Embedded Files
Phoenix P-12 Community College Celebrating F1 in Schools World Finals Success
Phoenix P-12 Community College Celebrating F1 in Schools World Finals Success
Demonstration of how fast the miniature F1 car is.
Students presenting their work, experiences and success with F1 in Schools.
One example of the students' project documentation.
Hadron team's pit stop from the 2023 World Finals.
The team's profile on the F1 in Schools website: Team Profiles - F1 IN SCHOOLS GLOBAL.
November, 2023
Area Principal Forum
Area Principal Forum
Deputy Secretary, David Howes caught up with Ballarat High School Principal, Gary Palmer, at the Area Principal forum. David was wishing Gary all the best for his retirement at year's end.
November, 2023
Mount Clear Primary School 2023 Wearable Art Project
Mount Clear Primary School 2023 Wearable Art Project
Be the Change You Want to See
November, 2023
Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas, visiting Bullarto Primary School
Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas, visiting Bullarto Primary School
November, 2023
Victorian Education Excellence Awards
Victorian Education Excellence Awards
Congratulations to our finalists and winner from Central Highlands.
Finalist of Outstanding Early Career Secondary Teacher
Laura Benney, Phoenix P-12
Laura Benney, Phoenix P-12
Finalists of Outstanding Provision for High-Ability Students – Primary
Lethbridge, Teesdale, Napoleons and Inverleigh Primary Schools
Lethbridge, Teesdale, Napoleons and Inverleigh Primary Schools
Winner of Outstanding Provision for High-Ability Students – Primary
Daylesford Primary School
Daylesford Primary School
See more about Daylesford Primary School below.
November, 2023
IMG_4162.MOV
Waubra Primary School: end of an era
Waubra Primary School: end of an era
Students from Waubra Primary School reflect on their final year and would like to send a message to their teachers and school community as they embark on their last term and consider the milestone it is to transition into Secondary School.
October, 2023
Sandpit fun and a home for a green friend 🐸
Resilient Ararat
Resilient Ararat
Ararat College | Ararat 800 Primary | Ararat West Primary | Moyston Primary | Pomonal Primary |Maroona Primary | Willaura Primary | Buangor Primary
GROW HAPPINESS, planting seeds for mental health. Students from various schools in the Ararat area were recently involved in creating these fantastic seeds and distributing amongst the community in awareness of positive mental health.
Resilient Ararat is a school-led approach to promoting positive mental and emotional health and wellbeing among students and the wider community. The project supports the implementation of The Resilience Project curriculum in participating schools across Ararat Rural City and promotes positive community engagement with mental and emotional health.
Through the development of specialised projects and activities, Resilient Ararat helps reinforce the important work schools are undertaking with students throughout the local community.
October 2023
Daylesford Primary School
Daylesford Primary School
Victorian Education Excellence Awards
Recognising outstanding school professionals working in Victorian government schools.
The Victorian Education Excellence Awards (VEEAs) recognise the inspirational teachers, principals, business managers and education support staff who improve schools and support children and young people to develop the skills and learning outcomes they need to succeed in life.
The VEEAs are an opportunity to celebrate the real and unique differences teachers, principals, business managers and education support staff make to the lives of students and their communities. It supports the continued professional development of outstanding staff working in Victorian government schools through awarding winners with professional learning grants.
Congratulations Daylesford Primary School on WINNING...
Outstanding Provision for High-Ability Students
Creating an aspirational culture for all students, Daylesford Primary School is nurturing children’s potential with an inquiry-led approach that is enriching their curriculum and community.
Accessing professional learning and support from the high-ability toolkit and the High-Ability Practice Leader role, the school is creating opportunity and access for high-ability learners in inquiry-based extension programs that are inspiring children of high-ability to experience learning in new ways.
