Brentwood Secondary College

Last Friday’s Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority VCE Leadership Awards celebrated 8 VCE and VCE Vocational Major students for their important work and exceptional leadership in their schools and communities! 👏🎉 We caught up with finalist Raghad Yousif from Brentwood Secondary College to chat about what makes Year 12 so special, the qualities of a great leader and her future plans. 🌟What is your favourite part of Year 12 and why? Definitely the connections! Because it’s the last year, people tend to be more open…and I made a lot of new friends and saw different sides to people…which is really incredible… It’s also rewarding to finally complete high school and enter a new chapter, where you focus on what YOU want to do and know your life is truly about to start. 🌟What does leadership mean to you? The inclusion of others. Many people working towards the same goal – to improve the lives of those around them and bring people joy. Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room or the most experienced, but about seeing people beyond who they are on the outside... A true leader is one [whom] people can honestly approach, without any worry. 🌟What do you hope to being doing next year, and in 5 years’ time? I look forward to finishing school and pursuing further education. I see myself working and volunteering... I will be getting involved in my community as much as possible... In 5 years’ time, I look forward to graduating from my course and starting my career, [where] I will use my increased knowledge and wisdom to provide more opportunities for people, and continue helping out those who need it most. Stay tuned for more finalist Q&As throughout the week! #VCELeadershipAwards #FutureLeaders #VCAA #VictorianSchools Photo by Nicole Cleary, courtesy of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

Last Friday’s Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority VCE Leadership Awards celebrated 8 VCE and VCE Vocational Major students for their important work and exceptional leadership in their schools and communities! 👏🎉 We caught up with finalist Raghad Yousif from Brentwood Secondary College to chat about what makes Year 12 so special, the qualities of a great leader and her future plans. 🌟What is your favourite part of Year 12 and why? Definitely the connections! Because it’s the last year, people tend to be more open…and I made a lot of new friends and saw different sides to people…which is really incredible… It’s also rewarding to finally complete high school and enter a new chapter, where you focus on what YOU want to do and know your life is truly about to start. 🌟What does leadership mean to you? The inclusion of others. Many people working towards the same goal – to improve the lives of those around them and bring people joy. Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room or the most experienced, but about seeing people beyond who they are on the outside... A true leader is one [whom] people can honestly approach, without any worry. 🌟What do you hope to being doing next year, and in 5 years’ time? I look forward to finishing school and pursuing further education. I see myself working and volunteering... I will be getting involved in my community as much as possible... In 5 years’ time, I look forward to graduating from my course and starting my career, [where] I will use my increased knowledge and wisdom to provide more opportunities for people, and continue helping out those who need it most. Stay tuned for more finalist Q&As throughout the week! #VCELeadershipAwards #FutureLeaders #VCAA #VictorianSchools Photo by Nicole Cleary, courtesy of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

Last week the Brentwood Secondary College principal team attended the two day Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals (VASSP) conference. It was a great networking and professional development event featuring an incredible lineup of speakers organised by Colin Axup and his team! Thanks for having us!

Yesterday, six of our Brentwood Secondary College students and I, had the esteemed honor of attending the exclusive commemoration event for Sir John Monash, held at the Legislative Assembly Chamber at the Parliament of Victoria. Brentwood was one of 10 schools from around Melbourne who were invited to this event by The Spirit of Australia Foundation.   The event featured distinguished guests and speakers, including Professor Major General Jeffrey V Rosenfeld, Mr Nick Staikos MP (Parliamentary Secretary for Jacinta Allan), John Pesutto, Brighid Sammon and Colonel Daniel Strack CSC. Diary excerpts were read from the 1916 ANZAC Day, by SGT Hugo Fowles, and we witnessed the laying of wreaths, followed by a solemn "Last Post" and a minute of silence. We heard about the life of Sir John Monash as a scholar, an engineer, an exceptional leader in times of war as well as his huge contribution in being a key "nation builder".    Our students acknowledged Sir John Monash's immense legacy and expressed their gratitude at being invited to such an event. Their exemplary behavior at the event resulted in Brentwood Secondary College being invited to a follow-up Leadership event later in the year!   Thank you to all the students who attended!

Another fantastic achievement from the Brentwood Secondary College Green Team! Brentwood has been shortlisted in this year’s Tiny Towns & Cities Sustainability Awards organized by Keep Australia Beautiful. Our Premier’s Awards winning campaign, ‘Towards Zer0 Bremissions’ is shortlisted under ‘Behavioural Change Campaigns & Education’ and ‘Young Legend’ categories. Winners will be announced in October. For more of our Green Team's work, go to https://lnkd.in/gi7CKfaM #TinyTownsAndCities #KABV2023Awards #CommunityPride #SustainabilityMatters https://lnkd.in/gVr_DjZb https://lnkd.in/eidMr2gt https://lnkd.in/gw6d23Ss https://lnkd.in/gR4-4fd

Congratulations to the Brentwood Secondary College Green Team captain, Katie, on being selected for this year's Earthwatch Institute Australia Student Challenge.  This includes a fully-funded George Alexander Foundation (GAF) Scholarship and a place on the Earthwatch Student Challenge Team for the Ecosystems of the Murray River and Mallee expedition at Calperum Station, South Australia, 27 September – 3 October. The George Alexander Foundation fellowship covers the cost of expedition participation as well as travel to and from the research site, all food, accommodation and insurance.   Congratulations, Katie! We are proud of your achievement. #earthwatchaustralia #studentchallengeaustralia

Today, a number of our Year 9-12 Brentwood Secondary College students participated in an exciting and fast-paced networking event Career LaunchPad- Clean Energy, organised by Monash Tech School, that connected them with academics and industry professionals focused on the clean economy. The event kicked off with an inspiring welcoming address by Dr. Susie Ho, Monash University’s delegate at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Students had worked in small groups to develop their own set of questions for the professionals they would meet. They then engaged in fifteen 5 minute interviews with these experts, gaining valuable insights into various occupations and pathways driving the clean economy. Key faculties from Monash University, along with leading organizations in clean energy, were well-represented, providing students with an excellent opportunity to start building their professional networks. They also had the chance to meet with course advisors and discover entry-level opportunities in sectors contributing to a sustainable future.    Overall, a fantastic day for our students who thoroughly enjoyed the day and seemed to have made the most of their opportunities.

HIRING- We are looking for motivated and dedicated teachers to join our team in 2024. Please contact the school for more details. brentwood.sc@education.vic.gov.au 8545 0300