adjudications were unanimous in their decisions.
The junior Grand Final topic was ‘That debating should be considered a sport’ and as mentioned last week, the senior Grand Final topic required teams to decide whether an alien spaceship hovering over the eastern suburbs should be attacked or left alone. Although Davidson’s negative side victory means debating won’t be classified as a sport anytime soon, Strickland’s win means the eastern suburbs is safe from a falling alien ship or all out destruction of humankind (unless the aliens are just biding their time, of course)!
Students from the houses involved proved they deserved their spot in the final round, bringing unique arguments presented with flair and humour. Thanks must go to the Years 11 and 12 debaters for their excellent adjudications of the junior division debates, and to the debate teaching team for their judging of the senior division over the past month.
Oratory programmes sign up for Semester 2 closes this Friday Students interested in signing up for one or more oratory programmes on offer for Semester 2 have received an email inviting them to sign up (closes this Friday 21st June). Programmes on offer include:
Public Speaking every Monday 3.30-5.30pm
Social Debating every Thursday 3.30-5.30pm
Legal Debating every Thursday 3.30-5.30pm
Model UN during lunchtimes and extra coaching opportunity available (timing TBC)
There will also be additional opportunities to participate in debate training workshops and external competitions throughout Semester 2, including the International Debating Championships in Term 4. Details will be passed onto students directly and published in these weekly updates. Please note that we do not accept parent sign ups on behalf of students.
Contact Should you or your son have any further questions about any of Cranbrook’s oratory programmes, you are welcome to reach out to the Head of Oratory and Student Journalism, Mr Benjamin Smith, at bsmith@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au. In the first instance, students should be making contact about getting involved.
Essential information and highlights for parents will be posted here on Cranbrook Connect as part of the Thursday Link. Students involved in oratory programmes will receive updates via their respective Canvas or TEAMS channels.
Benjamin Smith Head of Oratory & Student Journalism
National High School Mooting Competition
Twelve teams progressed to the Semi-Finals that were held on campus at Bond University on the Gold Coast on Saturday, 1 June 2024. The Grand Final of the 2024 National High School Mooting Competition was held later on the same day.
The Grand Final was judged by the Honourable Justice Robert Gotterson AO (retired judge of the Queensland Supreme Court of Appeal), the Honourable Judge John Newton (retired judge of the Queensland District Court) and Associate Professor Wendy Bonython. The teams that progressed to the Grand Final were Cranbrook School and Fintona Girls’ School.
The standard across the entire competition was incredibly high, and this was again evident in both the Semi-Final and Grand Final rounds. The winning team, runner-up team, third placed team, and the best oralists of the 2024 National High School Mooting Competition were announced at an awards ceremony and celebration hosted on Saturday afternoon, and it is my great pleasure to now share the results with you all.
Winning teams:
Grand Final Winner: Fintona Girls’ School
Grand Final Runner-Up: Cranbrook School
Third Place: Prince Alfred College
Best oralists:
Best Oralist Grand Final: Saria Ratnam, Fintona Girls’ School
Runner-Up Best Oralist Grand Final: James Rivlin, Cranbrook School
Best Oralist Semi-Finals: Nicholas Henchliffe, Prince Alfred College
Runner-Up Best Oralist Semi-Finals: Saria Ratnam, Fintona Girls’ School
Nicholas Hanrahan IB Diploma Programme Coordinator
Matt Grice, Director of Sport
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Cranbrook School is delighted to share the exciting news of its inclusion in the Independent Sporting Association (ISA) competition for our incoming female students. This remarkable opportunity allows Cranbrook’s future female athletes to showcase their talent and represent the school in various sports disciplines, including Netball, Basketball, Football, Touch football, Swimming, Tennis, Cross-Country and Athletics. Our female Cranbrookians will also be able to compete in CAS and state-run sports such as Volleyball, Snow Sports, AFL, Water Polo, Cricket, Rowing, and sailing.
