message from the principal
Karen Harris
Principal
It may seem strange that, in this end of Semester 1 issue of the Brunswick Star, we are recognising events held in March - but it was a strange end to Term 1 and a very different Term 2 for everyone. We felt it was important to recognise some of the events from Term 1 in this edition as our Term 2 edition was dedicated fully to remote learning. Please enjoy a reflection on some of those key events.
It has been wonderful to welcome back students in recent weeks and to experience a smooth transition back to face-to-face learning. I have been incredibly proud of the students and the resilience they have shown throughout Term 2.
I sincerely thank all members of our school community for their support this term and wish everyone a restful term break.
Family Evening - Term 1
It was fabulous to see such a great turn out to our Year 7 Family evening at the beginning of Term 1. Starting at a new school can be daunting for everyone involved; this annual event is a great way to meet other members of the BSC community.
It was a busy, noisy, and exciting evening - with families participating in activities, games and making the most of the opportunity to connect with each other. Everywhere you looked there were smiles and laughter as students, siblings, parents/carers and teachers mingled; new acquaintances were made and others renewed.
I trust that the connections made at the event proved valuable to you all through the period of Remote Learning.
I extend special thanks to An Dang, College Captain, and the many staff who made the event so successful this year.
Uniting for Action
I am proud of the actions of students in this final week of this term, in raising awareness around issues of racial inequality and the changes they want to see at our school and within the wider, global community.
To promote the cause, the SRC ran a Casual Clothes Day and all funds raised (over $1150) have been donated to Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place Foodbank.
Students used their time in Home Group on this day to participate in various activities including making posters, discussion and writing pledges. You can see examples of these here.
7N pledged:
...never to assume anything or judge anyone based on the colour of their skin.
8S pledged:
...empathise, accept, and understand everyone no matter their racial background.
9R pledged:
...to never tease or act against people because of their race.
10S pledged:
...to not discriminate against people because of who they are and to fight against discrimination, complacency and implicit bias in our lives.
11W pledged:
...to never define a person by their colour, preferences or culture, to show respect and treat others equally, to stop anyone making racist comments and to call out racist behaviour.
12S pledged:
...to have difficult conversations to educate others on racial discrimination, to use our white privilege to stand up for others and to work to acknowledge our own internal biases and to dismantle them
SRC leads the way
School Captains An Dang and Archie Ballinger have led a motivated team of Student Executives and Area Representatives to welcome students back to site. The team is ready to get to work on student projects now that they are back, as you can read in this edition.
Well done to senior SRC members who used their creative talents to welcome Year 7 to 10 students back to school earlier this term. Armed with heavy-duty chalks, they made sure that students entering the school could see how much they had been missed - and that students need to remain vigilant regarding hygiene!
