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30-34 Toomuc Valley Rd, Pakenham VIC 3810
92 Kangan Dr, Berwick VIC 3806
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Learning that Matters
Netballers from Beaconhills’ Berwick Campus put in strong performances at the Victorian State Netball Championships held on Friday 27 July at Parkville’s State Netball Centre.
The senior girls’ team went undefeated all day, only losing in the last match by three points. Intermediate girls also did very well, only dropping two matches all day, while junior girls and all boys’ teams played very competitively.
Senior girls’ team with coach Adam Wright
The junior boys’ team with coach Germain Ramos
As part of our commitment to best practice in education, last year we sent out a survey seeking feedback from our community on our BeaconNet portal.
The portal is the repository for all the essential information specific to our College families, students and staff and is accessed via a password. The survey generated many suggestions and plenty of constructive criticism.
I’m pleased to say we have taken on board many of these suggestions. These include making BeaconNet more user friendly with targeted ‘quick links’, a search function and generally improved navigation. Features such as live reporting of student assessments and parent-teacher interview online bookings are now well-established and well-received by our parents.
Education is the partnership between parents, students and the school. Beaconhills continues to work hard to find new ways to strengthen this partnership – for the benefit of our students.
Much-loved Australian children’s author and artist Leigh Hobbs had a rock-star welcome from Junior School students when he visited Beaconhills College’s Berwick Campus yesterday.
The author, who was 2016/17 Australian Children’s Laureate, was in the library to talk with students above some of his distinctive characters like ‘Old Tom’, ‘Mr Chicken’ and ‘Horrible Harriet’. He also spent time helping students create their own character and is now sending postcards (pictured) back to five Year 2 students who created their version of Old Tom.
The College’s two campuses will celebrate Book Week from 17-24 August, with a host of exciting activities planned including parades, treasure hunts and more guest author visits.
Author Leigh Hobbs with students
Jonas Clarke, Year 3
Year 2 Old Tom designs
A creative t-shirt design highlighting the issue of youth homelessness has earned Year 8 Beaconhills College student Molleigh Lewis a ‘highly commended’ award in an art competition.
The winning designs in the Steps Outreach Service ‘Design a T-Shirt for Youth Homelessness’ competition will now be printed on t-shirts and canvas shopping bags and sold here from August 6. Profits will help support young people experiencing homelessness. Designs will also go on display during Homelessness Week 6-12 August at the Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, Carlton (details here).
You can read more about Molleigh and her art in the winter issue of Lux Luceat magazine.
Molleigh Lewis, Year 8
Molleigh’s t-shirt design
The eagerly-awaited dragonfly playground was open for business today, to the delight of students at the Berwick Campus.
This huge playground is like no other in the country. It comprises 20 tonnes of steel and has a massive 25m wingspan. There is a variety of play equipment for students, such as climbing nets, a climbing tunnel, sandpit and spiral slide.
The dragonfly sits next to the multipurpose Gurra Gurra Room (Gurra Gurra is the Boon wurrung word for dragonfly).
It is wonderful to be back at Beaconhills after a very interesting and challenging period of long service last term.
Firstly, I would like to thanks our College leadership team and, in particular, our Deputy Headmaster Stephen McGinley for ensuring the smooth operation of the school in my absence. Beaconhills is blessed with highly-talented staff and I am very proud of the work of our leadership teams.
As part of my leave, I spent eight days hiking across the High Atlas mountains of Morocco in North Africa. We summited the highest peak in North Africa, Mt Toubkal (4167m). This trek was very challenging due to the high altitude and the climbing required, across rocky terrain and of course sleeping under canvas in – at times – not terribly comfortable conditions,
So why do it? I have a deep love for the great outdoors and in particular climbing in the mountains. But aside from the spectacular scenery, this trek also gave me the opportunity to reflect on some of the important philosophies which underpin our Beacon Explorers global and outdoor education programs. These include spending time technology-free, the physical challenge of getting out of your ‘comfort zone’ and the chance to discover and appreciate a culture very different from our own. We are currently considering making this hiking opportunity a part of our extension program for experienced Beacon Explorers students.
