Haileybury’s graduates of 2024 have finished their schooling demonstrating wonderful support for each other and respect for their families and the School, and they have been a brilliant tribute to all the staff who have helped them on their journey.
Haileybury’s graduates of 2024 have finished their schooling demonstrating wonderful support for each other and respect for their families and the School, and they have been a brilliant tribute to all the staff who have helped them on their journey.
Three graduation events have been held for Haileybury girls, boys and Haileybury Pangea students. In total, 526 students have graduated.
Across the three valedictory nights, 12 student speakers, chosen by their fellow students, have focused on similar themes of respect for their peers, appreciation of the commitment that their families have made to their education, appreciation of the culture and values of the School and a notable respect for the hard work, professional skill, care and compassion of the teachers.
The 2024 graduating class have done themselves proud and will now focus on their preparation for the first VCE examination, the three-hour English exam on Tuesday 29 October.
Derek Scott
CEO | Principal
“I’ll never forget when one of my students looked up from her book and said, ‘I can read this by myself now!’ It was as if a switch had been flipped,” recalls Rhiannon Rowe, Head of English (Junior School) and a Year 1 teacher at Haileybury.
“She realised that the letters and sounds she had been practicing had turned into real words, and the joy in her face said it all. Moments like these remind me how transformative a strong phonics program can be — not just for their reading skills, but for their confidence in learning.”
In June this year, the Victorian government announced that explicit teaching will be embedded in every classroom from 2025. This includes ensuring all students from Prep to Grade 2 learn to read using a systematic synthetic phonics approach that clearly teaches students the relationship between sounds and letters.
The overhauled reading program also includes the explicit teaching of oral language, vocabulary, reading fluency and comprehension.
The Government decision to introduce evidence-based teaching — which includes explicit instruction to build literacy and numeracy skills — is based on a significant body of research from organisations like the Australian Education Research Organisation and the Grattan Institute.
This research shows explicit teaching or explicit instruction works best for the largest number of students, and is particularly effective at capturing and supporting students who may be struggling.
Haileybury has been delivering evidence-based literacy and numeracy programs, including phonics and explicit instruction, for the past 18 years. The School’s acclaimed explicit teaching model is based on ‘I Do, We Do, You Do.’ First of all, the teacher demonstrates what is being learned (I Do), then teacher and students perform that learning activity together (We Do), and then the student does the activity alone to illustrate and embed what they have learned (You Do).
“Education systems around the world have followed research and evidence that the explicit teaching of phonics is vital for early readers — it helps students ‘crack the code.”Grenville Green, Haileybury Deputy Principal (Junior School)
“However, Australia has left it up to individual states and territories, which means explicit teaching of phonics hasn’t been mandatory in teacher education programs or in school systems. The ACT and Victoria are the final states in Australia to introduce this approach and it’s a very positive step.”
Grenville has witnessed the effectiveness of explicit teaching for the School’s youngest learners, particularly the positive impact of a structured phonics program.
“We teach students to use letters and sounds from the beginning. They then learn to blend letters when reading and to segment letters and sounds for spelling. We teach in a systematic and structured way and each day there are multiple opportunities for students to use the skills and sounds they’ve learned — embedding and building proficiency.”
“The exposure for students is constant and bite-sized — a little, a lot — and it’s exciting to see them learning single letter sounds and then moving to two letter sounds and consolidating what they learn with worksheets, songs and actions that help embed their learning. We know this approach works and we see the successes in the classroom.”Rhiannon Rowe, Head of English (Junior School)
Explicit instruction is also part of the early numeracy program at Haileybury — again, using an evidence-based approach of what education experts know works.
“Each numeracy lesson is based on ‘I Do, We Do, You Do,” explains Rhiannon.
“As with literacy, each numeracy lesson begins with a maths warm-up where students revise maths concepts that they’ve already learnt to help them have a stronger understanding. We also do that for sounds and reading. We review one letter for a day and then move on to a new letter the next day, but during warm-up sessions, we come back to previous letters to review those.”
Haileybury’s NAPLAN results are testament to the effectiveness of the School’s teaching programs. The annual National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) sees students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 tested on fundamental literacy and numeracy skills.
Haileybury consistently ranks in the top co-education independent primary schools for Years 3 and 5 NAPLAN results. The 2023 NAPLAN average for Years 3 and 5 was 544.1, compared to a national average of 417.9.
“Typically, in Year 3 our students are at a Year 6 reading level,” explains Grenville.
The quality of teachers and teaching programs and the School’s impressive NAPLAN results have also helped Haileybury win the national Primary School of the Year – Non-government award five times, including this year.
The same evidence-based programs are also rolled out across Junior School classrooms in Haileybury Rendall School in Darwin. Teachers from Darwin and Melbourne collaborate closely to develop classroom lessons, learning resources and to constantly review student progress in literacy and numeracy.
Grenville visits Haileybury Rendall School once a term to spend time in the Junior School classrooms and to support teachers delivering phonics and numeracy using explicit instruction.
“We have a common literacy and numeracy curriculum across Melbourne and Darwin. If I walk into a classroom in Darwin today, students will be focusing on the same words and doing the same tasks as students in Melbourne. Our Darwin teachers also have the same professional development opportunities and support to deliver these programs,” he says.
Haileybury has freely shared its expertise in explicit instruction with more than 100 schools across Australia, particularly schools in disadvantaged parts of the country. Haileybury teachers have spent time in those classrooms, demonstrating lessons and effective teaching strategies and running workshops for teachers.
“This has made an impact in those schools whose NAPLAN data, reading levels and student engagement have turned around”Grenville Green, Haileybury Deputy Principal (Junior School)
Haileybury’s impact will spread further afield later this year when the school delivers an online phonics program available for teachers across the country. The program content is being developed by Haileybury teachers, for all teachers, and will include why phonics is important and what the research says, an interactive platform that breaks down each area of phonics teaching, and strategies on how to use phonics in teaching.
“It’s vital to build a solid foundation of literacy and numeracy skills in the younger years because it has ongoing positive impacts,” says Grenville.
“We know this helps students be prepared for the later years of school and it helps them achieve greater success and confidence in VCE.”
Haileybury will host a webinar about the phonics program on Monday, 28 October 2024.
The end of the winter sports season and Term 3 school holidays generally signal the kick-off of a range of talent development opportunities for Haileybury students who have excelled. This month we are extremely proud to acknowledge a number of your teammates who have been selected to take part in representative squads; at local, national and even international level.
These opportunities for our emerging talent to test themselves against the best athletes in their chosen pursuit are significant milestones in their sporting development. As a school, we will always encourage our athletes to pursue these opportunities, as well as supporting them in our own right through Haileybury coordinated initiatives such as sports camps, tours and competitions. Although these external opportunities can sometimes conflict with our own priorities, we will continue to do our best to support our athletes in becoming the best that they can be, both as players and teammates.
Please join me in congratulating the following students on their achievements:
Olly (Year 12) received an offer for the professional cycling squad Team Novo Nordisk, inviting him to sign for their development team for the next two years. Olly will be based in the UK and racing throughout Europe.
Jack (Year 8) was selected in the Football Victoria U14 Victorian Football (soccer) squad that competed in the ID Cup Tournament in late September. Following his performances, Jack has been identified for future trials with other representative teams over the coming months.
Jasmine (Year 8) was selected to join the Victorian State Volleyball Team to take part in the national competition that was held over the school holidays.
Phoenix (Year 10) was selected for Victoria (Rebels) to play in the National Under 16 Rugby Competition.
Isabelle (Year 10), Lucinda (Year 10), Olivia (Year 12) and Neve (Year 12) were all selected to take part in the APS Water Polo representative team to play against a very strong GSV team. Our girls proudly represented all of us in this match. It is also worth acknowledging that Haileybury’s own Ben Adams was appointed coach of the team. A call out to Ayva (Year 12) who was named as an emergency for this match.
Liam (Year 3) won a bronze medal at the Vic Junior Road Championships, in the U11 category. He has been racing criterion at Casey Fields and won a silver medal in the Vic Junior Criterion Championships.
Matthew Dwyer
Head of Sport (One Haileybury)
Theatre and Drama are thrillingly unique subjects, demanding full immersion, creativity and fearless expression. They bring stories to life through transforming the classroom into a world of possibilities. Every rehearsal and performance is a new adventure. This week, our VCE Drama and Theatre students presented their monologues and devised solos to external assessors — a thrilling yet challenging process that showcases their skill at creating original theatre. Huge congratulations to our dedicated cohort of performers, designers, and the parents and teachers who worked tirelessly to support them every step of the way. Next up is VCE Dance, and we wish all our dancers the very best.
We are thrilled to announce the 2025 Senior School musical and play.
Each year, Haileybury offers two mainstage performance opportunities to our Years 9–12 students from City, Brighton, Berwick and Keysborough campuses. In 2024, over 150 students took part, drawing in an audience of more than 3,500. We can’t wait for another exciting year of presenting outstanding theatre.
Rehearsals are held on Fridays from 4.00pm – 6.30 pm, Sundays from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm, and during the final week of April holidays, for a performance in early May.
Auditions are scheduled for mid-November. Please email Nick Waxman to express your interest.
Our 2025 musical promises to be an all-singing, all-dancing crowd-pleaser that will delight audiences.
And our Senior School play is equally exciting. Look out for auditions in May 2025, as we gear up to be one of the first schools to present:
Nick Waxman
Head of Drama and Theatre Studies
As a very busy term began last week, the Music Department celebrated an outstanding night of orchestral chamber music at the Chamber in the Chapel concert held on Thursday evening, 10 October.
An admiring audience enjoyed performances by our finest small ensemble musicians.
Events like Chamber in the Chapel highlight the stylistic diversity available to our music students. The way all students held themselves, coupled with the high standard of musical delivery, was a pleasure to witness.
Special thanks must go to Mr Thomas Heywood, the compere for the evening. Mr Heywood’s knowledge and passion for classical music was plain to see and hear by the very appreciative audience.
During the recent Term 3 holiday break VCE music students were busily completing final rehearsals for their upcoming Unit 4 performance examinations. The rehearsals continued throughout the first week of this term. For most students, these performance exams were completed in the week just passed.
For the practical performance assessment students are required to present a 20-minute recital program to a panel of external VCAA assessors. The exams represent a significant high point in the musical journey of these elite students, most of whom began instrumental lessons at Haileybury in Junior School.
Across their developmental journey these students will have likely received 300 instrumental lessons and attended over 500 ensemble rehearsals. These students will have performed to literally thousands of people at more than 100 concerts across their performance careers.
Within any VCE cohort there will always be a range of personalities, profiles and characters; some students will appear naturally talented while others will work extremely hard to rise above obstacles. Whatever the profile, most students will have completed more than 3,000 hours practice in the long lead-up to these final exams.
