Around The College  

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey

On the 6th–7th of August, our four Bronze Duke of Edinburgh groups headed to Bunyip State Park for our Practice Adventurous Journey. Over two days, we challenged ourselves with long hikes, navigation, camping and plenty of teamwork along the way. 

Across the journey, each group walked between 15 to 20 kilometres while navigating the trails and carrying everything we needed for the trip. The hikes were definitely challenging, especially with the steep inclines and the final hills, which tested everyone’s determination! Despite the occasional rain, we also enjoyed some sunny weather and beautiful surroundings throughout the journey. 

After a long day of hiking, we worked together to set up our tents, prepare dinner and organise our campsites. One of the highlights of the trip was sitting around the campfire with marshmallows. It gave everyone a chance to relax, have a laugh and bond with people from our groups outside of the usual school environment. 

Although the journey was physically demanding, it was also a great opportunity to develop our navigation, camping and teamwork skills. We learnt how important it is to support each other, stay positive when things get difficult and keep going even when we were tired. 

Overall, the Bunyip State Park journey was a memorable experience for all four Bronze groups. We are proud of what we achieved and are looking forward to putting everything we learnt into practice for our qualifying Adventurous Journey! 

Violet Scarlett, Kaia Woods and Tanuja Kalambur – 

2026 Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Students

German Immersion Camp 

The Year 10–12 German students from Brentwood Secondary College and Box Hill High School recently participated in a three-day German Immersion Camp, providing them with a valuable opportunity to develop their language skills in an engaging and authentic environment.

Throughout the camp, students practised their German speaking skills and took part in activities designed to support their preparation for upcoming assessments and examinations. They also participated in a variety of collaborative activities, team-building challenges and games, while exploring different aspects of German culture. A key feature of the camp was that activities and communication were conducted in German, encouraging students to use the language confidently and meaningfully beyond the classroom.

A particular highlight of the camp was a workshop delivered by the Goethe-Institut Melbourne, which provided students with an additional opportunity to engage with German language and culture. Students also participated in a separate AI workshop, where they explored how AI agents can be used as a tool to practise for the VCE German oral assessment, including responding to questions spontaneously and developing greater confidence in their spoken German.

he three days provided a wonderful combination of learning, cultural immersion, collaboration and fun. Students supported one another, took risks with their language learning and made the most of every opportunity to communicate in German. The camp was a fantastic experience for strengthening both their German language skills and their connections with fellow German students.

From the Languages Faculty - German

Monash Youth Leadership Awards - Tom Stackhouse  

As part of Tom’s Duke of Edinburgh Award, Tom has been volunteering as a Cub Leader with the Mulgrave Scout Group, where he has become a valued member of the leadership team. 

Tom has developed a wonderful rapport with the Cubs, who respond positively to his enthusiasm, patience and willingness to get involved. Whether supporting an individual Cub to learn a new skill or taking responsibility for planning and running activities for the whole group, Tom consistently demonstrates maturity, initiative and responsibility. 

Tom has also become a trusted member of the leadership team, with other leaders relying on him to help plan and deliver activities. He particularly enjoys sharing the skills and knowledge he has developed through Scouts and his outdoor experiences, adapting his approach to ensure younger Cubs can understand and enjoy the experience. 

Tom's commitment and contribution have clearly made an impact, with Mulgrave Scout Group nominating him for the Monash Youth Leadership Award in recognition of his leadership and contribution to the local community. 

On the 20th August, Tom attended the Monash Youth Leadership Awards presentation evening, celebrating the achievements of young people who are making a positive difference in their communities. 

Congratulations, Tom! We are incredibly proud of the leadership, commitment and service you are demonstrating through your Duke of Edinburgh journey.  

Tracey Cain 

Gold Duke of Edinburgh

BSC Study Culture Club

Brentwood Secondary College is excited to offer students the opportunity to attend the BSC Study Culture Club. Students who want to improve their study habits will learn and apply strategies that are scientifically shown to work. The aim of the BSC Study Culture Club will be to help students:

• Become more independent in their learning.
• Deal with blockers to learning.
• Improve their revision strategies.
• Learn effective memory and recall techniques.
• Build focus and improve attention.
• Develop their own bank of strategies that works for them.
• Take more effective notes when organizing and memorizing information.
• Be more organized.

When + Where: Week A Mondays after school 3:15pm - 4pm & Week B Wednesday lunchtimes in TLC 4

Who: Ms. Gallos

Nectaria Gallos

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. 

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