My trek coincided with the Islamic religious festival of Ramadan. Each day, our guides would rise and prepare our breakfast before travelling with us from sunrise to sunset, without any food or water, stopping only to pray. The contrast between the lifestyles of the Australian hikers and these local guides and mule-handlers was stark – yet this was a resilient community supported by their strong faith.
In a similar way, our Beacon Explorers programs give students the opportunity to reflect on how much we have as a country and help strengthen our understanding of the world and how others live.
I hope you are ready for another great term of learning at Beaconhills College.
Beaconhills College student Shenal Wickramasinghe is already flying high in the music industry with his own successful DJ business called Peregrine Beats.
The Year 7 student said he discovered DJ consoles at the age of four and knew then that “DJing was in his blood”. He got his first professional console at seven.
Shenal launched the business after researching peregrine falcons for a Year 5 project at Beaconhills and realising that he many similar values and qualities to the bird.
“It was fast (just like the music I make), it explores (just like me) and it always has a target (it is the only way I push myself!)” he said. “Someday I will soar like the peregrine!”
Judging by the demand for his DJ services, Shenal is already flying. He has been booked for numerous 40thand childrens’ birthdays, as well as performing arts festivals, basketball tournaments and discos. He recently performed at the Berwick Campus’ Middle School Performing Arts Festival.
“I simply love having fun and going that extra mile to ensure everyone at the party has an incredible time,” Shenal said. “I take the time to understand the crowd and play the appropriate music.”
He has saved up and bought much of his own equipment, while Beaconhills College has supported him in producing his own original songs using art music production software called Ableton. Having produced music now for two years he is constantly improving, learning new tips and tricks, while collaborating in his home recording studio with other artists.
Shenal studies music theory at school and is learning how to play the piano. He said his ultimate dream was to be one of the best DJs and producers in the world.
“I want to inspire many other young kids – just like how Martin Garrix and NGHTMRE inspired me,” he said. “My dream gig is to have a set at the three biggest festivals in the world: Tomorrowland, EDC and Ultra Music Festival.”
These school holidays have been far from boring for students attending the College vacation care program.
The kids have had the opportunity to explore balsa wood, dry felting, and a variety of sports. They have been on a treasure hunt and traveled into Melbourne to the Wonderland exhibit at ACMI!
Our very talented Year 11 filmmakers from the Berwick Campus have done it again. Congratulations to Jake Cawfield and Kai Van Leeuwen for making it to the finals of the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival with their doco ‘Steps’ (watch their film here).
The festival is run by NOVA Employment to raise awareness of the abilities of people with disabilities. The awards night is in Sydney on 5 September.
(L-r)Kai and Jake
Beaconhills graduates Chelsey Taylor (Class of 2009) and Heidi Cheung (Class of 2013) have received university awards for their Bachelor of Commerce degrees.
Chelsey earned Deakin University’s prestigious Bowater Medal for best all-round Business School graduate, while Heidi made Monash University’s Dean’s Honours List.
More details about these awards are in the upcoming issue of Lux Luceat magazine.
Photos courtesy of Monash University and Simon Fox, Deakin University.
Senior footy win
Walk for Disability
Hoop Time winners
Hello from China!
Volleyball wins
Living history
Award for sporting all-rounder
Poppi returns
Year 8s head for the hills
Cosplay heroes
Dancers claim silver
Donations put to good use
Reports that tell the whole story
What are your values?
A commitment to Indigenous education
Help shape our school’s future
Why we value chaplaincy
Recent events in Sri Lanka
A message of hope this Easter
Bushfires: thanks for your support
Bushfire message
Boarding residence now open to local students
Order of Australia medal for College Board Chairman
Welcome to a new school year
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