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92 Kangan Dr, Berwick VIC 3806
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Learning that Matters
The combined fundraising efforts of six Relay for Life teams from the Pakenham Campus have already raised $12,000, with donations still flowing in after the Friday 24 event.
Five House teams from Beaconhills, plus Little Beacons Learning Centre, participated in the all-night walk around the Toomuc Reserve oval.
Two brothers from Woods House, Bailey and Joel McLean (Year 5), managed to raise an impressive $1000 – double their original relay goal.
On the Relay for Life website, the duo said two of their uncles were currently fighting cancer: “Cancer has taken people from our lives too soon, and we want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to other families.”
The Blixt family (Clark House) also donated $500.
The 44 teams who took part in the Cardinia Relay for Life have so far raised around $92,195 – well ahead of the $80,000 goal. The Casey event starts this Friday 3 March at Berwick’s Akoonah Park.
Joel McLean and brother Bailey raised $1000
Ashley Hart and mum Nicole
Ben and Isaac Simpson
Laura Hanrahan with mum Sarah
Mitchell Hall, Tahlia Adkin, Mason Moon, Antony Bakens, Tom Ferrari, Abhay Aneja, Euan Grierson, Daniel Sumsion, Mackenzie Coutts
The College has welcomed a group of French students from our sister school in Laval, who are staying with host families from both campuses until 3 March.
The students are enjoying a range of activities both in and out of school. They have already visited Puffing Billy, Phillip Island and the Great Ocean Road, cooked ANZAC biscuits, played some Aussie rules football and attended our French classes.
Pakenham Campus Head of French Yelena Pinchuk said the Laval visit reciprocated the one by 23 Beaconhills students to Laval late in 2016.
During that exchange, students stayed for two weeks in Laval and visited the Caen memorial and WWII museum, Mont St Michel and Chinon Castle, along with many other excursions.
“As teachers, we were lucky to have accompanied such a great group of young people,” Ms Pinchuk said. “There were some amazing talents amongst them.”
“At the end of our stay in Laval, students were interviewed by Immaculée Conception school radio (in French!) and the interview broadcast live.”
Students also performed songs in English and French for students and parents.
Chinon visit
In November, four Beaconhills students took part in a separate exchange program with the Lycée Rabelais school in Chinon, located in France’s Loire Valley.
Student Russell Reader said that taking part in French schooling – where the days are long – was an interesting experience and very different to school life at Beaconhills.
“There was quite a contrast between our school, where every student is obliged to have a device, and France where such things are unheard of,” he said.
All students returned with a better understanding of French culture and improved language skills.
Work on our major new Year 9 centre at Beaconhills’ Pakenham Campus is set to start at the end of term 1.
The State Government has provided 1:1 funding of $2.8 million for this centre, which is part of its $120 million investment to help upgrade Catholic and independent schools.
I am proud of the fact our Year 9 program was the first dedicated, on-campus program of its type in Victoria.
This centre is a long-awaited project. Our original centre, which opened in 1996, has served us well but certainly exceeded its expected life span. The modern curriculum now calls for flexibility in building design – the new centre offers some fantastic features which will greatly enhance our Year 9 teaching and learning.
Some of these are a lecture theatre with retractable seating, a large exhibition multipurpose space for events like ‘Personal Best’ night, passive recreation areas, multipurpose classrooms for art, technology and science and classrooms with breakout spaces. There’s a ‘green room’ for multimedia projects and connected indoor/outdoor areas.
The area at the back of the current centre will be redeveloped to create an attractive natural habitat which our Little Beacons explorers will continue to share. In line with one of our Learning that Matters principles of caring for the environment, there will also be rainwater harvesting systems and a large solar installation as well as energy efficient lighting and environmental controls. New carparking will connect to the Senior School parking area and provide extra drop-off points for parents.
I’m sure our current Year 8s will be looking forward eagerly to their new centre when it’s completed at the end of term 1, 2018.
Tony Sheumack, Headmaster
Mandarin classes at Beaconhills College moved to the kitchen recently when teacher Yanie Chen helped students cook tang yuan (sweet rice balls) to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Two of our Year 9 international students Tom Tang and Olivia Cui were happy to try out their cooking skills and at the same time learn some of the origins and legends of the tang yuan tradition.
Students found a recipe for tang yuan, which is made from glutinous rice flour, peanut butter and sugar. They cooked the rice balls in class then took them home to share with their homestay families. Ms Chen said the students were pleased to have the chance to make tang yuan themselves, rather than buy it already made.
“That’s part of the reason we include cultural elements in Mandarin classes as part of students’ Chinese study,” she said.
“Cultural awareness is the foundation of communication. It recognises that we are all shaped by our cultural background, which influences how we interpret the world around us, perceive ourselves and relate to other people.”
Tom Tang was happy with the rice balls
Olivia Cui
The first day of school for Preps and Year 1 students at our Berwick Campus had an extra element of excitement this year, as they walked into our magnificent new Junior School classrooms and building development.
Students and teachers are now enjoying the contemporary new learning spaces. The design is based on the Reggio Emilia principles of maintaining a calming environment through the use of natural materials, keeping walls free of clutter and integrating the classrooms with the surrounding environment.
It is wonderful also to see that the quilt created by our Junior School community for its 10th anniversary celebrations now has a permanent home – well lit and on display for everyone to admire.
I look forward to seeing further improvements over coming months, with the reconfiguration of the Years 3 and 4 classrooms due for completion by the start of term 3. I know students are also keenly awaiting for the fantastic new Dragonfly playground, which will also be finished later in the year.
