Principal's Report

Term 4 Celebrations 

Over the past two weeks, our community has enjoyed a series of events celebrating the 2025 school year. There is much to be proud of, particularly the learning growth and personal development our students have shown. 

Each year level recently held Celebration Assemblies recognising students for Academic Achievement, Term 4 Merits and Semester 2 Merits. It was wonderful to welcome parents to share in these moments. These assemblies lead into our annual Presentation Evening, where we acknowledge outstanding achievements in learning, leadership and community service. As the turnaround for awards—especially Year 12—is quite tight, families are encouraged to check Compass and email regularly for updates. 

We also held our Duke of Edinburgh Award Evening, where students received their Bronze, Silver or Gold badges. This highly valued program continues to challenge students to step outside their comfort zones through adventurous journeys, skill development, physical activity and community service. 

Congratulations to all recipients, and thank you to the dedicated staff who support this program each year. 

The Year 10 Formal was another highlight, giving students a joyful and memorable way to celebrate the end of their school year. Thank you to the staff who supported the planning and supervision of this special event. 

Celebrations concluded with our Performing Arts students, staff and families attending the Lyrebird Awards, where students performed a piece from the school musical Spamalot. Brentwood proudly received three awards—an outstanding achievement and a testament to the talent and hard work of our Performing Arts team. 

Social Media Ban 

From 10 December 2025, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 will introduce new requirements for social media platforms. 

These platforms must: 

• prevent children and young people under 16 from creating a social media account 

• deactivate or freeze existing accounts held by users under 16. 

These changes aim to support young people’s health and wellbeing by delaying exposure to social media and allowing more time to build real-world connections and digital literacy skills. Importantly, the responsibility for enforcing these restrictions sits with social media companies—not with parents, carers, children or schools. 

Most major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit and YouTube, will be affected. Messaging services, online games and apps used for health or education will not be restricted. 

For more information, please visit the eSafety Commissioner: • https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions-hub • https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/social-media-age-restrictions/conversation-starters

Staff Changes in 2026: 

The following staff are leaving Brentwood at the end of this year. I would like to thank them for their service to our school community and wish them all the very best for their futures: 

• Steve Ancevski  
• Colin Bergin  
• Annie Chan  
• Rhys Clayton  
• Karol Da Vila  
• Emma Harris  
• Jack Hughes  
• Alice Krieger  
• Mamta Puri  
• Dimitrios Stoforidis  
• Catherine Thompson-Boyd  
• Charles Tran  
• Anna Urbano

We look forward to welcoming the following staff to Brentwood in 2026: 

• Anthony Cvek (Science)                                 
• Lucy Kenny (Science)  
• Alice Mani (Chemistry) 
• Anthony Markessinis (English) 
• Aaron Milburn (Aide) 
• Michael Molina (Maths) 
• Alicia Pettinella (H&PE / Maths) 

VCE Results 

On Thursday 11 December, our Year 12 students will receive their 2025 VCE results—a day that can bring a wide range of emotions for students, families and staff. As a school community, we are incredibly proud of this cohort. While we will celebrate with students who achieve their goals and support those who may need guidance in finding the next step, we also remind them that a single result does not define their future. 

What matters most are the decisions they make and the actions they take from here. 

A Brentwood education has prepared our students well. They are ready for the world beyond school, and we encourage them—regardless of their results—to be brave, dream big and pursue their goals with confidence. Their future is in their hands. 

We look forward to seeing our Year 12 students on Thursday during Period 5 for a celebration and an opportunity to connect with peers and our Pathways Team. This will be followed by the recognition of academic achievements at our Presentation Evening on 17 December. 

As always, families seeking pathways or wellbeing support are encouraged to contact the school. Our staff are available to assist with course advice or to help connect students with community services if additional support is needed during this time. 

John Ballagh  

Principal