Connecting with programs from the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series and Victorian High-Ability Program, students interact with the local community and wider education network in student-led projects and initiatives. Collaborative learning and outstanding classroom practice has strengthened the school’s emphasis on individual goal setting and student agency, increasing high-ability achievement outcomes across the school.
Partnering with the University of New England, the school has worked closely with the university to video document their exemplary high-ability provision for inclusion in the department’s updated high-ability toolkit.
October, 2023
ARC: Ararat Rural Cluster... est 2024
ARC: Ararat Rural Cluster... est 2024
Principals, teachers and ES staff from Maroona, Buangor, Pomonal, Moyston and Willaura shared a whole cluster curriculum day with a focus on planning for the implementation of PLCs across their cluster schools in 2024. The schools have joined forces this year to create their own cluster with a strong priority on improving student and staff outcomes and increasing the opportunity to network, collaborate and share best practise and expertise whilst learning alongside one another. These schools may be small in size; however the ideas and passion of the newly formed cluster certainly makes for big work and opportunity for both staff and students in the future.
October, 2023
Discussion amongst Pomonal Primary School staff
Maroona Primary School
Smiles and ponderings
Buangor Primary School deep in converstaion
Link School PLC Leader, Ella Dridan @ work
Link School PLC Leader, Ella Dridan @ work
150 Years at Buninyong Primary School
150 Years at Buninyong Primary School
On Friday, September 1st Buninyong Primary school celebrated the 150th anniversary of the school opening on the same date in 1873.
The day commenced with a whole school assembly with many community members, past staff and past pupils also in attendance. Students and staff dressed in costumes from the 1870s through to present day and participated in a giant costume parade after assembly, which was a highlight of the day.
Amongst the several hundred visitors were two of Buninyong Primary School’s oldest surviving pupils, Jean Roberts, 96 and Ian Wilson, 95. Ian travelled from Wollongong to be part of the celebrations.
All current students have been busy over the last few weeks preparing items to go into a time capsule that was built by the Buninyong Mens’ Shed, using wood from a cypress tree that was in the school grounds for many years before it fell in 2019.
Throughout the day, students participated in learning tasks ranging from making damper to learning copper plate writing.
School tours were held for visitors throughout the day on Friday and Saturday and visitors were also invited to browse the photographic display and collection of memorabilia.
On Friday evening, a reunion event was held at the Buninyong Bowling Club, which was a great opportunity for past staff and students, along with current staff to connect and share stories.
The event was an outstanding success and a wonderful way to commemorate this very significant milestone in the school’s history.
Not all schools get a view like this, lucky Pleasant Street Primary School!
08.09.23
Linton Primary School
Linton Primary School
Students at Linton Primary School are enjoying their new learning spaces.
15.08.23
Kids Day Out
Kids Day Out
Several of our schools gathered at the Bacchus Marsh Town Hall to sing, dance and play instruments in front of their peers. It was a great opportunity for students from small and large schools to perform for a crowd and showcase their talents.
04.09.23
All things Avoca Primary School
All things Avoca Primary School
Students and staff at Avoca Primary school have been 'flat out' learning and embracing extra curricula activities and opportunities. Practising for their upcoming School Concert, attending a smoking ceremony at their school, launching rockets, getting out into the community for Book Week and enjoying taking their Energy Breakthrough designs for a spin.
August / September 2023
Maroona Primary School
Maroona Primary School
"Here chook, chook, chook"
Students from Maroona PS have been spending their recess and lunchtimes designing and building a new home for the school chooks - a great extension of classroom learning, applying measurement, volume and design into their hands on work.
August 2023
Lake Bolac P-12 Prep Students
Lake Bolac P-12 Prep Students
Anyone hungry?
What better way for Prep students to learn about healthy eating and the colours we need on our plate, than making fruit and vegetables out of plasticine. Yummo!
August 2023
Landsborough Primary School
Landsborough Primary School
Students from Landsborough PS are learning how to be safe and creating their own survival pillowcases, packed and ready to go in the event of an emergency. The Red Cross doing what they do best in our schools as always.
