Public Opinion of Fitzroy High School

For the last two days, this intrepid reporter has interviewed the citizens of North Fitzroy about their opinion of our illustrious institution and its magnanimous students. I was presented with various opinions on this topic, so I have taken the liberty to condense these opinions into a few key points. Chief among these points is the public's surprising opinion of our uniform, or rather lack thereof. It seems that the community is rather intrigued in our free dress code and have a few views on this. One of my interviewees questioned whether a free dress code allows students to show effort properly, whereas a uniform may test their effort and organisational skills. Others quite liked the code and thought that it allowed students to not be bound by having to remember an uptight uniform everyday. Another view brought up by the public was the misbehaviour of some of our fellow students. According to one member of the public, some of our peers enjoy loitering around public spaces, and causing trouble; if there is truth to these claims is another question. While it is unlikely that students will regularly do this, I believe this has definitely happened, which I must say is not the best way to represent our school. However, in my 40-something interviews, I did encounter a few parents at the school, and they had nothing but positive comments on our school. These interviews show that while there are some semi-negative attitudes towards our school, the close community has an extremely high opinion of our school.

Ari S

Fitzroy High’s Games Club

Here at Fitzroy, we have all sorts of activities for students to enjoy, but the most plentiful of all are lunch-time clubs. Ranging from Pool Club to Movie Club, their content varies greatly. But what I’m here to write about today is Games Club.

Games Club is a delightful congregation where students from various year levels go to AG07 and take part in a range of activities that are on offer. There are specific days that specialise in different events, but you can come and play any game on any day the club runs. On Monday, it’s wargames, primarily Warhammer 40,000. On Wednesday, it’s card games, mainly Magic The Gathering, and on Fridays, it’s Dungeons and Dragons.

Campbell, who runs the Wednesday and Friday clubs and helped create the club as a whole, said, “Students wanted it to run. It’s my personal philosophy that if people want something, they should get it if possible.” Campbell has also created a set of rules and guidelines for Games Club, allowing for students to continue respectful relationships with each other, which currently sits displayed just outside of the room. Overall, Games Club is a fun and positive community where students, regardless of year level, can come together and enjoy participating in activities together.

Henry P

Year 11 course selection interview

Last week, we went to Wurun for our Year 11 course selection interview. Before going, I felt a little nervous because I was not sure what the interview would be like. I was also thinking about which subjects I should choose and whether my choices would be good for my future.

When we arrived at Wurun, we went to our interviews. During my interview, I talked with the teacher about the subjects I wanted to study in Year 11. The teacher asked me about the subjects I enjoy, the subjects I am interested in, and what I might want to do in the future. I explained my ideas and talked about the subjects I was thinking about choosing.

The teacher listened to what I said and gave me some useful advice. They explained more about the different subjects and helped me understand what each subject could offer. I was also able to ask questions about the subjects, which made me feel more comfortable and confident about my choices.

The interview helped me understand my options better. I also learned that choosing subjects is important because the subjects I study in Year 11 can help me with my future education and career. Going to Wurun for the course selection interview was a good experience. It gave me the opportunity to talk about my interests and think seriously about my future. I felt more prepared for Year 11 after the interview.

Overall, I think the course selection interview was very helpful. It gave me more confidence in my choices and helped me understand what I need to consider when choosing my subjects. I am now feeling more excited and ready for Year 11.

Nahom L

House Activities Competition

This term, students at Fitzroy High School have been doing a variety of house activities every gold week (or every second week since the term started) on Tuesdays from 2:30 pm to 3:15 pm. Each house has been doing different activities as a way to promote others whose specialities aren’t in sports, as a way of getting them to start contributing to the house point system. The four different events the houses do are the Active Comp, the Art Comp, the Gaming Comp, and the Puzzle Comp, which are each self-explanatory in their names.

The Active Comp is focused on the physical, such as the house attempting to throw small objects, like tennis balls and bean bags, into some buckets, which were then counted up, as well as an “egg and spoon race” where the egg was a tennis ball, and the spoon was a ping pong paddle.

The Art Comp is next up, with members gathering up in the TDU and the aim to draw the house's mascot, as each sheet of paper with the mascot on it was counted up towards points near the end of the school day.

The Gaming Comp was simple, with the students playing retro video games, and the more points scored amongst the students contributed to the total points of the house, with games such as Pac-Man and Block Breaker being played.

The Puzzle comp was very straightforward, with students simply solving puzzles, such as the classic jigsaw puzzle, Rubik's cubes, and some small metal brain teasers, with each puzzle solved being another point to the house.

Oskar J

School Refusal

School refusal, or “school can’t”, is an ongoing issue we’ve been seeing nationwide, affecting 1-5% of all Australian students. School refusal is when children get very worried or upset about going to school and can't or won't go. This can happen for many reasons, including worries about leaving home, learning difficulties and social challenges.

Though some groups are at a much higher risk of school refusal than others, especially those who are neurodiverse, making them 46 times more likely to experience struggles with mental health or attendance difficulties, studies also show that only 6% of students struggling with attendance difficulties were neurotypical, as stated by the National Institutes of Health, 2025.

School refusal can be hard to spot, especially when you aren’t familiar with the signs; these include:

Showing high levels of anxiety
Crying, throwing tantrums, yelling or screaming
Hiding or locking themselves in their room
Refusal to move
Begging or pleading not to go to school
Complaining of aches, pains and illness before school, that generally improve if or when the child is allowed to stay home
Having trouble sleeping
Threatening to hurt themselves

So how can you help yourself or someone you know struggling with school refusal? Dealing with school refusal can be daunting for everyone involved, but it’s important to stay on top of it. Treating school refusal will vary from case to case depending on the amount of school missed and the reasons for not going. Here are some ideas that may be helpful:

Gradual exposure
Relaxation training
Predictable routines
Listen to your child and encourage them to share their feelings and fears
Don’t dismiss your child's feelings
Work with your child's school, e.g. school wellbeing team, teachers, principals, etc.

If school refusal is related to anxiety or depression, children may also need mental health support.

If you or someone else you know is struggling with school refusal, don’t be afraid to ask for help; free and/or affordable services include:

https://www.kidshelpline.com.au/

https://headspace.org.au/

https://www.schoolrefusal.com.au/

https://au.reachout.com/

Audrey B

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