The start of 2025 has proved to be especially busy, with great participation by students attending the 5 camps run this term. These camps, although a significant additional workload for those attending and organising them, build stronger connections between staff and students. We can see the positive impact that they can have on a cohort.
With the whole school Athletics Carnival and X Country coming up in term 2.
VALE : Andy Marshall. It was with great sadness we learnt that Andy Marshall had passed away after a long illness. Andy had been a science and chemistry teacher at BSC since 2002, inspiring students by his teaching of Science and Chemistry. Many past and present, staff and students attended his funeral service on Saturday 22nd March. Some past students, now finished studying in different science areas or medical fields, travelled up to attend. A testament to the impact a teacher can have on the learning and motivation of students.
5 days at Bogong Outdoor School, including an overnight camp on the High Plains, Canoeing, Rock Climbing, Wildlife session, team building events.
10 days at Bogong Outdoor School – Includes an amazing 5 day journey, hiking and camping in the High Plains. This is an important feature of our Year 9 Program, leading to options for Year 10s to apply for the extension programs at Bogong Outdoor School.
This 4 day trip was run for the first time this year, led by the Humanities and Pathways team @BSC. This will be an ongoing part of our program. Students explore settings relevant to senior subject selections and future pathways. This is a very different approach to Canberra that some students have had if they had been there on a Primary school camp.
“ The Year 10 camp was so much fun and we got to see so many cool things in Canberra. We learnt so many cool things, like the meaning behind the placement of all the major buildings. A particular highlight of the camp was visiting the AIS – Australian Institute of Sport – and watching the volleyball players train.”
Eva Doyle
The camp gave students options depending on their interest, weather visiting ANU or AIS, or Parliament house or the Art Gallery
Our STEM – Digi-Tech elective has all Year 8 students exploring and designing cars / vehicles online and then converting these to aero dynamic printed cars. These were designed to include space for a CO2 canister and run along a wire in a race to find the fastest design. This needed the track set up in the gym, but my camera was not fast enough to capture an image while racing.
Year 10 students, Charlie McLachlan and Eva Doyle, were selected for an outstanding opportunity for selected as Rural Youth Ambassadors for 2025, through the Country Education Partnership – CEP. They have had 3 days last week in the program based in Melbourne, giving voice to the youth in rural areas to feedback to the government.
Patrick Murray and Aston Porteous from Year 9 have spent term 1 at the Dinner Plains Campus of the Alpine School for Leadership with 40 other students from across the state. They gave an excellent presentation for the finish of their term project and have had an outstanding experience for their personal development. This is another opportunity only available to government school students. We are fortunate to have a few students accepted in this program each year.
A number of the crew from HMAS Harman, including the Commanding Officer CMDR Dean Thompson, visited BSC, and Year 9 students were able to hear from different serving men and women from HMAS Harman what some of the different roles were of the navy personnel. This was in line with the celebrations of The Royal Australian Navy’s 124 year anniversary on the 28th February 2025.
The Commander and his crew were very impressed with our students and the types of questions and engagement they had during the session. Some were able to see different roles via VR goggles. It was an outstanding presentation on what the Navy does. CMDR Thompson is the senior officer in Canberra.
For International Women’s day, the ZONTA group run a women’s breakfast for year 11 girls in Wangaratta each year. Student come from all area schools, DE and Independent. They have guest speakers talking about their career pathways, and on each table are a couple of women from various career areas. Students select which table they may be interested in having an opportunity to meet and hear their stories. This year, they also ran a ZONTA breakfast for Year 11 boys in the following week.
Rachael Dodd represented BSC at the Scots Albury Interschool Riding Comps this term. She performed very well in her first major competition, supported by Channelle Horobin (Jenkins).
Our students participated in Volleyball for term 1 sport with the Year 10 boys going through to the Hume Finals. This will take place next term.
Congratulations also to the BSC team, Oscar Dickeson, Lewis James Hillier, Chase Grech, Naisen James Hillier and Ruairidh Grigg who competed in the Falls Creek Mountain Bike races this term.
BSC 9/10 Sports leadership elective students have been walking down to BPS each week and running sports skills sessions for the Primary students. Beth Mackie, PE, has used her connections from previously working at BPS to set up this leadership partnership.
