From the Principal's Desk

Athletics Carnival

On Monday 18 May, Nossal travelled to Casey Fields in Cranbourne for our annual House Athletics Carnival. The weather on the day was less than ideal, with conditions remaining cool and unsettled throughout. To their credit, students and staff pulled together and did not let this dampen the occasion, and the day proceeded smoothly from start to finish.

The standard of competition across the program was varied but generally high. It was pleasing to see students give their best across a wide range of track and field events, and to do so with a strong sense of fairness and good sportsmanship. Whether competing for individual placings or contributing points to their House, students approached each event with genuine effort and the right spirit.

House spirit was very much in evidence. There was a healthy sense of competitiveness between the four Houses, but this was matched throughout the day by students encouraging and supporting one another, including their rivals. Carnivals of this kind are valuable precisely because they bring the cohort together and allow students to contribute to something larger than themselves, and this was clearly on display at Casey Fields.

My thanks go to the SRC for successfully running the stalls, which added to the atmosphere of the day. Every student who competed should be commended for their participation and the way they represented their House. Congratulations to Griffin House on a well-earned victory. Finally, my thanks to the PE team, who organised and ran a wonderful day from start to finish.

IDAHOBIT Day

On 17 May, schools and communities around the world marked IDAHOBIT Day — the Day Against LGBTQIA+ Discrimination. The day provides an opportunity for schools to affirm their commitment to being safe, inclusive and respectful environments for every member of the community, and to recognise the importance of students feeling that they belong, regardless of difference.

At Nossal, we marked IDAHOBIT Day on Friday 15 May with a Rainbow Dress Day, with students invited to take part in a free-dress day in support of the cause. It was heartening to see so many students choose to participate and show their support for an inclusive school community. My thanks to everyone who contributed to making the day a positive and welcoming one, especially the SRC and QSA who worked to organise the day among the community.

Nossal Week

From 15 to 22 May, our school came alive with Nossal Week — our annual celebration of school culture and all the things that make this community what it is. Organised by the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the School Captains, the week was a wonderful celebration of our school, with events running each day to recognise the many different and diverse elements of life at Nossal. It was, quite simply, a fantastic week.

The celebrations began on Friday 15 May with a Staff versus Students Family Feud activity. The atmosphere was tremendous, with students turning out in force to support their teams. Our staff teams competed admirably, but in the end they were no match for the students' breadth of general knowledge — particularly when the students themselves were the group being surveyed. It was a humbling and very entertaining reminder of just how out of touch we staff can be with the things our students know best.

We also folded the Athletics Carnival into the spirit of the week, with a sausage sizzle adding to the occasion. On Tuesday 19 May, the Jazz Ensemble performed during recess to an appreciative crowd, and our Production team gave the school an exciting preview of their upcoming staging of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in the Courtyard. The School Captains also organised a series of activities to be completed during Nossal time, thoughtfully designed to bring different groups across the school together.

Thursday 21 May brought still more to enjoy. There was an excellent choir performance at recess, an open mic session at lunch that showcased the confidence and talent of our students, and a fairy floss stall run by the School Captains. Each of these was very well supported by students and staff alike, and the energy around the school throughout the day was a pleasure to see.

For many, the highlight came on Friday 22 May with the Lip Sync Battle hosted by the SRC. While there was some good-natured conjecture about the final verdict, every student and staff team performed with real gusto and threw themselves wholeheartedly into the occasion. 

Congratulations to all who took part — it was a memorable way to round out the week.

Once again, my sincere thanks go to the SRC and the School Captains for the enormous effort they put into organising Nossal Week. It is a major event each year, and it is genuinely heartening to see how many of our students care so deeply about this school, and how the whole community comes together to celebrate it. My thanks also go to Ms Fiona De Zylva for her support in organising the event.

Autumn Concert

On Wednesday 27 May, the school community came together for our annual Autumn Concert, a showcase of the musical talent we are fortunate to have at Nossal. The evening featured a range of bands, ensembles and solo performances, reflecting the breadth of what our Music program has to offer. 

Concerts of this kind represent many hours of rehearsal and dedication, and my thanks go to Ms Clare Budd and the Music team for their work in preparing our students and bringing the evening together. It was a wonderful night of music, and a fitting celebration of our students' efforts.

Attitude To School Survey

The annual Attitude to School Survey was conducted on Wednesday 20 May, providing invaluable insight into the student experience here at Nossal. This data is used to determine priorities and actions to continually improve Nossal High School. We were very pleased with the participation rate and look forward to sharing the insights gained.

Digital Delivery Day

We also held our Digital Delivery Day on Monday 25 May, with students learning from home and engaging with their lessons online through the Teams environment. Days of this kind give students valuable practice in managing their own learning in an online setting — a skill that will serve them well in their later studies, including at university, where independent and digitally delivered learning is increasingly common. My thanks go to Mr Stuart Fankhauser for coordinating the day, and to all of our teachers who prepared engaging lessons to make the experience a meaningful one for students.

Year 9 Wellbeing Workshops

Our Year 9 students also took part in a series of wellbeing workshops last Thursday 21 May, delivered by Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Woman, facilitated in separate gender-based groups. These programs are designed to help young people explore their sense of self, build emotional literacy, and develop deeper connection and empathy with their peers, while encouraging them to reflect on the expectations and stereotypes that can shape young men's and young women's lives. The workshops were a success, and were particularly valuable in fostering stronger connections between students within the Year 9 cohort at an important stage of their time at Nossal. My thanks go to our Wellbeing team for organising the sessions.

School Production - Twelfth Night

I am pleased to remind families that our school production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night opens next week. Our students have been rehearsing for some time, and from all reports it promises to be a wonderful show. My thanks go to Mr John Ninis, Ms Vaani Guruparan and Ms Sarah Tchantcho for their work in supporting the production, along with all the students involved. Tickets can be purchased via https://www.trybooking.com/DKBYJ.We encourage families to come along and support our talented students.

A moment of gratitude

You may have noticed that the theme of this update was largely about the involvement of many of our student clubs and societies in the showcase of events. As we celebrate our students' enthusiastic embrace of every aspect of life at the school, we would also like to acknowledge the fact that these Clubs and Societies, like many of the other enriching elements of our school life, are supported in part through the contributions of those parents who have been able and willing to commit to their parent contributions (i.e. fees). Without this very concrete assistance, events like these would not be possible.