Around The College
VCE LEGAL STUDIES EXCURSIONS - (County & Magistrates Court)
County Court:
On our recent VCE Legal Studies excursion to the County Court of Victoria, students had the incredible opportunity to witness the justice system in action and deepen their understanding of the legal concepts we explore in the classroom.A highlight of the day was speaking with Her Honour Judge Fiona Todd, who guided us through a sentencing report and engaged in a detailed discussion about the purposes of sanctions. It was a truly eye-opening experience to see how the theory we study in class is applied by a judge in a real courtroom setting.This was followed by an insightful Q&A session with both Her Honour Judge Todd and Her Honour Judge Amanda Chambers. Students asked thoughtful questions and received candid, informative responses that offered a behind-the-scenes look at the role of a County Court judge.We also observed a plea hearing involving a case of aggravated burglary. Witnessing the legal procedures and hearing the submissions from both prosecution and defence brought our classroom learning to life in a powerful and memorable way.Our students were commended on their behaviour throughout the day by the County Court Education Support Officer. “Your students were truly fantastic! So polite, such great questions and insight.”Overall, the excursion was a valuable and inspiring experience that reinforced the relevance of our studies and gave students a clearer understanding of how justice is administered in Victoria.
Magistrates’ Court:
Recently, we took 25 Year 11 Legal Studies students to the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court as part of our current unit on criminal sanctions. After hopping off the bus, the group met with a registrar who introduced us to Magistrates Tara Harnett. Tara spoke to the group about the reasons people commit crimes and end up in court and also shared many stories of her time as a legal practitioner and Magistrates’. The students then had a chance to visit several court rooms to witness hearings in regard to several summary and indictable trials. Throughout this process, students were exposed to the real-life application of law and were encouraged to reflect on their own decision-making.
Oil Painting with Ms Williams
During Semester 1, Year 11 Art Making and Exhibiting students are exploring painting and drawing artforms for Outcome 1 with Ms Williams. Students enjoyed creating a cherry appropriation and their own exploration in oil paint.
Students are able to choose which art form they will work with for Outcome 2 and many students have chosen oil paint. Due to a high interest in oil painting, Ms Williams began running an oil painting art club every Wednesday in the K10 art room.
This is open to all year levels and will run for the rest of the year. Students have been enjoying learning oil painting skills in a creative and inclusive space.
Ms Williams is very excited to see students grow their oil painting knowledge and skills.
Y9 Excursion: German Film & Restaurant
As part of our current Year 9 German unit Guten Appetit!, students had the opportunity to immerse themselves in German culture on an exciting excursion to the city on Friday, 16 May. We began the day at the Palace Cinema, where students watched the award-winning German film Sieger Sein (Winners), shown as part of the 2025 German Film Festival in Melbourne. This heartwarming and inspiring movie has received several accolades, including the German Film Award for Outstanding Children or Youth Film and the Teen Screen Competition award at the Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival.
After the film, students enjoyed a delicious meal at Munich Brauhaus, experiencing traditional German dishes firsthand. This cultural outing beautifully complemented our classroom learning and allowed students to explore authentic aspects of German life and cuisine. Our Year 9s should be incredibly proud of the way they represented Brentwood Secondary College, consistently demonstrating our school values of curiosity and responsibility throughout the day.
Host Families for Japanese Students
Our Sister School in Japan, Ono Senior High School, will visit us again in July and we are looking for more male host families to accommodate them for 11 nights.
Why should you host?
This is what some past hosts have to say about their experience-
“It’s a good experience and you can have friends over in Japan.”
“It's a great way to learn about foreign cultures and make lifelong friends”
“ A highlight is learning about Japanese culture and their lifestyle as well as experiencing their excitement for usually mundane Australian things”
“Over just a few weeks, we formed a close bond, and it truly felt like gaining a new sibling. Despite the distance, we still keep in regular contact and call almost every week to share updates about our lives!”
“It's fun and there is nothing wrong with making friends!”
Information Evening
You can find out more about what is involved and ask questions
Wednesday 14th May, 6:30pm in TLC
RSVP to discoverjapan@ms.brentwood.vic.edu.au if you would like to attend.
Expression your interest to host here: https://forms.office.com/r/mUqnGNc72F
🌟 Wellbeing Update – Let’s Get Involved & Stay Connected! 🌟
Dear Students,
Hope you are all settled in well as we are coming into Week 5 of Term 2.
Wellbeing continuously brings along new activities, lunchtimes clubs and campaigns to support your wellbeing, meet new people, and have a bit of fun along the way. Check out what’s happening at school:
🥪 Breakfast Club – Every Wednesday, 8:00–8:30 AMStart your day right! Come along to the Breakfast Club in front of G3 and it opens to all students. Free food, friendly faces, and a positive start to your day! Please let our team know if you have any dietary restrictions.
🎨 Lunchtime Clubs – Get Involved!
Lunchtimes just got a whole lot more exciting! Join a club that suits your interests:
- 🌈 Rainbow Collective and Allies – A safe, respectful, and supportive space for LGBTQIA+ students and allies every Wednesday during lunchtimes in K13.
- 💻 DigiTech Club – Explore digital skills, gaming, and creative tech every Thursday during lunchtime in G10.
- 👭 Sista Society – Empowering young women through connection and conversation every Thursday during lunchtime in TLC4.
- 🎨 Art Club – Unleash your creativity in a relaxed space every Wednesday during lunchtime in A4.
- 📚 Anime & Manga Club – Chat, draw, and connect over your favourite anime and manga every Friday during lunchtime in TLC4.
These clubs are a great way to de-stress, try something new, and connect with others who share your interests.
💪 The Push-Up Challenge – Wednesday, June 4th during lunchtime!
We’re taking on the Push-Up Challenge to raise awareness for mental health. Whether you can do 5 or 50, it’s about showing support and having a go. Please do not stress of having to do push-up as you can do other exercise options that you feel more comfortable with including squats, sit-ups, cobra pose, etc.
Please come and see us at the West Courtyard. We will be having push-up challenges, donation box, and everyone participating will be getting a mental health awareness bracelet (we have limited quantity, so come, participate, and grab yours!)
We will also do House Competition and top three winners from each House will win a prize from us.
You can register early by clicking on the link below:
Banksia House:
https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraiser/banksiahouse/the-push-up-challenge
Jacaranda House:
https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraiser/JacarandaHouse/the-push-up-challenge
Waratah House:
www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraisers/waratahhouse/the-push-up-challenge
Wattle House:
www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraisers/wattlehouse/the-push-up-challenge
Remember, wellbeing isn't just about mental health – it's about feeling connected, supported, and balanced. There’s something for everyone, so step in, show up, and take care of you.
See you there!
Wellbeing 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.
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
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.
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