Preston Life

School food goes nude this Thursday

by Summer, Amelia and Sienna, Cohort 2024 VM

Our school is hosting a Nude Food Day this Thursday (19 September), thanks to the efforts of students in our Vocational Major Personal Development Skills class. 

The goal is to reduce the use of environmentally harmful plastics and to raise awareness about ways to minimise the negative effects of climate change. 

On this day, we encourage all students to bring their food in reusable containers instead of using plastic bags or wrap. To further support this initiative, we kindly ask that students purchasing food from the canteen bring a container from home to put it in.

Thank you for supporting our efforts to reduce plastic usage and promote sustainability.

All the magic of Book Week

by Jackie Sinclair, Cohort 2027, Sugar Glider House

Book Week 2024 was marvellous for those who love literature, and who believe that “reading is magic” (this year’s theme)! The Literary team organised a range of lunchtime activities, including cosy crafts in the library with bookmark making and badge making. There were book-related quizzes (with prizes), mentor activities to promote literacy, poetry readings and competitions, and an amazing opportunity to meet and learn from professional manga artist Kenny Chan in a drawing workshop. 

It wouldn't be Book Week at Preston without the Great Book Swap, the highlight of every book lover’s week. Many a bargain was found amidst the library’s book donation chaos, with books for only a gold coin each! The book dress up day proved a fun and silly event again this year, with even more gold coins contributing to our donations. All money raised went to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, a charity that works with remote First Nations communities around Australia to promote literacy in traditional languages and provide learning resources.  The literary team are proud to announce that PHS beat last year's $750 to raise a phenomenal $1100! 

To top off the amazing week, renowned author and mentor Tony Birch spoke to the PHS literary community about his new book Women and Children. Students who have been working with Mr Birch to hone their writing skills had the opportunity to read their work to the audience. 

Overall, Book Week was a week full of magic and literature!

A Supercalafragalistic Poppins performance!

Mary Poppins review by Charlotte Gilmore, Cohort 2024

Going with a couple of mates to the Darebin Arts Centre to watch the culmination of hours of dedication and creativity from across the student body was a perfect way to spend a Friday night. The first promising sign of the evening was the production's venue upgrade to the Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre, with a theatre boasting an orchestra pit, red velvet seats, and a capacity of 385 people. Tickets were almost sold out across all four performances, setting my expectations very high, as more than 1500 people were able to experience the magic and mischief of Mary Poppins. 

The atmosphere was buzzing, all audience members in their seats by 7pm, ready for the show's start. I was instantly impressed by the intricately designed sets, which I could tell were made with love (and great attention to detail!). The costumes were period-accurate and dazzling, sinking us into the wild world of Mr and Mrs Banks and their troubles finding the perfect nanny for their two children. The cast - lead and ensemble - all stepped up to the plate and delivered a fantastic performance, showcasing the students' many talents, notably their ability to imbue the characters with a whimsical energy, maintain vocal versatility, and execute spectacular dance sequences. 

Intermission had us raving about how professionally the cast and crew put on the show—including the stagehands, who effortlessly transported us from scene to scene, from park to parlour, bank to bedroom, even during grand ensemble numbers! All the action was backdropped against a score performed live by students, who, with their instruments, flowed between softer moments of tension to crescendos resulting in a wonderful display of playfulness and emotion, backing heartfelt ballads to upbeat work songs. 

After the show, I wondered how everyone would put on such a spectacle again the next afternoon in a matinee performance, and closing night, concluding the production on Saturday. I suspected all students and staff involved would rise to the task as they had tonight, and I hope they found the experience to be as rewarding as watching from the crowd.

Music ensembles show their talents in Spring Fling

by Riley Richards, Cohort 2028, Acacia House

On 2 September, a nearly sold-out crowd of 385 people gathered at Darebin Arts Centre to hear some of PHS’s best musicians perform in our second annual Spring Concert. Presented by the Arts leaders, 10 different ensembles encompassing more then 170 students performed, after month of practise and rehearsals leading up to this moment. 

The guitar ensemble opened the night, with a thrilling performance of Electric Love by BØRNS. This was followed by Choir, who presented a beautiful rendition of Hold Back the River, before vocal ensemble joined to perform Can't Help Falling in Love, and then came the Senior Concert Band, who recently won gold at the Victorian Schools Music Festival.

We also welcomed some of the newest musicians in the instrumental program from Junior Strings and Junior Concert Band to the stage. Afterwards, the Contemporary ensemble delivered a fantastic performance of Radiohead's Creep. Following a short intermission, the percussion ensemble welcomed us back in with some traditional Balinese gamelan music. Next, the Vocal Ensemble amazed with a complex arrangement of Fantasy by Earth, Wind, and Fire, which was followed up by Senior String’s performances of Kingdom Dance from Tangled and Fireworks from Harry Potter. 

After a mind-blowing performance from the String Quartet of Beatles' hit Eleanor Rigby, Assistant Principal Shae Nechwatal and Music Coordinator Chloe Sanger presented awards to acknowledge outstanding students in our instrumental music programs. 

