Campus News
Very Special Kids Carnival
Thank you to everyone involved in making our Very Special Kids Carnival such a huge success! As a community, we raised $3,819.79.
The HPFK sausage sizzle was, as usual, a huge hit and students enjoyed their delicious sausages and drinks. Our Middle School Captains organised a spectacular lunchtime VSK Carnival with games for all ages including a ring toss, basketball challenge, lolly pong, bowling and more! VSK volunteers helped raise awareness of the charity’s great work by selling merchandise and talking to students and staff. Of course, students loved seeing Penelope, the Big Pig, and having photos taken with her.
The Very Special Kids Piggy Bank Appeal will continue to provide holistic palliative care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions across Victoria. We look forward to supporting this incredible charity again next year.
National History Challenge State Finals
Three students from Newlands reached the final round of judging for the National History Challenge 2023.
Students selected a historical topic that interested them and researched and wrote about it. The theme for this year was ‘Continuity and Change’. Mingda (Year 7) wrote about migration to Australia while Jessie and Vivian (Year 6) created a group project about ‘Warfare through Time’.
The students attended the State Finals in Melbourne on Saturday, 16 September where they talked about their research and submissions.
The National History Challenge is offered as part of the Curious Minds program at Haileybury. Students interested in taking part in 2024 can attend the information and sign-up sessions in Term 1 next year. Announcements will be posted on the Head of School page closer to the time.
Early Learning Centre
Making a mural
At the end of Term 3, the ELC were thrilled to see a mural emerge on the exterior wall outside the Reception S and Pre-Prep C classrooms. This meaningful piece of art was created by Aboriginal artist Simone Thomson and tells the story of our space at Haileybury Newlands ELC.
The water at the bottom represents Bunurong country, being a saltwater country, and the leaves above represent caring for country and for children.
At each corner are the camp sites. These are the homes of our families and communities.
The footprint of the kangaroo, wombat, possum and emu represent the different personalities in the groups.
These animal tracks lead to a meeting place which is the learning place where children learn from Elders.
The totems represent each room in the ELC — Rainbow Lorikeet, White Ibis, Boobook Owl, Black Swan, Little Corellas and Fairy Wren.
Finally, the journey tracks represent the tracks through the educational journey from ELC into Junior, Middle and Senior Schools and then onto adulthood.
The children were mesmerised to be part of this process and to see the canvas come to life with each brush stroke. This beautiful work will provide rich and authentic learning opportunities and connection for children in the ELC for years to come.
Junior School
Year 4 SEA parent information session
In Term 4, our Year 4 students will begin an essential part of their education by taking part in the SEA (Sex Education Australia) program. This program is thoughtfully designed to provide young learners with valuable information and understanding about topics related to their physical development, bodies and overall wellbeing. It will take place over three sessions across three weeks.
In preparation for the program, we will host a Year 4 parent information session via Zoom. During this session, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the program, its objectives and the content to be covered. We can address any questions or concerns to ensure everyone is comfortable with the material presented to the students.
Haileybury believes that age-appropriate sex education is an integral part of empowering students to make informed and responsible choices as they grow. We are committed to creating a safe, supportive environment for these discussions and look forward to partnering with parents so we can ensure students receive the guidance and education they need to navigate their physical and emotional development with confidence and understanding.
Prep and Year 3 swimming
The Prep and Year 3 Junior School students are gearing up for an exciting aquatic adventure as they dive into their swimming program early in Term 4. This intensive two-week journey gives young swimmers vital water navigation skills and a sense of independence in the water. The primary objective is to nurture their swimming abilities while reinforcing and building on the safety skills acquired in previous years.
The program features a sequence of lessons and activities that cater to students’ varying levels of expertise. From beginners taking their first strokes to those already comfortable in the water, every child will develop their swimming prowess. They will be guided by experienced instructors who will help them refine their techniques, improve their stamina and build their confidence in the water.
Toward the end of the program, a highlight will be the swim safety lesson where students cover essential topics such as the proper use of life jackets, how to float effectively and mastering safe jumps into the pool.
Middle School
Anay heads into space
Anay (Year 8) was recently selected for the RMIT Space Academy program, designed by NASA astronauts and mentored by the RMIT Space Team.
Students are split into teams and embark on a virtual astronaut training journey, learning about planetary science, orbital mechanics and robotic exploration. The Space Academy Program is delivered in collaboration with the One Giant Leap Australia Foundation and is an amazing opportunity to develop a new generation of space engineers who will contribute to Australia’s growing space industry.
As the world prepares for an exciting future in space exploration, we wish Anay all the best as he embarks on this amazing experience.
A student’s view of Model United Nations
In August the Model UN team set off to the prestigious Haileybury City campus after weeks of preparing for the long-awaited conference.
We were arguing the issue of climate-induced conflict, with each person being a delegate for a different nation. Model UN was truly an encapsulating experience — I went from worrying about whether I would get a chance to speak and if I was prepared, to raising my placard and joining in the insightful discussions. The room was buzzing and full of people ready to express their stance as a delegate.
Overall, the first debate lasted about two and a half hours and I had the honour of being the Proposer — the person arguing fully for the Resolution. Sophia was my Seconder. Afterwards, we had our second debate for which we were not given any preparation time . This made everyone think on the spot and created a raw debate filled with courage and confidence from every contributing speaker.
After the conclusion of this debate, it was time for the awards, where Nishtha (United States of America) was awarded Best Participant, and I (Uganda) was honoured to be granted Best Speaker. Other titles such as Best Delegate went to other countries such as Iceland and Venezuela.
It was an extremely exciting experience and the whole room was full of fabulous ideas that were shared by everyone. I recommend Model UN to any Year 8 student who is interested in debating and politics — it’s an extraordinary day full of discussion and passion. - Milana
Fundraising for humanity
There was quite a buzz in the Newlands GMS last week as the Year 6 girls participated in a fundraising initiative to support the Solar Buddy program.
The students have been studying global issues and raised money to combat energy poverty. They raised an impressive $1,171 at their Sweets and Bake sale.
Mark Harrop
Acting Head of Newlands (Keysborough)
Haileybury Parents & Friends Keysborough (HPFK)
Summer uniform changeover
It is a great time of year to pop in for all your summer uniform needs!
Whether it is dealing with a growth spurt, purchasing a few additional items to save the mid-week washing panic, or getting in early for next year, our friendly volunteers look forward to helping you find the perfect items.
Lenice Norris
President, Haileybury Parents & Friends Keysborough
