Around The College  

Languages Come Alive

Last term was full of energy and hands-on learning in our Year 8 and Year 9 Japanese classes, with students embracing both language and culture in engaging and memorable ways.

Our Year 8 students wrapped up their unit on sports and hobbies with a vibrant Japanese Sports Carnival. In preparation, students designed and created their own hachimaki (traditional headbands often worn for effort and spirit), adding a personal and cultural touch to the day. They then took part in a variety of fun and active events, including paper plane throwing, giant skipping rope challenges, and trying their hand at kendama, a traditional Japanese skill toy. The carnival was a fantastic way for students to celebrate their learning while building teamwork and enthusiasm—fun was truly had by all.

Meanwhile, our Year 9 students focused on a practical and highly interactive shopping unit. They developed their skills in asking for prices and ordering items in Japanese, learning useful expressions for real-life situations. To bring this learning to life, students participated in role-play activities where they acted as both shopkeepers and customers. Using their Japanese language skills, they “purchased” a range of authentic snacks such as senbei, Pocky, and matcha pies. This immersive experience not only strengthened their confidence in speaking Japanese but also gave them the opportunity to enjoy some delicious rewards.

It was wonderful to see students across both year levels actively engaging with the language in meaningful and enjoyable ways. We look forward to more exciting learning experiences ahead!

Pollock Sensei

Head of Languages

✨ Student Spotlights ✨

We’re so proud of our Brentwood students and everything they’re achieving beyond the school gates! Here are just a few of their amazing accomplishments of late. 

Avani (Year 8 ) - Bronze medal in the Table Tennis Australia Gippsland National-Level Tournament.

• Jasmine (Year 12) & Darcy (Year 8 ) - Sold out show season of Frozen JR. Jasmine also was the recipient of the B.M.W award! - this award is given to one company member who demonstrates dedication, positivity and excellence during the rehearsal and performance season. 
• Emma (Year 9) - Emma was awarded the Australian Scout Award - the highest award in her scout section!
• Eva (Year 8 )- Named Captain for her Under 14s football team
• Batul (Year 11) - Netball Premiership with her team 
• Tyler (Year 9) - Tennis premiers!
• Abdul (Year 11) - Under 17s Waverley Basketball Club Champions
• Mackenzie (Year 8 ) - Graded to level 1st Kyu in GKR Karate
• Emma (Year 11) - Represented Henderson Netball Region (select entry) at the State Netball Titles
• Zac (Year 8 ) - First place at Australian National Championship for Ninja Warrior, Adelaide
• Mia (Year 12) - Too many dance awards to count! Many 1st place awards were awarded to Mia in this year’s Jump Dance Challenge & Evolution Dance Nationals 
• Kayla (Year 11) & Willow (Year 11) - Named co-captains of their under 16s footy team. Willow was also one of the Waverley Park Hawks JFC 2026 Ben Austin Memorial Medalists, whose performance on the day best reflected Ben's spirit and love of the game.
• Sophie (Year 10) - 1st place in her Cali competition with Calisthenics State Championship Competition this weekend! 
• Jessie (Year 8 ) - Softball Premiership beating an undefeated team! 
• Tilly (Year 8 ) - Returning to Calisthenics this after a severe hamstring injury! Tilly also has State Championships comp this weekend.
• Annis (Year 8 ) & Titus (Year 10)- Swimming at the Australian National Championships on the Gold Coast. 

* Titus placed 15th nationally in the 200m breaststroke.

* Annis placed 13th nationally in the 200m breaststroke. She also made the national final in the 50m and finished 11th.

* In the 100m breaststroke, Annis qualified for the final as the first placegetter in the semi‑finals, then won the B final – achieving 6th place nationally

Sir John Monash Awards - Nominations now open

It’s time to recognise those who volunteer their time and skills and have a positive impact on the Monash community.   Who is your local hero and what’s their story?

We are calling for nominations for the Young Leader (ages 8 – 14) and Youth Leadership (ages 15 - 25) awards.  If you know a young person whose community spirit keeps us connected, now is the time to tell us about them!

To submit your nomination and see more about each category, visit www.monash.vic.gov.au/awards.  Nominations are now open and close on Monday 11th May.

If you need assistance completing a submission, would like a printed or translated nomination, please contact me on email samantha.king@monash.vic.gov.au or call 0412 589 238.

Camps at Brentwood 

Camps play a vital role in your child’s social and emotional development. At Brentwood, we highly value these experiences and offer a wide range of camps and events across multiple year levels, including: 

• Year 7 – Phillip Island 
• Year 8 – Creswick 
• Year 9 – Tasmania & City Experience 
• Year 11 – Central Australia Tour 
• Performing Arts Camps 
• Music Camps 
• Language Camps and Tours 
• Various Overseas Camps and Experiences 
• Leadership Camps 
• Duke of Edinburgh Camps 

Planning and Organisation 

Our dedicated teaching staff invest significant time and effort into planning camps, with some taking over a year to organise. To ensure these experiences are accessible and affordable, we need to confirm student numbers early in the process. 

Many camps begin with an Expression of Interest (EOI) event on Compass. It is important for parents and carers to register their child’s interest in the camp at this stage, as this provides us with an estimate of attendance and costs. 

For some camps there are limited places available. If the number of interested students exceeds capacity, attendees are selected through a random ballot. Students not selected are placed on a waiting list and may be offered a spot if others withdraw.  

Consent and payments for camps must be made before the due date specified on the event. The school cannot accept any late payments or consent for camps. If your child wishes to withdraw from the camp at any stage, the school must be notified as soon as possible.  

Students withdrawing from camps and excursions are not automatically entitled to a refund. Where NO COST is incurred by the school, a full refund will be payable to the student when: 

• The student's place is filled by another student 
• The Principal deems the student’s withdrawal was unavoidable eg. Illness. Proof of reason for withdrawal may be requested in such circumstances. 

Where some cost has been incurred by the school, a partial refund will be payable to the student withdrawing when: 

• The Principal deems the student’s withdrawal was unavoidable. In such cases the refund will be the full amount paid by the student, less expenses incurred by the school as a result of the withdrawal. 

Where FULL COST has been incurred by the school no refund will be payable to the student withdrawing when the Principal deems the withdrawal was avoidable.  Refer College Refund Policy. 

If you have any questions about camps, please contact the school or the camp organiser. 

Thank you for your support, we are extremely lucky to be able to offer so many camps at Brentwood. 

Student Lunches can now be ordered online via the Qkr app

Canteen Menu 

Electronic device use at Brentwood Canteen

We would like to thank you for your continued support with the Personal Mobile Devices Policy. We have noticed students trying to utilise their phones as a payment method at the canteen and ask that families look to make other arrangements. 

Mobile phones are not to be used at the canteen as they are not allowed to be in use between the school hours of 8.45am and 3.05pm. 

Students can make payment via an EFTPOS card or cash.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Robyn Geshev

Business Manager