Around The College  

🎉 Term 2 House Day - Celebrating House and Sport Culture 🎉

We’re excited to announce that House Day is just around the corner, happening next week, Monday, 5th of May!

This special day celebrates and House and Sport culture within our school.

👕 Casual Dress Day

The theme is Sport or House Colours – so come dressed in your favourite sporting team’s gear or rock your house colours with pride!

🔗 Don’t forget to make your $2 donation via Compass to participate.

⚠️ Important Reminder

Please ensure your casual dress follows the College Uniform Policy.

👉 Click here to review: College Uniform Policy.

🎯 Lunchtime Activities

Get involved in some exciting, house-run events during lunch, including:

🏀 Basketball – Hosted by Jacaranda and Wattle at the Basketball Courts

🏐 Dodgeball – Hosted by Waratah in the Gym

🧠 Sports Trivia – Hosted by Banksia near the Basketball Courts

Bring your competitive spirit, cheer on your house, and get involved!

Your energy and participation make House Day special. Let’s bring the house spirit, wear our colours with pride, and make it a day to remember! 💚❤️💛💙

Kind regards,

Brentwood Student Leadership Team

Camps at Brentwood 

Camps play a vital role in your child’s social and emotional development. At Brentwood, we highly value these experiences and offer a wide range of camps and events across multiple year levels, including: 

• Year 7 – Phillip Island 
• Year 8 – Creswick 
• Year 9 – Tasmania & City Experience 
• Year 11 – Central Australia Tour 
• Performing Arts Camps 
• Music Camps 
• Language Camps and Tours 
• Various Overseas Camps and Experiences 
• Leadership Camps 
• Duke of Edinburgh Camps 

Planning and Organisation 

Our dedicated teaching staff invest significant time and effort into planning camps, with some taking over a year to organise. To ensure these experiences are accessible and affordable, we need to confirm student numbers early in the process. 

Many camps begin with an Expression of Interest (EOI) event on Compass. It is important for parents and carers to register their child’s interest in the camp at this stage, as this provides us with an estimate of attendance and costs. 

For some camps there are limited places available. If the number of interested students exceeds capacity, attendees are selected through a random ballot. Students not selected are placed on a waiting list and may be offered a spot if others withdraw.  

Consent and payments for camps must be made before the due date specified on the event. The school cannot accept any late payments or consent for camps. If your child wishes to withdraw from the camp at any stage, the school must be notified as soon as possible.  

Students withdrawing from camps and excursions are not automatically entitled to a refund. Where NO COST is incurred by the school, a full refund will be payable to the student when: 

• The student's place is filled by another student 
• The Principal deems the student’s withdrawal was unavoidable eg. Illness. Proof of reason for withdrawal may be requested in such circumstances. 

Where some cost has been incurred by the school, a partial refund will be payable to the student withdrawing when: 

• The Principal deems the student’s withdrawal was unavoidable. In such cases the refund will be the full amount paid by the student, less expenses incurred by the school as a result of the withdrawal. 

Where FULL COST has been incurred by the school no refund will be payable to the student withdrawing when the Principal deems the withdrawal was avoidable.  Refer College Refund Policy. 

If you have any questions about camps, please contact the school or the camp organiser. 

Thank you for your support, we are extremely lucky to be able to offer so many camps at Brentwood. 

Peer Support – End of Term Update

As we wrap up the term, I want to acknowledge the fantastic work of our Year 10 Peer Support Leaders and Mentors in guiding our Year 7 students through their transition to secondary school.

Throughout the term, our Peer Support sessions have focused on key areas to support our Year 7s in settling into their new environment. 

Activities have included:

✅ Getting to Know You – icebreaker activities to build connections within mentor groups.

✅ Navigating Secondary School – helping students find their way around and understand key support services.

✅ Time Management – developing strategies to balance homework, extracurricular activities, and wellbeing.