Years 11&12 have established a connection with Beechworth Health – Aged Care – and will be going to the aged care units on Thursdays during the lunch break- supported by Rosemary Dax, School Nurse and Jacob Myers and Finn Pedersen.
Ag Science is a new 9/10 elective we have offered this Year with Mr Jackson. This elective is going well, with students learning basic fencing, hydroponics, and last week had a field trip to see Viticulture onsite at Pennyweight Winery. We intend to be able to offer VET Ag onsite at BSC in 2026.
The Beechworth Golden Serpents Dragon Boat Club continues to impress at competitions. A number of our students are in the junior crew and are achieving outstanding results. They recently competed at a junior regatta in Canberra as well as the Victorian State Championships in Melbourne, coming away with bronze, silver and a gold. They are now training hard for the Australian Championships later this month in Sydney. Students competing at the Aus Champs are Dorian Ellis, River Scott-Crameri, Doug Gladstone, Daniel Titcumb, Liana France, Lilly Dodds, Charles Wallen, Ethan Grosser, Aaron Grosser and Tyson Cox. We wish them all the best.
Aaron, Ethan, Dorian and Tyson are also currently training for the Australian Aurora Dragon Boat Team and will be competing in Germany at the World Championships later this year.
Golden Horseshoe Festival and ANZAC day service
BSC will be joining the Easter Saturday parade this year. This begins at 2pm
Please come along to show support, as we have a number of staff and students who will be participating on the day.
Anzac Day is on Friday of the first week in term 2. As usual, the BSC College Captains will be delivering the main address and laying a wreath on behalf of the school community. Please come along to the RSL service at 11 am at the Cenotaph.
Any students who would like to represent the school in the march prior, will need to show their respect and be in full school uniform and be ready to meet at 10.20.
with Amy and Rosemary – School mental health practitioner/social worker and school nurse
The end of term is almost upon us so we would like to make sure that people know what might be going on in the wellbeing space at Beechworth Secondary College.
Amy Tobin Mental health practitioner/social worker, Mon to Thurs– In my role as an allied health professional within the school I can support student’s mental health, advocate for their wellbeing or link in with appropriate external services. This term I have had many 1:1 sessions with students. I have also partnered with Headspace to organise their onsite Here and Now sessions at the school. A new positive engagement activity, has been the development of a hands-on learning group for some year 8 boys. A lot of organisation has gone into term 2, arranging visits from Man Cave and the Big Sister project amongst other things.
Rosemary Dax Adolescent Health Nurse, Thurs & Fri- the adolescent health nurse is not the first aid person, this role is about promoting good holistic health. I have just got started at Beechworth SC this term and am finding my way. I have been involved each Thursday in the breakfast program, thanks Merri for including me, it is such a great way to welcome the students to school and get to know them. Please remember breakfast runs Tuesday and Thursday so get your day off to a great start, with cheese toasties, fruit and milk, all it takes is a smile. What a great job Merri does both days of the week getting this prepared and out to our students.
I have also seen a few students one to one for health information sharing and getting to know each other better.
The aged care visiting has been a passion of mine for many years and I am very happy to support the teachers here in getting the visits going with the local aged care facility.
Early next term I will be introducing myself formally to all year 7 groups and giving them a lesson on oral hygiene. Also, together with Amy we will be holding a pamper day for our hard-working year 12. I thank Amy for all her support this term as I get to navigate my way around a new school.
DISCOVERY NIGHT – Amy and I spent a lovely few hours yesterday evening sharing our roles with local year 6’s and their parents, we had a quiz for them to do about our services and some of our resources and activities on display.
HOLIDAYS
Over the holidays if students need some physical or emotional supports below are some numbers and websites that may be of use.
Local doctor’s clinic Beechworth Surgery 5728 1566
Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800
Wishing you all very happy holidays and a great break from normal routine.
Quote for the week: “Being healthy is a success that many people forget to celebrate.”
Beechworth Secondary College acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which our school
is located and where we meet and learn. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. Beechworth Secondary College is committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.
Home Group: 9:00 – 9:14
Period 1: 9:19 – 10:33
Recess: 10:33 – 10:53
Period 2: 10:53 – 12:07
Period 3: 12:12 – 1:26
Lunch: 1:26 – 2:11
Period 4: 2:11 – 3:25
