enquiries@beaconhills.vic.edu.au or use our online contact form.
View our Child Protection program registration requirements
30-34 Toomuc Valley Rd, Pakenham VIC 3810
92 Kangan Dr, Berwick VIC 3806
X
Learning that Matters
Jack and Bailey Christie, from Beaconhills’ Pakenham Campus, will waterski for Australia at the World Championships in Chile next year.
After success at Moomba, the boys competed in the Australian Championships in Port Macquarie over Easter. Selectors then announced Jack, 15, had made the Junior World team, with Bailey, 13 chosen as a reserve.
Both achieved outstanding results at the Australian Championships, Jack winning gold in the Under 17 slalom and silver overall, with silver medals in trick and jump. Bailey won the overall gold in Under 14, with gold in slalom and trick and bronze in jump.
Congratulations to both boys and we look forward to hearing the results from Chile in January 2017.
Two Beaconhills College students from the Class of 2015 are among 16 Victorian students to have their photographic work chosen for the TOPshots exhibition.
The exhibition is held annually at the Monash Gallery of Art and celebrates the best photomedia work produced by VCE students in Art, Media and Studio Arts.
Berwick’s Renae Butler and Alicia Simons were delighted to learn that their photography will be exhibited at the gallery from 16 April to 29 May. Alicia’s photographic work is also one of the Top Designs chosen as part of the VCE Season of Excellence.
Renae’s primary image from her ‘Snail’ series, entitled ‘They’re in your Letterbox and now they’re in your hearts’, was selected.
She said the series was based on the notion that “everyone is different and that we should not be judged based on our appearance”.
Alicia’s two photographs from the series ‘Vibrant distortions’ were part of a work that explored perspective.
“The idea was to distort water through colour and turbulence, connecting with audience members individually through different colours and textures,” she said.
Renae Butler with her snail photograph which was selected for TOPshots
Alicia Simons
Alicia’s photography
As students learned the Easter message this week in our services at both campuses, I was also reminded of the value of our chaplaincy teams.
Beaconhills is unique because we have six chaplains across our two campuses. We are really fortunate to have such a wonderful team; Rev Sarah Hobba, Rev Suzie Ray and Miss Jacklynne Belot at the Berwick Campus and Rev Peggy Kruse, Mr Stuart McKenzie and Mrs Kate Jacob at the Pakenham Campus.
Our lay chaplain Richard Prideaux once referred to a good chaplaincy program as “putting a soul into your school”. This is true. Chaplains are an integral part of the Beaconhills’ Wellbeing Program. They are not only responsible for the College’s religious education program, but for the spiritual life of our community. They lead our chapel services, baptisms, funeral services and weddings, as well as offering counselling and mediation to students (often in conjunction with other student welfare staff) and College staff.
I would like to thank our chaplains for helping deliver the Easter message this week as we head into this important time in the Christian calendar. I also wish everyone in our community a happy end-of-term break and look forward to seeing you again in Term 2.
Chaplains Kate Jacob (left) and Rev. Peggy Kruse
Remember the days of the old schoolyard? Beaconhills College students do, after their annual ‘Olden Days’ dress up day at the Pakenham Junior School today.
Year 2 students have studied ‘Our local area – now and then’ as part of their history lessons and the day was an exciting finale to the term. They took part in a number of activities including ‘olden day’ games and making damper.
School’s out! Front (l-r) Ben S, Jesse B and Lachlan T. (Back l-r) Brodie D, Noah R and Max H.
Chloe F
Leah W and Zara H looked the part
This weekend 180 applicants will sit a scholarship exam at our Berwick Campus, run by educational assessment organisation Edutest.
At Beaconhills College we offer 20 scholarship places for 2017, providing up to 50 per cent off tuition fees for families. The College has three types of scholarships – academic, performing arts and general excellence – with all students required to sit the exam.
Getting a scholarship is not easy. Regardless of whether they are current or prospective students, everyone is on a ‘level playing field’ with only the most deserving, talented and dedicated students awarded a scholarship. We have always maintained a high level of integrity with our program and I believe it is very important to have authentic boundaries in a scholarship program.
I would like to wish all applicants well for their exam on Saturday. Scholars have an important role to play at Beaconhills. They not only set high academic standards, but provide leadership, encouragement and inspiration to other students. They are good ambassadors for the College.
I look forward to welcoming our new group of scholars in 2017 once the selection process is completed in coming months.
2016 scholar Elliot P
Well done to the four Beaconhills teams who won the SEISA (South Eastern Independent Schools Association) summer finals this week.
Berwick Campus’ Intermediate Cricket (pictured) and Senior Boys’ Tennis teams were victorious, along with Pakenham’s Intermediate Girls’ and Senior Boys’ Basketball teams.
Pakenham Intermediate Girls’ Basketball defeated Berwick, while Berwick’s Intermediate Girls’ Softball team made it to the finals for the first time as runners up.
Waterskiing brothers Jack and Bailey Christie (Pakenham Campus) have triumphed at the Junior Moomba Masters event held over the Labour Day weekend.
Jack, 15, was crowned the Junior Moomba Slalom Champion, despite competing against world class skiers three years his senior.
Bailey, 13, also beat many older competitors in the Trick event, setting a new Victorian Trick record and personal best (700+).
The duo now heads to Stoney Park, Port Macquarie to compete in the NSW State Titles as a lead-up to the Australian Championships held at the same location over Easter. After that event, selectors will announce the Junior World Squad.
