Beaconhills College

We are living history, right at this moment.

For junior school aged children in particular, taking time to create a time capsule will help them in the future to remember and reflect on this time of great social change.

We’ve uploaded a fantastic template below, created by LONG Creations:
COVID-19 Time Capsule

I would like to begin by thanking all those who have sent messages of support following the recent launch of our Online Learning Program – in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was new ground for us all, but the spirit of collaboration has been truly heart-warming.

This afternoon, we emailed our families to announce the plans for term 2 programs, so that they might consider the most suitable option.

At this stage, we will continue with the Online Learning Program introduced at the end of term 1 for all Prep – Year 12 students. Staff have done a significant amount of work behind the scenes to deliver this program and we received positive feedback from many families. However, we appreciate there are still many challenges and we all need to work together to ensure the best possible learning outcomes for our students.

Along with places on-campus for children of front-line workers, Beaconhills will also offer limited places for Prep – Year 12 students at both campuses to support families who are unable to provide home-based learning for their children. This may include vulnerable children who need extra support.

Little Beacons programs at both campuses will be ongoing. As the Australian Government recently announced, these services will be delivered at no cost to families at this time.

It is important that children do not attend the College if they are unwell. School-aged children will have their temperature checked at the start of each day and social distancing procedures will in place for all children in the Prep-12 and Little Beacons programs.

On behalf of the College staff and board I wish you a safe and peaceful Easter. We continue to pray for those hit hardest across the world by this pandemic and have faith that a path to a healthier future can be found.

– Headmaster, Tony Sheumack

The new Beacon of Hope Community Garden is about to come to life.

Beaconhills is delighted to announce this charity initiative, aimed at helping battle food insecurity in our local community.

The College is now fast-tracking the garden project, a 75m x 25m plot at the Pakenham Campus. The garden will produce fresh vegetables to donate to Casey and Cardinia welfare organisations for local families in need.

Beaconhills currently has five thriving vegetable gardens with produce already donated and turned into meals for charity, used in food technology classes and for College menus.

When COVID-19 restrictions ease, Beaconhills will continue to tend to this garden and invite members of the community be involved in the project.

We would welcome donations such as unwanted large containers like old bathtubs to store chicken manure, sleepers and vegetable seeds and seedlings. Contact Jack.Donkers@beaconhills.vic.edu.au for more details.

Could you do a thoughtful act for someone else every day, for 21 days?

Beaconhills College’s Citizenship and Service Program is launching a new activity for students and families over the school holidays and beyond – the 21 Day Challenge.

The idea is simple. Do a small act of kindness for someone else every day. Record it, if you wish take a photo (we would love to see what you are doing), but most of all, do it because you want to help grow a ‘culture of kindness’.

You might write a card for someone, plant a tree, clean the windows at home or just email a friend and tell them how much you appreciate them. Some more ideas are below.

Our Year 8 Certificate of Excellence students are already taking up the challenge, documenting their actions each day which will be formally recognised as part of their certificate.

The concept was also trialled for a week with great success amongst our Year 2s at the Pakenham Campus (see photos).

You can click here to read about the original 21 Day Challenge and how it all works.

Beaconhills’ Citizenship and Service Program is based on the ‘benefit mindset’ philosophy, which in turn builds on ‘growth mindset’. A benefit mindset, developed by researcher and consultant Ash Buchanan, seeks to not only fulfil our own potential, but do it way that serves the wellbeing of all.

We would love to see some photos showing some of the ways you are meeting the challenge, so we can post them for others! Email to news@beaconhills.vic.edu.au

A few starter ideas

Beaconhills’ Head of Citizenship and Service, Clare Tuohy, has a few ideas to get you started:

• Start a Gratefulness Journal. At dinner each night, encourage family members to highlight what they have been grateful for that day
• Cook dinner
• Make a batch of cookies for your family
• Write a poem about one of your family members and give it to them
• Plan a small veggie garden and put steps into place to make this happen
• Offer to clean the bathroom
• Make a card or write a letter of kindness to a neighbor and leave it in their letter box or on the front door

This produce from the College vegetable gardens went to the Salvation Army in Pakenham and the Vinnies Soup Van in Berwick last week for distribution to those in need.

With high demand for fresh produce, our organically grown veggies were welcome donations. More news to come soon on an exciting new initiative we are preparing to launch – the Beacon of Hope Community Garden.

Pets are not only our loyal companions, but we also know that they can greatly help us through challenging times.

One of the best parts of home learning (apart from being able to wear your pyjamas) is having furry study buddies around to keep motivation high! Our College counsellors and ‘pawrents’ to friendly therapy dogs, Smudgee and Kai, have explained the benefits of keeping pets close by:

“Let pets be your GEM (gratitude, empathy, mindfulness) and help you in resilience training. Be grateful for their love and companionship, and let them help you practice 30 minutes of mindfulness a day by brushing, patting and walking them” – Jane Negus

Today Beaconhills College launched its first day of home learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We asked parents to submit some photographs of students in action and we were overwhelmed by the response. It was a busy day for students, parents and teachers but there were plenty of smiling faces at the end of it.

Congratulations to the Beaconhills community for a great team effort.