August 2023
Pomonal Primary School
Pomonal Primary School
Ahoy Me Hearties!
From Pomonal PS. After a recent camp along the Shipwreck Coast, students have been immersed in applying their 'real life' experiences to their classroom learning.
August 2023
Deadly Aspirations Day
Deadly Aspirations Day
On Wednesday 26th July, schools across our area came together for a great day of aspiration, culture sharing and story-telling. Young people were able to listen to guest speakers and performers, such as Indigenous Outreach Projects (IOP) Hip Hop and Aaron Clarke. Young people listened to Year 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who were proudly graduating and sharing their words of wisdom - staying true to yourself. After lunch they were able to network with different stakeholders and industries, exploring a range of opportunities for them post school. A great day that is sure to grow in the coming years.
Kangaroo teeth - used for jewellery
Sebastopol Primary School Book Week
Sebastopol Primary School Book Week
25.08.23
Ballarat North Primary School Art Exhibition
Ballarat North Primary School Art Exhibition
Flashmob surprising parents and guests.
24.08.23
Van Gogh inspired Autumn Landscapes.
150 Year Anniversary at Buninyong PS
150 Year Anniversary at Buninyong PS
Buninyong Primary School are celebrating their 150 year anniversary on the 1st of September at 7pm. See the flyer (left) and contact the school if you are interested.
10.08.23
NAIDOC Week at Phoenix P-12 Community College
NAIDOC Week at Phoenix P-12 Community College
24.07.23
Beaufort Secondary College
Beaufort Secondary College
Students from Beaufort Secondary College have created beautiful art work using a vegemite paste as a medium. The students work will be on display for the next 8 weeks at the Vegemite museum. They are thinking about turning it into a calendar or a book, which is great for our students to have their work recognised in this way!
June 2023
ASSIST 2023 Term 3 Core Meeting.pdfMultiplicative Thinking Bump it up Wall (1).pdf
Small School Maths Moderation
Small School Maths Moderation
Small schools in our area met online to moderate a common Maths task. This was part of ongoing work together in a group called ASSIST, which focuses on assessment practices in small schools. This year, the schools have been unpacking common maths tasks using the lens of the Big Ideas in Mathematics as described by Di Siemon. This is building on last year's work where the group looked at using open and rich tasks as forms of assessment.
In the Term 3 moderation session, teachers and principals moderated samples from students in Years Prep to 6, using the lens of Multiplicative Thinking. They used this protocol to discuss the samples:
What does the student know?
What might the teacher check the student knows?
What might be the next steps?
What Victorian Curriculum level might this sample be at?
This was supported by a Bump It Up Wall and Rubric that can be edited to the individual school needs.
If you would like to find out more head to the ASSIST page link.
26.07.23
Moyston Primary School
Moyston Primary School
'Exploring and celebrating First Nations' seasons and weather in their local area .
August 2023
Earth Ed at work
Earth Ed at work
Earth Ed provides STEM programs, incursions and excursions for P-12 students (including VCE Masterclasses). They have a range of specialty opportunities and programs on offer. Use the link below to find out more.
Earth Ed | Specialist STEM Centre
August 2023
Mount Clear Media Students tackling an increasingly complex problem.
Mount Clear Media Students tackling an increasingly complex problem.
Mt Clear College students tackle youth vaping with video series - ABC News
August, 2023
Just another recess at Moyston Primary School
Just another recess at Moyston Primary School
Adult Learning!
Adult Learning!
It is not just our students who are learning. Teachers and Leaders from across our area have been hard at work improving their own knowledge and exploring ways to best engage their students and scholl communities.
Going Green at Warrenheip Primary School!
Going Green at Warrenheip Primary School!
