CSC defiant in the face of cancer struggle

By Gabriel Garcia

Sep 18, 2023

Day of friendship. Students gather to watch the final dodgeball game of the 2023 Grenfell Cup. Back row: Savannah Zoch and Eva Iannucci.Front row: Kiara Stephens, Mia Nye, Jorja Kelly. Photo by Gabriel Garcia

“Cancer is not going to beat us. It won’t defeat us. And it doesn’t define us. ”

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These were the defiant words of Cobram Secondary College principal Kimberley Tempest as staff and students commemorated Grenfell Cup Day in memory of former teacher Jane Grenfell, who died from cancer in 2022.

The Cup Day featured a moving commemorative service before students and teachers broke into fun and games, including dancing, dodgeball and video game races, which pitted school houses against each other.

Students could also dunk their teachers into a tub of water while raising money for the Cancer Council.

Speaking of Ms Grenfell, college vice-captain and Jordan House captain Zoe O’Toole said she was a brilliant teacher.

“She was an excellent teacher. She helped so many people,” Zoe said.

At the end of the day, Shadforth House came out victorious.

The 2023 Grenfell Cup Day was also poignant not just for being an event to remember a beloved teacher who passed but, in light of two other teachers being diagnosed with cancer this year, a rallying cry by staff and students to not allow cancer to beat them.