Principal's News

On a daily basis, Ballarat High School never ceases to amaze me!

In the endeavours of our staff, students and community there seems to be this overwhelming drive to make a difference that we can sometimes take for granted. As a staff group, we talk a lot about the values of pride, respect and responsibility that we see in our students every day. Whilst some days might not always go to plan for some of our students, there is always the potential for growth and change. There is always that possibility that the decisions our students make can write a history that they can look back on with pride. 

I have written previously about how I see the strength of our traditions and history being more about the power and impact of our community over time. The story of the Ballarat High School is written in the past endeavours of our alumni and is currently written by our students who are willing to be part of that positive change. The cast of "Matilda", who are about to go on a run of four sell-out shows, are examples of students pushing beyond their safety-zones in order to be part of something much bigger than any individual. The Year 11 students who were brave enough to stand in front of their peers to deliver speeches in favour of them being part of the 2025 School Leadership group are ready to be the change within their school. Each student in every classroom who puts their hands up, shows kindness to their peers, tries their best and responds to feedback is on that journey towards success. The diversity of what success means and how we celebrate it, speaks volumes of who we are at Ballarat High School. 

In our staff briefing this week, Rob Simmonds, our Director of Rowing & Sports, shared the mind-blowing fact that since 2004 an ex-Ballarat High School alumni has represented Australia in every Olympics. 

Let that sink in for a moment…

For a state school in Regional Victoria, that is some achievement. It speaks of the dedication and tireless hours of preparation these elite athletes invested in pursuit of their dreams; it speaks of the support, encouragement and belief from the staff and local coaches that instilled in them the will to persevere; it speaks of the sacrifice of the families and the hours spent driving them to practice and waiting for them as they trained. It shouts out of the setbacks, failures, disappointments and sheer belief and will-power that leads anyone to achieving their goal. 

Not many of us can be Olympians, but dreams and goals remain the same no matter what the prize. The American speed skater Bonnie Blair got to the core of what achievement really means when she said, ‘Winning doesn't always mean being first. Winning means you're doing better than you've ever done before’. We should never lose sight of this. 

Whatever the goal or dream of our students- be it to compete on the world stage or to achieve the success as they define it- the ingredients remain the same. Dedication. Encouragement. Belief. Sacrifice. Setbacks. Perseverance.

On a daily basis, I sign consent forms for our students to pursue their dreams whether it be for school-based apprenticeships, work experience or that first break into a pathway that can lead to a future profession. I visit classrooms, speak to students and see the pursuit of progress. I am constantly left in awe of the ambitions and aspirations of our students who know what might come next for them, but I am also struck that we need to maintain our focus on every student having skin in the game of their futures.

No matter what the goal, as a community, we need to ensure that all of our students are opportunity ready. We need to get them to realise and understand that they come from a school that produces Olympians, but we are also a school who produce builders, teachers, electricians, architects, plumbers, surgeons, scientists, engineers, leaders, hospitality workers, entrepreneurs, artists… you name it, we are it!

And that really hit home this week within our Year 9 Immersion program, as we walked our students through the endless possibilities that are on offer for them in their future. The willingness for our alumni to return and tell their stories to inspire and encourage our students reflects how much our community wants to pay back the support that they received whilst here as students. Every student deserves a success story, and we need to work together to ensure that hope for the future has a clear plan for when things go right and when they don’t. Can I encourage all families who are past students to connect with our alumni program? You might not think it, but your story may act as an inspiration to our current students and set them on a pathway towards success.   

As I passed through the sessions there were so many ‘lightbulb’ moments for our students that made me realise how important these conversations are. Every student has dreams and aspirations and we need to get them to commit to them. Perhaps the most powerful session I attended was run by our Year 11 students who shared their journey so far in Senior School and their aspirations for the future. What made it powerful was their honesty and willingness to share their setbacks and that  each story and sense of success was theirs. For some students, the path ahead was unclear, whilst for others they knew what every step ahead looked like. 

Our Year 11 panel represent so many of our students who are ready to write their own history: they are our future alumni whose stories and successes will guide the way for so many students who will follow in their footsteps. They will define what winning looks like for themselves and I hope, with our support, they can continue to do better than they have done before. 

Stephan Fields

Principal