The view from classrooms at the top level of the Berwick Campus Junior School
Hundreds of Beaconhills College walkers will descend on the two major Relay for Life events in Cardinia and Casey in February and March.
Beaconhills is traditionally a major supporter of Relay for Life, with the Berwick Campus ‘Beacon of Hope’ team last year the second top fundraiser at the Casey event.
In 2016, the combined College teams from Pakenham and Berwick contributed more than $35,000 in donations to the Cancer Council for research and development.
This year Pakenham Campus will field six teams from the Middle School and Little Beacons Learning Centre at the Cardinia Relay for Life held at the Pakenham Football Club, Toomuc Reserve, on 24/25 February.
The Casey Relay for Life event is on 3 and 4 March at Berwick’s Akoonah Park, with this year’s Beacon of Hope team aiming to raise $20,000.
One of the teacher organisers of the Berwick event, Nicole Maus, said Beaconhills students, staff and families were enthusiastic participants in Relay for Life events.
“Everyone in the Beaconhills community has been touched in some way by cancer,” she said. “Our community is very keen to contribute to the research and development facilitated by the Cancer Council of Victoria, as a means to finding a cure for all kinds of cancers.”
Register now or donate to the Pakenham Campus teams here: Little Beacons Pakenham Campus (select) Middle School Houses
or support the Berwick walkers here: Berwick Campus
Creese House ran a Relay for Life fundraiser BBQ this week at the Pakenham Campus Junior School
Beaconhills’ Head of Citizenship and Service Clare Tuohy at last year’s Berwick Relay for Life event with Middle School student Keturah
One of Beaconhills’ six chaplains, Kate Jacob, was ordained as an Anglican Church Deacon at a ceremony in St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne on Saturday 4 February.
Revd Jacob said she was “overwhelmed” with the support she received from the Beaconhills community on the day of her ordination.
“My ordination was one of the most joyous occasions I have experienced, as I was able to publicly commit to serving God and serving others in Jesus’ name,” she said.
“Being able to serve God and his people is a great privilege and responsibility and I am honoured to be able to serve the community of Beaconhills College.”
As a Deacon, Revd Jacob is now able to conduct weddings and help with Communion and baptisms for the College community. She will be ordained as a Priest in November.
Revd Kate Jacob at her ordination
Year 10 Beaconhills College student Jake Cawfield’s debut film Mum’s Chores made the shortlist of Tropfest’s junior short film competition.
TROP JR, the world’s largest short film festival for kids, was held in Sydney on Friday 10 February.
Jake’s film was a five-minute comedy starring his sister Maddy, who he had to pay $50 for her acting services.
Jake managed to pull together the production in just two weeks, despite having only a short window in which to film after school and before sunset.
“I stayed up all night, for two nights in a row to do all the editing,” Jake said.
He said his only regret was running out of time to finish colour correcting, grading and improving the sound quality. But he was amazed to learn that he still made the Tropfest shortlist.
Each year Tropfest sets a signature items that film-makers must incorporate somewhere in their work. This year’s item was a mask.
Jake now hopes to enter his film in other festivals. He studied Media last year with teacher Nick Zomer and plans to pick it up again in Years 11 and 12, with a view to pursuing a career in film.
At a time when the dialogue in some parts of the world is around self-interest rather than service of others, it’s worth reiterating what Beaconhills College stands for.
Our Learning that Matters principles are built on our school’s Christian foundations and they value the enormous contributions of other cultures, encourage community citizenship and service – locally and internationally – and look to lighten our environmental footprint.
In 2017 we have a new Head of Citizen and Service Programs, Clare Tuohy, our former Head of Middle School at the Berwick Campus. Her role will focus on further developing our programs in community citizenship, service and environmental stewardship, as well as the strategic areas of values and character.
She will look for opportunities where the College can support people in need and she will work with committees involving staff, students and families.
In this month’s edition of The Melbourne Anglican publication, Emeritus Vicar, The Revd Peter Corney, argues that western culture’s rejection of Christian values is eroding a commitment to the common good – and this has led to assertive self-interest and widening inequality. It’s a timely message, reaffirming Beaconhills College’s own commitment to our service and citizenship programs.
I like the quote by Hugh Mackay in his thought-provoking book The Good Life: “No one can promise you that a life lived for others will bring you a deep sense of satisfaction, but it’s certain that nothing else will.”
New Head of Citizenship and Service Programs Clare Touhy (left) at last year’s Relay for Life
Year 6 Beaconhills College student William Arrowsmith is the public face of a national campaign to raise awareness about childhood heart disease (CHD).
HeartKids runs Sweetheart Day each year on 14 February. HeartKids focuses on funding vital medical research and improving the lives of children with CHD.
This year William appears in HeartKid posters as well as featuring in an interview with actor and comedian Shane Jacobsen, Sweetheart Day Ambassador.
William has also launched his own personal crowd funding page for the campaign.
He said he hopes to raise at least $3090, the amount needed to support just one family.
“I was born with a complex heart condition and so far I have had two major heart surgeries and I will soon need to have a third surgery,” William said.
“I know several of my heart buddies have been or are a part of the Beaconhills community.
“The more people that know about HeartKids Australia, the greater their impact, so please also spread the word by sharing my page with your friends and family.”
One in every 100 babies born in Australia has a heart defect and there is no known cure.
William in the campaign poster for Sweetheart Day
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