This final week of school our assembly focused on the importance of looking out for one another in our school community. Our student leaders shared powerful messages about standing up for what is right, supporting our peers, and fostering a culture of kindness and respect.

The vocal music group shared two beautiful performances, setting the tone for a meaningful and reflective assembly. Our principal team also reinforced the message of being an upstander, not just in school but in all aspects of life, reminding us that even small actions can make a big difference.

It was a fantastic way to wrap up Term 1, leaving us all inspired and motivated to continue building a positive and inclusive school environment at BSC.

College Captains:

"The theme of today's assembly is upstander behavior. Together, we experience moments every day where we can choose to be an upstander, whether that be speaking up when someone is being treated unfairly or standing by someone who needs support. At the end of the day, it boils down to doing the right thing, no matter what the circumstances are. Throughout today’s assembly, we will learn together what it means to be a true upstander within our school community, and how this creates an environment in which we all feel safe and included.

Being an upstander doesn’t always mean direct confrontation—it can be as simple as offering support to someone in need. A kind word, a listening ear, or standing beside someone who feels alone can make a huge difference. Small actions, like checking in on a friend or reporting harmful behavior, help create a more inclusive and respectful environment.

Individually, we all have the power to be upstanders, and that power comes from our everyday choices. It’s easy to assume that one person’s actions won’t make a difference but change always starts small. When we choose to stand up for what’s right—whether by challenging unfairness or offering quiet support—we set an example for those around us. A single voice can inspire others to speak up, and before long, an entire community shifts toward a culture of respect and inclusivity. Each of us plays a role in shaping the environment we want to be part of.

Being an upstander isn’t just about avoiding negativity; it’s about actively contributing to a better environment. This means choosing to be kind, acknowledging others’ efforts, and creating spaces where people feel heard. A positive community isn’t built by accident—it’s built through everyday actions that reinforce empathy and fairness. Instead of waiting for change, we must become the change. Together, we can make our school a place where everyone feels empowered to be their best."

Principal address - Mr Langham

"Good morning students!

Good morning staff!

Good morning to our parents, carers, and community guests!

Today’s Assembly theme is Upstander Education.

At our last whole-school Assembly, I shared my two key priorities for BSC: SAFETY and LEARNING GROWTH.

Upstander Education directly supports our priority for SAFETY.

When we talk about safety, we mean both physical safety and psychological safety. Psychological safety focuses on your mental health and well-being, and the biggest threats to that are bullying and discrimination.

We have ZERO TOLERANCE for bullying and discrimination here at BSC. This means any instance of bullying or discrimination will be met with serious consequences.

From the start of Term 2, we will be taking a stronger stance on discriminatory behavior. If a student is found to be intentionally discriminatory in any way, their parents will be contacted, and they may face suspension.

I want to be clear about what discriminatory behavior looks like so everyone knows how to avoid it.

Discrimination often shows up as hurtful comments—racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, or any other form of discriminatory language. These can be “jokes” or insults aimed at putting down others.

Discrimination also shows up in actions, like graffiti, imitating or mocking others, throwing objects, or interfering with another student’s belongings.

One particularly common example is when a “joke” is made that’s racist or offensive, and the response is, “It’s ok, they’re my friend.”

Even if it’s your friend, it’s not ok.

Even if your friend laughs, it’s still not ok.

Why am I sharing this with you? Because at BSC, we want everyone to feel safe and be able to enjoy their time here. Our SRC team is leading the charge on Upstander Education, and all of us—staff included—are fully committed to making BSC a safer, more supportive school for everyone.

So while today’s message might feel a bit serious, remember: it’s about making sure you, your friends, and your siblings can have a positive and safe experience at school.

Now, I’d like to invite Niamh and Kat up to speak. Thank you!"

Student Representitive Council address:

"Good morning, students, teachers and parents of Brighton secondary college.

