Senior School Stories
Year 10-12 Formal
Held at the elegant Vogue Ballroom, the Year 10–12 Formal was a wonderful celebration of the end of exams and a highly successful semester. Coordinated by the Year 11 Formal Committee, the evening provided students with the opportunity to come together, celebrate their achievements and create lasting memories.
Featuring alumnus DJ Jordan Lentini (Class of 2019), the dance floor was full all night as students and staff enjoyed an evening of music, friendship and fun.
A sincere thank you to Ms Oates and the Formal Committee for their dedication and hard work in planning and delivering such a special event. Their efforts ensured a memorable evening for all who attended.
Ms Mel Beal
Vice Principal (Student Community & Development)
From Idea to Enterprise
The annual Market Day was held on Thursday 18 June and proved to be a rewarding experience for all involved. Students from the Unit 1/2 Business Management class proudly showcased their entrepreneurial skills by designing and operating their own market stalls as part of a business simulation project. With many products selling out in record time, students put their creative sales and marketing strategies to the test in a real-world setting.
The project provided a valuable opportunity to experience both the challenges and rewards of running a business while developing important teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills. All proceeds from the day will be donated to charity.
Congratulations to all Business Management students on their outstanding efforts and a successful Market Day.
Li Jian Newman
Senior School Teacher
What's Happening Around the Visual Arts?
It has been a busy and creative couple of weeks in the Visual Arts Department!
Our Duke of Edinburgh students have been hard at work constructing props for the School Production, Once Upon a One More Time. Through their commitment and teamwork, students are contributing to the behind-the-scenes preparation that helps bring the production to life.
In week 8, Year 10 Art and Design students participated in a special painting workshop with acclaimed author and illustrator, Anna Walker. Students explored watercolour techniques, illustration processes and creative storytelling while gaining insight into the professional practice of an illustrator.
The images featured show students continuing their painting explorations in the classroom, building on the skills and inspiration gained during the workshop. Through experimentation with colour, brushwork and composition, students are developing their artistic skills and confidence as young artists.
The Visual Arts Showcase was well attended by Huntingtower Year 9 and 10 students, with both the Art and Design spaces becoming vibrant hubs of activity. Students demonstrated genuine curiosity and enthusiasm as they engaged with current and past students, asking thoughtful questions about subject choices, folio development, creative processes and pathways beyond school.
The opportunity to view senior work firsthand generated considerable interest, with many students spending time exploring the Year 12 AME and VCD folios and discussing the ideas behind the projects. In particular, the Visual Communication Design folio of former student Avaya Pola, a Top Designs recipient, attracted significant attention, with students eager to examine the high standard of work and gain insight into what can be achieved through dedication and creativity.
The showcase highlighted the strong culture of learning, inspiration and artistic excellence within the Visual Arts at Huntingtower.
Jillian Ferguson
Head of Visual Art
Semester 1 Media Broadcast
On Monday, our Semester 1 Media students took to the studio to present their live Media Broadcast, showcasing a range of stories from across the Huntingtower community. The program featured coverage of the recent Year 9 overseas experiences, a celebration of our successful Athletics Team including interviews with student athletes and even student-produced advertisements focused on staying motivated and achieving personal goals.
The broadcast provided students with an authentic experience of live television production, allowing them to develop valuable skills in presenting, directing, camera operation, audio production and newsroom coordination. The excitement and pressure of broadcasting live gave students a genuine insight into the fast-paced world of media production.
Congratulations to all students involved and a special thank you to Mr Sakel and Aaron Fabrikant for their dedication and support in bringing this impressive production to life.
Mel Beal
Head of Media
Food In Focus
Year 9 students in their elective class have been exploring the fascinating science of yeast. Through an experiment, they learned how different ratios of sugar and salt, combined with warm liquids, affect yeast activation. Students discovered the importance of accurate measurements and how even small changes in ingredients can influence the success of a final product.
They then put their knowledge into practice by combining science with creativity in a bread-making activity. Inspired by the popular online trend of Focaccia Art, students designed and baked their own edible masterpieces. Enjoy some photos showcasing their impressive creations and the wonderful results of their learning.
Robyn MacKinnon
Senior School Teacher
DAV Schools Competition: Brighton Region
Huntingtower’s Debating program has continued to grow, and this year it grew too large for just one region of the DAV Schools Competition. With over 150 students from Year 9 to 12 involved, we needed to look beyond Glen Waverley, where we continued to participate with our largest ever cohort, we still have another seven teams of students eager to compete.
We therefore entered a second region for the first time, with about 40 students travelling across Melbourne each round to compete in the Brighton Region, competing against an entirely new group of schools based out of Brighton Grammar.
With their successful and highly enjoyable season concluding, the students have provided their reflections below.
Matthew McDonald
Director of Student Communication & Engagement
Participating in the Brighton Region DAV Debating Competition was an incredibly rewarding and enjoyable experience for our team. Throughout the competition, we engaged in a range of challenging and thought-provoking debates that encouraged us to think critically, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively under pressure. Each round helped us develop valuable skills, including public speaking, constructing persuasive arguments, active listening, and responding confidently to opposing viewpoints.
Beyond the competition itself, we had the opportunity to meet students from other schools, learn from different debating styles, and grow both individually and as a team.
While the debates were competitive, they were also a lot of fun, creating lasting memories and strengthening our confidence. Overall, the Brighton Region DAV Debating Competition was an amazing event to participate in, and we are grateful for the experience and the opportunities it provided.
- Saisha S., Vanya PK. , Ria P., Aaria U., Aadya B., Saba K. (Year 9)
Recently, our debating team had the opportunity to travel to Brighton for an exciting debating competition. It was a fantastic experience that allowed us to improve our speaking skills, meet students from other schools, and enjoy some time together outside of the classroom.
Our journey began at school, where we caught a tram and several buses to reach Brighton. The trip itself was an adventure, and travelling together gave us a chance to relax and prepare for the debates ahead.
Before the competition, we explored the local area and enjoyed a variety of food from different places. Some students visited Betty’s Burgers for delicious burgers and fries, while others chose sushi restaurants to enjoy fresh Japanese food. To finish the day, many of us stopped at Yo-Chi, where we enjoyed frozen yoghurt with a range of toppings.
The debating competition was both challenging and rewarding. We listened to a range of interesting arguments, worked together as teams, and gained valuable experience in public speaking and critical thinking. The event helped us build confidence and improve our debating skills.
Overall, the Brighton debating trip was a memorable experience. From travelling by tram and bus to enjoying great food and participating in competitive debates, it was a day full of learning, teamwork, and fun. We look forward to attending more debating events in the future.
- Akesh W., Alex R., Gabriel Y., Jeiren M. and Robert H. (Year 9)
Debating at the Brighton region has been an amazing experience. There are around 12 schools in the region who are very competitive to compete against. One of our highlights from each debate is taking a the train to Middle Brighton and enjoying the food on Church Street. Something that we enjoy so much every debate is the food places at Middle Brighton including Yochi, many Sushi spots, Banh Mi, Laurent, Subway and Betty’s Burger.
As C grade we started doing secret topics this year. The experience of planning for the secret topic in a single hour was quite exhilarating, especially with everybody being involved. It was quite challenging at first but after practices we have started to enjoy the experience. The advised topic in round 3 was also a different experience for all of us.
- Cassia S, Ruby S, Lene H, Sachi K, Ahana D and Shunya Z (Year 10)