With six places now available on the World Squad, both boys are hoping for selection. They would then compete in the World Championships held in Chile in January 2017. Congratulations to the Christies on their outstanding achievement!
Jack (left) and Bailey Christie at Moomba
This week senior students at both campuses have taken part in a huge range of activities as part of the College’s Learning that Matters Week.
While Year 10s have ventured off to the far reaches of Victoria on a range of different outdoor education experiences, Years 11 and 12s have had a rich program of learning throughout the week.
Along with their important GAT (General Achievement Test) practice, there have been careers visits to universities, guest speakers on topics such as cyber safety, health and wellbeing, practical workshops, yoga and study skills seminars. This really has been a week of ‘Learning that Matters in action’.
As a lead-in to the week, I attended on 5-6 March the Harvard School of Education’s Project Zero Conference, entitled ‘Leading, Learning and Thinking’ held at Melbourne Grammar School.
Beaconhills College was invited to present our Learning that Matters case study to around 500 delegates from across Australia and around the world. This was an exciting opportunity to share some of the valuable work we have done on leadership, education, wellbeing and our comprehensive global and outdoor education experiences.
The Learning that Matters project is now in its fourth year, as we have examined just what learning matters for our students and their futures, how and why it matters and what it has meant in terms of a Beaconhills education.
The key pillars established through the Learning that Matters have permeated through all facets of College life and have been adopted into the Strategic Plan by the Board. This, in turn, has allowed the College to articulate and, more importantly, communicate the points of difference – the essence of ‘Being Beaconhills’.
No matter what your age, background or gender, you can change the world.
That was the message to Year 11 students from engaging young author Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who was at the Berwick Campus this week to help promote her new book ‘Yassmin’s Story’.
Aged 25, Ms Abdel-Magied already knows a thing or two about challenging stereotypes.
Originally from Sudan, she qualified as a mechanical engineer and worked in the Formula 1 racing world before taking on a job on a remote Australia oil and gas rig – a unique situation for a woman of Sudanese-Egyptian-Australian background.
By the age of 16, she had founded an organisation called Youth Without Borders, focused on helping young people work for positive change in their communities. She has been named Young Australian Muslim of the Year and Queensland Young Australian of the Year.
The self-confessed ‘petrol head’ (she is saving for her first V8), Yassmin also described her passion for boxing, love of reading and her own ‘bad’ jokes.
She urged the Year 11 girls to consider a career in engineering and not subscribe the traditional stereotypes, asking “how many young girls are given Lego sets?”
“People still think engineering is about getting greased up and walking around with a spanner.
“The first question I got asked on the (oil rig) job was ‘can you lift tools?’ – and that was by a Filipino guy half my size!” she joked.
Asked about discrimination and racism, she said her view was that Australia was a “generally”, but not “specifically” racist.
“Australia is still getting to grips with who we are – we are a relatively modern country. We are in the teenager stage of growing up, but hopefully we’re going to grow out of it.”
Her hope is that one day, the fact she is a Muslim woman working on an oil rig would no longer surprise people.
Her visit was part of a series of activities for senior students across the College as part of Learning that Matters Week. These included visits to universities, wellbeing and study skills sessions, a talk on cybersafety and Outdoor Education experiences.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied and the Year 11s
Beaconhills College looks set to raise more than $30,000 for Relay for Life after Berwick Campus families joined forces in the walk against cancer at Akoonah Park on Friday 4 March.
The result comes hot on the heels of the $17,833 fundraising effort by the six Pakenham Campus teams at the recent Cardinia Relay for Life.
Berwick’s Head of Middle School Clare Tuohy said the team “far exceeded” its fundraising goal of $10,000 and donations were still coming in.
“It was an absolutely fantastic night and the feeling of community was enormous,” Mrs Tuohy said.
This year’s Casey event was held around the perimeter – rather than on – Berwick’s Akoonah Park oval and team members said the new set-up worked very well.
Headmaster Tony Sheumack said both Beaconhills campuses were now strong participants in the two local Relay for Life events.
“We now have around 400-500 families from our community getting together to support Relay for Life,” he said. “I am proud to be part of a community that cares so much about this very worthy cause.”
Head of Berwick Campus Middle School Clare Tuohy with Keturah R
(L-r) Olivia S, Miss Jacklynne Belot and Tayssa D
(L-r) Jemma L and Madison S
Year 7 camp
Early Explorers site sod turned
College Facebook page temporarily unavailable.
Top Class Drama award
Lockdown Information
Headmaster concludes service in 2021
Paige is a Top Class Dancer
Emerging artists
Grant to help build ‘nature’s classroom’
Seetali’s solar farm
Staff Day focuses on renewal
Georgia’s Top Art
Get set for the new Community Arts and Recreation Centre
Vale Neville Clark
World Teachers’ Day
7 key questions to ask when choosing a school
The importance of regular school attendance
Combatting racism starts with education
Get ready for a return to school
Supporting our community through crisis
Term 2, with a difference
Online Learning to continue into term 2
Support for health care workers
From humble beginnings
Celebrating student leadership in 2021
1300 002 225 | Int: +613 5945 3001
reception@beaconhills.vic.edu.au
Pakenham Campus
Berwick Campus
Little Beacons
Gate C, Syme Rd, Pakenham VIC 3810