From the Principals' Desk 

Speech Night 2023

After months of planning and rehearsal, Speech Night, held on Tuesday 28 November, at the Melbourne Town Hall, celebrated the “joy of learning.” The orator for the evening was Professor Rachel Webster, a leading Australian astrophysicist and Victoria’s first and Australia’s second full time female physics professor. Her significant career and research accomplishments are based in the field of astronomy, complemented by her work outside astrophysics, particularly on climate change and alternative power. Our school community celebrated the achievements of students and staff in the presence of a sold-out audience. There were several volunteers and staff who have served our school community and were honoured during the event. Congratulations to all the award winners. 

We thank Ms Clare Budd and the instrumental music team for their preparation with the String Orchestra, Big Band, and Wind Symphony. The evening commenced with the Year 9s performing “Keep the Beat,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the National Anthem, and our school song “Embrace the Challenge.” The Wind Symphony conducted by Ms Sally Haworth performed “Queen in Concert,” arranged by Jay Bocock. The String Orchestra, which Mr Liam Cullen conducted, performed “Perpetuum Vigorem,” arranged by Stephen Chin, and the Big Band performed the lively “Manteca” by Dizzy Gillespie, Walter Fuller, and Luciano Pozo Gonzalez and arranged by Michael Sweeny. 

Nossal Volunteer Service Awards

An important award made during the Speech Night ceremonies was the 2023 Volunteer Service Awards. This award is made to members of the Nossal community who have made a substantial contribution to the school over an extended period and exemplify the Nossal philosophy of being involved, ethical, and respectful and showing pride and enthusiasm for the school. 

We recognised the work of:

Dr John Inns

Dr Inns has been a supportive parent in the Nossal community since 2017, when his son, Max, began in Year 9. He was elected to the Nossal High School Council, where he served for seven years, the past five years in the role as School Council President. John has been a proactive voice for the school on many projects, the most notable being the Sir Gustav bronze statue project, which was recently unveiled at the front of the school to welcome guests. Dr Inns, thank you for your tireless contribution and service to the school. 

We also recognised the service of several long serving Nossal staff members. 

Ian Pegram

Ian Pegram was a Foundation staff member of Nossal High School who has made significant contributions to the school community, not only as an exceptionally able Maths teacher but also in fulfilling many roles, including Maths Domain Leader, member of the Operations Committee, and briefly as the Director of VCE. Ian encompasses the true meaning of the term “Embrace the Challenge’, being a positive role model in the community and an upstanding Nossal citizen through his early adoption of ICT innovations, his dedication to the Nossal cricket teams, his willingness to attend significant events such as the various formal, Valedictory dinners, Moto Grand Prix as an avid photographer and as the “music man” at the House Carnivals. We wish him well in his retirement.

Diane Latham

Diane Latham joined Nossal High School in its third year as a Senior Biology teacher, bringing a breadth of experience, both subject and Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority-related. Diane was the Science Domain leader for many years, overseeing the development of a significantly large program at the school. She assumed the role of mentor for many colleagues, particularly younger staff, supporting their understanding of content, different pedagogies, and assessment. Diane continues to be highly committed to her students, looks after the well-being of staff, and organises the coffee trucks and other events to keep morale high. Diane, thank you for your contributions to the Nossal community, and enjoy the benefits of retirement. 

Katherine Warriner

Katherine arrived at Nossal High School in its third year. She had significant experience teaching Chemistry across different educational settings. For the bulk of her time at Nossal High School, Katherine was the Director of VCE and Pathways, using her intricate knowledge of VCAA policy and process to transform this role from a logistical role into a role that focused not only on student academic achievement but also one which supports their wellbeing. Katherine had outstanding oversight of the functioning of the school as a long-term member of the Leadership Team, the final six months in the role as Assistant Principal at Nossal, before securing a substantive Assistant Principal role in setting up the Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES)

Monash Challenge 2023

Our Year 9s have embraced the challenge of undertaking an inquiry-based project at Monash this year. As they gathered material to mount a response to the claim that The Future is not to be feared, there is more to be optimistic about than pessimistic. They attended lectures at Monash on various topics, which allowed them to understand the topic, and then worked together to present their findings using written, oral, and creative forms. Students working in their House groups will be awarded points for their initiative.  Students are working collaboratively on these projects and have bonded more closely while working towards the first Page Cup points for 2024.

