Principal's Report

Athletics Carnival

On Friday 15th March, Brentwood conducted their annual athletics carnival at the Burwood athletics track. As usual, we were lucky with the weather and had a beautiful sunny Melbourne day.

Our four Houses were well represented and on display, with lots of house cheering and enthusiasm from the spectator areas. The spectators had the opportunity to witness some wonderful athletics throughout the day. Congratulations to all of our successful athletes and well done to all students who participated on the day.

On the day, there were 13 school records broken, three of those records have stood since the “last century”! Joshua Burns broke the U/17 high jump record that had stood since 1981, Patrick Warr broke the U/14 triple jump record that had stood since 1985 and Jemma Howell U/17 broke the discus record that had stood since 1992 . Congratulations to all new record holders.

Well done and congratulations to Kim Nash our Director of Sport and her team for their organisation of the day. Thank you as well to all teachers in their roles as officials and a special thank you to Mr Barry for organising and managing the wonderful bbq food.

Huge congratulations to Blue House for their overall victory at the athletics.

For those successful athletes moving forward, you will need to now train hard in preparation for the upcoming zone athletics carnival.

House Hub

We are now at week 8, and our new House Hub has already become the central student services area of the college. Our House system has been embraced enthusiastically by our community, which is a reflection of the hard work and drive of the Heads of House and their House Leaders. Well done to Mr Batalha (Blue), Mr Abersteiner (Yellow), Miss Anrep (Red) and Mr Van Ginneken (Green) for their continued support and leadership in this year of change.

Leon Lilly, Associate Principal

50th Anniversary Celebration

What an amazing evening! Our 50th Anniversary celebration was simply an outstanding community event that will not be forgotten. It will be talked about for many years to come and become a significant event in our school’s history. The evening reminded me how privileged and honoured I am to be the Principal of a school with such a rich history and culture.

The aim of the evening was to invite as many past students and teachers back to Brentwood as possible. The hope was for them to reconnect with each other, the school community and enjoy a walk down memory lane. At the same time, it was an opportunity for our current families to have an enjoyable night watching our current and ex-students perform on stage, enjoy the amusements, dunk their Principals and sample various food trucks and stalls. The evening achieved so much more than expected, with well over an estimated 3000 people turning up to create a vibrant and positive atmosphere.

It was a special occasion for everybody in many different ways. From my perspective, I enjoyed seeing past students connect with their school and reflect on what their time at Brentwood has meant to them. Past students were able to talk about the moments at school that shaped them, the teachers who inspired them and the lifelong friends they have made. For our teachers who have had a long association with our community, this was very heartwarming and special, as they were able to see what their students have achieved after graduating. One of the greatest joys in teaching is seeing the impact you have had on a young person and how it has shaped their life journey beyond school. This type of relationship between teachers and students is fundamental in creating a safe learning environment, where students can be challenged to push their limits and achieve their best. The past students who attended the celebration are fine examples of the importance of these relationships.

There were many special moments and a large number of people who contributed to ensure the evening was a success.

Ex-student, Rob Mills (Actor, singer-songwriter, TV host), was very generous to volunteer his time and sing a song from the musical ‘Wicked’ with Isabella in Year 9. A spectacular performance!
Peter Hitchener (Chief newsreader from channel 9) also volunteered to make a brief address to the audience and was very generous with his time ensuring everyone who wanted a selfie with him got one!
The 50th Celebration Committee who have been actively meeting since Term 3 last year. Their commitment, ideas and vision ensured the evening was a success. Thank you to Sarah Jolly, Sue Bach, Lucy Estate, Laura Durham, Jim Davatsis, Helen Higgins, Michelle Gordon, Travis Sampford, Joel Batalha, Ben Franklin, Brenton Van Vliet, Gabbie Fernandez, Tori Hronopoulos, Ben Edwards, Jake Hulme and Rochelle Dixon.
Bill Exton’s commitment to being the driving force behind the evening and coordinating all the staff, volunteers and students was outstanding.
The amazing staff members who volunteered their time on the night to ensure it was such a success.

I would encourage all of our past students to keep in touch with the school and possibly consider giving back to our community in some way. As a school, we always welcome back past students and I am grateful to those who have offered to come back and speak to students about their career journey, or help with other programs in the school. I would encourage all of our past students to join the Brentwood Alumni Facebook page, Official School Facebook page and subscribe to our newsletter on the website to keep connected.

As a school, we are now looking forward to our official 50th Anniversary assembly on Wednesday, April 3, where another ex-student, Maxine Morand (Academic, advocate for cancer patients and politician) will deliver a speech to our staff and students before an entire school photo on the oval. Whilst this is an important occasion to mark our 50th year, it is an opportunity for our students to gain an understanding of their school community. I will be encouraging all of our students to use this occasion to consider what they want to achieve during their time at Brentwood and how they can make the most of the educational opportunities a Brentwood education provides.