Freeman

 We have concluded another semester at Blackburn High School after a long and busy Term 2. I would like to acknowledge the incredible work of our mentor teachers who have been the first port of call for students and parents and who have been consistent in their delivery of the mentor program. It is great to see the connections that are formed in mentor group and it is a great way to start the school day.  

At the conclusion of Term 1, we made our way down to the Nunawading Athletics Track for the annual Athletics Carnival against the other Houses. We have been building towards a win and were able to secure first place with a strong showing of our students. The student participation was excellent throughout the day and when challenged by the eventual second placed Hollows, the students banded together to ensure representatives in the 4x100m relays. 

Congratulations to all students who participated and good luck to those students who have advanced to the next stage.   

Our Year 7’s were able to head away from school for a couple of nights and attended the popular Lake Dewar Camp with the Melba class groups. The students found themselves on the lake kayaking and paddle-boarding, mountain-biking, soaring over the Gorge track on the flying fox and at times dancing in front of their peers during the Trivia Night. 

I would like to acknowledge our junior students for their excellent behaviour whilst on the camp and to the staff that attended the camps. These experiences are great ways for students to build on their established friendships and form new ones with students in other classes.  

We continue to provide students with opportunities to engage in a range of co-curricular activities and I would encourage students to get involved in everything that the school has on offer to enhance the experience at Blackburn High School.

On behalf of the Freeman staff, we hope you have a lovely Term 2 break and come prepared for a busy Term 3.  

House Captain Term Reflection 

Term 2 has been a wonderful display of Freeman's house spirit as we have supported both the Hollows and Dunlop house fundraisers, as well as beginning our Inter-House Competition to encourage healthy rivalry between students and their peers. 

The house captain team has collaborated to create these challenges, and some highlights of this include a whole-school Kahoot and Pictionary! It's been great to see the fantastic enthusiasm Freeman students have shown within these competitions as we hope to see Freeman at the top of the ladder and add to our growing list of 2024 victories!  

Camp Reflections  

Our three days we had at Lake Dewar were fun-filled and unforgettable. Our days were jam-packed with exciting activities, ranging from Stand-Up Paddle Boarding to the Werribee Gorge Walk. Our two favourites would have to be the thrilling Dual Flying Fox, where we soared over the stunning Werribee Gorge, as well as the unique Adventure Tunnelling, as it differed greatly from the other activities, encouraging us to collaborate as a team. 

The school organised our cabins in a way so that we were with new people, giving us the opportunity to make new friends, and the camp staff were very welcoming and helpful, allowing us to settle into the camp. We all thoroughly enjoyed the food, our top favourite being our very first meal-Spaghetti Bolognaise. Overall, our camp at Lake Dewar was a memorable experience, and the majority of the students engaged and enjoyed our time there.  

Jaanvi and Kaitlyn

At Camp Lake Dewar lodge, we had lots of activities to keep us entertained. We had lots of fun and adventurous activities. Some of the activities we did were, dual flying fox, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, mountain bike riding and more. What I believe to be the most fun activity was kayaking. I enjoyed this because there was so much to explore on the water, and you were less likely to fall in. The food at camp Lake Dewar was really good for camp food, I loved sitting around the dinner table talking to my friends.

Eli Lane