This year, like every year, we have enjoyed a diverse range of instrumental and stylistic disciplines within the VCE Music cohort. The 2024 cohort includes contemporary voice, classical voice, piano, electric bass, percussion, violin, drumkit, electric guitar, flute, trumpet and saxophone.
My heartfelt thanks go to the instrumental staff who not only give of their time and expertise but also their unwavering passion to provide access to the highest possible musical experiences education can provide.
Rod Marshall
Director of Performing Arts & Head of Haileybury Music
The 2024 Graduate Art Exhibition opened this week, celebrating the incredible talent and hard work of our graduating students from across our campuses, including HRS Darwin and Pangea, our online school. This exhibition beautifully exemplified our One Haileybury approach, showcasing how the collaboration of our multi-campus school enriches the artistic experience for all students.
The opening on 15 October was a memorable evening, featuring inspiring speeches from our Art Captains, Eve and Siddhanta , who shared their artistic journeys and the inspirations behind their works. Vice Principal, Mr Scott Doran officially opened the exhibition, highlighting the vital role that the Arts play in our school community.
Attendees enjoyed mingling with the artists, engaging in meaningful conversations, and witnessing an impressive array of creations.
In an era that values innovation and creativity, the arts are pivotal in shaping well-rounded individuals. This year’s exhibition featured a diverse range of works spanning VCE Media, Visual Communication and Design, Product Design Technology, and Art Making and Exhibiting.
By showcasing this rich tapestry of creativity, we highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the arts and its profound impact on shaping the future leaders and thinkers emerging from our School.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating the remarkable artistic achievements of our seniors and for supporting the thriving arts culture at Haileybury.
Rachelle Rae
Head of Visual Arts Senior School
Preparations are in full swing for the upcoming competition season at Haileybury Pipes & Drums. The band recently held an intensive camp at Camp Oasis, where students gathered to rehearse new material for the 2025 season. The camp was a great opportunity for focused practice, team bonding and refining techniques, setting a strong foundation for the months ahead.
This year sees many players stepping up to new challenges, with several students advancing from the C, B and A bands respectively. This progression showcases the growth and development within the group, ensuring that Haileybury remains a competitive force across all levels whilst also giving students the opportunity to tackle more challenging and gratifying music.
The band also drew inspiration from watching the World Pipe Band Championships (livestreamed from Glasgow), where they listened to the world’s finest pipe bands perform. It was particularly thrilling to see Field Marshal Montgomery open their new medley with ‘Antietam’, a tune composed by Haileybury’s own pipes tutor, Tom Perry. Witnessing this connection on the world stage served as a motivating reminder of the excellence they aim to achieve.
With new music, higher levels of ambition and a new generation coming through the ranks, Haileybury Pipes & Drums is ready for what lays ahead in the 2025 pipe band competition season.
After many wonderful years at Haileybury, I will be finishing up as Director of the program on Friday, 1 November, as my wife and I are relocating to New South Wales. This has been a very difficult decision, as I’ve cherished my time teaching and seeing the program flourish over my 17 years at the school (including the three years as a student). To the students, it has been an honour to watch you grow and develop as musicians and people, achieving incredible milestones like our world championship win and seeing the growth of not just the A band, but the B and C bands too. To the parents, thank you so much for all of your support over the years— it has meant the world to me and has been instrumental in helping the program succeed.
I want to reassure you that the future remains bright for Haileybury’s program. Daniel Staley will be stepping in as Acting Director starting 1 November, and I have complete confidence that the program will continue to flourish under his guidance. There are many exciting opportunities ahead for all students, and I’ll be cheering you on from afar.
If you'd like to stay updated on my future piping projects, follow my personal brand Modern Piping on social media where I’ll be sharing new bagpipe music and instruments frequently. For years I've been working on a special bagpipe project designing and making my own practice chanter. This was truly inspired by years of teaching all of my students of different skill levels and personalities. I'm incredibly grateful for these experiences, which have shaped this new practice chanter and my journey. It's been a special project and if you'd like to check it out, you can view it here.
It has been an absolute privilege to be part of this journey with the entire Haileybury community. Thank you for making this experience so memorable and for all the support you have shown me during my time as Director.
Lincoln Hilton
Director, Pipes & Drums
We recently farewelled our graduating class of Year 12 from Brighton. As a School and for each member of staff, it is with tremendous pride that we contribute to the growth and development of our students, their achievements, successes and accomplishments. A special assembly and time on campus gave the students the opportunity to reminisce about all they had discovered, learnt and experienced at Castlefield. It is wonderful to be able to celebrate the graduates’ lives at Haileybury, at the campus where they began.
Please note that the 2025 Orientation Day (Up Day) is scheduled for Tuesday, 19 November for our current Prep through to Year 6 students. The attire for the day is casual sports clothes with runners. Our students spend the day in their 2025 year level, meeting teachers, visiting homerooms and being introduced to their new classmates in preparation for next year. Further information will be sent home via myHaileybury.
Speech Night is very much a celebration of the year, the students and our campus; as such Celebration of Excellence is the new name for this fabulous night. The date is Tuesday, 3 December and all students in Years 5–8 attend. It was lovely to be involved in the first rehearsal of the massed singing item that will be performed by all students on the evening.
By dedicating time to read with your child, you are not only fostering their literacy skills but also enriching your relationship and preparing them for a successful future. This exposure is critical in the early years when their brains are rapidly developing language skills. Let’s work together to instil a passion for reading in our children, ensuring they have the tools they need to thrive.
In the ELC foyer and Pre-Prep entrance there is a collection of story books available for you to read to your child before the doors open at 8.45am.
We have displayed a list of recommended books for three- and four-year-olds but we would love to hear about your child’s favourite story book to add to our library.
The children’s imagination and creativity has been sparked with the development of a new mud kitchen in the Pre-Prep playground. Incorporating mud play into early childhood programs and home environments provides invaluable opportunities and helps nurture well rounded, confident and curious learners. Engaging with nature and getting messy can be incredibly calming and engaging. Resilience is being noticed as the children have been navigating challenges like dealing with messiness and unexpected outcomes. So much fun!
Junior School students worked collaboratively with indigenous artist, Bayley Mifsud. Bayley is a proud Peek Whurrong woman of the Maar nation. Students learnt that indigenous art from this area is drawn from a bird’s eye perspective as the Wurundjeri people believe an ancestral wedge-tailed eagle called Bunjil created the land. Together, students and artist created two large canvasses filled with symbols that connect them to the land we care, learn and play on.
Term 4 offers up a variety of sporting opportunities and events for our students to be active in. As Term 4 begins and the weather warms up, our Year 5-6 students commence their fourth sport of the year, to try, practice and continue to master the skills of! Our Year 5-6 students have loved competing in the APS competition on a Wednesday afternoon and they are to be commended on, not only their ability, but the competitive and respectful manner in which they participate.
Our Year 7-8 students have finished their Spring Sport season and now have opportunities to try a range of sports, with House activities aplenty. Everything from netball, AFL, Swimming, Aerobics, and games. House Spirit is booming with House Chants and student leadership ever present throughout our House events.
We look forward to our House Gala days at the end of term where our students can further showcase their passion for their House!
We place great importance on our learning community within the Middle School. This includes how we are kind to each other, how we learn, how we behave and how we best represent ourselves. One of the ways we do this is by wearing the uniform correctly and with pride. We are placing great emphasis on uniform this term as the students have recently transitioned from the winter uniform to the summer uniform. Our students are aware of what to wear and when, and we kindly ask our parent community to please help in supporting our uniform standards and expectations of your child.
This includes:
Thank you for supporting our students —your children — in achieving this expectation.
It is an exciting term ahead. A term of change, events such as Up Day and our Castlefield Celebration of Excellence, and preparation for the next year that awaits. We wish all our Middle School students a positive term ahead.
We have a fabulous roundabout system within our gates and encourage parents to utilise the South Road entrance for drop off and pick up. Some congestion is created when families are attempting to pick up along South Road, rather than at the roundabout within the School.
I remind families to avoid blocking both lanes on South Road when attempting to join the queue entering the School property and to please avoid double parking along South Road waiting for your child/ren to appear. There is a bike lane that is being blocked when this happens.
We thank our families for being considerate of the parking signs in our surrounding streets and respectful of our neighbours’ properties. The safety of our students is paramount and when they are unable to be picked up at the curb, as cars are parked, it can be dangerous.
The front of the School on South Road is a two-minute ‘kiss and go’ zone, hence parents should not be leaving their cars unattended.
Katrina Manson
Head of Castlefield (Brighton)
A fabulous group of parents have been working with Head of Campus, Katrina Manson and Senior Deputy Head of Campus, Felicity Gardam across the year to redefine and shape the HPFC. We are excited to announce the following positions for 2025:
JS Portfolio: Michelle Rennie
MS Portfolio: Janine Shifman
Class Representative Co-ordinators: Chris Meier and Ella Ledgar
Monique Chapman
President, Haileybury Parents & Friends Castlefield
World Teachers’ Day presents the perfect opportunity to pause and celebrate the great work every staff member does to support the teaching and learning of our Haileybury City students. Our teachers deliver brilliant teaching every day and we could not do it without the support of our wonderful staff, students and City community.
We enjoyed a special morning tea, and it was lovely to have our HPF City President, Melissa Fisher, attend to thank us all on behalf of HPF City.
Our staff all appreciated receiving a beautiful card from the HPF City with the words: ‘The students at Haileybury City are so grateful for you each and every day. Thank you for helping shape our kind hearts and sharp minds with memories we will cherish forever. Happy World Teachers Day.’ The Kit Kat (to take a break), was an added bonus. Thank you to all our HPF community for the acknowledgement of the important contribution of teachers. It is a privilege to teach your amazing children and make a contribution to their present and their future.
As part of our specialist program, Reception and Pre-Prep children have started our Scooter program developed by Mark Reed, Chair of Athletics and Head of Girls Athletics at Haileybury.
The ELC Scooter program focuses on children’s gross motor development as they tackle different obstacles while zooming around the Level 1 Running Track. This program has also been embedded within our PE program to extend and enhance children’s learning, based upon their interests and capabilities.
Children have loved challenging themselves while developing balance and coordination. Children have enjoyed bringing along their own helmet as they understand the importance of keeping their bodies safe while riding the scooters.
Reception and Pre-Prep take part in this program every Thursday morning for 20 minutes.
As the weather is warming up and the sun is shining, it is important to protect our children’s skin. Throughout the day, educators will support your child to reapply sunscreen, however, children should have sunscreen applied before they arrive at the ELC. A daily UV rating, as stated by the SunSmart app, is displayed in the ELC foyer to ensure sun safety is part of our daily routine.
