Girls Grammar Commemorates ANZAC Day

This week we gathered as a school community to commemorate ANZAC Day, starting with our ANZAC Day Assembly on Monday 24 April. Girls Grammar were privileged to have the Air Force Cadets form a Catafalque Party, which included one of our own Year 11 students, Bethany Dey. Other special guests included Robert Lang who attended on behalf of the Rats of Tobruk Rockhampton and provided staff and students with some insight into the challenging conditions faced by many of our soldiers. We were also fortunate to have Graham Ivers from the Salvation Army in attendance who played The Last Post on the bugle.

ANZAC Day for Girls Grammar started with the Dawn Service at the Rockhampton Botanical Gardens with our Executive and Year 12 students in attendance, followed by the Rats of Tobruk memorial attended by Mrs Krehlik, myself, Ms Hooper and our Prefects and finally our whole of school ANZAC Day March.

Our Head Girls both played a role in the commemorative activities with Megan Clark, delivering The Ode at the Dawn Service while both Megan and Hadasshah Akop, delivered a tribute to the 9th Division at the Rats of Tobruk Rockhampton service.

Approximately 230 students attended the March which made it one of the largest contingents I have seen with similar feedback from the community. Thank you to all girls who participated and the families who supported them to attend. A special thanks to the students in early Primary who managed to cover the distance even though they probably took three times the number of steps as everyone else. I listened closely to them express their concern about how long the walk was and was appreciative of the words of encouragement provided by our senior girls along the lines of ‘not much farther’ and ‘we’re nearly there’. Phrases I believe most families who have taken long car trips can relate to. It reinforced to me the benefits of being in a school where there are regular opportunities for students from Prep to Year 12 to come together, learn from each other, and strengthen our sense of School community.

Nadine Kelly

Deputy Principal - Students