Today, we as SRC co-presidents, Kat and Niamh, want to talk about something very important that affects us all: discrimination. Recently, one of our Student Representative Council members brought to our attention instances of discriminatory behaviour within our school community. This is a concern we cannot ignore, and we are here to deliver this message ‘student-to-student’ because change starts with each of us.

Through data from recent years, it has been shown that only around 40% of students know what to do if they experience racism or discrimination at our school. This is a major concern, and the SRC, as well as student leaders are focused on tackling this issue by making sure that all students are aware of the steps they can take to seek support and address these challenges effectively.

Discrimination can take many forms, whether it’s based on race, gender, abilities, or any other characteristic. It hurts individuals and damages the inclusive environment we strive to create in our school. As students, we must recognize these behaviours and understand that they are unacceptable. By acknowledging the problem, we take the first step toward solving it.

Now, I want to talk about the role of an upstander. An upstander is someone who takes action when they see discrimination or bullying happening. This could mean speaking up against hurtful behaviour, supporting someone who has been targeted, or reporting the incident to a trusted adult. Being an upstander is not about being a hero; it’s about being a responsible member of our community. When someone intervenes, harmful actions often stop quickly.

We are working on providing resources for students who witness or experience discrimination, bullying, or any other issues in our school. One of the steps we are taking is creating posters that will be permanently displayed around the school. These posters will include information on the safety of students in our school, as well as the different resources available for students on what to do if you or someone you know is facing discrimination. All reports of racism or discrimination are being dealt with seriously, and there will be clear consequences for any actions that go against our school values.

As a school community, let’s commit to eliminating any form of discrimination together and create an environment that fosters respect for everyone’s differences. Together, we can create an environment where every student feels safe, valued, and included.

Thank you."

Upstander assembly speech by Mr Chalk, Assistant Principal Student Engagement

"Being an upstander can take many forms and we encourage it here at Brighton Secondary College. It is important for us to celebrate and champion those members of our community who act in a certain way. There are two examples from the past couple of weeks which highlight this behaviour – the students I am about to speak about have lived our values of empathy and teamwork, supporting younger members of our community in their time of need.

Unfortunately, the actions of some people outside of school has led to an increase of unsafe situations for our students. People have been driving without care or consideration for pedestrians, which has led to the two scenarios I am about to speak about. We remind each of you to take extra care when travelling to and from school, either on foot or by bicycle.

Two weeks ago, a student was knocked off their bike before school. A senior BSC student took the time to engage with the member of the public, comfort the student and personally bring him and his bike all the way to the general office to receive further support. The impact on that student and his family was huge.

Just last week, a car driving recklessly hit the bike of a year 7 student, which damaged his bike. The student was understandably shaken up and an older BSC student approached him, offered support and fixed his bike on the spot. While it may have only taken a couple of minutes of his time, the impact on the year 7 student and his family was huge.

These are just two examples of similar actions that are happening every day and we encourage each and every one of you to follow in the footsteps of these students and continue to support fellow members of the BSC community.

House point announcement – Mrs Bolton, Leading Teacher - Student Voice and Leadership

Term 1 has been a big term for both house points and positive postcards. There have already been many more house points issued in this term alone than there was in the whole of last year. This shows that staff at BSC are noticing and celebrating times when you are living our values

We encourage everyone to continue to seek out opportunities to demonstrate our values, just like many of the examples we have seen today. This term, to celebrate your achievements, all students from the winning house will get a free sausage sizzle! Year 12 students can collect their sausage from the BBQ in the yard at the end of period 3, and Year 7-11 students can collect theirs at lunchtime.

So for this term in 4th place are Mabo House with 3829 points, in 3rd place are Brennan House with 4293 points, in second with 4363 is...Kirby, which means the winners of the term 1 sausage sizzle are Goldstein with a huge total if 4863!

Congratulations to all students in Goldstein, please don’t forget to collect and enjoy your free sausage!"

Year 7 Science