Message from the Principal

Shane Gemmola

Acting Principal

Term 3 is well and truly underway and it has been a wonderful start to what promises to be a busy, exciting and rewarding semester. 

Performing Arts — Legally Blonde

The highlight of the early term was undoubtedly our school production of Legally Blonde - the Musical— a landmark moment in the history of BSC. Performed across three sold-out nights at the Clocktower Centre, it was the first time in the school's history that all performances sold out, a remarkable achievement and a testament to the extraordinary effort of every student, staff member and parent helper involved.

The production was the result of months of dedicated work from our entire Performing Arts team and the company of students who poured their energy into every rehearsal and every performance. The enthusiasm, pride and joy on display across those three nights was something that will stay with all who witnessed it. The community response was overwhelmingly positive and the sense of pride across the school was palpable.

School Sport Australia Games

Congratulations to Maeve Darwin Holthuyzen and Andreja Mohar (both of Year 10), who represented Victoria at the recent School Sport Australia Games — backing up their selection from last year with another outstanding campaign at this national event.

Competing against the best young athletes from across the country, both Maeve and Andreja did themselves and Brunswick Secondary College proud with the way they represented the state and our school.

A special mention to Maeve, who was selected as one of two goalkeepers in the national squad — a fantastic individual honour that reflects her talent and hard work.

Victoria narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in a highly competitive field, but it was a top-class event from start to finish. 

Well done to Andreja and Maeve on a wonderful achievement — we're incredibly proud of you both.

Spectacular!

Best wishes to Max McCamish-Symes (Year 10) who is representing Brunswick Secondary College in the upcoming Victorian State School Spectacular! 

Max has been rehearsing regularly every weekend since winning a much coveted place in the 80 piece VSSS orchestra. He was accepted into the orchestra in February, on the strength of his membership of the Melbourne Youth Wind Symphony and the Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra, both of which he rehearses with every weekend.  Max will perform in both of the two 2-hour VSSS shows on Saturday 29 August at John Cain Arena.  

Max has managed to keep his success on the downlow so far, but now  the word is out now and we want to celebrate it!  Look out for an article in the next Brunswick Star.

On behalf of the BSC community, we wish Max every success as he enjoys the fabulous experience that comes from playing an important role in this amazing collaborative project.  We look forward to hearing how much fun he has - and about all the memories he makes!

The Spectacular draws students from across Victoria It involves kids from state schools throughout Victoria, showcasing the talents of government school students and promoting achievement in the arts.

Student Life and Co-Curricular Breadth

Term 3 has again showcased the extraordinary breadth of opportunity available to BSC students beyond the classroom. Across sport, the arts, academic competitions and community engagement, our students have represented the school with pride and enthusiasm.

Sporting highlights have included interschool competition across Soccer, Hockey, Basketball, Table Tennis and AFL, with a standout result for our Senior Girls Soccer team who claimed the Regional Final — a tremendous achievement. Read more about their stellar effort in the article later in this issue.  Our musicians performed at the Interschool Strings Day alongside students from other schools, and the High Ability Program students attended the BrainSTEM Innovation Challenge Presentation.

Students have also participated in the AMT Mathematics Competition across year levels, the Goodtalk International Youth Bilingual Speech Conferenceat the University of Melbourne, Masterchef, the Dante Alighieri Poetry Competition Finals, and ongoing Boxing for Wellbeing sessions. Our VCE-Vocational Major students have continued their involvement in meaningful community projects, including the Humans of Brunswick initiative.

The range and quality of these experiences reflects a school that is deeply committed to the development of the whole student — and we thank the many staff who make these opportunities possible.

Pathways and Subject Selection

Subject Selection for 2027 has been a significant focus this term, with considerable investment made in supporting students and families through this important process. The term has included a VTAC Information Evening for students and families beginning to navigate the university application journey, Subject Expos, a dedicated Subject Interview Day, and the entering of selections into the Subject Selection Portal.

It has been pleasing to see students and families engaging thoughtfully and positively with the Subject Selection process. These are significant decisions that shape the years ahead in a young person's education, and the care and planning invested by both families and staff reflects well on the whole community.

Student Wellbeing and Engagement

Student wellbeing continues to be a priority across the College. Boxing for Wellbeing has been a consistent feature of the term, providing students with a positive and structured outlet that supports both physical and mental health. The program continues to attract strong engagement and positive feedback from participants.

Community and Parent Engagement

The BSC community continues to demonstrate remarkable generosity and commitment to the school. The Parents' Association has been a driving force behind a number of initiatives this term, most notably the Community Planting Days that have taken place in partnership with Jo Keeble and Tended Earth. 

These working bees have brought together students, staff and families to improve and beautify the school gardens, and the results speak for themselves — the gardens are becoming a genuine source of pride for the whole community.

BSC Parents' Association Trivia Night was much-anticipated and shaped up to be a wonderful evening. The event featured a silent auction with items generously donated from across the local community.  The evening provided a great opportunity for families, staff and friends to connect as you can see the photos in this edition.

NAPLAN 2026 Results

BSC has recorded outstanding NAPLAN results in 2026, contributing to what has been Victoria's strongest NAPLAN performance nationally — with Victorian students achieving the first or second highest mean scores in 16 out of 20 NAPLAN tests across the country.

Our Year 7 to 9 students demonstrated impressive growth across the domains. In Reading, 77% of BSC students achieved high or medium growth, outperforming similar schools (76%), the network (75%) and the state (74%). In Spelling, 86% of students achieved high or medium growth — well ahead of similar schools (75%), the network (77%) and the state average (74%). In Grammar and Punctuation and Numeracy, BSC matched or exceeded all comparison groups, with 75% and 77% of students respectively achieving high or medium growth.

In Writing, 72% of students achieved high or medium growth, matching the network average and remaining close to similar schools and the state. While a solid result, this reinforces our view that Writing represents our greatest opportunity for targeted improvement. Strategic work in this area has already commenced and will be a key focus in the year ahead.

These results are a genuine cause for celebration. In a year when Victoria led the nation, our students and staff demonstrated that BSC is a school that not only keeps pace with the best — it sets the standard. We congratulate every student and teacher who contributed to these outcomes and look forward to building on this momentum.

Term 3 is shaping up to be one of the most significant and rewarding terms in recent memory. There is much to celebrate and much to look forward to. Thank you to our staff, students and community for their continued dedication to making Brunswick Secondary College the remarkable place it is.