Principal's Report

We are delighted to congratulate Lucy and Henry on their excellent performances at the Ringwood Eisteddfod. Henry achieved 3rd place in the Under 16 Classical Voice division, while Lucy was awarded 2nd place in the VCE Voice division for her contemporary program, which also featured an Italian aria. We are incredibly proud of both students for their dedication, musical achievements, and the positive way they represent our school within the wider community.

The 70th Anniversary of Blackburn High School has given our community an opportunity to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and look toward the future. The Student Honour Boards, proudly displayed along the stairwell in the VCE Centre, recognise decades of student excellence. Across the school, learning areas enjoyed reminiscing with students about how different school life was in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. Current families also took the opportunity to join a specialised school tour with a member of the Principal Team from 1–5 June. We look forward to inviting our families again in September. It was also wonderful to see so many of our past music students return to mentor and support our current students, as well as help prepare for the big concert in August.

Preparations are in full swing for the Melbourne Robotics Tournament, that combines the excitement of sport with the rigours of science & technology, that will be held at Blackburn High School in the gymnasium from 9-10 July. Our Blackburn High School Robotics Team are eager to test our robot 9146 against the other robots. Thank you to Mr Metheringham, Ms Hellweg, Ms Love and the parents for supporting our students.

At the conclusion of Semester One, we commend our students for their continued effort, application, stamina, and their outstanding achievement, leadership, and citizenship. Students have worked hard to complete their examinations, CATS (Common Assessed Tasks) for Years 7–10, VCE SACs (School Assessed Coursework), VCE SATs (School Assessed Tasks) and outcomes for VM VCE students.

We encourage parents and carers to reflect on the Semester One reports, which will be published on 26 June, and to celebrate their child’s achievements and progress. It is also an ideal opportunity to discuss how students can best address any areas requiring further attention as they prepare for the semester ahead.

On Friday 29 May, the Year 12 students enjoyed a wonderful evening at their Year 12 Formal, filled with dancing, photographs, great food, awards, and the joy of spending time together as the Class of 2026. A highlight of the night was the memorable student‑produced video, which was especially appreciated by everyone. This year’s event was the best‑attended Year 12 Formal to date, and we acknowledge the many hours of work contributed by the student committee and staff in creating such a successful milestone occasion.

On Tuesday 16 June, more than 340 students participated in the GAT (General Achievement Test), marking our largest cohort yet. Looking ahead to 2026, we are excited to introduce Unit 3 Master Classes an initiative designed to better prepare our VCE students for the challenges of the examination period later in the year.

Pathways and Careers is a big focus this term with the very popular Careers and Subject Expo conducted on Wednesday 10 June from 2pm-4pm in the Gymnasium. A large number of tertiary institutions including universities were present as well as stalls from the Blackburn High School Learning Areas. In addition, on the 24 June we will be conducting the Year 10 subject selection conferences where each Year 10 student will meet with a member of the school leadership team to discuss their VCE and VCE VM Pathways options. Thank you to Mr Brutovic, Ms Perrin and Mr Ferres for their work in organising this important event.

Throughout this week, the Year 10 students will be participating in the Road Smart Program, which is an evidence based, highly interactive road safety education program that is free for all Victorian Secondary Schools. It is designed to reflect contemporary, best-practice approaches to road safety education and utilises the latest immersive technology to guide students through a series of experiences that will engage students in thinking about how they can be part of the solution to eliminating road trauma. Road Smart Interactive features elements adapted from the award-winning Road to Zero Experience at Melbourne Museum.

All the best to the Dunlop House Team with the fundraiser planned for Thursday 25 July and will feature the new charity Doctors Without Borders (Médecins sans Frontières). The fundraiser will be led by the Dunlop House Captain, Dane, and the Dunlop Vice Captain Partaj and Mr Tobin, Dunlop House Leader.

The Assistant Principals, Ms Jenner, Mr Conte and Mr Ferres and I, wish the students, families and staff a safe term break and look forward to seeing you back refreshed for the start of Term Three on 13 July.

Joanna Alexander

Principal