Canberra Grammar School has recently released the following announcement to its community. The School is unable to comment further on the case or its legal proceedings.
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To all in the School community,
I write to let you know that for some time now the School has been working actively and sensitively with a group of former students, staff and the Police to identify a former member of staff who is alleged to have acted inappropriately towards students in the Senior School in the early 1980s. As a consequence of those efforts, that person will face court proceedings.
While this is a historical matter that does not involve any current students or staff, I feel that it is important that you be aware, and that you feel confident that the School will always seek to handle such matters actively and with care for the safety and wellbeing of its students and former students.
In order to protect the privacy and wellbeing of the former students concerned, and as the matter is now the subject of legal proceedings, I hope you will understand that I cannot provide details. However, please know that if any current or former students, families or staff have concerns about this or any other matter, we stand by to provide support.
I welcome personal contact and I provide the contact details below of our Counsellors, Chaplain and key senior leadership staff. I also provide contact details for the Diocesan Support Line, ACT Child and Youth Protection Services, and ACT Police, should you wish to speak with someone outside the School.
I will speak with the Senior School in Assembly this week, but I don’t feel it appropriate to do so explicitly with students in the Primary School. It is, however, a reminder for us to encourage all of our children to be vigilant, to understand their rights to privacy and to physical and emotional respect, and to be confident in raising any matters that worry them with their parents or teachers.
Yours sincerely,
Justin Garrick
Head of School
Contact Details:
Dr Justin Garrick, Head of School – Head@cgs.act.edu.au; 6260 9700
Mr David Smart, Head of Senior School – HeadofSenior@cgs.act.edu.au; 6260 9700
Ms Rosalie Reeves, Head of Primary School – HeadofPrimary@cgs.act.edu.au; 6260 9600
Fr Andrew Robinson, Chaplain – Chaplain@cgs.act.edu.au; 6260 700
Ms Rosemary Jovanovic, Senior School Counsellor – Counselling@cgs.act.edu.au; 6260 97773
Mr Ross Sutherland – Senior School Counsellor – Counselling@cgs.act.edu.au; 6260 9773
Ms Frances Price, Primary School Counsellor – Counselling@cgs.act.edu.au; 6260 9776
Mr Reece Cummings, Communications Manager – communications@cgs.act.edu.au; 6260 9731
ACT Child and Youth Protection Services – childprotection@act.gov.au; 1300 556 729
Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn Support Hotline – 1800 070 511
ACT Police Assistance – 131 444
Lifeline – 13 11 14
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Media Contact: Reece Cummings | +61 (0)411 835 510 | reece.cummings@cgs.act.edu.au
