Letter from the Editor
Welcome back, avid readers, to Term 2 of the 2026 school year. The weather gets colder, the 5:30am alarms for the gym get snoozed more frequently and of course, tragic fans of the St Kilda and Carlton football club have to endure another 24 weeks of frustration and heartbreak (I myself am a Saints fan; Sorry for the clip, Carlton fans!).
Whilst the summer colour fades and we start covering up with (school approved Heathmont) hoodies, things start ramping up a touch around the school. Next week, runners stretch their legs around the cross country track, assessments continue to haunt many and of course, the GAT looms in the not so distant future for our senior students.
Term 2 at Heathmont College looks a bit different. With Ms Sandford away on leave, Ms Kelli Russell steps into the role of Acting Principal (and more importantly, takes the reigns of the principals report in the Gazette), and Mr Tristan Russell steps into the role of acting Assistant Principal for the duration of term 2. Rest assured, we are in good hands.
I was lucky enough to take an extra week off at the beginning of term 2- my much awaited foray into Long Service Leave. My leave was actually cut short by a week, with plans to travel into Europe tangled up with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, my wife and I decided to take a short trip to Bali. Whilst the students and staff got things kicked off back here, I was lucky enough to snorkel with turtles and manta rays, surf world renowned breaks and eat some of the best food of my life. We spent some time on a small island off the east coast of mainland Bali, called as Nusa Lembongan.
As we ventured around the island, I noticed that on one of the main roads connecting our accommodation to the main street of Lembongan that there was a small Indonesian school. I found myself reflecting on the difference in the life of the students I teach, and those of the students whom grew up on an island such as Lembongan with a population of around 5000 people. The island itself is known for its surf and diving tourism, along with traditional seaweed farming. I thought about the understanding of these students of the world around them, and the opportunities for careers and work outside of the constraints of the island. The comparison, in my view, is a big contrast to the exposure we give our students here and the College. With careers testing, continual discussion with senior students about what life after school could look like and the availability of access to further education or a large array of work opportunities that Australia offers- it reminded me how lucky our students are.
Whilst those choices about life after school can be daunting and scary, the opportunity for finding that passion and future pathway is always an exciting time in young peoples lives.
Have you spoken to your young person about what they might like to do post school? I don't think it's ever too early to start sparking that curiosity.