Well done to all students and staff on what was a great Term 1. There was so many great activities and opportunities for students to demonstrate their amazing talents.

During the term we have had Athletics and Swimming sports which were both great days with excellent participation. Thanks to Ms Sonia Kinsey and all of the PE team for organising some amazing events. Well done to Corio house on winning both events

A couple of weeks ago we had our Year 6 to 7 Information Night. This was a great night with over 1000 people attending to have a look at our amazing school. The night was a success mainly due to all the staff and students who were able to talk about some of that fantastic learning opportunities that exists at Geelong High. A special thanks to the school captains in their work on the night as MC’s and all of the students present. Thanks to Mr Steve Brown and Mr Lachlan Envall for organising of the night.

Over the term we have had many other great activities such as the visits from 15 Japanese students who were part of lessons and did many activities around the school. The Year 12 Camp was a great success with the students being stretched in so many ways. Thanks to Ms Abby Graham, Ms Cat Yee and Mr Nick Ayerbe and all the staff who attended for making this a great experience. The Outdoor Education students in both Year 11 and 12 have been on a number of activities.

Parent Teacher Interviews were in the last week of Term 1, and it was great to see so many parents in attendance. We know from the bookings that teachers were booked out and if there are any parents who missed an interview, please contact the teachers directly.

Over the holidays we completed a large amount of work around the school. New artificial grass near the music house, cleaning of all gutters and painting works. Planning is well underway for the toilet refurbishment, and we expect work to start in Term 3.

The new unform will be in the PSW shop from the 15^th of May. I will send out shortly a flyer with information on the new uniform items. Can I remind families that hoodies and long sleeve skivvies are not uniform and students who are wearing incorrect uniform may receive a sanction.

There are a couple of staffing matters I wish to update the school community on. We have a few staff on leave for short time frames 1-2 weeks which we have covered with casual relief staff. Staffing is relatively stable with all classes covered.

Annual privacy reminder for our school community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy Policies- Geelong High describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. Policies- Geelong High

School Councillors 2025.

School Council is a vital way that parents are able to provide feedback or have issues raised for discission. I thank all parents for their involvement on school council

Our Current school Councillors (Parent Representatives)

Ms Rachel Smith - President

Mr Paul Davis

Mr Paul Henshaw

Ms Rachel Olsen

Ms Kelly Massey

Ms Courtney Howie

Mr George Paskoski

Ms Lorraine Russell

I thank all of these members of our community for giving up their time and encourage any parents to raise any issue with them so it can be addressed appropriately

A special mention to Addison Kemp of Year 12 in 2025. Addison recently received a Top Arts award in recognition of her outstanding work in VCE media. She was recently presented with this award in Melbourne with hundreds of people in attendance including politicians and VCAA Board members.

Recently we had two students, Charlie Whykes and River Jeffries compete in the Class Clowns competition at Geelong Arts Centre. Both students presented amazing stand-up routines on the night. River won the heat and competed at the state finals in Melbourne. A big congratulations to River.

Term 2 is very busy one with enrolments for Year 7 2026 coming in and organisation of courses for 2026. Please keep checking Compass for updates and events.

We have just employed two extra Instrumental music teachers. So, if there are students wishing to have lessons in guitar or drums, please contact the front office and it is great that we can continue to expand our Instrumental music offerings.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Dear parent/carer.

Our Year 7 students are due to receive their HPV & Diphtheria, tetanus & pertussis(whooping cough) booster = 2 injections on 14/10/25.
Online consent information will be sent out closer to this visit.

The following link explains why this vaccine is given at school.
Secondary School Immunisation Program - Better Health Channel

There has been an increase in whooping cough notifications in Year 7 age students during 2024/2025.

If you would like this booster given prior to the scheduled school visit, please contact Barwon Health immunisation service directly via the information below or contact your GP .

You can book at Barwon health immunisation service via this link Vitavo or phone 42154444 if you need assistance with a booking.

Staff and students gathered in the hall for the Investiture of our 2025 student leaders. Each leader was presented with a leadership badge and signed a pledge in the school leaders book.

The assembly concluded with our official ANZAC service to honour and remember those for fought and died for our country.

Welcome to 2025 and Product Design & Technology at GHS. This year we will be celebrating students work throughout the year and their achievements in the Technology Space. The first student I would like to make mention of is Zac Tabb. Zac is a competitive darts player and is part of the Geelong Darts Club. Zac has been Australian Junior Champion and ranked and competed internationally for his club and for Australia.

In 2024 Zac was given the design task of “Coffee Table or Other”. This means students could make a “Coffee Table” or “Something Else”. Students are restricted by size 600mm x 600mm x 600mm equalling 1800mm total in dimensions. They are also limited by materials and it must have recycled hardwood somewhere in the design. Zac threw a curve ball at this design process as he wanted to make a display dart board for the Geelong Darts Club.

