Beaconhills College

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

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

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

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