Celebrations of Learning and Community

Celebrating Education Week

Last week we acknowledged Education Week at Hazel Glen College. Here's what some of our students at HGC love about our school, in keeping with the theme of 'Showcase your school'. 

Please head to our social media pages, to have a look at some of the other proud parts of our College we have shared with our community. 

Y-Lead: Student Leadership Academy

Hazel Glen College’s Student Leadership Academy recently took part in the Y-Lead Maximising the Badge leadership conference, a dynamic program designed to strengthen student voice, responsibility, and real-world leadership capability.

Throughout the conference, students engaged in a series of interactive workshops focused on practical leadership skills, including communication, teamwork, and initiative-taking within school and community settings. The experience encouraged students to reflect on what effective leadership looks like in action, and how they can contribute meaningfully to positive change within Hazel Glen College.

Participation in the Maximising the Badge conference also provided students with opportunities to connect with peers from other year levels, exchange ideas, and build confidence in their own leadership journeys. The Student Leadership Academy continues to play a key role in developing capable, motivated young leaders who are ready to take on responsibility both within the College and beyond. 

A big thank you to Ms Williams for her work in organising this valuable experience, and continuing to lead the Academy students in developing in their own leadership capabilities. 

Secondary Years House Update

After Goodes House were able to take out the Term One prize in the Senior Years, other Houses have taken charge in Term Two. Beachley and Chang have certainly come out firing, earning points by receiving Positive Chronicles for demonstrating the College Values of Respect, Resilience, Relationships and Responsibility. In addition, McGrath House have rallied and equalled the term two total of Goodes House, while Wood and Stynes Houses remain in contention for the coveted Term Two prize.

The totals to date, however, are still in Goodes' favour, leading from Wood and Stynes Houses. With so much left of the year, Hazel Glen College certainly encourages all students to look to live by the College values on a daily basis and look for ways to participate in College life and earn points for their House through clubs, competitions and opportunities. 

If you have any ideas or thoughts on how to improve the House program, or you'd like to run a particular event within your House, please share your ideas with your House Leader.

BTBYCB - Be The Best You Can Be

Year 12 PE - La Trobe University Sports Science Excursion

On the 4th of May, the Unit 3 & 4 Physical Education class travelled to La Trobe Sports Stadium to undertake an exercise physiology laboratory session. We were provided the opportunity to participate in elite level fitness testing, including the graded exercise test to measure  vO2-max test and the Wingate test to measure peak anaerobic power. These tests are generally only available to high level athletes or university students, so this was a great opportunity and experience made available to high school students.

These tests aimed to measure the capacity and power of different energy systems, including their aerobic and anaerobic abilities, which are concepts that we have been learning in the classroom in PE. The tests provided an interesting and closer insight into the testing that professional athletes undergo, and demonstrated concepts that we were able to implement in our learning within this Area of Study.

We would like to take this opportunity to send many thanks to La Trobe University for giving us the amazing opportunity that many others are not able to experience, as well as Nick and Josh from La Trobe for facilitating our session and teaching us relevant knowledge for the tests.

- Toby, Tom and Nathan - Year 12 PE Students

Year 12 Business Management - YV Chocolaterie

Our Year 12 Business Management students recently visited the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery to deepen their understanding of operations management in a real-world setting. Students explored key processes involved in production, including quality control, efficiency, and the transformation of raw materials into finished products. Alongside this, students had a great time tasting a variety of chocolates, creating their own chocolate lollipops, and hearing directly from staff about the operations processes behind the scenes, making it both an engaging and memorable learning experience.

Student Reflections

As Year 12s, excursions are not common. For lots of us this was the first excursion since starting VCE. Going to Yarra Valley Chocolaterie was so much fun with my peers in business management. We learned critical operations management skills for our studies, ate lots of chocolate, had a restaurant lunch and ice cream to top it off. The experience as a whole was amazing and one to remember for years to come!

- Riley, Year 12 BM Student

Having the excursion to the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie was a great experience and a fun day out, for all year 12s in business management. Learning about operations management skills at school and seeing real life examples of it at the Yarra Valley chocolate factory was a fun way of learning in this area of study. The day included eating lots of chocolate, lunch at the restaurant and ice cream. Overall it was such a great experience and fun day with all my peers. 

- Alexis, Year 12 BM Student

Year 10 Work Experience

Our  Work Experience Week was a memorable highlight of the term for our Year 10's with our students stepping into a wide range of workplaces and embracing a large range of opportunities.

This year, students explored an impressive variety of fields — from early‑learning and school environments, to humanitarian work with World Vision Australia, to the dynamic world of real estate. Each placement offered something unique, helping students build confidence, develop practical skills, and gain a clearer sense of their future pathways.