Although every day at City is one buzzing with excitement, this was particularly the case as we welcomed our Junior School students and families back for Term 4 on Monday of Week 1. Students from Prep to Year 4, seamlessly returned to learning, not only building upon their understanding of previously taught concepts, but also being introduced to some new ones as well.
We would like to send a very big thank you to all Junior School families for a smooth transition back to regular school and homework routines. With the arrival of some much-awaited warmer weather, students are required to wear their full summer uniform, including their magenta cap or white wide-brimmed hat, to and from City campus. For all outdoor playtimes, students are also required to wear their black hat.
As our Year 1 teacher and Deputy Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning), Ms Lizzy Gibney, starts her family, Ms Molly Back has stepped into the role of Year 1 teacher for the remainder of the year. An Old Haileyburian herself, Ms Back shared that the Year 1 students have shown tremendous kindness and empathy when explaining regular classroom routines. Ms Back looks forward to seeing more of our Junior School community at our upcoming special events.
On Thursday of Week 1, Years 3 and 4 Scrolls students took part in a workshop alongside their peers from all of Melbourne’s Haileybury campuses, hosted by Castlefield. With feedback from the day’s conductor, Mr Quinne, students developed their skills and understanding on how to perform as a part of a large ensemble. A popular moment amongst the students was playing ‘Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer’ and hearing all students sing along.
We would like to congratulate all students who completed the 2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge. During our Week 1 Assembly, these students were awarded with their Premier’s Reading Challenge badge, a symbol of their hard work, consistent dedication and love of reading. 2024 saw a total of 51 Junior School students participating in the competition. We look forward to having even more participants take part in 2025.
Throughout Term 4, there are a number of special events, assemblies and graduations taking place. We encourage all our City Junior School families to keep a close eye on the Term Dates document available on the Hub.
As a part of their Science Ecosystems Unit, the Year 7s recently enjoyed a visit to Melbourne Zoo, learning about the classification and adaptation of animals. During their Fighting Extinction program, students examined the skulls of different animals to identify shared characteristics and to learn about how they have adapted to face varied threats in the wild and to survive in different conditions. While exploring the zoo, students heard from the true experts — the keepers of the elephants and lemurs — who shared insight into both the animals in their care and their own daily responsibilities. Ultimately, the highlight of the day was the charming family of otters who played, along with the delightful butterflies who landed on the students in the warm Butterfly House.
The Year 5s recently visited the Haileybury Hive at the Berwick campus as a part of their Science unit on Love food? Love bees! There, they suited up in their beekeeper costumes to adventure into the hives themselves. Opening the hive to examine a live bee frame, they got to study the whole colony — from the queen bee to the drone bees and worker bees — hard at work producing honey, which the students got to sample. In the lab, students took to the microscopes, examining the anatomy of bees in detail. Overall, students not only enriched their understanding of bees but also developed their appreciation of the vital importance of bees in our ecosystem today.
The Arts have continued to thrive in Term 4 with House Arts returning. This year’s challenge tasked Elliot, Main, Na and Newton to create their very own mini musicals in just two hours. Each house divided into their own expert teams of dancer, actors, set designers and musicians, and worked collaboratively, judged not just on their final performance, but also on their empathy, respect, kindness, trust and honesty — the Respectful Relationships Pillars.
Meanwhile, over the course of the year, the Years 5 and 6 City dancers have been working with diligence, determination and sportsmanship to develop their skills on stage. After first showcasing their jazz routine, Bongo Cha Cha Cha, at Display Night in May, they recently performed at their annual competition, the Spring Challenge, debuting their lyrical dance, Still.
Caroline Merrick
Head of City
Welcome back to Term 4. I hope everyone has got back into the swing of school and our routines. It is so lovely with daylight savings to sneak in a walk at night and enjoy a little bit of extra sunshine in our day. I hope you have had a chance to enjoy the springtime Melbourne weather.
A quick note to wish every Year 12 student all the best for their upcoming exams. Reaching the end of 13 years of school is a great achievement. HPF City wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
Thank you to everyone who attended our HPF City Springtime Party on Friday night, which is our final HPF City event for the year. It was a great night with prizes, live auctions, silent auctions and even a bit of dancing with our DJ, Eliza. A special thank you to the talented students who performed as part of the City Vocal Ensemble. It is always such a treat to see these students perform and love what they do.
As you may be aware, the Springtime Party is a big fundraising event, with funds raised from your entry ticket, silent auction, live auctions and the raffle tickets all going towards our students. In previous years the HPF City have purchased scooters, air hockey tables and even a fridge for the Senior School.
These events take a great deal of organisation behind the scenes. I would like to thank the Head of Campus, Caroline Merrick for her help and guidance with organising the event, and Gabe, Teni and their team for the time and assistance to help with set up on the night. Michelle White, as always, does a magnificent job with organising all the donations for the prizes on the night. Thank you, Michelle, for the endless meetings, phone calls and hours spent wrapping everything up. Thanks also go to Tina Le for the beautiful flowers and assistance with decorating and the volunteers who helped with set up, on the door and just helping the team out any way they can. It is really a team effort, and I must say we have a wonderful team. Thank you everyone.
In addition, a huge thank you to everyone who bought entry and raffle tickets and bid on the items during the night. It all contributes to us having a great night out. I hope everyone had as much fun on the night as we did organising it for you. Pictures will be posted in the next Insight.
The AGM for HPF City will be held on Thursday, 14 November at 7.30 pm via Zoom. The AGM is a chance to celebrate the successful year that we have had with our three major events and the Second-hand Uniform Shop sales. We have had a wonderful year of fun and have raised funds to be spent on items for the students to enjoy.
Nomination forms will be posted on myHaileybury towards the end of October. All details will be on the app announcement. We have wonderful members for 2024, and I hope many will continue next year, however, we are always welcoming new HPF members to join our committees and share in our support of the City campus. Please feel free to email hpfcity@haileybury.com.au if you have any questions.
Our final Second-hand Uniform Shop for the year will be held on Up Day,Tuesday, 19 November. We will be open from 8.00 am – 9.00 am and 3.00 pm – 4.00 pm. There will also be an additional opening in the ELC from 9.30 am – 12.00 pm. Last year this was our biggest day of sales — ever! If you have items sitting at home ready to sell, send them in and place them with the form in the blue bins. Items that we particularly need include ELC items in good condition and girls summer dresses. Please make sure that all items are in saleable condition, as per the form.
I hope everyone has a lovely couple of weeks ahead and enjoys the springtime sunshine.
Melissa Fisher
President, Haileybury Parents & Friends City
Our Year 5 students were delighted to welcome Haileybury City students and Haileybury Pangea students to learn all about the Haileybury Hive program. Students spent time with the bees, studying their behaviour and harvesting honey; a fantastic, unique experience for all students involved.
Congratulations to Roy (Year 3) who has been awarded an International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) medal for his writing. The top 1% of ICAS participants receive a High Distinction, and a medal if they also receive the highest score in their region. This is an incredible achievement, and we are very proud of Roy.
We are excited to announce that Seyara (Year 8) will once again represent Haileybury as the winner of the Maths Talent Quest. Seyara is also a state representative in the national competition. This is a back-to-back nomination for Seyara, as she also represented Haileybury in 2023. Congratulations Seyara on this wonderful achievement.
The Outdoor program is an essential part of children’s daily environment and life. Both indoor and outdoor environments offer significantly different — but complementary — experiences and ‘ways of being’ to the ELC children. We aim to have them available simultaneously and experienced jointly, with each having equal status and attention because both contribute to the children’s wellbeing, health, stimulation and overall learning and development. As the weather becomes warmer the children will be provided with more opportunity in their outdoor program. Children have begun to immerse themselves in experiences that strengthen their thinking, fine motor skills, social connections, spatial awareness, balance, coordination and connection with nature. Engaging with nature supports children to develop control, become environmentally responsible and to respect the environment. Educators aim to provide an outdoor environment that is respectful of children’s emerging skills and competencies, creating opportunities for them to make their own decisions and to act independently. A balance of experiences in the outdoor environment facilitates shared thinking, including exploration, experimentation and hypothesising, all of which support and challenge the children as they learn.
Our Year 4 students will be involved in the SEA Living and Growing program this term to ensure that our students have access to accurate and age-appropriate information about body safety, anatomy, reproduction and puberty.
Students will be discussing:
Week 1: Our bodies – how to look after ourselves
Week 2: Where did I come from? My family and your family
Week 3: Growing and changing
Our students loved the opportunity to put on their favourite sports team gear and wear it to school on the last day of Term 3. They were also treated to a sausage sizzle lunch, which was cooked by some lovely parent volunteers. This fundraiser raised $258.00 for the Monash Children’s Hospital. Thank you to all for your contribution.
It is a pleasure to welcome back to Edrington all our fresh-faced Middle School students. We hope teachers, students and indeed the whole family is ready for a busy term, filled with many special assemblies and events.
We welcome back Year 8 students who joined Miss Nicole Turner on a School Science trip to NASA in the USA, where they had a memorable chance to explore rockets, immersive simulators and exhibits and learn all about pioneering astronauts.
Year 8 Page to Stage and Collaboration to Creation Drama classes presented their public performances to all Middle School, for their performance exam. The opportunity to share in this experience has become part of our Middle School culture and we commend the students for their creative work.
Last Friday, we welcome current Year 12 students to a special ‘Back to Berwick’ assembly before they head home to study for upcoming VCE exams. This is always a particularly memorable event for all involved as we reflect on the years past and future of graduates.
To follow, all Middle School boys and girls have House Swimming which will be a fantastic day of cheering and teamwork, in what is the last major trophy event for the House competition.
We are currently supporting Beyond Blue in the Boys Middle School and Backpacks for Kids in the Girls Middle School. We hope boys and girls are currently enjoying the spirit of giving, filling shoeboxes and backpacks respectively, with goodies for good causes.
Jeanette Rawlings
Head of Edrington (Berwick)
Special ‘pop-up’ second-hand uniform shop openings – ELC Orientation session, Saturday 16 November and Up day, Tuesday, 19 November.
The uniform shop is open every Wednesday from 8.30 am to 11.00 am. Pop in to see the lovely ladies for your uniform requirements. If you have some spare time to help in the Second-hand Uniform Shop, contact Janelle via email.
Kerry Ilic & Tracy Day
HPFE Presidents
hpfe@haileybury.com.au
Welcome back to all Newlands families and we hope the recent academic break was a time for relaxation and time well spent with family.
We are looking forward to an exciting term ahead with events such as Year 4 and Year 8 Graduations, Up Day and then culminating with Celebration of Excellence.
