In and around the classroom

Farewells

Goodbye to Luke

Luke started with us as a graduate in our second year of operation. Over the following 5 years, he grew significantly as a teacher and leader, taking on roles like Student Manager and Mathematics Domain Leader.  We are sad to see Luke go but we wish him all the best for his future adventures in education. 

Farewell Amy!!

We will be farewelling Amy early next term as she leaves us to go off on maternity leave. Amy's curriculum knowledge, amazing teaching skills and fabulous dress sense will be greatly missed. We wish her all the very best in her new adventures. 

Amy will be replaced in the English team by Cal Taylor. 

Welcome to the team! 

Get to Know Cal Taylor

Cal Taylor is a proud graduate of Heathdale Christian College, where he discovered his passion for the arts. He furthered his education by studying classical music (voice) at ACU and completing a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theatre at the Arts Academy University of Ballarat. Building on this foundation, Cal pursued a Master of Applied Learning and Teaching from Deakin University.

His journey in the arts led him to London, where he immersed himself in the vibrant theatre industry before returning to Melbourne. Here, Cal established Taylor Made Productions, an independent theatre company dedicated to exploring diverse narratives through performance.

At Good News Lutheran College, Cal honed his skills as a production coordinator and later as a literacy coordinator, fostering a love for both creative expression and academic excellence. He has also shared his passion for English and dance at St Bernard's College and Westbourne Grammar School, where he continued to inspire students to explore the depths of human connection and identity through literature and the arts.

When he’s not teaching or directing, Cal loves a chat over coffee, playing board games, and, of course, seeing a good show.

Introducing Brooke Hammill.

 to all Homestead families, students and staff, 

My name is Brooke Hammill. I have recently started as an Educational Support Officer for Homestead. After completing my Certificate 3 & 4 in Educational Support early this year, I hope to use the skills have learnt in to practice. I have 5 children of my own with one of my daughters is Autistic, I have been very involved in the ASD community and always looking to grow. I also currently coach an under 16 girls in basketball on the weekends. I look forward to meeting you all in the near future. 

Thanking you, 

Brooke Hammill  🙂

Please meet Jed 

Hi all! My name is Jed! I enjoy gardening, drinking tea and rock collecting. I come from an IB background, and I currently also tutor IB English and TOK to students external to Homestead. I enjoy nourishing students' appreciation for English studies, demonstrating compassion and understanding for the multitude of human conditions that are represented through texts.

Welcome back to Lauren

My name is Lauren Romanczukiewicz, and I am the new Leading Teacher of Wellbeing at Homestead Senior Secondary College for 2025. I am currently in my 17th year of teaching and may look familiar to some as I have been at HSSC for the last 3 years working in the English team. In my spare time I enjoy reading and spending time with my family. I am looking forward to coming back next term and feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to work with the wonderful staff and students we have here at our school. If you see me around, come and say hi!

Year 11 and 12 Chemistry Excursion

On Friday, 13th June, our senior Chemistry students participated in a highly engaging and hands-on excursion to the University of Melbourne. 

The day began with an early train ride into the city, along with a bus ride to the University of Melbourne. We made it into the university in record time, which gave us the opportunity to roam the university grounds - with students taking full advantage of the amazing sites and history of the campus. This gave students a taste of life on campus and sparked inspiration for many students, whom now would consider their tertiary studies more seriously. 

Throughout the excursion, students worked with university-grade instruments, like UV-Vis spectroscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. These sessions provided valuable insight into molecular structure and analysis techniques, directly linked to VCE curriculum. 

Students also had the opportunity to collaborate with research students (into the PhD) from the university, who generously offered guidance and support during the program. These interactions deepened their understand of the equipment and analyses, but it also offered a glimpse into what scientific research looks like. 

It was a fantastic day of exploration, inquiry and inspiration. This memorable experience that brought classroom learning to life in a real-world context wouldn't have been made possible without the fantastic preparation and work from our staff - Christine Giarrusso, Michael Wamsteker and Nasser Cura. 

Year 11 Legal Studies Excursion

On June 4th, our Year 11 Legal Studies classes went on an exciting excursion to the Parliament building located in the city. 

We had the opportunity to walk through the halls and chambers where all the important laws and decisions for Victoria are made, getting to walk through places where even royalty isn’t allowed. 

We met Matt Hilakari, the MP for Point Cook, who spoke to us about his role, answered questions, and told us about an interesting statue of Queen Victoria located in one of the rooms in Parliament. 