Ethan shared a particularly inspiring account of his week at World Vision Australia, where he worked with the program management team in child sponsorship. He learned how the organisation operates, joined meetings with staff managing overseas projects, and even wrote reports on promoting international development among Australian teenagers and on the impact of child sponsorship in breaking cycles of poverty. He said he “really enjoyed his time at World Vision because he liked getting to research and report on global issues,” a comment that captures the purpose of work experience — discovering passions through real‑world learning.

There were plenty of joyful moments too. One student celebrated his birthday on placement and was surprised with a cake organised by his workplace, making the week even sweeter. Meanwhile, in real estate,  a house was sold during a student’s placement — a front‑row seat to see the outcome of all the hard work.

Our students represented the school with maturity, curiosity, and positivity. We’re incredibly proud of the way they embraced their placements and returned with new skills, new stories, and a renewed sense of what their futures might hold.

We also warmly invite parents who would like to support future work experience programs to share their business details and industry with us by sending an email to fgalea@hazelglencollege.com

We’ll be in touch next year with further information about how you can get involved. 

Sports Report

Friday 15th May (Week 4)

Junior Girls AFL (Years 7 & 8) – The girls had an outstanding day, winning the division and progressing through to NMR. Their teamwork, communication, and determination were exceptional throughout the competition.

Boys Netball (Years 8 & 11/12)

Year 8 boys competed strongly and showed great resilience and support for one another throughout the day.

Year 11/12 boys finished runners-up after a hard-fought Grand Final, displaying fantastic sportsmanship, teamwork, and effort.

Monday 18th May (Week 5)

Year 9/10 Boys AFL – The team finished with 1 win and 2 losses. While they did not progress, the boys demonstrated strong effort, encouragement, and teamwork across all games.

Year 9/10 Boys & Girls Soccer

Boys were unlucky to lose in a penalty shootout after showing great composure and teamwork under pressure.

Girls finished with 1 win and 2 losses, displaying excellent determination and support for each other throughout the day.

Year 9/10 Girls Netball

Both teams that HGC entered competed strongly and should be proud of the resilience and positive attitude they displayed. One of our teams progressed through to NMR after an impressive performance built on communication and teamwork. Well done to all players!  

Friday 22nd May (Week 5)

Whittlesea Division Track & Field (Years 7–12) – An amazing day with 47 students representing HGC with pride and determination. Students achieved fantastic individual results, with multiple athletes progressing through to Regionals. Hazel Glen College finished an impressive 3rd overall, with students consistently supporting and encouraging one another throughout the event.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday 27th May (Week 6)

• Year 8 Girls Soccer
• Year 8 Boys AFL
• Year 8 Girls Netball

Thursday 4th June (Week 7)

Year 9/10 Girls AFL

Thank you to all students, staff, coaches, and families for their continued support of HGC Sport. It has been fantastic to see students represent the College with pride, determination, teamwork, and excellent sportsmanship across all events.

We look forward to another exciting few weeks of competition and wish all upcoming teams the very best.

Year 9 Experiential Learning 

City Experience 

Students have thoroughly enjoyed their city experiences so far, with each excursion providing valuable learning opportunities and memorable moments. At the Shrine of Remembrance, students interviewed members of the public about ANZAC Day, developing both their confidence and communication skills while gaining a deeper understanding of the importance of remembrance in Australia.

During our visit to the Melbourne Zoo, students explored conservation efforts and learnt about the importance of protecting endangered animals and their habitats. Another highlight was working with The Big Issue, where students challenged stereotypes surrounding homelessness and developed greater empathy and awareness of social issues within the community. These experiences have been both educational and enjoyable, and students are already excited for the many more city adventures still to come.

Whittlesea Tech School Excursion

Last week on Thursday our class went to the Whittlesea Tech School. We did a lot of fun activities like making our own keychains, making our own podcast and flying drones. In our opinion, the drones were the most fun and enjoyable activity we did there. The staff were very kind and helpful and got us through the day. We had a blast there and hope to go back again soon.

 Axl, Ashton and Kristian 9E

The Push Up Challenge

Join us at HGC in The Push Up Challenge! 

https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraisers/hazelglenheroes

Let's Talk About Bullying - for parents and carers of young children aged 6 - 12 

City of Whittlesea Youth Services are hosting a parent session on bullying in partnership with Bully Zero who will talk about bullying behaviours, what to look out for and how to support your child. 

Date: Wednesday 17th June

Time: 6pm - 7:15pm

Location: Mernda Village Community Activity Centre, 70 Mernda Village Drive, Mernda

Bookings Essential:  Let's Talk About Bullying | Whittlesea Youth