We are continually taken aback by the resilience and commitment of our entire school community during another term of disrupted learning.
In response to the ongoing lockdown, students in Years 7-10 moved to a model of checking in more regularly with their teachers during scheduled lessons, which has proven a successful necessity as remote learning continued all the way to the end of Term 3.
Congratulations to the Blackburn High School Community for continuing to work together and navigate through all the challenges of the latest remote and flexible learning period.
On behalf of the staff at Blackburn High School, thank you to our parent community for your invaluable support and encouragement throughout the term. The Blackburn High School Community has worked through a number of challenges this term, beginning with the sudden passing of our much loved and respected Assistant Principal, Mr Geoff Vezey on day 1. We mourned his tragic loss but also had an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge his outstanding contribution over the past 10 years. We welcome Dr Louise Hartley and Mr Scott Conte to the Principal Team, who are the new Assistant Principals taking on Mr Vezey’s responsibilities.
Blackburn High School is pleased to present the official renders of our new STEM Centre. After many months of planning and design we can now show you a little glimpse of what our state of the art Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Centre will look like. Demolition of Old Freeman is set to take place later in Term 3 and paves the way for breaking ground on the new construction. Stay tuned for more exciting updates.
Twenty one students completing the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award attended the Mitchell River hiking camp in the first week of Term 2. The two groups set off on Tuesday and returned on Friday after walking close to 30 kilometres carrying food, tents, clothes and other equipment on their backs. Throughout the camp students developed their outdoor living skills including cooking on Trangia stoves, setting up a tent, travelling as a group and navigating using a compass.
Congratulations to the students, staff and parents for a wonderful conclusion to Term 1 and what a term it has been. Students are to be commended for their positive transition back to onsite learning and for their efforts and achievements throughout the term. I would also like to acknowledge the incredible work and dedication of the teachers and ES staff for supporting and encouraging our students.
Congratulations to the Year 12 Class of 2020 who are to be commended for their resilience, courage and diligence throughout the unprecedented disruptions and challenges of last year. We are very proud of all our students who achieved extraordinary results including 100% successful completion of their VCE, an increase in both the median study score and the percentage of study scores of 40 and over, with two students achieving a perfect study score of 50 – in Further Mathematics and Food Studies.
I warmly welcome back our students, staff and parents and hope you have had a safe and enjoyable holiday break and are re-energised for the start of the 2021 school year. All students, and in particular the Year 7 students, returned to school with a sense of excitement and anticipation and we are back to a normal school rhythm.
On Tuesday, 23rd February 2021, our Year 8 student Isla Moore was awarded the District Plaque for the 2020 Peace Poster Competition. The theme for the competition was Peace through Service and Isla’s poster won first place at both the Regional and the District judging nights. Isla was presented with the plaque by Lions Club representatives Katherine Parzis (District Coordinator) and Frances Paige-Zeidler (Regional Coordinator).
Congratulations to Alana Saunders (Year 12) who was awarded winner of the Public Speaking Lions Club Youth of the Year Award recently. The judges were inspired by Alana’s speech and commented on the manner in which she represented Blackburn High School with such aplomb.