Newsletter

Week 1, Term 1 2025

Principal's Report

Welcome to Beechworth SC 2025. This is an exciting year for the school as we welcome so many new students and families to the school community. With over 75 Year 7s and new students joining us in other year levels, the opportunities we can offer expand with our numbers. 2024 was a year where we saw introduction of initiatives that will be followed through in 2025.

The successful experience of the students participating in the Model UN will see BSC hosting this onsite later in the year. After the Arguing and Debating club was so popular, finishing in a staff student debate, there will be further opportunities for students.

Lunch time activities were well supported, and the “World Cup” soccer created a committed bank of supporters and hearty competition between teams. This will be back in term 2, bigger than ever. The end of year Arts Soiree was a wonderful celebration of the many creative skills in Art, Design and musical performances. Our music program continues to expand.

The STEM skills of students shined brightly last year, winning the State PrintACar challenge. This was made possible by a grant from the Community Bank Beechworth of $12,000 to upgrade the equipment available to students.

The Presentation Night held in the last week of the year was a celebration of all our students achieve and an acknowledgement of the wide range of skills and community service within our community. This was again generously supported by the wider community, with so many groups and businesses offering scholarships and awards to support student learning and recognise participation and service. I would like to thank all who have again supported the young people of the community.

At Presentation Night we also announce the Dux for 2024, Samantha Pearce. The top VCE academic scores achieved by BSC students were in the top 12% of the state. 28% of our year 12 students received at least one score of 40 or higher. This is an outstanding result for these students, as these are in the top 8% of the state -independent and state schools. Several studies achieved above state average overall results with the school median at 28.6. Students can be confident to achieve well with our teachers and resources, if they are willing to put in the time needed. We have a very supportive environment and access to additional support from excellent, experienced teachers, and small class sizes -the benefit of a smaller school with access to the extension of CHES subjects, which are university level for those wishing to extend themselves.

Our students studying VET subjects also had outstanding results. We cater for all areas of interest. In 2024, we have had several successful SBATs – school based apprenticeships, followed through with support from HEADSTART team onsite.

Term 1 will be a busy and exciting time for all year levels. We have our School wide Swimming Carnival on Feb 4th, a “Welcome Info Night” & BBQ for the year 7 families on February 5th, and Year 7, 9,10,11 & 12s will have a camp. Along with NAPLAN and school Photos, BSC will have much to celebrate.

I welcome any parents to make a time to drop in and see the school in action or have a chat about ideas and suggestions for supporting our growing community.

We also welcome new staff this year, joining the outstanding team already onsite.

  • Matt Brauer is our Leading Teacher for Engagement and Wellbeing, moving to the area. He is also teaching PE and VET Sport and Recreation.
  • Channelle Horobin has also moved to the area and will be joining the English team and is a Mini School Leader in Junior School.
  • Geordie Graham will be joining the Maths team, along with Grace Burton, who will also teach Science.
  • Tom Crook is a PE and Outdoor Ed teacher.
  • Steph Eagle supported us as a CRT last term and is now taking Drama for 2025.
  • Matt Fairbridge will be teaching Visual Communication and Design Technology.
  • We also have Rosemary Dax joining the wellbeing team as School Nurse, and she will be here on Thursdays and Friday.
  • Rebecca Rundle is joining the admin team in reception, after moving to the area.
  • Stephen Alderton is on leave for term 1.

Key contacts this year are:

  • Business Manager – Leanne Clarke
  • Senior School – Mini School Leaders – Rachael Castricum, Chris White and Jacob Myers
  • Junior School – Mini School Leaders – Michael Bocse, Paul McMullen and Channelle Horobin
  • Camps queries for years 7-9 – Taylor Dowling
  • Camps queries for Year 11 & 12 – Karl Maher

The whole BSC team are looking forward to a great year in 2025.

Coming Events

Term 1 is looking very busy, please refer to the events listed in our calendar using the button link below and also keep an eye out on Compass for event permissions and approvals.

Some Term 1 highlights will include:

  • Week 1 – Wed 29 Jan – First Day of Term 1
  • Week 2 – Tues 4 Feb – BSC Swimming Carnival – wear SunSmart house colours OR school uniform please.
  • Week 2 – Wed 5 Feb – Yr 7 parents/students info and welcome night BBQ.
  • Week 2 – 5-7 Feb – Yr 12 Camp
  • Week 3 – 10-14 Feb – 7.1 and 7.3 Transition Camp at Bogong
  • Week 2 – Wed 12 Feb – Senior School Info Night 6-7pm for Yr 10 (TAFE OR VCE), Yr 11 & Yr 12s.
  • Week 4 – 17-21 Feb – 7.2 and 7.4 Transition Camp at Bogong
  • Week 4 – 19-21 Feb – Yr 11 Regional Camp
  • Week 5 – 24 Feb –  Ovens and Murray District Swimming Carnival
  • Week 5 – 26 Feb –  Future Makers Day.
  • Week 7  – Mon 10 Mar – Labour Day public holiday.
  • Week 7 – 11- 14 Mar – Yr 10 camp.
  • Week 8 – Thurs 20 Mar – School Photos.
  • Week 9-10 – 25 Mar-3 Apr – Yr 9 Future Makers Camp

Government School Bonus

Government school families can still spend their $400 Bonus on items in the lead up to the start of Term 1 and beyond.

