Like many of our families, we are looking forward to the longer days and warmer weather that this time of the year brings and despite the start of daylight savings coinciding with a return to school we are now in the swing of things!

All our best wishes go to our wonderful Class of 2025 as they finish their thirteen years of schooling and start their exams and next steps in their lives. The school had a lovely morning celebration on Monday 20 October starting with a school-catered breakfast for students, parents and staff followed by a prefect-run Final Assembly with creative (and talented) acts by students and staff. Thank you to the hard-working Senior Team for their organisation in making this such a success.

This class of 2025 are a special cohort of students as they had only just started their high school years in 2020 when Coronavirus occurred and Victoria had over 150 days of lockdown with weeks and weeks of remote learning. Six years later they have finished together as a supportive and respectful group of lovely young adults, and their connection to the school and each other was heart-warming to see. Well done Year 12s (and to their families as well!).

I shared some advice to them at assembly:

You are each so much more than a number or a result – there is only one of you and you will each follow your own pathways in life. Keep on keeping on no matter what. You will be loved for being the complex, messy, interesting you and still have a wonderful life no matter what the ‘score’.
“One day at a time, one thing at a time, one thought at a time”. Keep repeating this in your head until this neural pathway is set like cement. Breathe.
In life some of the highest peaks you will feel come after being outside your comfort zone – whether competing in a race, performing to a full hall, turning up to a job interview… Lean in over the next few weeks if you have exams – you need some stress to fire up your brain, don’t opt out. You know yourselves that anxiety and stress often come from just thinking about things and can be made worse by avoiding things. Delay gratification to experience the ecstasy of the summer post-school. Hard work is good for your soul!

Congratulations to our 2025 Year 12 International Students (pictured above).

Congratulations to our new School Captains for 2026

I am pleased to announce the School Captains for 2026 – well done to Rohan M-R (School Captain), Ivy H (Vice-Captain) and Leigh H (Vice-Captain)!

Each of these student leaders impressed us with their desire to positively impact the school and their commitment to inclusion and student voice.

Congratulations to students who have had some great achievements! (in and out of school)

This term’s year level assemblies were a celebration of students who have achieved outstanding results and achievements and it was great to see their cohorts cheer them for their successes.

There were some other achievements of note as well over the last month - well done to Sarah B, Sutthirak K L, and Khai X N for being awarded a Merit Award in the 2025 Mullum VET Cluster for Cookery, Theodore G for his VET Award of Excellence for Building and Construction, and Elliot S for his VET Merit Award for Hospitality.

Congratulations to Eli A in Year 8 for taking home First Place in the Victorian Model Solar Car Challenge.

A great result for two of our talented musicians – Jammie and Jason C for completing Grade 8 and Grade 7 (respectively) AMEB and achieving an A+.

Sporting success

Special mention to Sienna M in Year 9 who won both 800m and 1500m at the State Athletics Championships (this is on top of her being State Champion for U14 Girls for 3km at Cross Country Championship last term).

It is great to see that we have many keen runners in Box Hill as well as outside school.

International World Teachers’ Appreciation Day

On behalf of the school community, I want to sincerely thank our amazing team of educators at Box Hill High School who make such a difference to the learning and wellbeing of hundreds of students during their high school years. Students spend most of their teenage years in high school classrooms and the guidance, support and encouragement they receive on top of learning about math, science and art (and all the other curriculum areas) is essential for healthy development into adulthood. It requires grit, patience, humour, enthusiasm, wisdom and care to do this job. We are also fortunate to have so many experts in their discipline and the ideas and opportunities that they provide to students is commendable.

A huge thank you to all the families who sent through kind words of appreciation to our teachers, all of whom were very touched by the gratitude shown.

Banner image at the top of this article: a recent visit to the school by Gabriel Ng MP, the Labor Member for Menzies.

Cyber Safety

By Mr Michael Oaten, Assistant Principal