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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
Next year there will be 3 meaningful ways for alumni to not only stay connected with Beaconhills College, but share their personal or professional wisdom with current students:
Led by our Community Relations Co-ordinator, Alan James, our alumni program continues to flourish. 2019 has been an exciting growth phase for our alumni community, now nudging around 10,000 members.
Last Friday night, I was among the 80 attendees at our final alumni reunion for this year – the Class of 2009. It was a great night and wonderful to see our former students reconnecting with each other and the College.
Beaconhills College reunions at the one, five, 10 and 20 year mark are well underway. Alumni are increasingly part of major community service events such as Relay for Life and other outreach and service programs, for which Beaconhills is well-known.
I look forward to the continued growth of our alumni community in 2020 and encourage former students to connect with us through our Beaconhills Alumni Facebook group, by updating their details on our website or emailing Alan.James@beaconhills.vic.edu.au.
Beaconhills College is proud to introduce our community to the 2020 senior school captains.
Congratulations to Pakenham students Jake Duffus, Chloe Ward, Michaela Franks and Samuel Sail. Also to our new Berwick captains Jack Burridge, Erin Schubert, Chelsea Magee and Callum Pritchard.
The fine young people selected aptly demonstrate the qualities needed for the responsibility of these positions. Leadership at Beaconhills is focused around service and all of these students completed a rigorous process of application.
Congratulations again to our new captains, we know they will make fantastic role models for our Beaconhills College students in 2020.
Pakenham Campus captains, (l-r) Jake Duffus, Chloe Ward, Michaela Franks and Samuel Sail
Berwick Campus captains, (l-r) Jack Burridge, Erin Schubert, Chelsea Magee and Callum Pritchard
Who said books are dead? Not in the Beaconhills College libraries, where borrowing rates are through the roof, bucking the wider trends of declining reading rates.
This is thanks in part to initiatives such as categorising books into genres (as in books shops), displaying books with the covers facing outwards to make them more appealing and generally making the libraries vibrant community spaces. Regular author visits, numerous student clubs and reading programs are all part of the recipe for success.
Pictured here are our Year 8 Berwick library captains Lachlan Prestt and Grace O’Boyle.
Today Beaconhills College paused remember the end of World War I and pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the line of duty.
There were moving tributes at each campus followed by a minute’s silence at 11am. At the Pakenham Campus service, the names of Diggers from the Pakenham District who died in the Great War were read aloud.
At the Berwick Campus, eight ‘Quilts of Valour’ were presented to special guests; veterans, the widow of a veteran and children who have lost their father or been traumatised through their father’s war service.
Established by Beaconhills teacher Helen Comport, the Berwick-based Quilts of Valour presents handmade quilts to service members and veterans of the ADF in recognition of their sacrifice for Australia while on combat operations. The recognition is also extends to soldiers’ families.
Lest we forget.
Students won gold and silver medals in athletics at this year’s Victorian All Schools Track and Field Championships.
Year 11 student Amiru Chandrasena collected gold in long jump (7.14m) and silver in triple jump. Congratulations also to Cam de Bruin (Year 12) for his gold medal in the mens U20 200m race, running a time of 21.88. Caitlyn McCormick (Year 10) claimed a silver medal in discus and was also fifth in U17 shot put.
Rhianna Clemow (Year 10) placed fifth in the U17 javelin and tenth in the long jump. Well done to everyone who competed.
Gold and silver medals for Beaconhills student Amiru Chandrasena
Caitlyn McCormick won a silver medal in discus
Disco fever came to the Berwick Campus last Friday in the form of the annual Junior School Disco.
It was a chance to don the glow-in-the-dark accessories and burn off some energy on the dance floor. A great night had by all.
A Year 3 Beaconhills student has generously decided to donate his birthday money to charity SolarBuddy this year.
Vidusha Kodagoda was promised a big birthday, but after he and his family took part in a SolarBuddy morning at Beaconhills College, Vidusha thought the money ($500) would be better spent to help children living in energy poverty across the world. The funds will now help buy 20 solar lights.
Vidusha said he felt sorry for children who couldn’t afford birthdays and was glad to help.
SolarBuddy lights help children do their homework without using dangerous kerosene lamps. Beaconhills launched the SolarBuddy initiative in the College in 2017 and has held events throughout the year where families and students assemble the lights and write an accompanying ‘letter of kindness’ to the recipients.
All aboard the Beaconhills College tram!
Our Berwick Year 3 artists were thrilled to be invited to view their tram in person today.
The colourful design currently weaving its way around Melbourne for Yarra Trams was collated and submitted by teacher Kyla Whitfield as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival.
The perennial topic of private versus public school public school funding was back in the media recently. However, reports do not always paint the whole picture of school funding.
It would be easy to assume that some private schools are awash with funding, but it’s important to understand the underlying funding model.
Beaconhills College runs on 50 per cent of government (largely federal, not state) government funding and 50 per cent parent fees. Because 50 per cent of the cost of operating Beaconhills is paid for – after tax – by parents, this is in fact a significant saving per child for the government.
We actually receive a lot less funding from governments per child than our state counterparts. We are not diverting money from government schools, rather providing an alternative education option for parents who choose to pay extra for an independent education.
The total cost of running our school is included in all funding we receive; that means all programs, salary costs, maintenance and grounds works. Funding to state government schools does not cover excursions, some subject levies and other costs. We have also seen in, recent media reports, that government schools need to ask parents to help meet these costs.
Salaries of Beaconhills staff supports 500 people in the local workforce, accounting for more than 70 per cent of our school running costs.
Given the size of our program and the breadth of educational opportunities we offer, Beaconhills College is running efficiently and effectively. It would cost the government – and thereby the taxpayer – significantly more to educate our 3000 students.
An exciting visitor dropped by Beaconhills College yesterday – the real Melbourne Cup!
The Cup, accompanied by Victorian Racing Club officials, was visiting our region as part of the 2019 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour in the lead-up to the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Members of our Equestrian Club and students gathered on the oval to get a close-up view of the iconic golden Cup as it made its way around the school.
2020 senior school captain announcement
Who said books are dead?
Remembrance Day Services
Athletics competitors score gold and silver medals
Disco dazzlers
Birthday party…or donate to charity?
Is this Melbourne’s most colourful new tram?
Melbourne Cup tours Beaconhills
Lauren is in her element
Record Book designs promote sustainability
Making a monster impact on the war on waste
Students a shining light for local community
3 meaningful ways for alumni to stay connected
Public v private school funding
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
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