Newlands is hosting its Annual Art Show on Thursday, 14 November in the Newlands Sports Hall. This event brings together each student’s work from throughout the year, culminating in a fun filled evening for all to enjoy.
Spring has been a topic of interest in the ELC with observations of blossoms and baby birds in their nest sparking conversations about the changes seen within the environment. These changes to the environment are only about to get more exciting as our very own ELC begins its own transformation with the addition of a new Reception classroom, opening in 2025.
From next year, to support the needs of our families, the ELC will have three full-time Reception classes along with our existing three Pre-Prep classes. This change will see the existing multi-purpose room transformed into a classroom and a new multi-purpose room created within the building behind the ELC to ensure a dedicated space for specialist classes to take place. Further to this, a new playground will be created within the existing outdoor area facing the Newlands Reception area and car park.
These building works will bring a sense of excitement for the children as we observe the changes that will take place over the coming term, and the role that tradespeople have in building works. We look forward to this authentic and rich learning opportunity and the exciting times ahead in the ELC.
To celebrate this vibrant and joyful festival, the ELC will be engaging in an incursion with a Bollywood dancer who will wow us with their skills and teach us some moves of our own.
All families within the ELC are welcome to come share in the excitement as we engage in dancing, music, movement and culture on Friday, 1 November from 10.00 am – 10.30 am in Berthon Hall.
Recently the Year 3’s embarked on an engaging excursion to Ceres School of Nature and climate where they took on a workshop titled Towards Zero Waste.
This insightful journey delved into the profound impacts of waste and its environmental consequences but also how to uncover solutions to mitigate effects.
Through hands-on activities that enhanced their problem-solving and action planning skills, students explored practical solutions to transition towards a zero-waste approach.
Years 7 and 8 students have a new spring sport — rock climbing! Taking place at Bayside Rock, the current students enrolled are having a great time learning new skills and the techniques of rock climbing, with both a harness and bouldering. This new exciting and challenging sport can be selected for spring 2025.
During the term holidays, 40 Year 8 students embarked on a trip to the USA. The NASA tour had many activities from different areas of Science and Technology, from a five-day Space Camp in Houston, a visit to Kennedy Space Center, indoor skydiving, kayaking day trip, swimming with manatees and a STEM workshop at Universal Studios.
Year 5 students will be spending time in the apiary as the weather warms up. The students will wear full bee suits, open the hive and hold the frames to see the many stages of the bee life cycle. Students are surprised by the weight of the frame when it is holding a lot of honey. In Year 5 Science, students are completing their ‘Love food? Love bees!’ unit. They will learn about the role of bees as the main pollinator and how the beehive functions.
Hugo Engele
Head of Newlands (Keysborough)
Make sure to get your tickets for the end of year celebrations at BOUNCE Inc for all Newlands Year 8 Students.
Get your tickets here.
Lenice Norris
President, Haileybury Parents & Friends Keysborough
A massive thank you to the 120 players who participated in the annual OHA Golf Day at Southern Golf Club in challenging windy conditions.
Congratulations to Ben Murdoch (OH 2023), who won the Hattam-Metherall Trophy, and to our runner-up Jai Elcock (OH 2019).
We also extend our applause to our winning group: Archie Barrie (OH 2023), Arthur Wernham (OH 2023), Ben Murdoch (OH 2023) and Cooper Ford (OH 2023).
A special shoutout to Scott Doran (OH 1984) and Tim Doran (OH 1984) – Forty Years On winners, Mark Lockwood – Staff winner and Hayden (current student) – Best Young Player.
We are incredibly grateful to Mercedes-Benz Berwick and KPA Lawyers for their generous sponsorship and to all the players for making it a memorable day.
Tuscany is an extraordinary woman who is passionate about creating and fostering the female golf community.
In 2019 she founded Women Who Golf, a global community of avid female golfers passionate about supporting one another to enjoy the game. Now the largest female-focused golf group in the world, the group has won acclaim from media publications world-over and Tuscany is always looking at how better to serve the golfing community.
Tuscany is also passionate about travel. She dedicates half of each year to travelling the world, building relationships, and gaining new insights into how best she can solve the needs of the golfing community.
Join her online community today here.
Information regarding all OHA events can be found here.
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Thursday, 24 October
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OHA Sydney Chapter evening
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Friday, 25 October
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Class of 1974 - 50 Year Reunion
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Friday, 25 October
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Clark Club Luncheon
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Thursday, 31 October
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OHA Brisbane Chapter dinner
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Friday, 1 November
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OHA Gold Coast Chapter dinner
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Friday, 8 November
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Class of 1999 - 25 Year Reunion
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Friday, 15 November
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Class of 2019 - 5 Year Reunion
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We love hearing what our OHA alumni are up to. Please submit your amazing stories here.
If you do not already, please follow the OHA on Facebook and Instagram. We also invite you to stay connected by subscribing to our monthly newsletter here.
Please note that the OHA Office is here for all members and we encourage you to reach out if required via stayconnected@haileybury.com.au or contact me on 9904 6615
Kylie Phillips
Development Office Operations Lead
As the end of the academic year approaches, students across Years 7 to 12 are preparing for examinations.
For Units 3 and 4 students, this period is crucial, with the VCE exam period commencing on Tuesday, 29 October. To support VCE students in their preparations, a series of comprehensive Units 3 and 4 revision sessions were held during the term break. These sessions provided an invaluable opportunity for students to revisit challenging topics, engage in practice questions, and clarify key concepts with experienced teachers. The sessions were well attended and designed to offer a focused review of core subject areas, helping students feel more confident heading into their exams.
For Years 7 to 10 and Units 1 and 2 students, semester exams are the final component of their courses this year. Teachers are providing revision materials and strategies in class to help students prepare effectively. Students are encouraged to make the most of the resources available to them, including academic coaching, in the lead up to the examinations.
We thank teachers for the support, feedback and guidance they are providing to students during this intensive period.
In addition to examinations, Term 4 at Haileybury Pangea is also one of celebration.
At our Year 12 Final Assembly, students and staff alike acknowledged the contributions of the Class of 2024, Haileybury Pangea’s second graduating cohort.
Following this, the Year 12 Graduation and Valedictory took place at Haileybury’s Keysborough campus on Friday 18 October. Students received their graduation certificates and reflected on their school experiences. It was a momentous and emotional evening for our students and families, as they celebrated this milestone transition in their educational journey.
We also look forward to the annual Celebration of Excellence, where academic awards will be presented to students across all year levels. At Haileybury Pangea, this event will be presented online to our families across Victoria and the Northern Territory, recognising outstanding achievements in both academic performance and effort, inspiring all students to strive for their best.
These events not only mark the end of the school year but also celebrate the dedication and accomplishments of our Haileybury Pangea community.
Joanna Baker
Head of Campus
The Haileybury College class of 2024 has officially graduated.
It is always an exciting and very emotional time of the year for our Year 12s as they gather for a series of formal and informal events to celebrate the culmination of their schooling.
Friday, 18 October was the last time the entire cohort were together as they attended their final senior school assembly. Afterwards, they enjoyed food trucks provided by the Old Haileyburians Association and then returned to Aikman Hall to present their own Year 12 Review, which was a wonderful combination of onstage performances and amusing video anecdotes and farewells.
On Monday, 21 October (Haileybury College) and Tuesday, 22 October (Haileybury Girls College) were fondly farewelled by their Houses, led by their Heads of House, in gatherings that are always very moving.
The Haileybury College assembly, after the awarding of the House shields, was an opportunity for their outstanding school captain, Frederick , to deliver his final speech to Years 10 to 12, with the Haileybury Girls College school captain, Sanvi , reducing her peers to tears in her emotional speech to the senior school. The event ended with the ceremonial laying of the flag, a symbol of the end of the Year 12 cohort’s time at the School, ready to be unfurled by the incoming 2025 student leaders.
A highly enjoyable lunch followed with the students hearing from peers and staff they had nominated, which concluded the more informal part of the day.
The evening saw the students officially graduate, proudly walking across the stage to the applause of their teachers and loved ones who have been such a pivotal part of their academic journey. The Valedictory Dinner held at Crown Palladium was a fitting farewell to this outstanding group of students.
For the next few weeks, the students will be undertaking their final exams. We wish them all the best and thank the class of 2024 for their service to the School
All students in Senior School have been engaging in examinations and our Units 3 and 4 students will continue to sit exams in the coming weeks, so I encourage all families to do everything they can to support their children during this time.
While examinations will be a normal part of our students’ lives for the foreseeable future, VCE examinations can become all-consuming for the young people in our care. A degree of encouragement from parents is always useful in helping students prepare for examinations, however, it is always important to balance this with the message that we will support them if things do not go as planned.
If you have any concerns about your child either during or post examination period, please make sure that you contact their relevant Head of Pre-Senior or Head of House to discuss the support that Haileybury can offer.
On Tuesday, 17 September, four Year 10 Brighton students (Louise, Harry, Nick and Matheus) had the opportunity to attend the Goldstein Youth Forum in the Legislative Assembly Chamber of the Parliament of Victoria. The event was hosted by Federal MP, Zoe Daniel who listened to groups of local students present on a range of issues that impact teenagers in the Goldstein electorate. These four students spoke wonderfully about the impact of social media on teenagers and then debated the issue with peers from throughout the Bayside area. A range of other pertinent issues were presented by different groups on the day with the aim of raising concerns and suggestions for positive change in our community for young people.
The Evatt Grand Final (Victoria) is one of the most prestigious events in the Evatt Model United Nations competition, run by UN Youth Australia and held at the iconic Parliament House. This event marks the final round of the Victorian competition, where the top secondary school teams from across the state gather to showcase their diplomatic and negotiation skills. The competition simulates the workings of the UN Security Council, with students representing different countries, debating international issues and working toward resolution agreements.
Haileybury had two teams qualify for the Grand Final held on Friday, 20 September — Harrison and Gurnoor along with Tony and Frederick — an extraordinary achievement considering the high number of participants from across Victoria. Both teams represented Haileybury with distinction, with the team of Harrison and Gurnoor achieving second place overall and advancing to the National Finals later this year.
Congratulations to Alex (Year 9) on being awarded top honours in both the written and oral competitions of the Alliance Française.
William (Year 9) spent his September holidays in Turkey after being awarded the Spirit of Anzac Prize. This prestigious honour allowed him to visit key World War I sites, including the battlefields of Gallipoli, where Australian soldiers fought in one of the most significant campaigns of the war.
William’s journey gave him a deep appreciation of the Anzac spirit — courage, mateship and resilience. He also had the opportunity to learn from historians and veterans while exploring Turkish culture and the shared history between Australia and Turkey.
We are proud of William for representing our School with distinction and for embracing the values of the Anzacs during his remarkable experience.
