Principal's Report
Welcome to 2021 at Brentwood!
It is great to be back at Brentwood in 2021. I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of our new students and families who are starting at Brentwood this year. In particular, our new Year 7 families who we look forward to sharing the next 6 years with.
Our Values
As we begin 2021, it is timely that as a school community we take a moment to reflect on our values and behaviours that create a positive learning culture at Brentwood where we expect all students to achieve their best as a learner and a person. Central to what drives our culture is our values for learning and community. Please see below.
For our students we also have a clear set of expectations that provide students with clear behaviours that demonstrate our values on a daily basis. These include:
During the first assembly of the year, students were reminded of our school values and expectations and challenged to think about what they want to achieve this year as a learner and person. We would encourage parents and students to discuss these values and how they can be demonstrated at school and other area of their lives.
Presentation Evening
The 2020 Presentation Evening was held earlier this week on Wednesday February 3 at the Robert Blackwood Hall. Due to the VCE results coming out so late and COVID restrictions last year, this was our earliest opportunity to gather together as a school to celebrate and acknowledge the outstanding student achievements of 2020. Considering the challenges of remote learning and the ongoing uncertainty last year, it makes the achievements of our students even more special.
Our Presentation Evening is always a very special night on the Brentwood calendar. It showcases students’ academic achievements, community service, leadership and the talents of our instrumental music students. For the students who received recognition for their achievements, we hope that this reinforces their positive learning habits and determination in achieving their personal best.
During this evening we also acknowledged some outstanding VCE results from the class of 2020.
Here is an overview of our class of 2020:
- 11% of students received an ATAR greater than 95 (This is the greatest number of students to receive above 95 at the school)
- 17.5% of students received an ATAR greater than 90 (A total of 35 students earned an ATAR greater than 90)
- 26.5% of students received an ATAR greater than 85
- 34.5% of students received an ATAR greater than 80
- 43% of students received an ATAR greater than 75
- 50% of students received an ATAR greater than 70 (In other words, half of our students were in the top 30% of the state)
- One student achieved a 50 in a subject and two others achieved a 49. (A score of 50 is the highest you can achieve in a subject)
- Approximately 6.74% of scores were above 40. (A score above 40 means you achieved in the top 9% of students for that subject)
Nancy Huang achieved an outstanding ATAR of 99.75 to be our Dux of 2020. Nancy has worked very hard to achieve this score and we are very proud of her. We look forward to following Nancy’s progress over the coming years.
Please click below for a full list of award recipients.
I would like to thank the team of staff who worked tirelessly at the beginning of the school year to ensure the Presentation Evening was a great success. In particular Joel Batalha for leading this event, our Instrumental Music teachers, Jen Chanter and Janelle Pentreath and all the support staff for their support in organising the awards and the large number of staff in attendance to make sure the night was a success. Thank you!
Farewell Mr Abersteiner
Congratulations to Mr Abersteiner who was successful in being selected to return to fire fighting with Fire Rescue Victoria. Mr Abersteiner was the foundation Wattle Head of House and has supported a large number of families, students and staff over the past two years. As a school we are grateful for his contribution and wish him all the very best for a successful career as a fire fighter.
Bill Exton has taken over as the Head of Wattle House in 2021. I would also like to welcome Ashleigh Ferguson to the Science Faculty, replacing Mr Abersteiner for this year.
The Principal Team
In 2021 there has been some changes to the roles of the Principal Team. Leon Lilly has taken leave for the duration of 2021. As a consequence, Sonja Ardley will continue as an Associate Principal working closely with Evan Miller leading the ‘Excellence in Teaching and Learning’ area of the school. Peter Rhodes will continue leading the ‘Positive Climate for Learning’ area of the school.
Ms Robyn Geshev will continue as the Business Manager in 2021, leading the effective resource management of the school.
Leadership Team and Important Contacts
The following link contains a list of staff in various leadership positions in the school. They can be contacted at the school should parents or members of the community need to speak with them.
VCE Centre/Senior Learning Centre Update
Over the Summer break our new building works continued. The builders have been busy relocating the current Senior Learning Centre and two other relocatable buildings which has made space for the new $4.6 million VCE Centre. Over the coming weeks we will see the concrete footings get poured in preparation for the actual construction of the building. As a consequence, the movement of students will continue to be restricted for most of 2021 until the building works are completed late in the year.
Communicating with Brentwood
As a large secondary school of over approximately 1700 students and 150 staff, effective communication can be challenging at times. However, it is very important for all members of our school community to be actively engaged in the school. Therefore, it is important that all members of our community are familiar with the following documents:
I would like to emphasise to our parents and students the importance of using Compass to communicate with the school for everyday purposes. All relevant and important information is located here and it is the easiest way to make payments, provide absence approvals, communicate with teachers and more. The following guide will provide parents with more information on how to use Compass
The school also has an active Facebook page that I would invite all community members to join. The Facebook page is used for celebrating student achievements, sharing information about College Events to the school and wider school community. Please follow us on Facebook by clicking here.
Digital Learning
Last year was the final year of our transition to becoming a 1 to 1 laptop/tablet learning environment. All students should now have their own laptop/tablet computer with an active stylus. This will enable our teachers to continue their own professional development and work in reviewing and re-developing the curriculum to take advantage of the digital technologies our students have access to. We are looking forward to keeping the community informed of our journey in effectively integrating technology into the learning program at the school.
Congratulations
Finally, I would like to acknowledge all staff and students who have had a wonderful start to the school year. The students quickly settled into class and engaged in learning. It is important to ensure the school year starts in an organised and orderly fashion.
John Ballagh, Principal