The School Saving Bonus can be used to buy school uniforms and textbooks or can go towards school activities such as camps or excursions.

The Bonus can also be used at second-hand uniform and textbook shops run by schools as well as approved suppliers. Any unspent Bonus money will automatically transfer to a family’s school account once the uniform and textbook voucher period expires on 30 June, with parents able to use the remaining funds on future school activities.

Any funds which remain unspent by the time a student leaves the school can be transferred to a sibling at the school or will be absorbed by the school to benefit other students.

For more information about the School Saving Bonus, visit vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus

Quantum Victoria - PrintACar Challenge – BSC Overall Winners

This is a comprehensive and engaging STEM experience held at QUANTUM in Melbourne, for students that combines design thinking, team work, 3D printing technologies and friendly competition that fosters creativity, critical thinking and a passion for STEM education. This was a fantastic outcome for our small rural school, against many schools from around the state. The team of Brayden Schilling, Noah Rowlings, Abbie Gladstone and Isaac McLean, were supported by Mr Burrows and the equipment purchased through two grants from the Community Bank Beechworth & District.

The Systems Engineering programs @BSC are popular with students interested in accessing these new technologies.

French Study News

On the 27th of November, BSC welcomed Carrousel Theatre, a Melbourne based performance company to present a puppet show on Puss in Boots. Students were intrigued by the unique production, with many laughs shared by all present. Students were able to practice their French in a meaningful way, with student participation being encouraged during the bilingual show.

As one student said: “It was like nothing I had seen before!”. We look forward to other exciting incursions for French in the future. Merci beaucoup!

French students also participated in a French language Escape Room activity to test their language skills with some fun along the way.

Year 9/10 French Elective students, MAP and the year 8s also recently participated in an interactive escape room, Le Cambriolage (The Heist). Students had fun, cracking codes, solving puzzles, and improving their French whilst participating in this highly engaging activity. The mobile escape room was completed in both the classroom and in a purposely designed van provided by the University of Melbourne,  free of charge. Beechworth Secondary College was fortunate enough to be the very last school to participate in the program after 2 years of existence. There will be further exciting opportunities for all students of French to look forward to in the coming months and years.

Stephen Minglis. Head of French.

VCE Collaboration Network

VCE Collaboration La Trobe visited a number of learning areas and labs in Wodonga. The joint event was with  Year 11 students from schools that are part of our  VCE Collaboration Network. This is a support network established over 5 years between our nearby Secondary Schools. These include Beechworth SC, Myrtleford and Bright P-12, Tallangatta SC and Mt Beauty SC.

BSC Teacher Achievements

Beechworth SC Humanities teachers, Amanda Hawkins and Jacob Myers were invited to present at the Humanities Teachers Conference in term 4 2024, on the outstanding work the team have done in development and delivery of the Curriculum at BSC. This follows on from Stephen Alderton, Maths Key Learning Area Leader, presenting at the EduTech Conference earlier this year.

Farewelling our 2024 Year 12s

A long tradition at BSC is to celebrate the last school day for Year 12s with a farewell assembly following a breakfast shared with teachers and parents. The staff band also gave a farewell performance for the students.

The Class of 2024 Year 12 Valedictory dinner was also a great celebration for their end of school years, with heartfelt speeches and a final outstanding performance from VET Music students, Samara Bright and Felix Woodford. The Valedictory Speech was given by Hunter North.

We wish them all the best for their futures.

Arts @ BSC

Year 11 VCE Art students visited Wangaratta Art Gallery on 6th Nov to meet local abstract artist, Fran Oneill. Students heard from the artist about her life, career in the New York art scene and what continues to inspire her work and process. Students were very grateful to spend time discussing ideas about art making and found inspiration in the deeply layered and vibrant works.

Thank you to the gallery for supporting the students by supplying transport to the exhibition.

Share The Dignity Donations

Thanks to generous donations from our students and school community to the Share The Dignity initiative, we managed to fill the donation box at Wodonga Bunnings!

Inaugural Staff-Student Debate

Exactly 728 years ago, in 1295, King Edward I of England first introduced the “Model Parliament”, the birth of representative parliament. Coincidently, Beechworth Secondary College hosted its own version of the Model Parliament with the inaugural staff-student debate. Two teams of three debaters each come together in front of the school to debate the topic: “technology has been beneficial to learning at school.”