Building on the success of the Go 4 Green initiative in 2021, Go 4 Green 2.0 launched in term 3 2022 with funding from the Ballarat Foundation and Ballarat Community Health! Warrenheip Primary School was one of fifteen schools in Ballarat to receive a small grant to kickstart their innovative and sustainable project ideas that boost the health of the school community and the planet.
As part of their school kitchen garden refurbishment project, Warrenheip Primary School purchased gardening tools, gloves, storage containers for the gardening equipment and two Subpods composting systems (in-ground compost systems that include worm farms). Food scraps from students’ lunchboxes and leftovers from the kitchen garden are collected by select students (Fruit Monitors), chopped up and divided into the Subpods. All scrap paper is shredded and added to the Subpods to add carbon to the compost, with the aim of having the compost ready for soil rejuvenation and planting in spring.
The refurbished school kitchen garden has been a great success for the school with students taking ownership of the garden. Junior students have loved getting their hands dirty, while senior students have taken a leading role in recording the waste that is collected and turned into compost. Students are encouraged use all their senses in the garden and even harvest produce during recess and lunch for snacks.
Families and the wider community have also engaged with the project and donated produce and seedlings from their own gardens to add variety to the school garden. Donations have included potatoes, garlic bulbs, herbs and even worm tea for the compost. The school kitchen has also aided the imaginations of students with the garden being stripped of all garlic during Halloween to protect the school from vampires! Through their school kitchen garden, Warrenheip Primary School has boosted access to fruit, vegetables, and herbs, whilst reducing waste in their school community of 26 students, 19 families and 8 staff.
Copied from: Health Promoting School News - Ballarat Community Health (bchc.org.au)
13.06.23
Secretary's Marrung Award winners - Phoenix P-12 Community College
Secretary's Marrung Award winners - Phoenix P-12 Community College
Winner: Phoenix P-12 Community College - “Actions Speak Louder Than Words”
The Phoenix P-12 Community College aligns strongly to the vision of ‘actions speak louder than words’ and encourages the voice and agency of First Nations students to how the school acknowledges and celebrates First Nations cultures.
Through their Koorie Student Forum, students generated ideas and realised a number of school-based projects empowering students to express themselves with a range of visual and digital arts projects around the school and engage the whole school community. The highly visible artworks create a daily First Nations footprint and a legacy.
One project was a Koorie Mural. Students were central to the concept, created the artwork and school staff assisted with placing it in a prominent location selected by the students.
Secretary's Marrung Award winners | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)
13/06/23
2023 Young Authors Program
2023 Young Authors Program
On Thursday 8th June, the Young Authors Program for 2023 was launched at Mount Rowan Secondary College.
77 students, from 7 Central Highlands primary schools were in attendance to hear the 2023 program overview, which will be running over terms 3 and 4. They were also inspired to hear from participants of the program, who have participated since it commenced in 2017.
The seven schools participating are:
Ballarat (Dana Street) Primary School
Buninyong Primary School
Delacombe Primary School
Lal Lal Primary School
Lucas Primary School
Miners Rest Primary School
Pleasant Street Primary School
The Young Authors are looking forward to attending their first workshop in July, where they work in mixed school groups to collaborate on a chosen focus. They were most excited to hear about a published author attending their second workshop and their end of program celebration, which will be a Literacy Walk in Melbourne.
They were presented with an authors pack and a certificate for being selected in the program.
We look forward to seeing the creative pieces they create as a result of this inspiring program.
Writers’ Festival at Napoleons Primary School
Writers’ Festival at Napoleons Primary School
After the success of our first Writers’ Festival in 2022, themed around Remembrance Day, we were determined to provide another authentic writing experience for our whole school. This year the theme was Indigenous Australia. We planned an excursion for the first day of the Festival to provide some shared experiences that will provide a genuine purpose and prompt students’ writing. As with last year, our excursion day was full of excitement and enjoyed by all students. This year we began on Monday 12th May with a trip to Mount Buninyong where students climbed the tower in order to identify some of the natural landmarks they had seen as part of Bunjil the Eagle, an Indigenous Dreamtime story.