Zac effectively made a hardwood and pine dart board by hand and placed it within a pine frame. The dimensions of the board are the same as a traditional dart board. The Outside had the Name of the Geelong Darts Club hand cut. When opened it revealed 2 whiteboards for events and club notices to be written on. GHS also donated 2 plaques to commemorate GHS donating the board to the long serving president / secretary Karen Brenzeieris.

Zac invited Mr Gilmour (Happy) to be there when Zac presented the Dart Display Board to the Geelong Darts Club to much applause and praise. Zac has followed on from doing Product Design & Technology in 2024 and is currently studying VM Year 11 at GHS. We are extremely proud of Zac and the hard work he has done for his club and wish him success in VM this year.

The first forum for 2025, what a sensational experience!

Most of the schools in Geelong have joined the program again, with greater numbers. After such a successful experience in 2024, we invited some new schools from the West of Melbourne, including Copperfield College. In addition to this, members of Respectful Relationships Footscray office attended to gauge potential opportunities to build the program in their region. This year with so many new schools and staff we provided more professional learning opportunities online to coach the facilitators and ensure that students arrived with a broad understanding of the student perceptions in their school. This included referencing Attitudes to School Data and other data related data sets. Overall this enhanced the day as staff and students were genuinely engaged in their schools’ BBBH work.

Maddison Gore (NBC) and Maddie Solly (NGSC) led the day with wonderful MC duties. Maddie delivered an excellent acknowledgement of Country and then introduced us to Annabelle, the school captain of Geelong High. An incredible leader, she inspired us and set the tone for the day.

Annabelle talked of having a significant loss in her early years and gravitated to the Be Bold Be Heard initiative. She epitomised the purpose of this program and in many senses clarified its responsibility to the broader community. Annabelle spoke to the 150+ audience and captivated them for 10 minutes on her journey and the values of this program. Staff and guests were left in awe at her strength, vulnerability, courage and leadership. I think everyone felt a connection to her and this program as a result. We could not thank her enough for giving up her time as a year 12 student, but it was difficult to do as she kept thanking us. What an absolute star! One of Annabelle’s messages was “You do not need a badge to be a leader!”.

Brad Headlam | Annabelle | Maddie Solly

Forum 1 theme:

Turning passion into project. What drives someone to becoming a changemaker and turn their passion into tangible steps that bring about change? This forum will inspire future change makers by offering incredible stories and experiences from women who have journeyed before them, encourage them to take action and amplify their voices to create meaningful change towards gender equality.

Student Goals

Following on from our Bold Beginning, students underwent a collaborative ice-breaker and quickly launched into their action planning, fueled by effective discussions in their own schools about their situations in their local context for middle years girls. Throughout 2025 the students in the BBBH program will continue to work towards goals through carefully implementation of action plans. Some of the goals for change discussed by some schools at this forum included:
● The attitude from girls and boys towards Physical Education
● Boys attitude towards girls in Physical Education
● Change the perception on food
○ Making girls feel more comfortable and more educated about good foods
● Show what could happen if you don’t eat
● Change the role of Peer Support to promote interaction with year 7-9 students
● Change the way that the younger year levels see teachers and senior school
● Educate the teachers more
○ More female staff
○ Buildings far away
● Building connections between year levels
● Getting sporting equipment at lunch and better seating areas
● Reaching out to teachers

Speakers

Our wonderful guests, who volunteered their time, were asked questions in line with the theme of Bold Beginnings.

Roxie Bennett

Roxie Bennett is a strategic relationships and community engagement specialist with a strong background in media, communications, events, and marketing. In her childhood Roxie spoke of her problematic behaviours but wondered if people would vote for her one day. She had difficulty concentrating, but always knew she would find her way. This behaviour was cleared up with a diagnosis of ADHD 2 years ago, explaining some of the problematic behaviours of her childhood. Her advice to students: (you can) “achieve what you want in 20-40 years”. (give yourself the time!)
Message to younger self: “You are ok!” and “One day you will upset some important men!”
Roxie said that she was old enough to not get hurt by speaking up, so speaks up, readily. Also telling the students that “There is no job a woman cannot do, unless it is a sperm donor!”

Annabelle | Roxie | Michelle | Ilona

Michelle Clark

Michelle holds the position of director at the Office for Women in Victoria. She stated that she was a bit of a nerd, however proudly attended a Fat Boy Slim concert recently. She used to look at popular girls and felt she was missing something. Went on to do Law at Uni, quickly discovered there is nothing worse than corporate law. Decided to no longer be a lawyer and so followed her interests. Did a Graduate Diploma in National Security for the National Government and started to develop Women’s policy.
She told us that “Opportunities will arise”. She reminded us that the “World is shaped by and for men!
And so, when growing up, she wondered: “I do not fit, it must be me!” Now with greater knowledge is well aware that all reference data is based around the caucasian man.

● Work day week
● School day
● Crash test dummies
● Air conditioning
● Hence: “Men do not see the issue!”