Next, after a pit-stop in Melbourne Central for lunch, we headed to the Old Melbourne Gaol, using the old Magistrates' Court building to participate in a mock trial based on a Culpable Driving sentencing hearing . Playing different roles, we went through the process of how a person who pleads guilty is sentenced which involved hearing and acting as witnesses, victims, and members of the public. 

It allowed us to see in real life, what we had learnt in class throughout Unit 1 which was very insightful. Overall, the excursion was successful and enjoyable, and everyone had a great time!

Aryan Kumar (Year 11)

Year 10 Health Expo

Year 10 Health Expo – A Colourful Celebration of Youth Health and Learning

On Wednesday 11 June 2025, Homestead Senior School’s Year 10 Health and Human Development students turned the gym into a vibrant, thought-provoking health hub during Period 4, presenting their Semester 1 Health Expo to a curious and supportive audience of Homestead students across all year levels.

This year’s expo was packed with colour, courage, and creativity, as our Year 10s took on the challenge of communicating complex health topics to their peers in engaging, interactive ways. With topics designed to spark real conversations and promote positive decision-making, the expo was a dynamic showcase of student-led learning in action.

From interactive displays to educational games and eye-catching visuals, the expo covered a wide range of relevant health issues affecting young people today. Highlights included:

• "Sparkles & Struggles: Tackling Mental Health One Rainbow at a Time" – A powerful and heartfelt presentation raising awareness around mental health challenges and the importance of self-expression, community, and support.
• "How Sleep Affects the Dimensions of Health" – A clever exploration into how quality sleep supports physical, social, and mental wellbeing, delivered with scientific insight and practical tips for teens.
• "How Vaping Impacts Youth Health and Wellbeing" – A hard-hitting, evidence-based project that tackled common myths around vaping and shared honest facts about its impact on young bodies and minds.

Students drew on the knowledge and skills built throughout the semester, applying critical health literacy, research skills, and creative communication to educate their audience. There was no shortage of laughter, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue as Homestead's senior students moved through the gym, interacting with displays, asking questions, and engaging in hands-on learning.

The success of this year's expo was a testament to the dedication and teamwork of the Year 10 Health class, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to prepare their stations. Their passion for health promotion and peer education was clear, with feedback from attendees describing the event as “eye-opening,” “engaging,” and “a great way to learn from each other.”

Events like this are more than just assessments — they’re an opportunity for students to connect their learning with the real world, develop their public speaking and collaboration skills, and most importantly, empower others.

We are already looking ahead to Semester 2, where the Year 10 Health Expo promises to be even bigger and better. With more students presenting, a broader range of topics, and fresh ideas, we can’t wait to see this event continue to grow and inspire the Homestead community.

- Rose Thwin Year 10 HHD teacher

Debating

Should uniform have logos attached to it? Should all exams be open book? Should childcare centres be funded and operated by the government? Should there be an age limit for playing EA & physical sports?  These are just a few of the topics that over the semester, students at Homestead have ventured out into sharing their voices and their opinions through public speaking & debating events!

From Senior Debating, to Senior Public Speaking, our students have really stepped up and made their voices heard.

Students at Homestead Senior have been consistent competitors in interschool debating. This year, we proudly had three teams compete in the Williamstown region, with both Year 10 and Year 11 students challenging each other and other schools by confidently speaking about current topics they know well. In our most recent debating round on Tuesday 1/07/2025. Students in B grade performed extremely well, with a clear victory over Bacchus Marsh Grammar of 10 points in the Team 1 of B grade, with our Team 2 B grade tightly following them with only 6 points behind Suzanne Cory High School in their debate, a great night overall for both teams! 

Over these two terms, we’ve witnessed some of the most passionate and thought out speeches through Wynspeak & the Plain English Speaking Awards (PESA) with Simran and Mahlaqa taking part in Wynspeak. 

Homestead has been fortunate enough to participate in this year’s Plain English Speaking Award (PESA) where Mahlaqa had the chance to represent our school by speaking about Australia’s youth loneliness epidemic and helping shed some light onto this important issue.

Semester one has only just finished, and it has been inspiring to see so many students here at Homestead put so much heart into sharing their ideas, often, on the fly! It’s a skill which we hope to see reflected in our school’s values.  

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the amazing support from both Amy Carpenter and Isaac Duffy. Their encouragement, the time they dedicate to these programs, and overall hard work behind the scenes have truly been the backbone of our success this semester.

We’re super proud of everyone who’s been involved and cannot wait to see even more students jump in and give public speaking and debating a go in the coming years! If you’re curious or interested, there’s never been a better time to get involved!

Happy debating & public speaking

From the Debating team of 2025!🙂