Swimming Carnival 2026

A Day of Colour, Competition and Community

Our recent Swimming Carnival was a brilliant celebration of House pride, participation and community. From the sea of colour to the chants ringing across Coburg Olympic Pool, the widespread House spirit was hard to miss. For our Year 12s, it was a particularly special milestone - their final Swimming Carnival - and they embraced it in true Coburg fashion, dressing as everything from pirates and sailors to jellyfish and Nonnos. It was a fitting, joy-filled send-off to their years of House rivalry and camaraderie.

In the pool, we saw some outstanding performances, including multiple all-time records being broken. Anneka C from Pentridge achieved an incredible clean sweep in the 50m Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly. Noah W from Merri broke the 50m Breaststroke record, while Lara S from Lake set a new record in the U16 50m Breaststroke. These were exceptional individual achievements and a highlight of the day.

But what truly defined this year’s carnival was whole-school involvement. With novelty and non-swimming events woven throughout the program, every student had the opportunity to contribute to their House. Pentridge claimed Best House Chant and the House Photo Challenge, Merri took out the House Attendance Challenge, and Lake won the Mexican Wave. The energy continued through ‘Gary Says’, Guess the Teacher, a chess competition, and the much-loved dance break led by Ohad, followed by a DJ set from Year 12’s Konrad K.

Bell’s strong participation across the day saw them win Best House Spirit and ultimately come away as Overall Champions. The result was a clear reminder that involvement and enthusiasm matter just as much as race results.

Across the day, we also recognised students who embodied our School Values through their participation, attitude and leadership. Evie F from Pentridge was acknowledged for Community, Eden C from Lake for Curiosity, Arlo C from Bell for Excellence, and Ariana B from Merri for Integrity. These awards were not just about individual moments, but about the consistent way these students contributed to the positive atmosphere of the carnival. Their recognition reflected the broader spirit of involvement, respect and House pride that was evident across all Houses throughout the day.

An outstanding day that reminds us that House pride isn’t built on one race or one result. It’s built on showing up, getting involved and bringing the energy. And when Coburg does that, we’re hard to beat!

Year 7 Reflections

On Thursday the 12th of February, we went to Coburg Olympic Swimming Pool for the swimming carnival. There were many swimming events such as freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. There were also dry games, like a chess tournament or a basketball shootout, for those who did not want to swim. The four houses, Bell, Merri, Pentridge and Lake, competed for points in novelty events like the ball scramble, the noodle race and the inflatable race. At the end of the day, Bell house got the most points and won. There was also a House Chant competition that Pentridge won.

Yousef, 7B

The whole school walked to the pool in the morning, and the fun started! There were swimming races, dancing competitions, food & drinks, novelty events, face paint & nail polish and lot's of different ways to earn house points! I competed in a relay race and my team and I came 2ND! The whole day was so much fun. I met lot's of new people and had a lot of laughs. The dancing competition was my favourite part of the day, they played such good songs that I knew all the dance moves too. The swimming carnival was the best!

Remy, 7B

Yesterday, at the swimming carnival, there were so many fun things to do like races, noodle race, bomb competition, basketball shootout, ball scramble, the great ball scramble, trivia, dance competition, house chant, chess competition and awesome food. Although it rained everybody had a good time. Part of the event was about dressing in our house colours. There were a variety of unique costumes like blue jellyfish, Mario and Luigi, tigers and much more. Thankfully my house won the trophy then Lake (yellow), Merri (green) and lastly Pentridge (blue). We were all so surprised on the final result and all of Bell were so happy.

Morgan, 7B

When we were at the swimming carnival we had a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun because we swam, we had a dance party and we even played basketball. We obviously had the swim races like 50m breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. The swimming carnival also had novelty events such as the giant ball scramble, basketball knockout and bomb competition just to name a few. There was also a house chant competition and Pentridge won that. There were also extra house points at the end, that's why Bell won. There were houses Lake (yellow), Bell (red), Merri (green) and Pentridge (blue). Bell house won and the carnival was amazing.

Eamon, 7B

When we went to the swimming carnival on Thursday February 12th we had lots of things to do like the noodle race, the bomb competition, chess, dance competition, basketball shoot out and the 50 metre races. There were lots of ways to earn points like best dress and best house chant. Although Bell won, all the houses tried their best and that is all that mattered. There was a lot of rain and wind throughout the morning and early afternoon. All the houses tried their best, throughout the day. Bell came 1st, Lake came 2nd, Merri came 3rd and Pentridge came 4th overall it was an amazing day for everyone.

Zara, 7B

At the swimming carnival there were events like Swimming races, bomb competitions, pool noodle races and a basketball comp. The swimming carnival, an event that happens every year, was one of the best it has ever been. It rained a bit but when the rain stopped, the sun came out again. Most people did not swim many events but they just walked and talked most of the time. I am in Pentridge the blue house. We came last but we still had a good spirit. Our house had the best chant though and that is all that I cared about. I went in the bomb competition and nothing else but I still had fun. They had food that was quite good and this consisted of sausages, ice cream and pies. Overall it was a very fun event and I liked it and I think my friends did as well.

Hector, 7B

At the swimming carnival, we swam and talked to friends and raced. Lots of people had fun and participated. It was lots of fun, and there were lots of games. Some involved swimming but some were not in the water. The events were backstroke, freestyle and butterfly. At the end of the day Bell won but everyone tried their best.

Gus, 7B

At the swimming carnival many activities were planned for each grade, such as; Serious races, novelty races (Ball scramble, floatie races, etc.) and non water water related activities (Chess tournament, basketball shootout etc.). Though it was absolutely freezing, many people still participated in all the races, including me, Maude, who did the ball scramble. There was also a zooper dooper sale to raise money for the year 10 formal and lower the prices of their tickets. And lastly there were ice-creams, chips and drinks at the front office.

Maude, 7B

Fiona Villella

A New Era for House Pride at Coburg

Our 2026 House Captains have already set the tone for what the new era of House spirit looks like at Coburg High School.

A huge thank you to Lyric M and Aliyah N (Bell), Bilge A and Maya G (Merri), Camille S-H and Zara W (Lake), and Noah K and Max S (Pentridge) for the work they put into the Swimming Carnival. From early set-up and coordinating House areas, to running novelty events, building chants and encouraging participation, their leadership was visible all day. The energy, organisation and pride on display didn’t just happen, it was driven by student leadership.

That carnival was also a preview of something bigger.

While the official rollout will be communicated more broadly in Week 6, our revitalised House system has already begun. Students may have noticed the weekly points totals and top House scorers appearing on noticeboards around the school. Momentum is building.

This renewed system goes well beyond carnivals and sports days. House points will now be earned through attendance, academic achievement, sports participation, learning area quizzes and engagement with our library programs - from trivia challenges to consistent reading habits. It’s about recognising effort wherever it happens and creating pride that stretches across classrooms, courts and corridors. Throughout the year, café vouchers and other incentives will reward the individuals and Houses who consistently show up, step up and contribute.

We are working towards a House culture that feels alive. Where wearing your colour carries pride, friendly rivalry builds connection, and students feel part of something bigger than themselves. Our House Captains will be central to this growth, driving initiatives, celebrating milestones and keeping the competitive spirit strong all year long.

If the Swimming Carnival showed us anything, it’s that the foundations are already there. Now we build.

Natalie Stewart

Student Leadership Coordinator