Beaconhills College

Need a pick-me-up at school pick-up? We’re launching a new coffee kiosk at the Pakenham Campus Junior School this term. It will open from 7.45-9.15am and 2.45-4.15pm each day serving coffees (and hot drinks). A kiosk will also open at Berwick Campus if the trial is successful.

Students must be accompanied by a parent or staff member to make purchases.

We are still seeking casual baristas interested in working at the kiosk. Email your CV to job.applications@beaconhills.vic.edu.au

Little Beacons Berwick is up and running – much to the excitement of the youngest members of the Beaconhills community.

The eagerly-awaited early learning centre opened its doors on January 8. It replicates Beaconhills’ award-winning counterpart at the Pakenham Campus, offering the same natural, light-filled design, programs, values and commitment to quality.

The Little Beacons philosophy is a collaborative, community approach where children learn through experience. The programs include Indigenous learning and there’s a focus on environmental sustainability, with natural materials used throughout and a spacious light-filled design allowing children to move freely between indoor and outdoor areas. The building is powered by an 87 kW solar system.

The opening of Little Beacons Berwick now means children joining either campus in the early years can progress smoothly to Prep at the same location.

The new centre is filling fast. However, there are still places available, including for children aged six months to one year, along with four-year-old sessional kindergarten. To find out more email enrol@beaconhills.vic.edu.au.

Star Berwick student athlete Amiru Chandrasena placed second in Mens Under 18 Long Jump at the Australian All School Championships in December.

Amiru represented Victoria exceptionally well with a personal best jump of 7.30m. Well done!

Two Beaconhills students have earned a place in Top Screen and Top Talks, part of the VCE Season of Excellence.

Jaime Watts’ selection in Top Talks for her work in Unit 3 and 4 of Extended Investigation is a College first. Her subject score of 48 also placed her second in the state.

She is “incredibly excited” to be presenting at the Top Talks event on Friday 14 February, in the State Library Victoria, on her research topic ‘How does ‘monster in narrative’ reflect humanity’s evolution?’

And 2020 College Captain Callum Pritchard will become the first Berwick Campus student to make it Top Screen, representing the growing numbers of talented filmmakers coming from the media department.

Callum’s film was a music video for the track ‘De ja Vu’ by the group Lastlings.

Both students are in Year 12 this year.

Beaconhills College’s Pakenham Campus Dux Mariam Mostokly achieved an ATAR of 98.05 for her VCE, but was missing in action when results were announced on 14 December.

That’s because she was busy volunteering in Fiji, making meals and helping paint churches as part of her Coptic Orthodox church’s missionary work.

Hard work and determination seem to be two ingredients of Mariam’s success.

Mariam joined Beaconhills College in 2017, leaving her family in northern Egypt to study in Australia and improve her English.

Her Year 12 subjects were English as an Additional Language (EAL), Chemistry, French and Maths Methods. She completed Arabic and Further Maths in Year 11.

Given her Egyptian schooling was in Arabic – which is written from right to left – learning to read, write and speak English was no mean feat.

“It was very hard – I didn’t know what ‘x’ and ‘y’ was in Maths that first year,” she said.

But she was determined to succeed, and in Year 12 she said she made a habit of reading ahead in the coursework, making her own notes, then adding in teacher notes after every class. She also completed 26 practice exams for each subject.

After a long-awaited visit to her family back home in January, Mariam hopes to go to university in Australia and study physiotherapy or a double degree in civil engineering/architectural design.

Not surprisingly, her parents are very proud of her achievements at Beaconhills.

Beaconhills College is celebrating another successful year of VCE results at both its Pakenham and Berwick campuses.

Fourteen students achieved ATARs (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) in the 90s, with College Dux Sonia Lan (Berwick Campus) scoring 98.2. Pakenham Campus Dux was Mariam Mostokly with 98.05. In total, 264 Beaconhills students successfully completed their VCE.

The Beaconhills results continue to reflect success across its extensive subject choice in the senior years, giving students diverse and interesting study options.

The highest achieving students studied subjects such as Maths, Maths Methods, Chemistry and Biology and a range of languages including Japanese, French, Arabic and Chinese Second Language Advanced.

Dux Sonia Lan said she enjoyed every aspect of school, from igniting her interest in science at Year 5, to joining the school band, debating and public speaking teams.

“All the teachers were really supportive and encouraged me to think about what I was passionate about,” said Sonia, who now hopes to study biomedicine at the University of Melbourne.

Excellent scores were recorded across subjects such as Outdoor and Environmental Studies, Music Performance, Software Development, Art, History and Dance.

Year 11 student Sam Sail, one of the 2020 Pakenham Campus captains, had a perfect 50/50 subject score for Unit 3/4 Physics.

Headmaster Tony Sheumack congratulated all students and said he was proud of their achievements.

“Our highlight again is the diversity of subjects undertaken by our top students,” Mr Sheumack said. “We congratulate these students and everyone who has worked hard to achieve such wonderful results, including of course all parents and our team of very dedicated teaching staff.”

The top 14

Sonia Lan – Berwick – 98.2

Mariam Mostokly – Pakenham 98.05

Val Yanovsky – Pakenham – 96.85

Zoe Ellis – Berwick – 95.75

Ethan Sutton – Pakenham – 95.7

Jake Cawfield – Berwick – 94.85

Phoebe Hird – Berwick – 93.7

Darya Izotova – Pakenham – 93.65

Matisse Lazzari – Pakenham – 93.45

Elise Tabensky – Pakenham – 93.45

Kasumi Ogawa – Pakenham – 92.25

Jaimie Triantafillou – Berwick – 92

Sara Vojdani – Berwick – 90.75

Breanna Astle – Pakenham – 90.65

Pictured (l-r) Headmaster Tony Sheumack, Pakenham Campus Principal Sarah Rudiger, College Dux Sonia Lan, Breanna Astle, Matisse Lazzari, Ethan Sutton, Jake Cawfield, Jaimie Triantafillou, Elise Tabensky, Phoebe Hird, and Berwick Campus Principal Jenny Williams.

A portable bar concept created in her Visual Communication Design subject has earned Year 12 graduate Tiffany Johnston a place in an upcoming exhibition at Narre Warren’s Bunjil Place.

She designed the portable bar and brand identity for a company called TRIPLE.

“The idea is that the structures can be rented or hired out for events such as music festivals, weddings and outdoor markets,” Tiffany said. Her brief was to create a contemporary, rustic-styled bar with plenty of greenery and a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Tiffany’s design will be on display in Emergent 2019: VCE Graduate Showcase at Bunjil Place Studio from 29 February to 15 March 2020. She is pictured here with her VCD teacher Leanne Peters.

Year 3 student Caedlin Collins invited her classmates to her birthday party on the weekend – with a special request.

Instead of receiving presents, Caedlin asked her that all gifts be donated to the Beaconhills College Hope for Christmas appeal.

So Caedlin and her generous classmates have proudly delivered to the presents to the empty Christmas tree at the Pakenham Campus foyer, for distribution to local children in need of a brighter Christmas.

Gifts includes toys, stationery, games, food for Christmas hampers, books and sporting goods.