Around the Grounds - Senior School
House Chess
Our annual House Chess competition was fiercely contested this year, with a record number of participants. For the first time, we expanded team sizes to eight players (up from six in previous years) to keep up with the growing popularity of chess, particularly among our enthusiastic Year 7 cohort.
The Middle Years event was won by Warrell House, with an outstanding performance from Angela Huang (Warrell, Year 7), who achieved the rare feat of winning all seven of her games. This is a remarkable result and a very promising sign for the future of our girls' teams. In the Open Secondary event, Rayner House came out on top. Benny Chan (Warrell, Year 11) won all seven of his games.
After six consecutive years of Mather House taking the Chess title (followed by Rayner’s victory last year), this year we have yet another new champion. Congratulations to Warrell House – our 2025 House Chess Champions!
Mr Rodney Jones
Chess Coordinator
Global Health Youth Connect Competition
On Friday 5 September, Year 10 students Mia P, Madelyn F, Flora N and Sophia G proudly represented Huntingtower at the Global Health Youth Connect Case Study Competition. Selected as one of the top 10 groups from over 60 teams across Victoria, they presented an innovative proposal to address health issues related to ischemic stroke, impressing a panel of doctoral students at Melbourne University with their insight, creativity and professionalism.
Year 10 Personal Project
Across Term 3, Year 10 students dedicated themselves to the Personal Project, an independent inquiry into a topic they are passionate about and would otherwise not have time for. From analysing books they had never read before, to constructing scale models of the Eiffel Tower, to designing projects that spread kindness in the community, students showcased their creativity, initiative, and commitment to learning beyond the classroom. This work culminated in the Personal Project Expo Day, where the school community was invited to celebrate and engage with the students’ achievements.
Ms Adrienne Oates
Year 10 Coordinator
Year 9 Shrine of Remembrance Excursion
On Monday 8th September, the Year 9s visited the Shrine of Remembrance. This excursion was designed to help students with their Spirit of ANZAC projects in the History classroom. The project aims to give students historical research skills and help them to understand why we choose to remember the actions of Australian soldiers and commemorate their sacrifices. The excursion was a great opportunity to step into history for the Year 9 cohort!
Mr Stefan Sakellaridis
History Teacher
Year 11 Media Vox Pops
The Year 11 Media class recently attended an excursion to Federation Square as part of their Unit 2 studies. The students were provided the opportunity to engage in practical fieldwork, where they had to conduct vox pop interviews with members of the public.
This hands-on experience gave students the chance to develop and refine their interviewing and production skills in a real-world setting. They practiced using professional filming equipment and explored the challenges of recording in a busy city environment. The vox pops collected will now form the foundation for their upcoming documentary projects as they prepare to research and produce films on their chose topic of interest!
Mr Connick Cheung
Media Teacher
Cathedral Range Adventurous Journey
On Saturday 06 September 21 students and 4 leaders headed to Cathedral Range State Park to complete their Silver Adventurous Journey section for their Duke of Edinburgh Award. With trepidation we loaded the trailer, some packs heavier than expected and others bursting at the seams. Lessons were already being learnt, luckily, we were setting up camp before Hiking the 8km trail to Ned's Peak, Little Cathedral Peak and Cathedral Peak, all with their own special views and challenges.
The State Park and its natural environment was a great place to be towards the end of term to bring our mental health into balance, although I'm not sure the wildlife felt the same as they heard our group of enthusiastic bushwalkers coming their way. With the prediction of storms and rain we took advantage of the glorious weather while we could. Day 2 required hiking with packs to our next camp site and then heading to 'The Farmyard' where the rains decided to arrive while people tried to make a delicious soggy lunch.
Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions causing trees to fall and a flooded campsite we headed home before meeting up the next morning to hike around the 1000 steps at the Dandenong Ranges National Park. Everyday full of big hills and loud laughing, the group worked through their struggles with determination and enthusiasm.
Congratulations to our Silver Awardees and we look forward to many of the group adding Wilsons Promontory National Park to their list of achievements at the end of the year.
Mrs Tamara Sheehan
Duke of Ed Coordinator
Camp was a memorable experience filled with both challenges and highlights. The overall encouragement and support from everyone made every hike better and far more enjoyable, no matter how tough it was. Setting up tents, cooking meals together, and helping each other through the challenges of camp made the experience even more rewarding. The second day tested us the most, with heavy rain soaking us through — my thin jacket didn’t help! Still, even though we had to hike in the rain, the memories made with friends were worth every soggy step, and it showed how strong our teamwork had become. The 1000 Steps hike at the end was a great way to finish, but it was really the friendships, laughter, and teamwork throughout camp that made the journey unforgettable.
Samy H
Year 10
Visual Communication Design
Our Year 7 students in Semester Two have been exploring the elements of design through a series of drawings, which they have compiled into beautifully crafted concertina booklets. They are now progressing to the next task, designing characters for an educational online game aimed at early primary students. These characters will first be developed through manual drawing, before being modelled in TinkerCad and brought to life using our 3D printers.
In semester 2 our Year 8, In Visual Communication Design, our Year 8 students have just completed an exciting rebranding project. Using the Design Process, they were challenged to redesign the identity of an existing business by creating a fresh, contemporary logo. Students developed their ideas from initial concepts through to final designs, ensuring their logos reflected the company’s values, appealed to the target audience, and maintained a professional, distinctive look. The project gave them valuable experience in combining creativity with design thinking, while also building skills in presentation and visual communication.
In semester 2 our Year 9 students are wrapping up a vibrant unit on branding, finalising their packaging designs for juice products. This project has allowed them to explore typography, colour theory, and market appeal through creative branding solutions.
Our Unit 2 students have recently completed a challenging and meaningful design project that asked them to combine creativity with practical problem-solving. Responding to a real-world brief from the City of Melbourne, they were tasked with designing a shipping container home to provide housing support for the homeless population near the Victoria Markets. Their designs considered the specific needs and interests of the target audience, while also incorporating sustainable features such as solar panels. This project encouraged students to think critically about social and environmental issues, while applying their design knowledge in a purposeful and innovative way.
Unit 4 students are now in the final stages of completing their folios, bringing together a year’s worth of creative exploration and design development. Many have produced 3D models of their concepts, using both traditional methods and digital programs such as ArchiCAD and Tinkercad to refine and visualise their ideas. Their work demonstrates advanced technical skill, creative problem-solving, and sophisticated visual communication, with final presentations showcasing the culmination of their VCD studies. These impressive projects will be on display at our Art and VCD Exhibition on the 8th of October.
Mrs Jillian Ferguson
Head of Visual Arts