Canberra Girls Grammar School

This week’s Little Cygnets ‘Tots and Dots’ session filled up the Kamberri space with young learners doing what they do best ➡️ picking things up, turning them over and working out how the world fits together, one object at a time.

The session started with songs and a story, then moved into dot painting, playdough, sensory trays and some big circles to push around. It is maths long before it looks like maths🧮

This is inquiry-based learning in action—we follow the child's curiosity instead of handing them a worksheet. A little one becomes interested in something, has a go at exploring it and our Early Learning specialists are right there to ask the next question to open up a new idea.

Little Cygnets at CGGS is much more than a free playgroup, featuring sessions that include reading, music, drawing, building and plenty of hands-on play. Parents stay alongside their child the whole time, (maybe with a coffee in hand), joining in on the fun.

Spaces fill up fast! To book a spot or join the waitlist please visit: cggs.act.edu.au/our-community/little-cygnets

The maypole is a golden thread woven through our 100-year history.

In 1926, students danced and weaved on the front lawns of Glebe House, the School’s original location and where our story began. 50 years later it returned to celebrate our golden anniversary on the grounds of the Melbourne Avenue campus. And now, at this year’s Centenary Founders’ Festival, Year 4 students took up the ribbons again, to the same steps, for a School one hundred years in the making!🎀

The uniforms have changed and so have the hairstyles! But look even closer and you’ll see the same thing in each photo—a circle of sisterhood bound together by something that lasts far longer than the dance.

Do you have any fond memories of this tradition from your school days? Share below!

Visit our Centenary microsite to retrace our history yourself: cggs.act.edu.au/centenary

       

Decades on and our students are still committed to lively discourse—and we couldn't be prouder!

Last Friday, CGGS hosted the Annual Kitchen-Tyrell debates against Canberra Grammar School (CGS). Dating back to 1941, the Kitchen-Tyrell Debates is a highlight of the calendar—teams from Year 9 and 12 from both schools vie for the reputation of quick thinking, dazzling wit, concise argument and rights of the trophy, which is, in fact, the top part of a piece of naval shell casing. For a number of years it was used as a bell to awake the Boarders, until the team was begged by their BoHo peers to lose their debate to be rid of the bell!

In two closely fought debates, CGGS prevailed in the Tyrell debate (Year 9), but was overcome in the Kitchen debate (Year 12) by the CGS lineup.

The crowd was treated to confident and articulate exchanges as the debaters unpacked centenary-themed topics. Congratulations to all speakers and thank you to all the staff who made the night possible.

Debating and Public Speaking has a long and illustrious history at CGGS and continues to be popular offering in our co-curricular program, Cygnus at CGGS: cggs.act.edu.au/cygnus

📸Harriet, Alexia and Alice, our Year 9 champs!

Double gold, two age groups, one seriously tough day on the mat.

Congratulations to Year 7 student Aurelia, who was crowned the Under 13s and Under 15s Women's National Champion (under 63kg) at the 2026 Judo Australia National Championships! Competing across two divisions in a single competition is no small ask and Aurelia met every contest with focus and grit. After a run of hard-fought matches against some of the country's best, she came away with gold in both.

It takes real discipline to reach this level and just as much to hold your nerve when it counts most.

A brilliant result and a proud moment for CGGS. Aurelia, we cannot wait to see where you take it from here!

Our comprehensive co-curricular program, Cygnus at CGGS, offers a variety of competitive and recreational sport options so that every student can fulfill their aspirations. Learn more: cggs.act.edu.au/cygnus

Interdisciplinary Learning is a big part of how the Middle Years Programme (MYP) works at CGGS, and it starts with a simple idea: real problems don't sort themselves neatly by subject.

So CGGS students work on them the way they show up in the real world—pulling from more than one discipline at once!

Take Year 7 Health and PE: students played a traditional Indigenous game called Gorri, analysing the results, linking movement and performance to how the body works.

Or Year 9 Science: students investigate how natural systems respond to change, building their thinking on real evidence.

It's learning that doesn't stop at the classroom door, and that's the point.

As the first and only school in the ACT to offer the IB continuum program, the MYP at CGGS amplifies a rich learning experience that guides our students through to their graduation, and beyond. Find out more: cggs.act.edu.au

100 years ago to this very week, our School first opened its doors. On Thursday 10 June 1926—to be exact—St Gabriel’s, as we were then known, commenced classes with just 10 excited students, four of whom were boarders.

But did you know, the first site for CGGS was in the suburb of Reid? Located with the Old Rectory of St John’s Anglican Church, ‘Glebe House’, as it was soon called, was home until a new site was located in Red Hill. Seniors moved to Melbourne Ave in 1927, while Juniors remained at Glebe House until 1929. Glebe House was sadly demolished in 1954.

Visit our Centenary microsite to retrace our history yourself: cggs.act.edu.au/centenary

An IB world-first, inspiring our youngest learners capacity for action, right here at CGGS.

Yesterday students from across the ACT PYP Network gathered at Yhuuramulum as we hosted the inaugural IB Festival of Hope. This was a powerful day designed and led by students, for students, with over 120 Year 5 thinkers guided by 10 Year 6 leaders through a shared pursuit of hope: encouraging opportunities to transform thoughts and quiet intentions into hope-filled action.

Students participated in collaborative design thinking workshops as they worked together to imagine solutions to real-world challenges. Students also heard from changemakers from Canberra PYP schools and engaged in a panel discussion, skillfully led by CGGS student Maddie, which provided a powerful moment of reflection with thoughtful questions and authentic dialogue.

The festival concluded with a collective ‘Seeds of Hope’ installation, a visible reminder that even the smallest ideas, intentions and actions can grow into meaningful change over time.

A special thank you to keynote speaker Anjali Sharma, whose work in climate justice continues to inspire young people across Australia and the world, and to CGGS Director of Junior School (Learning and Innovation) Belinda Reitstatter for overseeing such an inspiring event for local PYP students.

As Canberra’s first and only authorised IB continuum school, the PYP at CGGS is a pivotal educational foundation for our students, preparing them for a lifetime of learning. Learn more: cggs.act.edu.au

International Baccalaureate

It was just one day, but with one ambitious goal. And together, we didn't just meet it, we EXCEEDED it! 🎇

We came. We gave. We wanted you to be the first to know that YOU have raised $285,035 towards the Lucerna Scholarship!

From all of us, thank you for believing in the power of community, inclusion and opportunity and for making such a meaningful difference.

More details to come later today.