SRC Handover

It takes courage to put your hand up for leadership, demonstrating confidence and a strong drive to represent the voice of their peers and to enhance the experience of all students at Nossal High School. At the end of last term, an unprecedented number of students applied for a formal leadership position, and we would like to congratulate all students for taking up the opportunity. Even those who were not successful were able to develop invaluable skills in writing an application, making a speech in front of their peers, or participating in an interview. While we congratulate all those who were successful, we encourage others to continue to find ways to get involved in the school community. 

The 2023 SRC has been very active, successfully worked on several projects, and learned the importance of voice and agency. Members of this group have embraced the challenges and laid the ground for some incredible new developments in the future. On Wednesday 29 November, the students elected for 2024 worked with the SRC from 2023 on planning for the new year. The team looked closely at the Nossal High School SRC constitution, intending to develop a more sustainable leadership model. The SRC wants to have a genuine impact on the school community, and they are very keen to hear from all members of the school community. They intend to have regular meetings to allow students to make suggestions and pose questions to the group. The more experienced team members will also have a more formal way of mentoring the newly elected members of the SRC.

We are very grateful to Ms Julie Ward and also to Ms Lucy Bonham for their work during 2023. The students were excited to be working with Ms Jane Denman in 2024, who will oversee the operations of this group.  

Terry Bennett Cup 2023

The Terry Bennett Cup is a competition between the Year 9s from Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory. This year, it was decided that this would be a House competition, which meant that Garuda worked with Blackwood (Blue House), Griffin with Rothwell (Orange House), Pegasus with Cotterell (Green House), Pheonix with Kororoit (Red House). On Friday 1 December 2023, ninety-nine Nossal High School students travelled to Werribee to collaborate with the Suzanne Cory students. They participated in several activities ranging from Volleyball, Soccer, and Chess to Giant Jenga, Mario Kart, and MasterChef. The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves during the day. The 2023 Terry Bennett Cup was won by Pheonix/ Kororoit. Congratulations to Red House for their participation, enthusiasm, and willingness to get involved.  Thank you to all the teachers who planned, prepared and ran all the events during the day.

We are very grateful to Mr Kevin Leong for the months of planning and preparation that he did for this event. Running an event like this, encompassing two schools, took time and energy. Thank you, Mr Leong.

Welcome to our Year 9s.

Our incoming Year 9s will be the Class of 2027. It will be lovely to meet them on Orientation Day, which this year will be held on Tuesday 5 December. We congratulate them all for achieving a place at our school. 

During their orientation day students will engage in a number of activities, such as a Scavenger Hunt, which have been designed to provide them with a brief but memorable introduction to Nossal. We look forward to working with the students early next year during iWeek, when they will find that there is more to discover about our school!

Our new parents will be welcomed by our Acting Principal Ms Tracey Mackin, Ms Fiona Vanstan and Ms Fiona De Zylva. Ms Vanstan and Ms De Zylva will inform the parents about our programs, processes, and expectations. One of the key ideas will focus on the importance of communication between parents and the school. We encourage our families to let us know in advance so that we can be proactive about supporting our students. If there are any medical reports or the students need some additional support, please let us know. 

There is no issue that we cannot help with. Please do not hesitate to contact me at fiona.dezylva@nossalhs.vic.edu.au

PFA Book and Uniform Sale 

We sincerely thank the many members of our excellent Parents and Friends Association (PFA) who spent Saturday 18 November selling uniforms and books to raise funds to support and assist the school. They had a very successful and enjoyable day, and we are very grateful for their enthusiasm, dedication, and assistance. 

We remind you that the next sale will be on Orientation Day - Tuesday 5 December.

It is nearly the end of another extraordinarily busy year at Nossal High School. As the year draws to a close, we ask that all students take the time to rest, relax and revive during the break. They are encouraged to complete any tasks early and find ways to relax. They are used to getting up early they can sleep in during the break.  They should disconnect from technology and treat themselves to something they enjoy doing. Whether it is reading novels, writing poetry, walking, watching their favourite television series again, we encourage students to take advantage of their chances to unwind and do whatever takes their fancy! I look forward to working with them in 2024.