The ISA competition brings together several independent schools in both city and regional NSW. Schools such as Barker College, Redlands, Kinross Wolaroi and Central Coast Grammar actively participate in the competition, displaying their commitment to sports and physical education. With a rich history starting in the 1990s, the ISA Sydney competition has become a highly respected association that promotes healthy competition, sportspersonship, and camaraderie among the participating schools.
Joining the ISA competition is a significant milestone for Cranbrook, as it highlights the school’s commitment to providing comprehensive and exceptional sporting opportunities for all its students. The acceptance into this esteemed association is a testament to Cranbrook’s reputation for its sports programs and the dedication of its coaches, students, and its ongoing efforts to provide a holistic education that nurtures both academic and athletic achievements. Please see this link to read more about the ISA and its history https://www.isa.nsw.edu.au/
Last weekend – It was wet… Let’s not beat around the bush as we try to come up with a way to describe Saturday. Comments such as, “This is not fun”, “Haven’t seen a day like this for a long time”. Yes, it would have been very easy to cut and paste my last sport report into this week’s report. The rain once again caused havoc across Sydney, with all of Tennis, AFL and the majority of Football cancelled. A big thank you to Mr Higgins and Mr Fernandez who were both on Dangar Tennis Courts at 6:00am desperately trying to dry the courts so our students could play. Although they lost the battle, their continued efforts are not unnoticed and are highly appreciated. Thanks to the AFL staff also who, despite all their games being rained out, facilitated optional skills session in the multi-purpose courts on Saturday for our students.
It was a huge moment in the season for our 1sts Football team as they beat Knox 3-1 on Saturday. This was an amazing and well-deserved result as they turned the tables after losing 6-1 in their first-round clash against Knox. This result sees the team move into 2nd place on the CAS Ladder and only two points now behind the ladder leaders Knox. This Saturday sees a huge match against Waverly on Hordern at 10:15am. We would love as many people as possible to cheer on the team as their momentum builds and we inch closer to the top of the CAS table. The 2nds, despite a narrow loss, remain on top on the table and will be playing at 9:00am. Well done to the entire Cranbrook Football program!
Cranbrook was honoured to be invited to be a part of Knox’s 100-year Rugby celebration on Saturday. On 21 June 1924, Knox played their first rugby match against the Cranbrook Junior House 1st team. We were back a century later in the mud. Our 1sts team were as brave as you can get and were always in the fight. Unfortunately, Knox were the deserved winners on the day. We look forward to playing Waverley this weekend, the 1sts XV on Hordern at 3:15pm.
A big congratulations to Eason Xia for winning the 2024 Australian Intermediate School Sabre Individual Gold medal. A fantastic achievement!
The Lewis Report. AFL Juniors
Another extremely wet Friday and Saturday meant many of our fixtures were once again unable to go ahead (42 out of 86 fixtures were cancelled!). This week my report is about one of the groups that were disappointingly cancelled over the weekend.
The AFL Junior A & Bs are made up of a mix of Year 7 & 8 students. The teams represent about 45 of the 102 AFL students. The AFL community at the school is small, but tight knit.
The vast majority of AFL grounds in Sydney are owned by councils, rather than schools. As such, we are at the mercy of the council’s decision regarding the ground status for our games.
On Saturday morning we received the unfortunate but not unexpected news that the Randwick city council had decided to close Heffron Park due to the wet weather. This meant that the AFL Junior A and B were once again left without a fixture.
However, thanks to great planning and even greater enthusiasm from the students, they were able to run a training session utilising the limited outdoor and indoor spaces available at the school. Their spirits remained high as the students participated in drills and small sided games designed to improve their skills in the wet – ready for the day the ground remains open! Soaking wet, and with smiles ear to ear, the training session finished with a great sense of team camaraderie; a session to remember!
Well done to all the Junior AFL players on making the most of a disappointing cancellation. No doubt they, and everyone else that missed out on playing over the weekend are looking forward to this Saturday’s matches – the last before the winter holidays!
