Principal's Report
Welcome Back!
It’s great to be back at Brentwood for the 2026 school year. I hope that our families and staff had an enjoyable and restful break during the Summer Holidays.
Firstly, I would like to officially welcome our new families to Brentwood Secondary College. It is a privilege to be such a significant part of each student’s secondary education and see them grow as learners and people. I hope that all our new students have had a positive start.
The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time for students, staff and parents. Our students are excited to catch up with their peers, meet their new teachers and begin a new learning journey that will push and challenge them. Our staff are equally excited to get to know their students and create a series of learning experiences that are challenging for their students. For parents, it is the realization that time is passing quickly as your children are another year older and becoming more independent as people and learners.
Smoking Ceremony & Welcome to Country
Once again, we began the school year with a Smoking Ceremony with our Year 7 and 12 students. The ceremony was led by Uncle Shane Clarke from the Bunurong Land Council.
Protocols for welcoming visitors to Country have always been a part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Boundaries were clear and crossing into another group’s Country required a request for permission to enter. When permission was granted the hosting group would welcome the visitors, offering them safe passage and protection of their spiritual being during the journey. Visitors had to respect the protocols and rules of the landowner group while on their Country.
Today, while these protocols have been adapted to contemporary circumstances, the essential elements remain, welcoming visitors and respect for Country.
During the ceremony, we recognised that whilst Brentwood is 57 Years Old, the Bunurong culture has been present on our land for more than 75,000 years. As a community that values learning and community it is important that we recognise, respect and learn about cultures that are important in our community. Participating in the Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony marks a respect of the traditional owners of the land and recognise the beginning of learning at Brentwood in 2026, particularly for our new Year 7 students. Furthermore, it reminds all our students and staff that we are the current custodians of the land that we learn on each day, and we have a shared responsibility to respect and look after our school.
Whole School Assembly:
At the beginning of each school year, it is a Brentwood tradition that we formally welcome all of our new Year 7 students at a whole school assembly. Each class enters to rounds of applause from their peers in other Year Levels. This is complemented with a formal exit through a ‘guard of honor’ from teachers on their final day of classes in Year 12.
The Assembly is also an opportunity to remind our students of the school values, our vision and expectations for students to be the best learner and person they can be so that they achieve our vision where they are able to “learn as a connected community to grow as individuals who are future ready”.
Our Values are the foundation for our School Wide Positive Behaviour Expectations and the Brentwood Teaching and Learning Model. The Lesson Framework and Student Learner Model support students in giving them guidance and clear expectations of them as a learner and how to be more independent in their learning as they gain new knowledge and master new skills. During the assembly, students were challenged to reflect on their responsibilities as learners and community members, to think about how they can be positive community and team members so that every student is able to achieve their best.
There was an over-arching theme throughout the assembly to challenge students to reflect on being a responsible student as a learner by ensuring they take responsibility for being ready to learn each lesson and doing their best to apply our Learner Behaviours each lesson. In addition, we challenged students to think beyond themselves and how they can be a responsible member of the Brentwood community in 2026, by following the school values and expectations to the best of their ability.
Ultimately, the assembly was a reminder to students that Brentwood is an excellent school and place to be each day, and we know that when students do their best to live our values, participate fully in the lesson framework & learner model and play their role as positive members of the school community they will maximise their growth as learners and people.
Key Staff in 2026
As the year begins, I would like to introduce our community to staff who hold key positions within the college.
The Principal Team continues to remain the same in 2026. Our purpose is to strategically lead the improved learning and wellbeing outcomes of all our students in partnership with the wider school community. Sonja Ardley and Dean Korlos will continue their leadership of Teaching and Learning whilst Peter Rhodes and Aaron Palmer will continue to embed a positive climate for learning so that all students have the opportunity to do, and be their best.
Throughout the year the team look forward to contributing to our fortnightly newsletter with our Principals’ Report.
The file below is a list of staff who are leading various programs or teams within our school. Through their roles, these staff will have responsibility for leading various aspects of our school that support students being their best learners and people.
Parent and Friends Association & School Council:
In the coming weeks we will be seeking parental involvement in our school. We have two formal ways that parents can contribute to Brentwood Secondary College.
On Monday February 9 the Parents and Friends Association (PFA), will be holding their Annual General Meeting and would welcome any new members who may be interested. The meeting is held in the administration building from 7 – 8pm. There are more details in the PFA report later in the newsletter.
For parents who are interested in being parent representatives on School Council, nominations will open shortly. The role of School Council is to assist in the efficient governance of the school with a high-level oversight of the school and work with the Principal Team and staff in improving the learning and wellbeing outcomes of our students. If you would like more information about School Council, please contact me at school.
Finally, thank you to all the staff and students for their efforts in making the start of the school such a success so far. I look forward to a great year ahead at Brentwood!
John Ballagh
Principal