The Stage Band closed the night with a remarkable rendition of The Thumb by Wes Montgomery and Come Fly with Me by Jimmy Vanheusen, with fantastic improvisations from students Joe, Stellan, and Luka. We’d like to thank all of the amazing instrumental music coordinators and teachers who put this wonderful night together to showcase the phenomenal work of the students in the Instrumental Music program at Preston High.

Cohort 2028 in the house!

Our Year 11 Politics students got a close-up look at the inner workings of Spring St this term. They went on a tour of the State Parliament buildings before meeting with our local member, Nathan Lambert. They learned a great deal about parliamentary process, and in particular about the fascinating history of Sir Thomas Bent, the Speaker of the House when the second parliamentary mace was stolen, who also had an entire Royal Commission run about his corruption. 

Share your family recipes with us

Students, parents and teachers of Preston High School are invited to share their favourite family recipes for a special school cookbook project from our Diversity Team to celebrate food cultures around the world.

The plan is to create a cookbook which celebrates the cultural diversity of our school community and encourages students to try cultural foods they've never eaten before. As well as being a fundraiser for our school, it’s a way of sharing our cultural diversity and learning the origins of traditional foods enjoyed amongst Preston High School families. 

Do you have a cultural dish to share? Please answer a quick survey below or send your recipe to Diversity Student Leader Andy via AYE4@schools.vic.edu.au.

Cohort reports

Cohort 2024

by Emily Findlow, Cohort 2024, Acacia House

Cohort 2024 has finished all content for our VCE subjects and will begin revision for the end-of-year exams over the holidays and into early next term. Our last full high school term consisted of our Whole Cohort Photo, Unit 4 check-ins, lots of hanging out with our peers, and our end-of-term celebration at The Keys on 12 September. We have (or soon will) also have entered and finalised our VTAC preferences for uni courses, if we choose that path of future study. Next term, we will have our last week of school dress up, followed by Graduation on 18 October! Lots of bittersweet emotions at the moment as we make the most of the time we have left with one another and at high school!

Cohort 2025

by Stellan Armstrong, Cohort 2025, Tawny House

We've had a great deal of challenges and successes this term and are just that little bit closer to a sense of preparedness for our futures. We've had the musical and the spring concerts and are now preparing for end of year exams. We are more cognisant of potential opportunities now that we are deciding our final subject for 2025. Next term, the desire for self-dependency and determination will continue to grow and I look forward to seeing what we can do to enable this. Our arts and music subjects will remain prominent, and we will surely continue to participate in many interesting events inside and outside of school. I believe there is a strong desire in the student body to meet these challenges and opportunities, and an appetite for a degree of learning and growth. 

Cohort 2026

by Otis Williamson, Cohort 2026, Glider House

This term, Cohort 2026 have explored and picked their subjects and pathways for Year 11 and 12. It’s exciting to look forward to the years ahead, and I’m sure many students are eager to start their VET courses and/or VCE subjects. 

Students undertaking an early start VCE subject this year have began Unit 2, the second half of their Year 11 subject filled with new content and ideas. However, this also means that Year 10s are nearing their end of year exams which they will take for English, Maths and any VCE subjects they’re doing. Because of this, a portion of the Ada program in Term 4 will revolve around exam prep, making sure students are well studied and prepared for their exam. 

Finally, during lunch and times before or after school, Year 10s have been enjoying each other’s company in around the locker space, leading up to our final term before VCE.

Cohort 2027

by Ruby Stokes, Cohort 2027, Acacia House 

This has been another busy term for Cohort 2027! Year Nine students have focused on their Work Skills unit in Bandler Parks classes, completing a career action plan to help map out ideas for the future. In addition, we completed a resume and cover letter in the lead up to a ‘mock job interview’, to practice some of the skills involved with applying for a job. We also learnt about how we should go about this from our resume writing sessions with a speaker from Melbourne Polytechnic. 

In Term 3 we also participated in a Growth Habits Day themed around ‘collaboration.’ This included many fun activities such as wheelchair basketball, an escape room and ‘task master’! We are looking forward to hearing about our subjects for next year, a trip to Melbourne University, volunteering and many more events coming up for the rest of this year!

Cohort 2028 and Cohort 2029

by Ava O’brien, Cohort 2028, Tawny House and Anastasia Villella, Cohort 2028, Acacia House

Now that Term 3 is almost over, we want to share some of the Davinci Cohort’s highlights of this term. Starting off the Year 7s had the awesome experience of meeting Danielle Binks, author of The Year the Maps Changed. Cohort 2029 also had a fun Wellbeing Day featuring a talent show, activities and an amazing mental health workshop from the Reach Program. All around the Year 7s had a great time this term.

Cohort 2028 headed into the city for an excursion to Chinatown, where we toured the Museum of Chinese Australian History, participated in a scavenger hunt, and learned how to do traditional Chinese knotting. We also had our Wellbeing Day with laser tag, teamwork-building challenges and a PHS version of the TV show The Amazing Race, where groups competed to win chocolates. 

In a Vaping Deception workshop, a guest came in to talk to us about the marketing strategies used by companies that produce vapes to sneakily target teenagers. The Preston High School production of Mary Poppins the Musical was an exciting experience, with both Year 7 and 8 students among the many that worked to make a memorable 4 shows for the audience. And finally, at the Spring Concert, many talented Year 7 and 8 students got the chance to demonstrate their skills.