After a snack, the buses took everyone off to Sovereign Hill to explore the impact of European colonisation on Aboriginal people and participate in the ‘Now and Then’ education sessions.
From the next day, the writing, exploring, researching and creating began, across the curriculum. Slowly the classrooms, corridors and open areas began to fill with amazing examples of student work. Some students explored Dreamtime stories such as Tiddalik the Frog, How the Birds Got Their Colours, and The Rainbow Serpent. Younger students created recount writing and older students created their own Dreamtime stories from a Big Write and then later turned these into books. In STEAM (Science Technology, Engineering, Arts and Media), students created word clouds inside cut-outs of people, created LEGO Indigenous camps, used iPads and coding to create moving models and used Minecraft and stop motion videos to create visual stories and art works. In Art, students used native Australian animals and Indigenous symbols in their creations together with dot paintings. In Humanities, students researched the history and meaning behind the Indigenous and Torres Strait Island flags, as well as some well-known and famous Indigenous Australians.
Students and staff worked diligently throughout the week as the Celebration Day grew near. Work continued to appear on walls, windows and hanging from the roof. Thursday 25th May arrived and it was time to acknowledge all the hard work and effort that had turned our school into a gallery of Indigenous-inspired work.
At lunchtime we lit our fire and prepared for our afternoon. A meeting place rock took up residence in the student entrance. Students greeted family members and visitors and gathered in our assembly area in house groups. After an Acknowledgement of Country, led by two of our Year 6 students, house groups, with staff and special guests participated in a series of rotation activities including:
• making damper with cooking sticks over the fire,
• searching for Indigenous symbols as part of a scavenger hunt,
• placing painted handprints onto our meeting place rock
• taking part in a trivia quiz about Indigenous history and general knowledge.
What an amazing afternoon we had! We had an incredible turnout of parents, grandparents, and extended family. The place was buzzing with chatter as students took their visitors proudly around to show off all their different pieces of work.
The whole afternoon was a testament to the dedicated work by all our students as they explored the theme of Indigenous Australia.
It was great to be visited by our Koorie Engagement Support Officer, Rhianna Milliken and photographers from both the Ballarat Times and the Ballarat Courier. They were all blown away by the displays, the work and the excited atmosphere created by the activity of the afternoon as the culmination of 8 days of work. It was amazing to see so many people turn up to be part of the celebration and it was a tremendous effort on behalf of staff and students.
Congratulations everyone. We look forward to seeing what the theme may be for next year’s Napoleons Primary School Writers’ Festival.
2/06/2023
VCE Psychology
VCE Psychology
VCE Psychology well and truly underway - students chunking information to increase the capacity of the brain to recall and remember.
VCE English
VCE English
Daylesford College
Daylesford College
April 2023
VCE Students working collaboratively on the language features and structures of writing - gaining peer insight before independently working on their portfolios.
North Network Principals were also involved in some Learning Walks with a focus on best practice and observing the work of colleagues and students.
27/4/23
Trawalla Primary School
Trawalla Primary School
The early onset of some wintery weather does not stop the students from Trawalla getting out and thriving in their wonderful school grounds with a solid round of Frisby Golf.
May 2023
Pomonal Primary School
Pomonal Primary School
Nothing like exploring some Science and Engineering with a little hope that you might get to eat some Marshmallows on completion.
Students at Pomonal Primary School exploring design, technology and a little bit of Maths.
May 2023.
Pomonal Primary School
Pomonal Primary School
Emma Kealy (local MP) visited to deliver an Indigenous Flag and taught students about her role in government and how she got there.
The Horsham Police visited and highlighted all the roles police do and discussed how students need to be safe on roads.
May 2023.
Bacchus Marsh Primary School
Bacchus Marsh Primary School
Bacchus Marsh Primary School had a Smoking Ceremony with their Wurundjeri - Woi Wurrung Elder and BMPS parent Daniel Ross.