A special thank you goes to our Peer Support students who also attended Year 7 Camp, where they played an active role in engaging with students, assisting teachers, and running the incredibly fun PJ Disco and Trivia Night! Their energy, enthusiasm, and leadership were truly commendable.

We are so proud of their commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive school environment. Thank you to all our Peer Support Leaders and Mentors for their dedication this term – we look forward to seeing the program continue to grow throughout the year!

💙 Well done, Peer Support Team! 💙

Brentwood Students Excel in Lions Youth of the Year Competition

Four of our outstanding students: Andy Chesterfield (12G1); Zephaniah Magdalene (12B3); Lisa Lau (11E2); and Chantelle Daniell (10Y2) recently represented Brentwood in the Lions Youth of the Year competition, showcasing their leadership, public speaking, and commitment to community service. 

This prestigious program, run by Lions Clubs across Australia, challenges students to demonstrate their academic achievements, leadership skills, and involvement in extracurricular and community activities.

We are thrilled to announce that Andy Chesterfield was named the overall winner at the club level and progressed to compete in the District Level Final, representing Brentwood with distinction. 

Additionally, Zephaniah Magdalene was recognized as the Best Speaker on the night, impressing the judges with a compelling and articulate speech.

Each of our participants engaged in a rigorous interview process and delivered both impromptu and prepared speeches on topics of national and global significance. Their confidence, passion, and critical thinking made a strong impression on the judges and audience alike.

Trophies for Andy and Zephaniah will be awarded early in Term 2 in recognition of their achievements.

We congratulate all our participants on their dedication and effort in representing Brentwood with pride. 

A special thank you to the local Lions Club for providing this valuable opportunity. 

We look forward to seeing more of our students take part in this enriching experience in the future!

Student Leadership – Term 1 Wrap-Up

Term 1 has been an exciting and dynamic start to the year for our student leadership team! Our leaders have worked with passion and dedication to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive school environment through a range of initiatives.

We began the term with the Valentine’s Day, organized by our College Captains to 'spark' joy and connection throughout the school. Students enjoyed a themed photo booth, while chocolates and heartfelt notes were delivered, bringing smiles to many faces.

Our House Captains led the charge for House Day, a celebration of house spirit and teamwork. Students participated in activities such as dodgeball and Just Dance, building camaraderie and strengthening the vibrant house culture within the school.

A highlight of the term was Community Day, planned and delivered by the entire student leadership team. This event embraced our school's rich diversity, celebrating multiculturalism and harmony through activities such as trivia, a photo booth, face painting, and henna tattoos. It was an incredible day that showcased the inclusivity and spirit of our school community.

Leadership growth was also a focus this term, with select student leaders attending the Melbourne Youth Secondary Leadership Conference at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The conference featured inspiring keynote speakers and workshops that encouraged students to reflect on leadership qualities and the steps they can take to create meaningful change within the school and beyond.

We were also thrilled to welcome new leaders to our team! This term, we appointed Year 7 Assistant House Captains, Assistant Sports Captains, and SRC Year Level Representatives, who will bring fresh energy and ideas to student leadership. Additionally, the roles of Science Captain and Assistant Science Captain were finalized, ensuring student voice in the promotion of science initiatives and engagement.

I am incredibly proud and grateful to work with such a passionate, dedicated, and inspiring group of student leaders. Their enthusiasm and commitment to strengthening school culture and creating positive change have been truly outstanding. With even more exciting initiatives planned for Term 2, I can’t wait to see what we will achieve next!

Mr. Michael Gekas

Director of Student Leadership

Brentwood Buzz first edition 2025

Dear Brentwood Community,

The Newspaper Club is excited to share the first edition of Brentwood Buzz, our student-led newspaper, with the school community. 

We hope you enjoy this first edition for 2025. 

Link: https://brentwood.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/4th-Edition-of-Buzz-T1-2025.pdf

Welcome New Additions to the 2025 Student Leadership Team!

