From the Principal
Welcome to a New Year at Northcote High School – and Our Centenary Year
Welcome to a new school year at Northcote High School, and to a very special one as we celebrate our Centenary in 2026. For 100 years, our school has been at the heart of the Northcote community, and this year provides a wonderful opportunity to honour our past while celebrating this year’s events and achievements.
We have had a fantastic start to the school year, with students settling into their new year levels and reconnecting with friends, teachers and the broader school community. A sincere thank you to our Sub-schools and Year Level Captains for their thoughtful planning of welcome assemblies, ensuring every student is ready for the year ahead.
Our Year 7 students made a smooth transition into secondary school, spending their first day with their class teachers learning about the school and our programs. By the end of the day, I hope nerves had eased and that students were already beginning to form connections that may last a lifetime, just as generations of Northcote High School students have done before them. At their Welcome Assembly I read an article published in 1945 where a student was reflecting on their first day of school in 1941 and how at the end of their schooling, they are thankful for their time at NHS. Each newsletter issue, we will share some information or an article from the School Archive, in this issue I have included the article written by the student D.L.M. in 1945; “Vale – NHS” – I hope that you enjoy reading it.
This year, we are excited to build on the success of last year’s full calendar of events, while also weaving our Centenary celebrations throughout the year. Our international partnerships continue to thrive, with planning already underway for our Italian Exchange program. The students from Rome will be arriving this week and we look forward to hosting them and their staff giving them the opportunity to experience Melbourne. Further global learning opportunities in countries such as China and Europe will continue to broaden students’ horizons and reflect our strong tradition of global engagement.
In this issue, I am delighted to share with you an update on the Master planning that we have been undertaking for our new Gymnasium spaces that represents the school’s, and Department’s, ongoing investment in learning for the next generation.
Our School Captains met recently at their first Captains Conference and have already begun planning activities and events for students across the school. Their leadership will play an important role this year, particularly as we celebrate the legacy of student voice and leadership at Northcote High School over the past century.
We are also pleased to welcome new staff members to our teaching team. You will have the opportunity to learn more about them this issue as they introduce themselves to our community. This year, we will continue publishing 3 editions of our newsletter each term. I hope you enjoy reading it and I thank the staff and students that regularly contribute, keeping families up to date with the events and celebrations that we enjoy participating in.
Families of Year 7 and Year 12 students will soon receive details about their welcome events. These are valuable opportunities to connect with teachers and school leaders as we begin this important year together. Our Friends of Northcote Committee is already up and running this year, planning for events and promoting our first event for the year; TalkFest, in this issue, please note the date and let others know about the event.
We look forward to a memorable year of learning, celebration and connection as we mark 100 years of Northcote High School, and I hope to see you at one of our many Centenary and community events throughout the year.
Chris Jones
Principal, Northcote High School