She told us that we can do anything but the World has limitations, which are difficult to impact at one level. View it as it has a “Glass ceiling, sticky floor and wall → Try very hard to break and get in with others to do this!”

Ilona Rose

Coordinator of the Koorie Education Support Officers in Barwon, delivered a wonderful acknowledgement of Kardinia as the Place of the Rising Sun. As a young person was quiet and reserved and loved school. Her school marks gained were from hard work! During Primary School her beloved grandfather passed away. It was then she learned about his ‘stolen life’ and living at a mission from the age of 9 to 19. Ilona’s dad took her back to Country to be with aunties and uncles. Passionate about working with young people she told our 150 students “You are deadly strong young people”. Message for young people: “you are so much more than your job”. She also reminded us that “True friends straighten each other's crowns” “Let others know you are deadly” and take opportunities to lift each other up.
These speakers were outstanding and thank them for their contribution to the program.
All schools now continue with their work until the next forum on June 6 but student leaders and staff champions are invited to some professional learning opportunities in term 2.

Leadership Summit -Bold Minds, Brave Leaders → May 16

This is a multi-layered event where students who have undergone an application process participate in a YLEAD program to build their capacity to lead our BBBH events. In addition to this there will be a Professional Learning Opportunity for staff Champions who are leading or would like to lead BBBH in their schools.

Forum 2 June 6 →Unlocking Equality: Finding Equality in Every Space

This (the second) forum will encourage collaboration conversation around breaking down the barriers perpetuating gender inequality and provide actionable steps to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and valued in the pursuit of equality.
Should you want more information about the program or to be involved please contact any of the BBBH Committee members:
Maddie Solly, Brad Headlam, Julianna Garcia, Maddison Gore.

The BBBH Committee 2025

A massive day at Landy Field as hundreds of students and staff gathered for the annual school Athletics Carnival. Competition was tight all day but Corio House ran away winners in the end with an aggregate score of 2,246 to Barwon second on 2,142 and Moorabool third on 2,001, leaving Leigh fourth overall.

A huge thanks to everyone who competed. Another wonderful sports day at Geelong High School.

On the 2^nd of April, our 11 and 12 VCE Art students had the opportunity to attend the Top Arts Exhibition held at The Ian Potter: National Gallery of Victoria and the Yayoi Kusama exhibition held at the International Gallery.

Both experiences offered students inspiration, expose to contemporary art, and enhanced their understanding of creative practices, enriching their school learning and artistic perspectives. Although it was a big day filled with a gallery talk and the visit of both NGV sites, the students were extremely well behaved and represented Geelong High School with great pride!

Students at Geelong High School were thrilled to have a visit from a Navy Seahawk helicopter. The Seahawk landed on the oval with its pilots taking the time to talk with Year 12 students about aviation and defence.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles was also in attendance to meet and greet senior students and staff.

(Images courtesy students Liv, Cameron and Joel)

Last weekend, Geelong High students Bradlee Elliott and Tahnee Dunn competed in their Karate State Finals.

Brad put in an impressive performance, finishing 2nd in the state, while Tahnee dominated her section and is now a state champion!

Congratulations to them both!

2024 Media student, Addison Kemp, was accepted as a Top Designs finalist in 2025 for her digital storybook LOST AND FOUND.

Her book and artwork are currently on display until the end of July at the Melbourne Museum with other student artworks from across Victoria. A fantastic opportunity for Addison to display her work to students and people visiting the museum.

Our new school captains were officially introduced to staff and students while a number of students were presented with scholarships from the Western Chances Program. Sandy Khun and Matt Aidt sang a duet showcasing the amazing singing talent amongst our student cohort.

Students made their way to GPAC to watch the amazing Scott Bradlee’s Post-Modern Jukebox. They are the masters when it comes to reimagining songs and making it their own. By utilising elements of music and compositional devices, they were able to create something truly magical for our students to watch. They met one of the singers from the band who gave some fantastic advice on practise and performance. This will be extremely helpful for their SACs and external exams at the end of the year.

“I really loved the Post-Modern Jukebox performance, and it was really interesting to see all of the different songs reimagined in this genre of jazz/swing music. I also really loved how they got the audience involved a lot, you could really see their showmanship and how they'd been working on it for a long time and I feel that it really showed in the way they performed and worked together as an ensemble. I believe that watching this was super beneficial to my own studies as this is the sort of genre I'm leaning towards in my study of vocals and music in general. Its also beneficial for me in the way of how I am looking to recontextualizing a piece for my set list in my exam, and it was good for me to be able to see the sheer number of opportunities in this realm of reimagining. It was quite funny to see the tap-dancing mash up they did, it was really interesting to see how recognisable the songs still were without the singing and a change of genre.” – Mia Davis – Year 12 Music Student

Guitar and Drum lessons are now available! Please have your parent or guardian contact the main school office for enrolment forms.

A guitar ensemble will also be starting at Tuesday lunchtimes.