Dear Brentwood School Community,

It is with great pleasure to introduce our newest student leaders to Brentwood’s Student Leadership team. A huge congratulations to the following students for their 2025 leadership appointments:

Assistant House Captains – Year 7

Jacaranda – Adrian Tomus (7E2)

Banksia – Ayda Salih (7G1)

Waratah – Irwin Wong (7E1)

Wattle – Jasleen Saini (7E1)

Assistant Sports Captains – Year 7

Nikita Hunter (7R1)

Ellee Kutschera (7R2)

Eva Swilks (7Y2)

Caitlin Wood (7E2)

SRC Year Level Representatives – Year 7

Suhaani Dasgupta (7E1)

Arnav Koushik (7Y2)

Hyeri Na (7E2)

Mia Weinman-Koksvik (7E2)

Junior Performing Arts Captains

Sophie Langford (9Y2)

Cooper Richardson (9Y3)

Science Captain (Inaugural)

Amanda Kong (11E2)

Assistant Science Captains

Vivaan Gupta (11E1)

Sophie Rocha Leao (11G1)

Well done to all our student leaders. We are excited to work with and support you, on your leadership journey at Brentwood. 

Mr. Michael Gekas

Director of Student Leadership

Official opening of our newly renovated Library

Our newly renovated Library is now officially open after a special event yesterday attended by students, staff and invited guests that have played a role in its conception and realization. 

Speakers included Mark Lumley our KESO who did the official acknowledgement of country, John Ballagh, Stella Koutikos our School Council President, Audriana Pham as a College Captain and Library Monitor of many years standing and the College Cadenzas sang a beautiful rendition of Lorde's 'Royals'. A huge thank you to everyone involved in ensuring the event was a success.

Host Families for Japanese Students 

Are you interested in hosting a Japanese student from our Sister School, Ono Senior High School? In early Term 3, students from Ono Senior High School will be visiting for about 10 nights and we require up to 20 host families to accommodate them.  

What is involved? 

As a host family, you will need to offer the following: 

• A bed (not necessarily their own room) 
• All meals, including lunch to bring to school 
• A means to travel to and from school each day (preferably with hosting student) 
• A friendly and welcoming home environment 

To register your interest and receive further information, please complete this form: https://forms.office.com/r/mUqnGNc72F 

Angela Pollock 

Japanese Exchange Co-Ordinator 

Space-X-plore Tour September 2025  

Only two places remain for interested students, please direct all inquiries to Sonja Ardley.

Brentwood is looking for students who will be in years 8-11 in 2025 with a passion and interest in space to travel with like-minded students from partner schools in the Waverley network to the USA in September 2025 on the Space- X-plore program with Global Learning Expeditions. This international camp was run successfully in 2023 and is once again being offered to interested students. 

Highlights of the trip include the astronaut experience at the NASA Kennedy Space Centre in Orlando, San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

Visit: https://youli.io/t/gle/usa-stem-space-tour-mars 

Sonja Ardley 

Associate Principal 

BrentCast Episode 8

Our latest episode is now live.

Please use the link below. 

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brentwood-sc/episodes/Episode-8---Library-Leadership-Team-e2pob6a

In this episode, we hear from our wonderful Library Monitors and Librarians as they outline the Brentwood Library Monitor Program and how this helps promote reading, friendships and helping our students grow as learners and people in our Brentwood Community.

Student Lunches can now be ordered online via the Qkr app

Canteen Menu 

Electronic device use at Brentwood Canteen

We would like to thank you for your continued support with the Personal Mobile Devices Policy. We have noticed students trying to utilise their phones as a payment method at the canteen and ask that families look to make other arrangements. 

Mobile phones are not to be used at the canteen as they are not allowed to be in use between the school hours of 8.45am and 3.05pm. 

Students can make payment via an EFTPOS card or cash.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Robyn Geshev

Business Manager