Dr Nicholas Grigsby
Deputy Principal
Head of Senior Schools
Haileybury’s graduates of 2024 have finished their schooling demonstrating wonderful support for each other and respect for their families and the School, and they have been a brilliant tribute to all the staff who have helped them on their journey.
Three graduation events have been held for Haileybury girls, boys and Haileybury Pangea students. In total, 526 students have graduated.
Across the three valedictory nights, 12 student speakers, chosen by their fellow students, have focused on similar themes of respect for their peers, appreciation of the commitment that their families have made to their education, appreciation of the culture and values of the School and a notable respect for the hard work, professional skill, care and compassion of the teachers.
The 2024 graduating class have done themselves proud and will now focus on their preparation for the first VCE examination, the three-hour English exam on Tuesday 29 October.
Derek Scott
CEO | Principal
“I’ll never forget when one of my students looked up from her book and said, ‘I can read this by myself now!’ It was as if a switch had been flipped,” recalls Rhiannon Rowe, Head of English (Junior School) and a Year 1 teacher at Haileybury.
“She realised that the letters and sounds she had been practicing had turned into real words, and the joy in her face said it all. Moments like these remind me how transformative a strong phonics program can be — not just for their reading skills, but for their confidence in learning.”
In June this year, the Victorian government announced that explicit teaching will be embedded in every classroom from 2025. This includes ensuring all students from Prep to Grade 2 learn to read using a systematic synthetic phonics approach that clearly teaches students the relationship between sounds and letters.
The overhauled reading program also includes the explicit teaching of oral language, vocabulary, reading fluency and comprehension.
The Government decision to introduce evidence-based teaching — which includes explicit instruction to build literacy and numeracy skills — is based on a significant body of research from organisations like the Australian Education Research Organisation and the Grattan Institute.
This research shows explicit teaching or explicit instruction works best for the largest number of students, and is particularly effective at capturing and supporting students who may be struggling.
Haileybury has been delivering evidence-based literacy and numeracy programs, including phonics and explicit instruction, for the past 18 years. The School’s acclaimed explicit teaching model is based on ‘I Do, We Do, You Do.’ First of all, the teacher demonstrates what is being learned (I Do), then teacher and students perform that learning activity together (We Do), and then the student does the activity alone to illustrate and embed what they have learned (You Do).
“Education systems around the world have followed research and evidence that the explicit teaching of phonics is vital for early readers — it helps students ‘crack the code.”Grenville Green, Haileybury Deputy Principal (Junior School)
“However, Australia has left it up to individual states and territories, which means explicit teaching of phonics hasn’t been mandatory in teacher education programs or in school systems. The ACT and Victoria are the final states in Australia to introduce this approach and it’s a very positive step.”
Grenville has witnessed the effectiveness of explicit teaching for the School’s youngest learners, particularly the positive impact of a structured phonics program.
“We teach students to use letters and sounds from the beginning. They then learn to blend letters when reading and to segment letters and sounds for spelling. We teach in a systematic and structured way and each day there are multiple opportunities for students to use the skills and sounds they’ve learned — embedding and building proficiency.”
“The exposure for students is constant and bite-sized — a little, a lot — and it’s exciting to see them learning single letter sounds and then moving to two letter sounds and consolidating what they learn with worksheets, songs and actions that help embed their learning. We know this approach works and we see the successes in the classroom.”Rhiannon Rowe, Head of English (Junior School)
Explicit instruction is also part of the early numeracy program at Haileybury — again, using an evidence-based approach of what education experts know works.
“Each numeracy lesson is based on ‘I Do, We Do, You Do,” explains Rhiannon.
“As with literacy, each numeracy lesson begins with a maths warm-up where students revise maths concepts that they’ve already learnt to help them have a stronger understanding. We also do that for sounds and reading. We review one letter for a day and then move on to a new letter the next day, but during warm-up sessions, we come back to previous letters to review those.”
Haileybury’s NAPLAN results are testament to the effectiveness of the School’s teaching programs. The annual National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) sees students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 tested on fundamental literacy and numeracy skills.
Haileybury consistently ranks in the top co-education independent primary schools for Years 3 and 5 NAPLAN results. The 2023 NAPLAN average for Years 3 and 5 was 544.1, compared to a national average of 417.9.
“Typically, in Year 3 our students are at a Year 6 reading level,” explains Grenville.
The quality of teachers and teaching programs and the School’s impressive NAPLAN results have also helped Haileybury win the national Primary School of the Year – Non-government award five times, including this year.
The same evidence-based programs are also rolled out across Junior School classrooms in Haileybury Rendall School in Darwin. Teachers from Darwin and Melbourne collaborate closely to develop classroom lessons, learning resources and to constantly review student progress in literacy and numeracy.
Grenville visits Haileybury Rendall School once a term to spend time in the Junior School classrooms and to support teachers delivering phonics and numeracy using explicit instruction.
“We have a common literacy and numeracy curriculum across Melbourne and Darwin. If I walk into a classroom in Darwin today, students will be focusing on the same words and doing the same tasks as students in Melbourne. Our Darwin teachers also have the same professional development opportunities and support to deliver these programs,” he says.
Haileybury has freely shared its expertise in explicit instruction with more than 100 schools across Australia, particularly schools in disadvantaged parts of the country. Haileybury teachers have spent time in those classrooms, demonstrating lessons and effective teaching strategies and running workshops for teachers.
“This has made an impact in those schools whose NAPLAN data, reading levels and student engagement have turned around”Grenville Green, Haileybury Deputy Principal (Junior School)
Haileybury’s impact will spread further afield later this year when the school delivers an online phonics program available for teachers across the country. The program content is being developed by Haileybury teachers, for all teachers, and will include why phonics is important and what the research says, an interactive platform that breaks down each area of phonics teaching, and strategies on how to use phonics in teaching.
“It’s vital to build a solid foundation of literacy and numeracy skills in the younger years because it has ongoing positive impacts,” says Grenville.
“We know this helps students be prepared for the later years of school and it helps them achieve greater success and confidence in VCE.”
Haileybury will host a webinar about the phonics program on Monday, 28 October 2024.
The end of the winter sports season and Term 3 school holidays generally signal the kick-off of a range of talent development opportunities for Haileybury students who have excelled. This month we are extremely proud to acknowledge a number of your teammates who have been selected to take part in representative squads; at local, national and even international level.
These opportunities for our emerging talent to test themselves against the best athletes in their chosen pursuit are significant milestones in their sporting development. As a school, we will always encourage our athletes to pursue these opportunities, as well as supporting them in our own right through Haileybury coordinated initiatives such as sports camps, tours and competitions. Although these external opportunities can sometimes conflict with our own priorities, we will continue to do our best to support our athletes in becoming the best that they can be, both as players and teammates.
Please join me in congratulating the following students on their achievements:
Olly (Year 12) received an offer for the professional cycling squad Team Novo Nordisk, inviting him to sign for their development team for the next two years. Olly will be based in the UK and racing throughout Europe.
Jack (Year 8) was selected in the Football Victoria U14 Victorian Football (soccer) squad that competed in the ID Cup Tournament in late September. Following his performances, Jack has been identified for future trials with other representative teams over the coming months.
Jasmine (Year 8) was selected to join the Victorian State Volleyball Team to take part in the national competition that was held over the school holidays.
Phoenix (Year 10) was selected for Victoria (Rebels) to play in the National Under 16 Rugby Competition.
Isabelle (Year 10), Lucinda (Year 10), Olivia (Year 12) and Neve (Year 12) were all selected to take part in the APS Water Polo representative team to play against a very strong GSV team. Our girls proudly represented all of us in this match. It is also worth acknowledging that Haileybury’s own Ben Adams was appointed coach of the team. A call out to Ayva (Year 12) who was named as an emergency for this match.
Liam (Year 3) won a bronze medal at the Vic Junior Road Championships, in the U11 category. He has been racing criterion at Casey Fields and won a silver medal in the Vic Junior Criterion Championships.
Matthew Dwyer
Head of Sport (One Haileybury)
Theatre and Drama are thrillingly unique subjects, demanding full immersion, creativity and fearless expression. They bring stories to life through transforming the classroom into a world of possibilities. Every rehearsal and performance is a new adventure. This week, our VCE Drama and Theatre students presented their monologues and devised solos to external assessors — a thrilling yet challenging process that showcases their skill at creating original theatre. Huge congratulations to our dedicated cohort of performers, designers, and the parents and teachers who worked tirelessly to support them every step of the way. Next up is VCE Dance, and we wish all our dancers the very best.
We are thrilled to announce the 2025 Senior School musical and play.
Each year, Haileybury offers two mainstage performance opportunities to our Years 9–12 students from City, Brighton, Berwick and Keysborough campuses. In 2024, over 150 students took part, drawing in an audience of more than 3,500. We can’t wait for another exciting year of presenting outstanding theatre.
Rehearsals are held on Fridays from 4.00pm – 6.30 pm, Sundays from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm, and during the final week of April holidays, for a performance in early May.
Auditions are scheduled for mid-November. Please email Nick Waxman to express your interest.
Our 2025 musical promises to be an all-singing, all-dancing crowd-pleaser that will delight audiences.
And our Senior School play is equally exciting. Look out for auditions in May 2025, as we gear up to be one of the first schools to present:
Nick Waxman
Head of Drama and Theatre Studies
As a very busy term began last week, the Music Department celebrated an outstanding night of orchestral chamber music at the Chamber in the Chapel concert held on Thursday evening, 10 October.
An admiring audience enjoyed performances by our finest small ensemble musicians.
Events like Chamber in the Chapel highlight the stylistic diversity available to our music students. The way all students held themselves, coupled with the high standard of musical delivery, was a pleasure to witness.
Special thanks must go to Mr Thomas Heywood, the compere for the evening. Mr Heywood’s knowledge and passion for classical music was plain to see and hear by the very appreciative audience.
During the recent Term 3 holiday break VCE music students were busily completing final rehearsals for their upcoming Unit 4 performance examinations. The rehearsals continued throughout the first week of this term. For most students, these performance exams were completed in the week just passed.
For the practical performance assessment students are required to present a 20-minute recital program to a panel of external VCAA assessors. The exams represent a significant high point in the musical journey of these elite students, most of whom began instrumental lessons at Haileybury in Junior School.
Across their developmental journey these students will have likely received 300 instrumental lessons and attended over 500 ensemble rehearsals. These students will have performed to literally thousands of people at more than 100 concerts across their performance careers.
Within any VCE cohort there will always be a range of personalities, profiles and characters; some students will appear naturally talented while others will work extremely hard to rise above obstacles. Whatever the profile, most students will have completed more than 3,000 hours practice in the long lead-up to these final exams.