The teachers were the “affirmative team”. I.e. they had to argue that technology had been beneficial. The students were the “negative” team and argued it had not been good for their learning. Both teams debated with passion and skill. However, there would only be one winner. After consideration by three judges, the teachers won by two points.

The debate was the culmination of the lunchtime arguing club where students are encouraged and taught to deliberate and discuss controversial topics.
It has been so much fun setting up the arguing club for these “bush lawyers”. Nothing makes a teacher happier than seeing students grow in confidence and learning they have a powerful voice worth sharing.
Too often, oracy education is sidelined. Learning to talk and talking to learn are building blocks for reading, writing, and students’ academic progression through school.

We’re setting up an oracy curriculum next year. We will be hosting the Model UN, a regional interscholastic debating competition, a weekly arguing club, and of course the staff versus student debate…round 2. We should be building lots of opportunities in our curriculum where students can hone their speaking skills.

Student Leadership

Our 2025 Year 12 Captains and SRC leaders attended the GRIP Leadership Conference in Albury. School Captains Poppy Voight, Aya McInerney, Vice Captains, Tahji Browne and Ella Pund were joined by SRC and House Captains. The Student Leaders participated in presentations, activities, discussions, and leadership games. They attended sessions related to making school a great place for others, managing their time as leaders, creating events that everyone can connect to, tackling the things that feel impossible and supporting their wider community.

The students came away with new skills, new perspectives and new ideas for making a positive contribution as a leader.  It was a worthwhile day, inspiring our leaders to work together to create a clear vision as they plan for the year ahead. The students were supported by Mr Jack and Mr Myers who have been responsible for student leadership this year.

Remembrance Day

On Monday November 11, BSC held a Remembrance Day Ceremony at a school assembly, while the School Captains, and Year 7s as Flag Orderlies, attended the Beechworth RSL Service. Along with laying a wreath on behalf of the school community, the Captains gave the main address, relating the wartime experiences of a serviceman from Beechworth.

Poppy Voight, Aya McInerney, Ella Pund, Tahji Browne.

Parallel Wilds Project - BSC & Rutherglen HS

This was an exciting project that incorporated creative writing, research and environmental issues. The finish product is an excellent website that can be viewed using VR goggles, or as an interactive site. Students used 360* cameras, drones, learned editing and created a unique multi-media work.

Parallel Wilds  was funded by the Indigo Shire Future Proof project – bushfire recovery grant funded by the Australian Government:
Beechworth SC and Rutherglen HS completed individual projects within this program. Works can be viewed on the interactive website or when using VR goggles.

Parallel Wilds: Is an immersive and empowering 3D platform for youth, featuring creative writing, digital photography and videography, cosplay and modelling, 3D and drone imagery, and sound composition. This innovative convergence of artforms allows youth to express self-identity in the natural world, to create a speculative universe on the future of wilderness, set in 2050. A virtual global 3D platform that is a hybrid of E-book and Computer Game, Parallel Wilds provides youth a forum for their visions of what our wilderness will become, and how they see themselves as protagonists in this future world. A partnership with Young Somerset and Exmoor National Park UK has been developed to provide a virtual exchange for concepts.

The 2021 Creative Victoria project by Tallangatta and Beechworth Secondary Colleges at Outdoor School Bogong, and 2022 projects developed by Emerson School in City of Greater Dandenong, and Danesfield School, Young Somerset UK can be viewed at www.parallelwilds.com  Parallel Wilds aims to maximise participation by Victorian youth. The sessions are Live or via Webex, and on location in a natural area with the 3D camera.

Session 1: Scan 3D virtual mapping of the natural environment: 3D camera, photos etc:

Session 2: Experiential writing: self-identity in the natural world, mind map story:

Session 3: Engagement to assemble 3D platform of creativity:

Session 4: Live and/or virtual celebration featuring virtual reality headset:

The workshops are facilitated by Creative Writer, Craig Dent, who has Degrees in Education and Arts. Craig collaborates with Albury based photographer, Justin Dallinger, from Scan 3D.

BSC was also involved in the Pilot project run through the Bogong Outdoor School in 2021.

Careers & Pathways

Each year BSC invites a range of community members that represent many different career pathways to share their journeys to reach these occupations with students, followed with a Q&A.

This year we had a Lawyer, Nurse, GP, Journalist, Writer, Fire Service, Paramedic, Carpenter – their stories helped inform students’ thoughts on future options.

Year 8 Coastal Camp

Our 2024 Year 8 students enjoyed 4 days at Torquay while the MAP Team camped at Anglesea.
Both groups had a great time doing various activities but especially enjoyed the surfing experience as a key event.

Year 11 & 12 VM

The 2024 Year 11 & 12 VM (Vocational Major) students took on an enterprise assignment to successfully plan and deliver food for students from our canteen each week in term 4. This extra food service was appreciated by all of the BSC students!

Year 7 Science

Year 7 Science students completed classification research into insects found in the area in term 4.