Junior School

Year 7 Camp

Our Year 7 students recently returned from an unforgettable camp experience at Phillip Island, and what an incredible few days it was!  

From the moment we arrived, there was a wonderful sense of excitement and togetherness.  Camp provided the perfect opportunity for students to strengthen friendships, form new connections and continue building the strong sense of belonging that has already become a hallmark of this year level.

One of the highlights was our visit to Clip ‘n Climb, where students quite literally rose to the challenge on the “Stairway to Heaven.”  It was inspiring to watch them cheer each other on, offering encouragement and celebrating every success — whether that meant reaching the very top or simply pushing themselves to try.  Their support for one another was a true reflection of the positive spirit of the group.

There was plenty of laughter during Frisbee Golf, with students enthusiastically tossing frisbees and enjoying some friendly competition.   That evening, we were fortunate to witness the magic of the Phillip Island Penguin Parade.  Seeing the little penguins make their way ashore was a special experience for everyone.  Later, under a spectacular clear sky, students spent time star gazing — the brilliance of the stars away from city lights was simply breathtaking.

Surfing was another definite highlight.   Many students stepped outside their comfort zones, showing resilience and determination as they tackled the waves.  Their willingness to have a go and encourage their peers was fantastic to see.

A visit to Churchill Island Heritage Farm offered a hands-on glimpse into the past. Students cracked whips, tried their hand at milking a cow and learned more about life on a working farm.  The experience was both educational and thoroughly entertaining!

To top it all off, we stopped at the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory, where students created their own chocolate treats — a sweet way to conclude a wonderful camp.  Our final wildlife encounters with pelicans and stingrays provided a calm and memorable ending to a busy few days.

Throughout the camp, our Year 7 students demonstrated enthusiasm, courage, kindness and gratitude.  They represented the school beautifully and should be very proud of the way they supported one another and embraced every opportunity.

Camp Quotes!

7 Purple Gwenevieve C

I had the funnest time and probably the highlight was the boogie boarding and Churchill farm.

7 Purple Matilda G

I had the best time ever at camp and it was probably the best school camp that I’ve been on and a highlight for me was the Clip n Climb because it was really fine.

7 Purple Eva T

I had a really fun time at camp doing the surfing it was a good experience to get out and play with your friends I also made a lot of new friends 

It was a joy to share this experience with them, and we look forward to many more adventures together throughout the year.   

Dr Bryce Dermody

Year 7 Wellbeing Leader

Year 8 Wellbeing

The Whyte Building corridors are buzzing once again as our Year 8 cohort returns with a renewed sense of energy and purpose.  While Year 7 was about finding their feet, Year 8 is all about finding their stride.

The start of the year has brought a wave of exciting changes.  Students have settled into their new mentor groups, providing a fantastic opportunity to forge fresh friendships and strengthen the bonds within the year level.   It has also been wonderful to see the students connecting with their new teachers, especially their Mentor Group teachers Ms Atkins, Ms Lin and Ms Joulian.

However, the most exciting change to Year 8 is the new Positive Education Program.  Pos Ed, as it is affectionately called by the students, is a series of classes that students undertake with their Mentor Group and Mentor Group Teacher.   The students will be led through the program which touches on aspects of Learning to Learn.  Essentially, students are introduced to concepts that will build their study skills.  So far, students have learnt about how learning takes place through long-term memory and why retrieval practice is so important.  To accompany this, they have also sat down and completed some goal setting.  I cannot wait to see some of these be achieved throughout 2026!

Students have also been busy in Extended Mentor Group.  Term 1 has been focused on friendship and belonging.  So, to aid the students in their growing friendships, the Year 8 cohort were lucky enough to have an incursion with Kosta from Bully Zero.  Kosta came by to chat to us about the importance of our words.  He spoke about how the words we say to one another can inspire, heal and uplift us or they can hurt, exclude and divide us.  This session really highlighted to the Year 8’s how language is powerful and we should communicate in a way that fosters respect, inclusion and kindness. 

Student Spotlight

Congratulations to Matilda P in 8 Red!   Matilda was lucky enough to be selected to represent the state of Victoria in the Under 14’s Netball team.  From14 - 21 February, Matilda and her team took part in the Indoor National Championships in Queensland.  The team played their way to the semi finals which is an outstanding effort as they were up against nine other national teams.

Well done, Matilda!

Ms Aleesha Jansen

Year 8 Wellbeing Leader

Sphero Bolt in Action! 

In Week 4 this term, 8 Red were excited to begin their Sphero Bolt topic in Digital Technologies.  Sphero Bolt is a programmable robotic ball that helps students learn coding through hands-on challenges and creative problem-solving.

Students have been highly engaged in class so far.  They have been working in pairs or small groups of three as they explore a range of robot challenges, such as programming their robots to play sounds and drive in a square.  Students have even begun exploring more advanced functions, such as 'on collision event', where the collision event causes BOLT to stop, change its colour and roll back the other way.

It has been wonderful to see many students going even further and completing extension tasks!  One of the highlights has been watching students develop their problem-solving skills through trial and error, adjusting their programs to help their robots perform at their best.

I look forward to seeing their final work once we begin the final project. Well done, everyone!

Ms Betty Lin

Technology Learning Leader - IT