This year, like every year, we have enjoyed a diverse range of instrumental and stylistic disciplines within the VCE Music cohort. The 2024 cohort includes contemporary voice, classical voice, piano, electric bass, percussion, violin, drumkit, electric guitar, flute, trumpet and saxophone.
My heartfelt thanks go to the instrumental staff who not only give of their time and expertise but also their unwavering passion to provide access to the highest possible musical experiences education can provide.
Rod Marshall
Director of Performing Arts & Head of Haileybury Music
The 2024 Graduate Art Exhibition opened this week, celebrating the incredible talent and hard work of our graduating students from across our campuses, including HRS Darwin and Pangea, our online school. This exhibition beautifully exemplified our One Haileybury approach, showcasing how the collaboration of our multi-campus school enriches the artistic experience for all students.
The opening on 15 October was a memorable evening, featuring inspiring speeches from our Art Captains, Eve and Siddhanta , who shared their artistic journeys and the inspirations behind their works. Vice Principal, Mr Scott Doran officially opened the exhibition, highlighting the vital role that the Arts play in our school community.
Attendees enjoyed mingling with the artists, engaging in meaningful conversations, and witnessing an impressive array of creations.
In an era that values innovation and creativity, the arts are pivotal in shaping well-rounded individuals. This year’s exhibition featured a diverse range of works spanning VCE Media, Visual Communication and Design, Product Design Technology, and Art Making and Exhibiting.
By showcasing this rich tapestry of creativity, we highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the arts and its profound impact on shaping the future leaders and thinkers emerging from our School.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating the remarkable artistic achievements of our seniors and for supporting the thriving arts culture at Haileybury.
Rachelle Rae
Head of Visual Arts Senior School
Preparations are in full swing for the upcoming competition season at Haileybury Pipes & Drums. The band recently held an intensive camp at Camp Oasis, where students gathered to rehearse new material for the 2025 season. The camp was a great opportunity for focused practice, team bonding and refining techniques, setting a strong foundation for the months ahead.
This year sees many players stepping up to new challenges, with several students advancing from the C, B and A bands respectively. This progression showcases the growth and development within the group, ensuring that Haileybury remains a competitive force across all levels whilst also giving students the opportunity to tackle more challenging and gratifying music.
The band also drew inspiration from watching the World Pipe Band Championships (livestreamed from Glasgow), where they listened to the world’s finest pipe bands perform. It was particularly thrilling to see Field Marshal Montgomery open their new medley with ‘Antietam’, a tune composed by Haileybury’s own pipes tutor, Tom Perry. Witnessing this connection on the world stage served as a motivating reminder of the excellence they aim to achieve.
With new music, higher levels of ambition and a new generation coming through the ranks, Haileybury Pipes & Drums is ready for what lays ahead in the 2025 pipe band competition season.
After many wonderful years at Haileybury, I will be finishing up as Director of the program on Friday, 1 November, as my wife and I are relocating to New South Wales. This has been a very difficult decision, as I’ve cherished my time teaching and seeing the program flourish over my 17 years at the school (including the three years as a student). To the students, it has been an honour to watch you grow and develop as musicians and people, achieving incredible milestones like our world championship win and seeing the growth of not just the A band, but the B and C bands too. To the parents, thank you so much for all of your support over the years— it has meant the world to me and has been instrumental in helping the program succeed.
I want to reassure you that the future remains bright for Haileybury’s program. Daniel Staley will be stepping in as Acting Director starting 1 November, and I have complete confidence that the program will continue to flourish under his guidance. There are many exciting opportunities ahead for all students, and I’ll be cheering you on from afar.
If you'd like to stay updated on my future piping projects, follow my personal brand Modern Piping on social media where I’ll be sharing new bagpipe music and instruments frequently. For years I've been working on a special bagpipe project designing and making my own practice chanter. This was truly inspired by years of teaching all of my students of different skill levels and personalities. I'm incredibly grateful for these experiences, which have shaped this new practice chanter and my journey. It's been a special project and if you'd like to check it out, you can view it here.
It has been an absolute privilege to be part of this journey with the entire Haileybury community. Thank you for making this experience so memorable and for all the support you have shown me during my time as Director.
Lincoln Hilton
Director, Pipes & Drums
We recently farewelled our graduating class of Year 12 from Brighton. As a School and for each member of staff, it is with tremendous pride that we contribute to the growth and development of our students, their achievements, successes and accomplishments. A special assembly and time on campus gave the students the opportunity to reminisce about all they had discovered, learnt and experienced at Castlefield. It is wonderful to be able to celebrate the graduates’ lives at Haileybury, at the campus where they began.
Please note that the 2025 Orientation Day (Up Day) is scheduled for Tuesday, 19 November for our current Prep through to Year 6 students. The attire for the day is casual sports clothes with runners. Our students spend the day in their 2025 year level, meeting teachers, visiting homerooms and being introduced to their new classmates in preparation for next year. Further information will be sent home via myHaileybury.
Speech Night is very much a celebration of the year, the students and our campus; as such Celebration of Excellence is the new name for this fabulous night. The date is Tuesday, 3 December and all students in Years 5–8 attend. It was lovely to be involved in the first rehearsal of the massed singing item that will be performed by all students on the evening.
By dedicating time to read with your child, you are not only fostering their literacy skills but also enriching your relationship and preparing them for a successful future. This exposure is critical in the early years when their brains are rapidly developing language skills. Let’s work together to instil a passion for reading in our children, ensuring they have the tools they need to thrive.
In the ELC foyer and Pre-Prep entrance there is a collection of story books available for you to read to your child before the doors open at 8.45am.
We have displayed a list of recommended books for three- and four-year-olds but we would love to hear about your child’s favourite story book to add to our library.
The children’s imagination and creativity has been sparked with the development of a new mud kitchen in the Pre-Prep playground. Incorporating mud play into early childhood programs and home environments provides invaluable opportunities and helps nurture well rounded, confident and curious learners. Engaging with nature and getting messy can be incredibly calming and engaging. Resilience is being noticed as the children have been navigating challenges like dealing with messiness and unexpected outcomes. So much fun!
Junior School students worked collaboratively with indigenous artist, Bayley Mifsud. Bayley is a proud Peek Whurrong woman of the Maar nation. Students learnt that indigenous art from this area is drawn from a bird’s eye perspective as the Wurundjeri people believe an ancestral wedge-tailed eagle called Bunjil created the land. Together, students and artist created two large canvasses filled with symbols that connect them to the land we care, learn and play on.
Term 4 offers up a variety of sporting opportunities and events for our students to be active in. As Term 4 begins and the weather warms up, our Year 5-6 students commence their fourth sport of the year, to try, practice and continue to master the skills of! Our Year 5-6 students have loved competing in the APS competition on a Wednesday afternoon and they are to be commended on, not only their ability, but the competitive and respectful manner in which they participate.
Our Year 7-8 students have finished their Spring Sport season and now have opportunities to try a range of sports, with House activities aplenty. Everything from netball, AFL, Swimming, Aerobics, and games. House Spirit is booming with House Chants and student leadership ever present throughout our House events.
We look forward to our House Gala days at the end of term where our students can further showcase their passion for their House!
We place great importance on our learning community within the Middle School. This includes how we are kind to each other, how we learn, how we behave and how we best represent ourselves. One of the ways we do this is by wearing the uniform correctly and with pride. We are placing great emphasis on uniform this term as the students have recently transitioned from the winter uniform to the summer uniform. Our students are aware of what to wear and when, and we kindly ask our parent community to please help in supporting our uniform standards and expectations of your child.
This includes:
Thank you for supporting our students —your children — in achieving this expectation.
It is an exciting term ahead. A term of change, events such as Up Day and our Castlefield Celebration of Excellence, and preparation for the next year that awaits. We wish all our Middle School students a positive term ahead.
We have a fabulous roundabout system within our gates and encourage parents to utilise the South Road entrance for drop off and pick up. Some congestion is created when families are attempting to pick up along South Road, rather than at the roundabout within the School.
I remind families to avoid blocking both lanes on South Road when attempting to join the queue entering the School property and to please avoid double parking along South Road waiting for your child/ren to appear. There is a bike lane that is being blocked when this happens.
We thank our families for being considerate of the parking signs in our surrounding streets and respectful of our neighbours’ properties. The safety of our students is paramount and when they are unable to be picked up at the curb, as cars are parked, it can be dangerous.
The front of the School on South Road is a two-minute ‘kiss and go’ zone, hence parents should not be leaving their cars unattended.
Katrina Manson
Head of Castlefield (Brighton)
A fabulous group of parents have been working with Head of Campus, Katrina Manson and Senior Deputy Head of Campus, Felicity Gardam across the year to redefine and shape the HPFC. We are excited to announce the following positions for 2025:
JS Portfolio: Michelle Rennie
MS Portfolio: Janine Shifman
Class Representative Co-ordinators: Chris Meier and Ella Ledgar
Monique Chapman
President, Haileybury Parents & Friends Castlefield
World Teachers’ Day presents the perfect opportunity to pause and celebrate the great work every staff member does to support the teaching and learning of our Haileybury City students. Our teachers deliver brilliant teaching every day and we could not do it without the support of our wonderful staff, students and City community.
We enjoyed a special morning tea, and it was lovely to have our HPF City President, Melissa Fisher, attend to thank us all on behalf of HPF City.
Our staff all appreciated receiving a beautiful card from the HPF City with the words: ‘The students at Haileybury City are so grateful for you each and every day. Thank you for helping shape our kind hearts and sharp minds with memories we will cherish forever. Happy World Teachers Day.’ The Kit Kat (to take a break), was an added bonus. Thank you to all our HPF community for the acknowledgement of the important contribution of teachers. It is a privilege to teach your amazing children and make a contribution to their present and their future.
As part of our specialist program, Reception and Pre-Prep children have started our Scooter program developed by Mark Reed, Chair of Athletics and Head of Girls Athletics at Haileybury.
The ELC Scooter program focuses on children’s gross motor development as they tackle different obstacles while zooming around the Level 1 Running Track. This program has also been embedded within our PE program to extend and enhance children’s learning, based upon their interests and capabilities.
Children have loved challenging themselves while developing balance and coordination. Children have enjoyed bringing along their own helmet as they understand the importance of keeping their bodies safe while riding the scooters.
Reception and Pre-Prep take part in this program every Thursday morning for 20 minutes.
As the weather is warming up and the sun is shining, it is important to protect our children’s skin. Throughout the day, educators will support your child to reapply sunscreen, however, children should have sunscreen applied before they arrive at the ELC. A daily UV rating, as stated by the SunSmart app, is displayed in the ELC foyer to ensure sun safety is part of our daily routine.
