Principal's Report
Student Achievement
Last week, our Indonesian language learners from Years 8 to 10 had the incredible opportunity to participate in an immersive school visit from Indonesia.
Over the course of three days, students from Global Prestasi School in Jakarta visited our school. During their stay, they were paired with a buddy from our school to participate in class. This cultural exchange not only gave our students a valuable chance to strengthen their cross-cultural understanding but also allowed them to experience first-hand the practical benefits of learning a foreign language. It was a unique opportunity to put their language skills to use while gaining a deeper appreciation for Indonesian culture and traditions. The accompanying photos attest to this.
For our Indonesian visitors, this experience provided a wonderful opportunity to engage with Australian life and school culture. They participated in various school activities and gained insight into the day-to-day life of an Australian student, all while practising their English skills and sharing their own cultural experiences.
We were honoured by a visit from the Consul General of Indonesia, Bapak Kuncono Waseso. He gave an inspiring speech about the significance of fostering cross-cultural connections and the importance of continuing to nurture the relationship between Australia and one of our closest neighbours – Indonesia. His speech highlighted the importance of such cultural exchanges in strengthening the bonds between our two nations.
I would like to congratulate and thank Matthew Artherton and Tika Sartika for their organisation of this event and for the hard work they put in to making sure that everything ran smoothly and that every student’s experience was exceptionally positive. We look forward to future opportunities to deepen these international ties and continue learning from each other.
Below is a testimonial from Max Delaney (Year 10, Everard House), outlining his experience of the visit:
“I have had an incredible experience while participating in the student exchange program over the past few days. Throughout this opportunity, I deepened my knowledge about Indonesia's rich culture. I got to meet my 'buddy', Jose, whom I got to know, and learn from. I got the chance to take Jose to my classes, even my food technology class, in which we prepared risotto together. I feel so lucky to be able to have participated in this one-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I hope this program continues at Eltham High School.”
Community Kick-off Event
The annual Community Kick-off event run by our local member of parliament; Vicki Ward MP took place on Monday 3 March. This was an opportunity for various community group members to come together and kick off 2025 and look forward to the year ahead.
Eltham High School was represented by two of our young leaders Kris Van Der Kamp (Year 12, Pakana House) and Jake Wilson (Year 11, Skipper House). The following is an account of the evening written by Kris:
“On Monday 3rd of March, Jake and I attended the Community Kick-off event at Vicki Ward’s offices. The event was an opportunity to get to know and catch up with members of various different community groups. The school captains from Montmorency Secondary College also attended, and talking to them discovering how aspects of our school leadership programs differed and were the same was really good. Vicki Ward also said some inspiring words about how important it is to come together as a community, and the importance of connection in building a safe and welcoming community.”
A big thank you to Kris and Jake for their attendance and for representing our school and community so admirably.
STEAM Centre Development
The STEAM Centre Development is getting off the ground. On Tuesday 11 March the contractors will be starting to set up their compound on the back oval. They will fence off the area with some temporary fencing to begin with and then start planning for the movement of the relocatable buildings in order to vacate the site for the new building.
These are exciting times for us all and it will be good to see the building come to live over the next few months.
I will keep you updated on the development.
School Athletics Carnival
The School Swimming Carnival on Friday 21 February was a great success and we are now in the final preparation for the School Athletics Carnival which will take place on Thursday 13 March.
Once again, I remind parents/carers that the Athletics Carnival is also a school-based event and all students are expected to attend and encouraged to dress in their House colours (Everard – Yellow, Pakana – Blue, Skipper – Green, Toner – Red).
For the Year 7 students this will be their first experience of an EHS athletics carnival and as such they are encouraged to participating in as many events as possible and make the day a real success for themselves as well as their peers.
For the Year 12s, the class of 2025, this will be their last Athletics Carnival and their last opportunity to participate and celebrate together with their peers, teachers and support staff. Usually, a great deal of effort goes into the design and construction of some very creative outfits for the day, of course reflecting the House colours.
All Year 8, 9 and 10 students are encouraged to participate in the day and to support their House and peers.
There has been a great deal of work put into the organisation of this day and I wish to thank Bree Pascoe for her leadership and thank all the staff that have supported Bree to make sure that the day proceeds well and that everyone has the opportunity to participate and truly enjoy the day.
I remind parents that students will not be allowed to leave early on the day from the pool. Staff will not be engaging in phone conversations with parents to gain permission for their child to leave early, they have other duties to fulfil.
Any early dismissal or dismissal from the track at the end of the event must be organised before the day via written communication to the relevant sub-school team leader:
Junior School: Kathryn Boysen kathryn.boysen@education.vic.gov.au
Middle School: Erin Knight erin.knight@education.vic.gov.au
Senior School: Orianne Megaloudis orianne.megaloudis@education.vic.gov.au
Reminders
Staff Work Hours:
Parents/carers and students are reminded that regular work hours for staff are 8:30am - 4:30pm. Staff are not available to respond to emails outside of regular work hours.
You are at liberty to send an e-mail at your convenience, but please be aware that it will not be responded to immediately if it is outside of the regular work hours. However, your email will be responded to within 48 hours from the first workday that it is received.
Thank you for your understanding.
Should you require immediate assistance with a matter of concern, please contact these external services:
Telephone or Webchat Support for Young People:
1800 55 1800
Parents/Carers Support:
13 22 89
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/serviceprofiles/parentline-service
The following link takes you to the Eltham High School staff emails and Coordinator list for 2025.
School Drop Off and Pick Up Times:
I remind all parents and guardians, and inform new parents and carers to the school, that student safety is always the primary consideration including both drop off time and pick up times.
Whilst traffic seems to flow smoothly through the circular driveway of the school at the start of the day, there seems to be greater congestion at pick up time in the afternoon.
The circular driveway is to be used purely for drop off and pick up.
There is very little parking available within the school grounds between the following time (8:00 – 10:00am and 2:00 – 4:00pm). “No Standing Anytime” signs are located within the school, and it is important that parents/guardians adhere to these. Furthermore, double parking is illegal in the street and within the school grounds, it causes further congestion, which in turn impinges on student safety.
We will be enforcing the use of the circular driveway purely for drop off and pick up of students.
As you move into the circular driveway, if your child is not at the front of the school you will need to exit the driveway and re-enter. You may need to do this more than once. Alternatively, it is advisable that you organise with your child another location for pick up.
As always, we will continue to expect everyone to abide by road and safety laws and procedures as they move through the driveway. The same applies at the Ely Street end of the school. Staff parking on the street is now minimal and this means that there is space for drop off and pick up. Please do not park in residents’ driveways. No parents are to drive into the school driveway or park in it or across it. This is the only avenue that students have to get to and from the school buses and we must be vigilant for their safety.
Subsequently, it is imperative that everyone behaves in a lawful and safe way out in Withers Way, Susan Street, Bell Street and Ely Street. We have informed the traffic division of the Shire of Nillumbik of the school’s strategy, and it is possible that the Ranger’s office may act against people who disregard road and safety laws out in the streets. Likewise, the police will patrol the area at these peak times, and they will not hesitate to reprimand and fine if necessary.
I trust that you will understand the need for this direction, and I ask you for your continued support to ensure the safety of our kids.
If you do use the drop off and pick up zone on Withers Way, can you please direct your children to cross the road at the school crossing both on arrival and on their departure from school. We certainly do not want students crossing the road in front of oncoming cars and placing themselves at risk.
Thank you for your support with this matter.
VINCENT SICARI, Principal