We wish to provide a gentle reminder to all families regarding our attendance policy for School Sport:
For Saturday Fixtures please contact your son’s Team Manager and Head of Sport to notify them of the absence – so that they can fulfil team positions and numbers
please provide a Medical Certificate upon return to school, if your son is sick and absent from compulsory Saturday sport.
please do not submit the Saturday Sport absence through the attendance digital form on the Cranbrook School app.
Please find attached here a schedule of Co-Curricular and Sport Activities here.
We have a number of Sport Holiday Camps available during the term break – details can be found under the dates section and below.
We look forward to seeing everyone around the grounds this weekend!
Matt Grice Director of Sport
Running Lines: Volume 6
The CAS season got underway as all teams apart from the 13Cs headed up to Wahroonga to participate in Knox’s centenary of rugby celebrations.
Knox were fabulous hosts and certainly took the spoils across the day.
However, there were several noteworthy teams that flew the Cranbrook flag.
Our results were;
Team
Opposition
Result
Win/Loss
1sts
Knox
31-10
Loss
2nds
Knox
66-21
Loss
3rds
Knox
17-14
Loss
4ths
Knox
15-12
Loss
5ths
Knox
24-17
Loss
6ths
Knox
20-19
Win
16A
Knox
33-0
Loss
16B
Knox
33-0
Loss
16C
Knox
17-5
Win
15A
Knox
24-7
Loss
15B
Knox
45-0
Loss
15C
Knox
60-12
Loss
14A
Knox
15-7
Loss
14B
Knox
21-7
Loss
14C
Knox
28-17
Win
13A
Knox
38-0
Loss
13B
Knox
47-7
Win
13C
Waverley 13C
Cancelled
NA
Player of the Day: Junior Teams (13s, 14s & 15s)- Liam Nolan (14C)
Player of the Day: Senior Teams (16s & Opens)- James Starr (6th XV)
Rugby All Rounder of the Day (for effort/attitude on and off the field): Jaxson Allen (1st XV)
Team of the Day- 14Cs
The 14Cs recorded a rousing 28-17 win on Gillespie and are the Team of the Day.
Alexander Lee and Jesse Lane were a formidable combination in the midfield as highlighted by their resolute defence and strong running. Hooker, Ethan Goldberg was once again a strong contributor both at the set piece and in general play while Walter Heeley and Ed Freeman marshalled strongly from halves. Liam Nolan was a tower of strength in the forwards as he returned from injury in superb fashion.
Special mention to the 6th XV.
The 6th XV secured a nail-biting win by a solidary point to start proceedings on the main oval at Knox. Front rower, Sam Mitrovski was in the thick of the action in the forwards, lock Sol Stathis was a tackling machine and superb at the breakdown while Wilson Lin and James Starr enjoyed lots of space through the middle and out on the edge. So too, Taj Hansen-Mackie was impressive as he stepped his way through would be defenders.
The 2024 Town Hall Concert, THREADS, is fast approaching. We have nearly 700 performers in this year’s concert, and I am excited to showcase the tremendous talents of our young Cranbrookians. Below are some pictures from the rehearsal rooms.
To the Music team, thank you for your inspirational work across K-12. You are an exceptional musicians and colleagues who give so much to promote and inspire excellence. I’d like to offer a special thanks to Mr Matthew Ellison who, in Jem Harding’s absence, directed the Boy’s Vocal group this term. I’d also like to thank Agnes Sarkis for sharing her expertise with Senior School Choir. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a special group of individuals to share their love of Music. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank every parent for their encouragement and assistance in supporting their child’s musical development. It is nights like the Town Hall concert that build confidence and capacity as every person strives to give of their best.
I look forward to seeing you on Monday 24 June at the Town Hall.
Warm Regards
Phillip Beverley Director of Music (P-12)
Gala Concert – 24 June 2024
Join us for another unforgettable Gala Concert showcasing the extraordinary talents of our Junior School and Senior School musicians. Get ready for a night filled with awe-inspiring performances and a vibrant celebration of music at Cranbrook.