Although every day at City is one buzzing with excitement, this was particularly the case as we welcomed our Junior School students and families back for Term 4 on Monday of Week 1. Students from Prep to Year 4, seamlessly returned to learning, not only building upon their understanding of previously taught concepts, but also being introduced to some new ones as well.
We would like to send a very big thank you to all Junior School families for a smooth transition back to regular school and homework routines. With the arrival of some much-awaited warmer weather, students are required to wear their full summer uniform, including their magenta cap or white wide-brimmed hat, to and from City campus. For all outdoor playtimes, students are also required to wear their black hat.
As our Year 1 teacher and Deputy Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning), Ms Lizzy Gibney, starts her family, Ms Molly Back has stepped into the role of Year 1 teacher for the remainder of the year. An Old Haileyburian herself, Ms Back shared that the Year 1 students have shown tremendous kindness and empathy when explaining regular classroom routines. Ms Back looks forward to seeing more of our Junior School community at our upcoming special events.
On Thursday of Week 1, Years 3 and 4 Scrolls students took part in a workshop alongside their peers from all of Melbourne’s Haileybury campuses, hosted by Castlefield. With feedback from the day’s conductor, Mr Quinne, students developed their skills and understanding on how to perform as a part of a large ensemble. A popular moment amongst the students was playing ‘Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer’ and hearing all students sing along.
We would like to congratulate all students who completed the 2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge. During our Week 1 Assembly, these students were awarded with their Premier’s Reading Challenge badge, a symbol of their hard work, consistent dedication and love of reading. 2024 saw a total of 51 Junior School students participating in the competition. We look forward to having even more participants take part in 2025.
Throughout Term 4, there are a number of special events, assemblies and graduations taking place. We encourage all our City Junior School families to keep a close eye on the Term Dates document available on the Hub.
As a part of their Science Ecosystems Unit, the Year 7s recently enjoyed a visit to Melbourne Zoo, learning about the classification and adaptation of animals. During their Fighting Extinction program, students examined the skulls of different animals to identify shared characteristics and to learn about how they have adapted to face varied threats in the wild and to survive in different conditions. While exploring the zoo, students heard from the true experts — the keepers of the elephants and lemurs — who shared insight into both the animals in their care and their own daily responsibilities. Ultimately, the highlight of the day was the charming family of otters who played, along with the delightful butterflies who landed on the students in the warm Butterfly House.
The Year 5s recently visited the Haileybury Hive at the Berwick campus as a part of their Science unit on Love food? Love bees! There, they suited up in their beekeeper costumes to adventure into the hives themselves. Opening the hive to examine a live bee frame, they got to study the whole colony — from the queen bee to the drone bees and worker bees — hard at work producing honey, which the students got to sample. In the lab, students took to the microscopes, examining the anatomy of bees in detail. Overall, students not only enriched their understanding of bees but also developed their appreciation of the vital importance of bees in our ecosystem today.
The Arts have continued to thrive in Term 4 with House Arts returning. This year’s challenge tasked Elliot, Main, Na and Newton to create their very own mini musicals in just two hours. Each house divided into their own expert teams of dancer, actors, set designers and musicians, and worked collaboratively, judged not just on their final performance, but also on their empathy, respect, kindness, trust and honesty — the Respectful Relationships Pillars.
Meanwhile, over the course of the year, the Years 5 and 6 City dancers have been working with diligence, determination and sportsmanship to develop their skills on stage. After first showcasing their jazz routine, Bongo Cha Cha Cha, at Display Night in May, they recently performed at their annual competition, the Spring Challenge, debuting their lyrical dance, Still.
Caroline Merrick
Head of City
Welcome back to Term 4. I hope everyone has got back into the swing of school and our routines. It is so lovely with daylight savings to sneak in a walk at night and enjoy a little bit of extra sunshine in our day. I hope you have had a chance to enjoy the springtime Melbourne weather.
A quick note to wish every Year 12 student all the best for their upcoming exams. Reaching the end of 13 years of school is a great achievement. HPF City wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
Thank you to everyone who attended our HPF City Springtime Party on Friday night, which is our final HPF City event for the year. It was a great night with prizes, live auctions, silent auctions and even a bit of dancing with our DJ, Eliza. A special thank you to the talented students who performed as part of the City Vocal Ensemble. It is always such a treat to see these students perform and love what they do.
As you may be aware, the Springtime Party is a big fundraising event, with funds raised from your entry ticket, silent auction, live auctions and the raffle tickets all going towards our students. In previous years the HPF City have purchased scooters, air hockey tables and even a fridge for the Senior School.
These events take a great deal of organisation behind the scenes. I would like to thank the Head of Campus, Caroline Merrick for her help and guidance with organising the event, and Gabe, Teni and their team for the time and assistance to help with set up on the night. Michelle White, as always, does a magnificent job with organising all the donations for the prizes on the night. Thank you, Michelle, for the endless meetings, phone calls and hours spent wrapping everything up. Thanks also go to Tina Le for the beautiful flowers and assistance with decorating and the volunteers who helped with set up, on the door and just helping the team out any way they can. It is really a team effort, and I must say we have a wonderful team. Thank you everyone.
In addition, a huge thank you to everyone who bought entry and raffle tickets and bid on the items during the night. It all contributes to us having a great night out. I hope everyone had as much fun on the night as we did organising it for you. Pictures will be posted in the next Insight.
The AGM for HPF City will be held on Thursday, 14 November at 7.30 pm via Zoom. The AGM is a chance to celebrate the successful year that we have had with our three major events and the Second-hand Uniform Shop sales. We have had a wonderful year of fun and have raised funds to be spent on items for the students to enjoy.
Nomination forms will be posted on myHaileybury towards the end of October. All details will be on the app announcement. We have wonderful members for 2024, and I hope many will continue next year, however, we are always welcoming new HPF members to join our committees and share in our support of the City campus. Please feel free to email hpfcity@haileybury.com.au if you have any questions.
Our final Second-hand Uniform Shop for the year will be held on Up Day,Tuesday, 19 November. We will be open from 8.00 am – 9.00 am and 3.00 pm – 4.00 pm. There will also be an additional opening in the ELC from 9.30 am – 12.00 pm. Last year this was our biggest day of sales — ever! If you have items sitting at home ready to sell, send them in and place them with the form in the blue bins. Items that we particularly need include ELC items in good condition and girls summer dresses. Please make sure that all items are in saleable condition, as per the form.
I hope everyone has a lovely couple of weeks ahead and enjoys the springtime sunshine.
Melissa Fisher
President, Haileybury Parents & Friends City
Our Year 5 students were delighted to welcome Haileybury City students and Haileybury Pangea students to learn all about the Haileybury Hive program. Students spent time with the bees, studying their behaviour and harvesting honey; a fantastic, unique experience for all students involved.
Congratulations to Roy (Year 3) who has been awarded an International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) medal for his writing. The top 1% of ICAS participants receive a High Distinction, and a medal if they also receive the highest score in their region. This is an incredible achievement, and we are very proud of Roy.
We are excited to announce that Seyara (Year 8) will once again represent Haileybury as the winner of the Maths Talent Quest. Seyara is also a state representative in the national competition. This is a back-to-back nomination for Seyara, as she also represented Haileybury in 2023. Congratulations Seyara on this wonderful achievement.
The Outdoor program is an essential part of children’s daily environment and life. Both indoor and outdoor environments offer significantly different — but complementary — experiences and ‘ways of being’ to the ELC children. We aim to have them available simultaneously and experienced jointly, with each having equal status and attention because both contribute to the children’s wellbeing, health, stimulation and overall learning and development. As the weather becomes warmer the children will be provided with more opportunity in their outdoor program. Children have begun to immerse themselves in experiences that strengthen their thinking, fine motor skills, social connections, spatial awareness, balance, coordination and connection with nature. Engaging with nature supports children to develop control, become environmentally responsible and to respect the environment. Educators aim to provide an outdoor environment that is respectful of children’s emerging skills and competencies, creating opportunities for them to make their own decisions and to act independently. A balance of experiences in the outdoor environment facilitates shared thinking, including exploration, experimentation and hypothesising, all of which support and challenge the children as they learn.
Our Year 4 students will be involved in the SEA Living and Growing program this term to ensure that our students have access to accurate and age-appropriate information about body safety, anatomy, reproduction and puberty.
Students will be discussing:
Week 1: Our bodies – how to look after ourselves
Week 2: Where did I come from? My family and your family
Week 3: Growing and changing
Our students loved the opportunity to put on their favourite sports team gear and wear it to school on the last day of Term 3. They were also treated to a sausage sizzle lunch, which was cooked by some lovely parent volunteers. This fundraiser raised $258.00 for the Monash Children’s Hospital. Thank you to all for your contribution.
It is a pleasure to welcome back to Edrington all our fresh-faced Middle School students. We hope teachers, students and indeed the whole family is ready for a busy term, filled with many special assemblies and events.
We welcome back Year 8 students who joined Miss Nicole Turner on a School Science trip to NASA in the USA, where they had a memorable chance to explore rockets, immersive simulators and exhibits and learn all about pioneering astronauts.
Year 8 Page to Stage and Collaboration to Creation Drama classes presented their public performances to all Middle School, for their performance exam. The opportunity to share in this experience has become part of our Middle School culture and we commend the students for their creative work.
Last Friday, we welcome current Year 12 students to a special ‘Back to Berwick’ assembly before they head home to study for upcoming VCE exams. This is always a particularly memorable event for all involved as we reflect on the years past and future of graduates.
To follow, all Middle School boys and girls have House Swimming which will be a fantastic day of cheering and teamwork, in what is the last major trophy event for the House competition.
We are currently supporting Beyond Blue in the Boys Middle School and Backpacks for Kids in the Girls Middle School. We hope boys and girls are currently enjoying the spirit of giving, filling shoeboxes and backpacks respectively, with goodies for good causes.
Jeanette Rawlings
Head of Edrington (Berwick)
Special ‘pop-up’ second-hand uniform shop openings – ELC Orientation session, Saturday 16 November and Up day, Tuesday, 19 November.
The uniform shop is open every Wednesday from 8.30 am to 11.00 am. Pop in to see the lovely ladies for your uniform requirements. If you have some spare time to help in the Second-hand Uniform Shop, contact Janelle via email.
Kerry Ilic & Tracy Day
HPFE Presidents
hpfe@haileybury.com.au
Welcome back to all Newlands families and we hope the recent academic break was a time for relaxation and time well spent with family.
We are looking forward to an exciting term ahead with events such as Year 4 and Year 8 Graduations, Up Day and then culminating with Celebration of Excellence.
Newlands is hosting its Annual Art Show on Thursday, 14 November in the Newlands Sports Hall. This event brings together each student’s work from throughout the year, culminating in a fun filled evening for all to enjoy.
