From the Principal's Desk

House Performing Arts Festival

This is the theme for House Performing Arts Festival 2026 — Every Operation Counts — and as I write this report, it is very much alive in the corridors of Nossal. Our students are busily preparing for the House Performing Arts Festival on Tuesday 11 August, and the energy is unmistakable. The sound of whole-house songs and the sight of sets being painted and properties being built spilling into our corridors is a wonderful reminder that excitement has been building over the past four weeks. Every rehearsal, every brushstroke, every detail has counted — and we are confident that the festival will be a true reflection of the talent, dedication and collective spirit of our students. 

We are so looking forward to the joy of this event. Tickets have been selling quickly, so if you have not yet secured yours, please do so as soon as possible. Purchase your tickets today.

Course Confirmation

Course Confirmation was held on Wednesday 29 July. We extend our sincere thanks to our staff for the targeted advice they provided to students and families in the weeks leading up to the day, and for their support as students made their subject selections for 2026. For some students, their pathway is clear; for others, the decision may still feel uncertain. We encourage all students and families to remember that choosing subjects you enjoy and are good at is always the best guide — these are the areas where students are most likely to thrive. We would also remind students that exploring a subject for a semester is a valuable learning experience in itself. No time spent learning is ever wasted, and every subject helps develop skills that will serve students well into the future.

Student Leadership for 2027

At Nossal High School, student leadership is not simply a title — it is a genuine opportunity for young people to develop their leadership skills and create meaningful change. There are rich and varied leadership pathways available to students across all year levels, ensuring every student has the chance to develop their voice, confidence, and capacity to make a difference.

Our School Captains are Year 12 students who lead and support student leaders across the school. Working closely with staff, students, and the Principal Team, they advocate for the student body, influence decision-making, and create authentic opportunities for student voice in all aspects of school life. This year, our Year 11 students have had the exciting opportunity to express their interest in this important role, with applications closing on Friday 7 August 2026. The selection process involves an interview, followed by a shortlisting stage where candidates deliver a speech to the school community on one of our core Nossal Values — a powerful and meaningful experience in itself. The broader student community then has the opportunity to vote for their Captains, ensuring the process is truly representative.

Beyond the School Captaincy, there are many ways for students to step into leadership. Students may apply to become House Captains or to lead a Domain such as English, Music, Science and others. 

Our Student Representative Council (SRC) provides another important avenue for initiative and advocacy. A particularly exciting recent development is our Nossal Student Advisory Group, in which six students are currently working alongside the Curriculum and Pedagogy team to drive positive change in all aspects of school life — a wonderful opportunity for genuine student agency in learning. At Nossal, we are deeply committed to supporting our young leaders to develop the skills, confidence, and influence they need to shape our school community for the better.

Casey Youth Climate Conference

A small group of Nossal students recently participated in the Casey Youth Climate Conference, organised by the local council. Students attended several workshops focused on topics including Climate Communications, Enviro Volunteering, The Adaptation Game (TAG), and Living Culture. It was also wonderful to see a number of Nossal alumni contributing their knowledge and expertise to these conversations.

Students had the opportunity to engage with an impressive range of industry professionals, including Kay Taranto (Wildlife Rescue), Hudson Fraser (Aboriginal Culture Guide), Rachel Batley (Clyde Road Upgrade Environment Manager), Georgie Puschner (Dolphin Research Institute), Amelia Pearson (Climate Communications), Hakel Wex (Parks Victoria), Oscar Howard (Upparel Industrial Designer), Billy Fellows (Transport Planner), and Arushi Gupta (Materials Engineering Student and Plastic Researcher). The students who participated in this event will be wonderful environmental advocates within our school community.

Nossal Environmental and Sustainability Event — Wednesday 12 August

The Nossal Environmental and Sustainability Team has planned an exciting event for students in the local area on Wednesday 12 August, centred around the theme Discover. Connect. Grow. The day will focus on the major environmental crises impacting our world today, with two guest speakers addressing key issues. Students will also take part in activities including an Environmental Murder Mystery, Tree Planting, Eco Shark Tank, and Environmental Trivia. We look forward to sharing more about this event in our next newsletter.

Supporting Your Senior Student in Term 3

Term 3 is often the most demanding period of the year for senior students, with SACs, assessments and trial examinations all placing significant demands on their time and energy. Pacing is essential to prevent burnout and maintain consistent performance.

Leading psychologist Andrew Fuller notes that Term 3 is the time when motivation can slump — when, as he puts it, "the get-up-and-go has got up and gone." He stresses that rather than waiting to feel motivated, senior students need to rely on a structured study system. He also recommends that students boost their energy and focus by maintaining balance: prioritising good sleep, nutritious food, and spending time outdoors in the sunlight when possible.

A practical tip for our Nossal students: paying close attention in class and noting what teachers repeat does much of the heavy lifting during the school day, saving considerable time at home.

As always, there is enormous support available here at Nossal. Your child's tutorial teacher or Head of House is always the first point of contact. For families who would like to read more about how to best support their young person through this term, we highly recommend Andrew Fuller's Parent Website: https://andrewfuller.com.au/free-resources/

Book Week — Week Seven

We look forward to celebrating Book Week in Week Seven (7), with this year's theme being Symphony of Stories. A wonderful range of activities has been organised, including author conversations with Alice Pung and Danielle Binks, as well as a Spelling Bee and writing competitions across a range of categories — poetry, 5 Worders, 50 Worders, and short stories.

Our dress-up day will be held on Monday 24 August, with students encouraged to come dressed as their favourite book character or in multicultural dress. A parade will also be held to celebrate the best-dressed characters, and the creative effort from our students was truly impressive.

We are incredibly grateful to Ms Lal for her passion, hard work and dedication in bringing Book Week to life for our students each year. We encourage all members of our school community to get into the spirit of the week.

Here is the Upcoming Events section for the newsletter:

Upcoming Events

Digital Delivery Day - Wednesday 12 August 

Please note that the day after HPAF, we will be holding a Synchronous Digital Delivery Day commencing at 10:00am. All students are required to be online for Period 2 to complete an important task — their Careers Action Plan.

A Career Action Plan is a dynamic planning document owned and managed by the student. The process involves self-reflection and goal setting, helping students consider their motivations and strengths, choose their goals, clarify the actions needed to achieve them, and commit to participating in planned activities. Annual career action planning creates continuity through each student's secondary school journey, building the knowledge, skills, attitudes and confidence needed to make informed decisions and manage their careers throughout life. Career action planning is required for all students from Years 9 to 12.

NEST Summit - Wednesday 12 August

Curriculum Day - Monday 17 August 

Monday 17 August will be a student-free Curriculum Day. On this day, our focus will be on staff wellbeing.

Science Week - Week of 18 August

City Week Experiences (Year 9) - Wednesday 19 August to Friday 21 August 

Our Year 9 students will be participating in the City Week Experience across these three days.

Year 11 Ball - Friday 28 August 

Book Week - Week 7

We look forward to celebrating Book Week with our school community. Further details to follow.

Father's Day Stall - Monday 31 August 

Our Nossal Parents and Friends Committee will be running a Father's Day stall on Monday 31 August for a few hours in the morning. Cards and small gifts will be available for students to purchase to celebrate their fathers. A lovely way to mark the occasion! 

We encourage our parents to continue to keep checking Compass for more information about upcoming events.