Yesterday we were honoured to have special guest speaker, Alex Noble, inspire the Senior School assembly with living life to the fullest and overcoming adversity with strength and courage. Alex’s resilient mindset and outlook on life were invaluable, resulting in loud applause and cheers from our Cranbrook Students at the end of his talk to show their utmost respect and appreciation. We thank Alex for leaving such a positive mark on our community.
Year 12 Geography Excursion – Urban Dynamics
Year 12 HSC Geography students undertook fieldwork at the urban renewal precinct of Green Square, which involved the collection of photographic data, interviewing and hearing from urban planning specialists from the City of Sydney.
Articles of Interest
Please find below this week’s articles of interest from the boarding staff:
Are you sometimes available during the school day? Do you feel competent reading and writing English? Are you a legible writer? Please note you don’t have to be neat, just readable.
If so, we would love to hear from you as we are always keen to have more people to support our students as exam volunteers who act as a reader and/or writer for students doing exams.
Readers can read exam material and a student’s answers at the direction of the student.
Writers must write exactly what the student dictates, but they can punctuate without direction by the student.
All volunteers will require a valid WWC; this can be a volunteer or a paid WWC.
If you would like more information about acting as a reader or writer, please contact Fiona Bain on 9327 9435 or email fbain@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au.
If you are keen to begin, you can start the process by emailing compliance@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au with your name, email address, date of birth, and your WWC reference number.
Compliance will then send out an information pack and a number of documents for which you must sign and return along with a photo page of your passport and proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Thank you!
Online Safety
As our students’ online presence continues to grow, we are faced with new challenges and potential online risks that could impact your child’s safety and well-being. We want to assure you that we take these matters very seriously and are constantly seeking ways to ensure our students’ online safety. We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Qoria and their Linewize portfolio of products, which will enhance our commitment to digital safety and well-being.
In the upcoming weeks, we will extend an invitation for you to join us in this initiative. We will provide you with resources and tools to help you better comprehend and participate in your child’s digital journey. This includes access to the Qustodio parent app, which will allow you to:
• Temporarily disable internet access on your child’s school device (outside of school hours) via your app.
• Receive summary reports of your child’s online activities outside of school hours.
• Access detailed Timeline reports of your child’s online activities, including search terms and videos.
• Obtain expert advice on online safety directly through the app.
This service also enables you to safeguard one personal device (such as phones or iPads) per child attending our school.
Please note that for any BYO devices or school learning devices that do not leave the school premises, parents will not have oversight or control of these outside of school. However, we strongly encourage parents to link to their child’s school account to avail the offer of protecting one personal device for each child enrolled in our school.
Furthermore, all school-managed student learning devices will be equipped with a basic level of content filtering. This should prevent access to harmful or inappropriate websites, ensuring that your child’s learning device is safe and ready for learning.
We are enthusiastic about this new initiative and your involvement in fostering a culture of online safety and well-being for all students. This will empower each child to navigate their digital journey successfully. You will shortly receive information on how to set up your Qustodio parent account.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the ICT service desk.
Becoming a Member of Cranbrook School
Cranbrook School is a public company limited by guarantee which was established to provide students with a well-rounded, liberal education based on Christian beliefs.
It is governed by the School Council in accordance with its Constitution and has a membership comprised of eligible persons who have made significant contributions to Cranbrook or who are key stakeholders in its mission.
Parent of students in Kindergarten to Year 12 attending Cranbrook are eligible to become a Member of Cranbrook School for so long as they have a child attending the School.
The Members of Cranbrook School play an important role in the governance of Cranbrook. Being a Member entitles you to attend and vote at general meetings of Cranbrook School. This includes attending and voting at the Annual General Meeting, where the matters considered include receiving the statutory financial reports and electing members of the School Council.
If you are not already a Member of Cranbrook School, and wish to become one, please indicate your willingness to do so by completing and returning the application form which can be found on Cranbrook Connect here.
Applications are subject to approval by the School Council, and will be considered at the next possible School Council meeting after receipt of your completed application.
If you have any questions regarding membership of Cranbrook School, please contact Sarah Deveson, Company Secretary, by email on councilsecretary@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au.