Spring has been a topic of interest in the ELC with observations of blossoms and baby birds in their nest sparking conversations about the changes seen within the environment. These changes to the environment are only about to get more exciting as our very own ELC begins its own transformation with the addition of a new Reception classroom, opening in 2025.
From next year, to support the needs of our families, the ELC will have three full-time Reception classes along with our existing three Pre-Prep classes. This change will see the existing multi-purpose room transformed into a classroom and a new multi-purpose room created within the building behind the ELC to ensure a dedicated space for specialist classes to take place. Further to this, a new playground will be created within the existing outdoor area facing the Newlands Reception area and car park.
These building works will bring a sense of excitement for the children as we observe the changes that will take place over the coming term, and the role that tradespeople have in building works. We look forward to this authentic and rich learning opportunity and the exciting times ahead in the ELC.
To celebrate this vibrant and joyful festival, the ELC will be engaging in an incursion with a Bollywood dancer who will wow us with their skills and teach us some moves of our own.
All families within the ELC are welcome to come share in the excitement as we engage in dancing, music, movement and culture on Friday, 1 November from 10.00 am – 10.30 am in Berthon Hall.
Recently the Year 3’s embarked on an engaging excursion to Ceres School of Nature and climate where they took on a workshop titled Towards Zero Waste.
This insightful journey delved into the profound impacts of waste and its environmental consequences but also how to uncover solutions to mitigate effects.
Through hands-on activities that enhanced their problem-solving and action planning skills, students explored practical solutions to transition towards a zero-waste approach.
Years 7 and 8 students have a new spring sport — rock climbing! Taking place at Bayside Rock, the current students enrolled are having a great time learning new skills and the techniques of rock climbing, with both a harness and bouldering. This new exciting and challenging sport can be selected for spring 2025.
During the term holidays, 40 Year 8 students embarked on a trip to the USA. The NASA tour had many activities from different areas of Science and Technology, from a five-day Space Camp in Houston, a visit to Kennedy Space Center, indoor skydiving, kayaking day trip, swimming with manatees and a STEM workshop at Universal Studios.
Year 5 students will be spending time in the apiary as the weather warms up. The students will wear full bee suits, open the hive and hold the frames to see the many stages of the bee life cycle. Students are surprised by the weight of the frame when it is holding a lot of honey. In Year 5 Science, students are completing their ‘Love food? Love bees!’ unit. They will learn about the role of bees as the main pollinator and how the beehive functions.
Hugo Engele
Head of Newlands (Keysborough)
Make sure to get your tickets for the end of year celebrations at BOUNCE Inc for all Newlands Year 8 Students.
Get your tickets here.
Lenice Norris
President, Haileybury Parents & Friends Keysborough
A massive thank you to the 120 players who participated in the annual OHA Golf Day at Southern Golf Club in challenging windy conditions.
Congratulations to Ben Murdoch (OH 2023), who won the Hattam-Metherall Trophy, and to our runner-up Jai Elcock (OH 2019).
We also extend our applause to our winning group: Archie Barrie (OH 2023), Arthur Wernham (OH 2023), Ben Murdoch (OH 2023) and Cooper Ford (OH 2023).
A special shoutout to Scott Doran (OH 1984) and Tim Doran (OH 1984) – Forty Years On winners, Mark Lockwood – Staff winner and Hayden (current student) – Best Young Player.
We are incredibly grateful to Mercedes-Benz Berwick and KPA Lawyers for their generous sponsorship and to all the players for making it a memorable day.
Tuscany is an extraordinary woman who is passionate about creating and fostering the female golf community.
In 2019 she founded Women Who Golf, a global community of avid female golfers passionate about supporting one another to enjoy the game. Now the largest female-focused golf group in the world, the group has won acclaim from media publications world-over and Tuscany is always looking at how better to serve the golfing community.
Tuscany is also passionate about travel. She dedicates half of each year to travelling the world, building relationships, and gaining new insights into how best she can solve the needs of the golfing community.
Join her online community today here.
Information regarding all OHA events can be found here.
| Date | Event | |
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Thursday, 24 October
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OHA Sydney Chapter evening
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Friday, 25 October
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Class of 1974 - 50 Year Reunion
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Friday, 25 October
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Clark Club Luncheon
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Thursday, 31 October
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OHA Brisbane Chapter dinner
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Friday, 1 November
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OHA Gold Coast Chapter dinner
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Friday, 8 November
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Class of 1999 - 25 Year Reunion
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Friday, 15 November
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Class of 2019 - 5 Year Reunion
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We love hearing what our OHA alumni are up to. Please submit your amazing stories here.
If you do not already, please follow the OHA on Facebook and Instagram. We also invite you to stay connected by subscribing to our monthly newsletter here.
Please note that the OHA Office is here for all members and we encourage you to reach out if required via stayconnected@haileybury.com.au or contact me on 9904 6615
Kylie Phillips
Development Office Operations Lead
As the end of the academic year approaches, students across Years 7 to 12 are preparing for examinations.
For Units 3 and 4 students, this period is crucial, with the VCE exam period commencing on Tuesday, 29 October. To support VCE students in their preparations, a series of comprehensive Units 3 and 4 revision sessions were held during the term break. These sessions provided an invaluable opportunity for students to revisit challenging topics, engage in practice questions, and clarify key concepts with experienced teachers. The sessions were well attended and designed to offer a focused review of core subject areas, helping students feel more confident heading into their exams.
For Years 7 to 10 and Units 1 and 2 students, semester exams are the final component of their courses this year. Teachers are providing revision materials and strategies in class to help students prepare effectively. Students are encouraged to make the most of the resources available to them, including academic coaching, in the lead up to the examinations.
We thank teachers for the support, feedback and guidance they are providing to students during this intensive period.
In addition to examinations, Term 4 at Haileybury Pangea is also one of celebration.
At our Year 12 Final Assembly, students and staff alike acknowledged the contributions of the Class of 2024, Haileybury Pangea’s second graduating cohort.
Following this, the Year 12 Graduation and Valedictory took place at Haileybury’s Keysborough campus on Friday 18 October. Students received their graduation certificates and reflected on their school experiences. It was a momentous and emotional evening for our students and families, as they celebrated this milestone transition in their educational journey.
We also look forward to the annual Celebration of Excellence, where academic awards will be presented to students across all year levels. At Haileybury Pangea, this event will be presented online to our families across Victoria and the Northern Territory, recognising outstanding achievements in both academic performance and effort, inspiring all students to strive for their best.
These events not only mark the end of the school year but also celebrate the dedication and accomplishments of our Haileybury Pangea community.
Joanna Baker
Head of Campus
The Haileybury College class of 2024 has officially graduated.
It is always an exciting and very emotional time of the year for our Year 12s as they gather for a series of formal and informal events to celebrate the culmination of their schooling.
Friday, 18 October was the last time the entire cohort were together as they attended their final senior school assembly. Afterwards, they enjoyed food trucks provided by the Old Haileyburians Association and then returned to Aikman Hall to present their own Year 12 Review, which was a wonderful combination of onstage performances and amusing video anecdotes and farewells.
On Monday, 21 October (Haileybury College) and Tuesday, 22 October (Haileybury Girls College) were fondly farewelled by their Houses, led by their Heads of House, in gatherings that are always very moving.
The Haileybury College assembly, after the awarding of the House shields, was an opportunity for their outstanding school captain, Frederick , to deliver his final speech to Years 10 to 12, with the Haileybury Girls College school captain, Sanvi , reducing her peers to tears in her emotional speech to the senior school. The event ended with the ceremonial laying of the flag, a symbol of the end of the Year 12 cohort’s time at the School, ready to be unfurled by the incoming 2025 student leaders.
A highly enjoyable lunch followed with the students hearing from peers and staff they had nominated, which concluded the more informal part of the day.
The evening saw the students officially graduate, proudly walking across the stage to the applause of their teachers and loved ones who have been such a pivotal part of their academic journey. The Valedictory Dinner held at Crown Palladium was a fitting farewell to this outstanding group of students.
For the next few weeks, the students will be undertaking their final exams. We wish them all the best and thank the class of 2024 for their service to the School
All students in Senior School have been engaging in examinations and our Units 3 and 4 students will continue to sit exams in the coming weeks, so I encourage all families to do everything they can to support their children during this time.
While examinations will be a normal part of our students’ lives for the foreseeable future, VCE examinations can become all-consuming for the young people in our care. A degree of encouragement from parents is always useful in helping students prepare for examinations, however, it is always important to balance this with the message that we will support them if things do not go as planned.
If you have any concerns about your child either during or post examination period, please make sure that you contact their relevant Head of Pre-Senior or Head of House to discuss the support that Haileybury can offer.
On Tuesday, 17 September, four Year 10 Brighton students (Louise, Harry, Nick and Matheus) had the opportunity to attend the Goldstein Youth Forum in the Legislative Assembly Chamber of the Parliament of Victoria. The event was hosted by Federal MP, Zoe Daniel who listened to groups of local students present on a range of issues that impact teenagers in the Goldstein electorate. These four students spoke wonderfully about the impact of social media on teenagers and then debated the issue with peers from throughout the Bayside area. A range of other pertinent issues were presented by different groups on the day with the aim of raising concerns and suggestions for positive change in our community for young people.
The Evatt Grand Final (Victoria) is one of the most prestigious events in the Evatt Model United Nations competition, run by UN Youth Australia and held at the iconic Parliament House. This event marks the final round of the Victorian competition, where the top secondary school teams from across the state gather to showcase their diplomatic and negotiation skills. The competition simulates the workings of the UN Security Council, with students representing different countries, debating international issues and working toward resolution agreements.
Haileybury had two teams qualify for the Grand Final held on Friday, 20 September — Harrison and Gurnoor along with Tony and Frederick — an extraordinary achievement considering the high number of participants from across Victoria. Both teams represented Haileybury with distinction, with the team of Harrison and Gurnoor achieving second place overall and advancing to the National Finals later this year.
Congratulations to Alex (Year 9) on being awarded top honours in both the written and oral competitions of the Alliance Française.
William (Year 9) spent his September holidays in Turkey after being awarded the Spirit of Anzac Prize. This prestigious honour allowed him to visit key World War I sites, including the battlefields of Gallipoli, where Australian soldiers fought in one of the most significant campaigns of the war.
William’s journey gave him a deep appreciation of the Anzac spirit — courage, mateship and resilience. He also had the opportunity to learn from historians and veterans while exploring Turkish culture and the shared history between Australia and Turkey.
We are proud of William for representing our School with distinction and for embracing the values of the Anzacs during his remarkable experience.
Dr Nicholas Grigsby
Deputy Principal
Head of Senior Schools
In the spirit of reconciliation, Haileybury acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
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