When Daniel handed a single leaf to one of our students the student curiously asked,
“What’s this for?”
Daniel replied,
“It’s a key to our country”.
9/03/23
Bush Tucker garden at Bacchus Marsh Primary School.
Song Makers Workshop
Song Makers Workshop
Beaufort Secondary College
Beaufort Secondary College
A number of Beaufort Secondary College students participated in the Song Makers workshop. It is run by APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society) and the group brings world class songwriters and producers into high schools to work with passionate music students. The 2 day workshop allowed the students to work on collaborative writing, demo’ing new songs, and learning about career pathways into the global industry.
The Beaufort Secondary students were able to work with three incredible musician mentors for the program. Elle Graham, better known as Woodes - is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. She has appeared at multiple festivals, including Splendour in the Grass, SXSW & Beyond the Valley. Ninajirachi, is an electronic DJ and producer and has remixed for Flight Facilities and toured with Mallrat, Charli XCX and Cashmere Cat. The third artist was Katie Wighton, who does the guitarist/vocals in ARIA-award winning band All Our Exes Live in Texas. She has toured the world supporting acts including The Backstreet Boys, Passenger & Midnight Oil in the US. This allowed the students to learn about career pathways into the global industry, from people currently involved and working in the field.
These musicians were able to take the students through a number of exercises to explore how to do collaborative song writing in a group and then mentored them through adding instruments and recording their group songs. The students played a range of instruments, from guitars and ukuleles, to piano and cello – they also provided the vocals for the tracks. The end result was three very impressive and original songs… as well as a lot of valuable learning.
1st and 2nd of March 2023
Yuille Park Community College
Yuille Park Community College
Instrumental Music in the Junior Years
Colour My Community Cafe
Puppy love
Working on developing characters when writing: Years 6-8
Principals from Central Highlands North Network spent time at Yuille Park with a focus on Inclusive Classrooms.
9/3/23
Daylesford Primary School
Daylesford Primary School
Daylesford has been super busy this term learning, singing, gardening, and hosting the Minister for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas. Student leaders accomanied the Minister on a tour of their school, highlihting the schools facilites, buidings and educational opportionites. Their wonderful and blooming Kitchen Garden impressed Minister and she left with 'dinner sorted' and a copy of their collaborative cookbook.
Daylesford Primary School Choir performed at the official opening of the 'Chillout Festival' where they turned the rainbow lights on and kicked off this years theme 'Find your Wings'. The whole school was also invited to plant trees at the local Grove of Gratitude. The Grove of Gratitude ( Grove of Gratitude - Chillout Festival) was inspired by the concept of the Avenue of Honour.
March 2023
Acting Principal, Trudi Blick finding her wings for Chillout Festival
Find your wings
School Choir at the official opening of Chillout Festival
Grove of Gratitude
Inverleigh Primary School
Inverleigh Primary School
Marlo visiting before school care for vet morning. He had a quick check up and plenty of pats.
Marlo enjoying listening to grade 1/2 students reading.
14/03/23
Mount Egerton Primary School
Mount Egerton Primary School
Egerton Cottage for emotional regulation (left) and school values (below). 10/03/23
Linton Primary School
Linton Primary School
New learning spaces at Linton Primary School.
10/03/23
Coimadai Primary School
Coimadai Primary School
Zones of Regulation - Individual Tracker
Ned the Therapy Dog
Can you see the school values written in this painting? Can you see Ned, the therapy dog, at the back?
10/03/23
2023 First Days of School
2023 First Days of School
It was wonderful to receive 'back to school' photos and see the smiles on students faces, all ready for a great year of learning and enriching experiences.
These photos showcase the many different experiences of first days throughout the Central Highlands Area; such as Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremonies, buddy reading and building friendship skills.
Thank you very much to the schools who sent through photos.
8/02/23
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