Shane Gemmola

Acting Principal

The start of term has been full of energy, activity, and connection — a real credit to the students, staff, and wider school community. Stepping into the Acting Principal role, I’ve been struck by how welcoming and engaged everyone has been. It’s made for a really positive beginning and a strong sense of belonging from day one.

Classroom visits have been a real highlight — it’s been great to see students focused and learning, supported by staff who clearly know them well and are committed to their growth. Conversations with teachers have shown a deep sense of purpose and professionalism, with a shared commitment to continually improving the experience of school for every student.

There’s also been so much happening beyond the classroom. From the joy and celebration of the Year 12 Formal to the important work taking place through programs like Man Cave and the Big Sister Experience, it’s clear that student wellbeing is a genuine priority. Watching rehearsals for Mamma Mia! has been a treat — the talent, dedication, and teamwork on display are outstanding. And hearing about student-led initiatives and experiences, including the recent trip to China, during the whole-school assembly was another standout moment.

I’m looking forward to what lies ahead this term and to supporting the learning, wellbeing, and achievements of our students in any way I can. I hope to play my part in continuing this great work for the remainder of my time here.

Contributions

I take this opportunity to thank the many families who have made full payment of their 2025 school fees. These contributions directly pay for resources, services and activities that are not funded by the government but are critical to our school being able to deliver enriched educational opportunities, student support and essential school services.

For any families yet to pay fees, we kindly ask that any remaining contributions be finalised as soon as possible to support our planning and continued delivery of quality educational programs. If you require assistance or would like to discuss a payment plan, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office to explore available options.

Every contribution counts and has a vital impact on the educational experience of BSC students.

Respectful Relationships

Brunswick Secondary College is a partner school in the Respectful Relationship initiative with other local schools in our cluster.

The Respectful Relationships program supports schools to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours through a whole-school approach. This includes school culture, leadership, teaching and learning, professional learning for staff, community partnerships and support for staff and students. The program teaches our young people how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.

This year, the school is undertaking a Respectful Relationships refresh. This involves forming a new Respectful Relationship Implementation Team, which includes parents and students, and conducting an audit of our practices. Part of our Respectful Relationships teaching and learning involves inviting presenters such as Elephant Ed, The Man Cave and Big Sister Experience to deliver programs to students on consent, gender stereotypes, self confidence, and emotional literacy. You can read more about these programs in this issue, and you will hear more about contributing to the Respectful Relationships Implementation Team soon.

Year 12 Formal

I was lucky enough to be able to pop into the Year 12 Formal for an hour or so, and enjoyed mingling with staff and students at this premier event. The efforts of the staff (Lindel Bell, Rosalie Fourniotis and Simone Lipiarski) made for a spectacular event for students and staff alike.

I did note the ease in which teachers and students mixed at the event, which speaks to the strong connection that our staff have with their students.

Our young people looked great - and obviously enjoyed the opportunity to dress up and dance the night away!

QuickSmart Literacy

We have introduced the QuickSmart Literacy program at Brunswick Secondary College, for selected students in Year 8.

QuickSmart is an evidence-based basic skills intervention program designed for middle-school students. It has been developed by the SiMERR National Research Centre, located at the University of New England in Armidale, Australia. The program has been implemented in over 1,750 Australian schools.

The aim of the QuickSmart Literacy program is to enable students to become automatic (quick) in their basic skills in order to move onto more complex problem-solving skills (smart). It focuses on the automaticity of word recognition, fluency in reading connected texts, and development of vocabulary. The recognition, automaticity and fluency allow students to free up working memory to tackle more complex texts and ideas.

Students attend 3 x 30-minute sessions a week, in pairs, to complete a set of activities based on texts that increase in complexity as their skills improve. Pre- tests and post-tests are conducted to record progress.

Event Bookings

Many of you will be familiar with the Humanitix software platform that Brunswick Secondary College utilises to plan and execute bookings and ticket sales for the many events conducted on school grounds.

The software has now introduced a feature whereby the community can view all listed upcoming BSC events on one landing page. This is a great innovation that will assist families to plan for activities, make bookings and quickly add events to their calendars.

As events become 'live' throughout the year, they will appear on this landing page.

Click on the image above, or access the 2025 BSC Events Collection HERE.

Families are encouraged to bookmark the page for easy access going forward. The link can also be found on the Compass Favourites menu on your Compass dashboard

Parents Association

Parents & Carers and BSC - a valuable partnership

Casual Catch Up

Trivia Night