Principal News

Farewell to 2020!

It may have seemed at times as though this year would never end, however the end of 2020 is finally here… and we can all smile about the fact that we have made it! Although it has been a year that many might prefer to forget, it is worth taking this moment to celebrate all of the achievements we have accomplished in the most trying of circumstances. The impact of COVID-19, and moving between face-to-face teaching and remote learning twice during the year, meant that students, parents and staff alike were tasked with the challenge of coping with rapidly changing protocols and regulations.

However, throughout these difficult circumstances our school community kept the care and education of our students at the centre of everything, and in the process we all developed our resilience and patience. We came together and saw it through to the end, and we should all be extremely proud of the way in which supported our children and one another! Thank you to you all for your understanding, adaptability and assistance this year, and we hope you are looking forward to what is sure to be a fantastic 2021!

We would also like to take this opportunity to say goodbye to the staff and students who will be leaving us at the end of this year. We wish them everything they could hope for in the future and send them away with the knowledge that they have left their mark on Brookside College - the school is a better place because they were here.

2021 School Captains

Congratulations to our 2021 Brookside College School Captains:

Captains

Oliver C & Jamie-Marie G

Middle Years

Lucas M

We know that these students will represent Brookside College with pride, and we look forward to working with them in their new roles in the coming year!

2021 Year 7 School Council Scholarship

Congratulations to Year 6 students Anmol Z and Archie E who have been awarded the Brookside College School Council Scholarships in 2021. These scholarships offer both Anmol and Archie educational support to the value of $500 each, which we hope will prove to be useful to their first year as secondary students. Well done Anmol and Archie!

Year 9 Exams

Congratulations to all Year 9 students who completed their exams this semester. After a most difficult year the Year 9 students were able to brush it off and try their best in their final exams at Brookside. Well done and best of luck with your results!

Semester 2 Reports

Semester 2 2020 Reports were published for parents on Wednesday 16 December. We urge all families who are leaving the school at the end of the year to download these reports whilst access to our Compass platform is still available.

Year 7 Orientation Day & Year 9-10 Lakeview Transition

It was with a huge sense of relief that the Year 7 Orientation Day and Year 9-10 Lakeview transition events were both able to be held this year, after Covid-19 restrictions were thankfully eased. Students were able to meet their new peers and teachers, and were able to engage in different subject sessions throughout the day. We hope that this opportunity was valuable to all.

Prep Transition

Over the past four weeks our future Prep students have engaged in both online and onsite sessions, as well as a family ‘Meet & Greet’. The final event in the transition process was the Prep Orientation day held on Friday 11 December, during which the students were able to meet their classes and Home Group teachers. It has been a very successful four weeks with lots of positive feedback from both families and teachers.

Year 6 Celebration

Our Year 6 Brookside Celebration was held on Thursday 10 December, in honour of our Year 6 students who are finishing their primary years of schooling in 2020. Students participated in a certificate presentation ceremony at school during the afternoon and were then invited back to school in the evening to share a picnic pizza dinner in the Agora with their peers, while listening to music and taking photos in a photo booth provided by one of our wonderful parents.

This was a highly successful evening and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who made it happen - it really was a special way to say well done to our Grade 6 students. Due to density requirements parents were not be able to attend, however the ceremony was recorded and shared with parents.

Year 9 Graduation

Tonight (Thursday 17 December) we bid farewell to our amazing graduating Year 9 students. When we knew that our graduation would have to look different from previous years due to the circumstances of 2020, we spoke to our students about how they would like to celebrate their special night.

The overwhelming response was that they just wanted to spend time with each other and celebrate with their friends, so the Year 9 events team and Year 9 staff have organised for an Italian dinner and dance in our decorated school gym. Due to density requirements parents are not be able to attend, however the events will be recorded and shared with parents.

We are very proud of our Year 9 cohort and wish them nothing but the best as they move on to their senior years of schooling. We also thank departing families for their time and contributions to the school – you are all welcome back to Brookside at any time!

Meet the Teacher

Our annual ‘Meet the Teacher’ took place on Tuesday 15 December in preparation for 2021. During this time students were provided with the opportunity to meet and get to know their 2021 classes and teachers. Unfortunately, due to some last minute staff movement, there were a couple of classes who were not as yet able to meet their Home Group teachers, however we are endeavouring to place these staff as soon as possible and will notify parents and students once this process has been completed.

Our classroom teachers have worked diligently to build our class groupings for next year. A lot of time and effort is put into this process as there are many complex factors to consider: male and female numbers, academics, friendship groups and the additional needs of our children.

We also try to accommodate requests while balancing the judgement of our staff to ensure that each year level is balanced.

With so many children to consider we are sure you would agree this is both an important and lengthy task for our teachers and leaders, and as such no changes will be made to class lists after this experience. In the rare event that your child is feeling disappointed, we encourage you to have positive conversations about being a risk taker and looking for the positives in their situation. Remind them of the opportunities to make new friends and that there will be lots of time dedicated to getting to know their new classmates at the beginning of the school year.

End of Year Concert

Although it had to look very different from our usual End of Year Concert, the concert that was held on Tuesday 15 December was a fantastic opportunity for our students to celebrate the year that was by singing their songs with great enthusiasm and showing off their dancing skills! We would like to extend a huge thank you to our wonderful staff who worked tirelessly in preparation for the event. Due to density requirements we were not able to have parents onsite to view the event, however recordings of the performances will be provided.

School Uniform

As many parents will be shopping for school uniform for the start of 2021, please ensure that you purchase the correct shoes and clothing in line with the School Uniform Policy. A copy of the policy is available at:

https://brooksidecollege.vic.edu.au/families-community/#uniform

Important Days 2021

To assist your forward planning for next year, please note the following important days already scheduled for 2021:

Wednesday 27 January: Curriculum Day
Thursday 28 January: First Day of Term 1 for students in Years 1-9
Thursday 28 January – Wednesday 3 February: Prep Assessment Dates
Thursday 4 February: First Day of Term 1 for students in Prep
Friday 26 February: Curriculum Day
Friday 13 August: Curriculum Day
Monday 1 November: Curriculum Day

We wish you all a fun filled, safe and enjoyable holiday period.

The Principal Class Team

Brookside College