Principal's Report

Belmont High School Swimming Carnival – A Celebration of House Spirit

Last Monday, over 950 Belmont High School students descended on Kardinia Pool for one of the most anticipated events on our school calendar – our annual Swimming Sports Carnival.

From the moment students arrived, the atmosphere was electric. The stands were a sea of House colours and chants echoed across the pool complex. It was fantastic to see so many students embracing the opportunity to participate, compete and, most importantly, connect with one another.

A highlight of the day was undoubtedly the Year 12 Pool Parade. As always, our senior students set the tone with creativity, humour and an infectious energy that lifted the entire venue. Their leadership and willingness to throw themselves into the fun is what makes our Swimming Carnival so special.

Beyond the races and novelty events, the day was a true celebration of what Belmont High School is all about. Our values of Respect, Opportunity and Resilience were evident everywhere you looked

A huge thank you to our staff, House Leaders, student leaders and organisers who worked behind the scenes to ensure the day ran so smoothly.

Term 1 Key Dates:

To help everyone plan, here are the key dates for Term 1:

Monday 9 March – Labour Day Public Holiday
Wednesday 11 March – NAPLAN Testing begins for Yr 7 & 9 Students
Tuesday 17 March – 2027 Year 7 BHS Open Night
Wednesday 25 March – 2027 Year 7 SEALP Information Session
Tuesday 31 March – Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews (12:00pm–7:00pm)
Thursday 2 April – BHS Fun Run / End of Term 1

Communication focus in 2026

As part of our continued focus on improving learning growth across the school, we are placing a deliberate emphasis this year on strengthening communication with families around key pieces of learning and assessment.

In the lead up to significant assessment tasks and major units of work, staff will provide revision materials, study guides and support resources that can be shared at home. The intention is to give families greater visibility of what students are learning and practical ways to engage in conversations about their progress.

These communications will come from all Key Learning Areas and can be expected once to twice per term.

They may include:

Revision checklists
Key knowledge summaries
Practice questions
Recommended study strategies
Reminders about when the assessment is occurring

Basketball Academy 2026

We are excited to officially launch the Belmont High School Basketball Academy in 2026.

This program has been designed as an important connection piece for students, looking to provide a structured, high-quality physical experience while strengthening engagement, belonging and pride in our school. The Academy strongly aligns with our values of Respect, Opportunity and Resilience.

Please find the Parent & Student Information Flyer HERE, which outlines:

Program purpose structure & cost
Training schedule (before school sessions commencing Term 2)
Key dates and trial information
Selection expectations
Coaching details
Uniform and cost information
How to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)

Expressions of Interest (click link) close Friday 20 February.

We encourage any interested students and families to carefully read the flyer posted to compass and complete the EOI survey by the end of next week.

We look forward to building something special through this program.

2026 Info Session

Although we are only just settling into 2026, planning for 2027 is already well underway. Over the coming months, we have a range of opportunities for prospective families to learn more about Belmont High School, including our Open Night, SEALP (Select Entry Accelerated Learning Program) and small group tours. These events provide valuable insights into our programs, culture, and the many opportunities available to students.

For those interested, you can find more details on the school website BHS Website and book via the links below:

🔹 Open Night bookings: Click here

🔹 Small group tours: Click here

🔹SEALP 2027 Information Session: Click here

We look forward to welcoming future students and their families as they begin their journey with us!

School Camps

The school encourages parents to consider taking out travel insurance for school camps as schools often incur a cancellation fee that we are not able to absorb if your child is forced to withdraw due to unforeseen circumstances.

DET Policy on Personal Items

A reminder that the Department of Education does not hold insurance, nor does it accept responsibility for private property brought to school by students, staff or visitors.

Privacy Reminder

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Department of Educations’ Privacy and Information Sharing Policy.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students policy

Photographing Filming and Recording Students Policy describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Microsoft 365 safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365 please contact the school.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ privacy policy: information for parents.

These policies can be found on the school website.

School Council Election

Thank you to the parents and students who have nominated for membership of School Council. At the close of nominations, we have received four nominations for the two vacancies in the parent membership category, and three nominations for the two vacancies in the student membership category. We are now required to conduct a school council election ballot. Further details will be forwarded via Compass.

Padlocks

All students have been allocated a locker at school to store their personal items, ie books, laptops, school bags, phones. These lockers MUST be locked with a padlock to ensure safety of these items.

Locks may be purchased from the school office for $16.

If lockers are found to be unlocked, a school lock will be placed on the locker until the student has their own lock.

Kind regards,

Joshua Baker

Principal