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Meet the Homegroup Teachers Evening
On Tuesday 26th November, we welcomed our new Year 7s for 2025 to our junior campuses to meet their new classes and teachers as part of the Meet the Home Group Teacher evening.
It was great to meet our incoming cohort of year 7s and their parents and to establish the important partnership between home and school that will support student learning at FHS. Our new students and parents were treated to a performance of live music from our school stage band before meeting the leadership team, including our Acting Executive Principal, Jill English.
The students and parents then met their 2025 homegroup teacher to go over what the rest of the student’s transition to high school will look like before touring the school. The next key transition event for our incoming year 7s is the Statewide Orientation Day to be held on Tuesday the 10th of December. We can’t wait to welcome our new students again and engage them in a fantastic day of learning and getting to know one another.
The intensive Year 10-12 course commencement has now concluded, marking an exciting and transformative period for our students. This phase provided an exceptional opportunity for students to transition into senior school, offering a deeper understanding of the senior campus environment and the expectations that come with it. Throughout the course, students engaged with more challenging academic material, gained valuable insight into their future subjects, and adapted to the increased independence that senior school life demands. It was an invaluable time for students to familiarise themselves with new routines, refine their work habits, and explore the various resources available, all of which will support them as they progress through their educational journey.
In addition, we were pleased to welcome our Year 9 students from the junior campuses to the Kinnear campus. They participated in an intensive one-week course commencement program designed to help them seamlessly transition into the senior school environment. It was wonderful to see students embrace their new surroundings, interact with their peers, and begin to experience what senior school life is all about. We are excited to watch them continue to grow, develop, and thrive as they embark on this next chapter of their academic journey.
As the term break approaches, students have been given homework to complete, ensuring they stay engaged with their studies, consolidate their learning, and remain on track for the challenges ahead.
Year 7 Community STEAM students are preparing for their Celebration Day which is on Wednesday 4th December during periods 3 & 4 in the DATS Building at Barkly Campus. Celebration Day will bring together the three themes of Social Justice, Sustainability and Wellbeing in an exhibition of student projects. Students will share the highs and lows of their hard work and reflections on their collaborations with one another and the community. It is an exciting and colourful event!
Parents are invited to join us at the Celebration Day exhibition and walk through any time between 11:15 am and 12:30 pm. Please record your intention to attend via Eventbrite and sign in at the front office when arriving.
Below is a photo of one group of students working on a mural celebrating LGBTQIA+ students on the wall of the SAGA (Sexuality and Gender Alliance) meeting space at the Pilgrim campus. One of many creative projects that require careful planning and multidisciplinary skill sets that students have chosen to pursue.
Footscray High School is thrilled to announce that tickets are now ON SALE for our enchanting Junior production of Wizard of Oz!
Join Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion on their unforgettable journey down the yellow brick road. This family-friendly musical is bursting with heart, courage, and a whole lot of magic!
Location: Footscray High School Kinnear Campus TheatreSecure your seats today! Click the link below to book tickets and be part of this incredible adventure:Don’t wait—tickets are sure to fly away faster than a Kansas twister! Follow the rainbow to Oz – we’ll see you there!
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1320491
Last Wednesday, November 20th, Year 10 and 11 students gathered in the Theatre for the ‘Dreams’ Media Showcase! This semester, our extremely talented Year 11 Media students were challenged to create a media product inspired by the prompt of ‘Dreams’. Students created products in varying forms, including short films, animations, music videos and photo series!
Additionally, some Year 10 suspenseful media products from Semester 2’s cohort were selected to be screened alongside the Year 11’s work. It was an amazing opportunity to celebrate the creative talent we have seen in Media across 2024. Well done to all the students who either had their work shown or who came along to support the Media students.
Additionally, if you would like to support the 2024 Year 12 Media students, please come along to the FHS Annual Film Festival (FAFF)! 2024 will see the third year of #FAFF and we are beyond excited to celebrate the hard work and dedication of two very talented Year 12 Media classes.
We will also take a glimpse at some of the work of the Year 11 students. The evening has been curated to include the works from varying styles and genres including short film, animation, photography and graphic novels. As we have had the privilege to see our Media classes grow over the past few years, we have moved FAFF to a bigger venue! FAFF will be hosted on Tuesday, December 10th, from 6:30pm – 10:00pm at ACMI. To purchase your ticket, please visit CompassTix.
Congrats again to all the senior Media students!
Meg, Angella and Malcolm (The Senior Media Team at FHS)
Time to borrow your Summer Holiday Reading!
The end of year is fast approaching, so next week is the time to borrow library books for the summer break! Due to annual stocktaking, our three campus libraries will be closed for the last two weeks of the year, so be sure to pop in before next Friday the 6th December to avoid disappointment! Books borrowed this week will be due back after the holidays in 2025.
You can also renew most general library books yourself if you haven’t finished reading them. Just follow these instructions to renew your books, or contact a librarian for assistance. Books can only be self-renewed twice without assistance from a librarian.
We’re also excited to remind you about our FHS Wheelers ePlatform digital library, which offers free access to eBooks and audiobooks all year long, including during the holidays!There’s no need to worry about library hours or returning books – students can check out titles whenever and wherever they choose. With thousands of options, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! Students can access the ePlatform on their school chromebooks with the link above, or to access on your phone, ipad, or any other device, follow the instructions below. You can contact a school librarian during school hours if you need help with access.
How to Get Started:
2025 Junior Booklists released soon…
The 2025 Booklists for years 7, 8 and 9 students will become available online from the JP BOOKS website on Monday 2nd December.
Before placing any orders, please read through the instructions carefully, and make sure you have had confirmation about which subjects you will be in next year. The government is also offering a $400 School Saving Bonus for each student, to help families pay for booklisted textbooks. Families should have recently received an email from the Department of Education with more information about how to use this bonus.
For any questions about Booklists or orders, please contact our friendly booklist suppliers at JP Books.
From the FHS Library team
Despite the immediacy of digital text exchange, a card or letter swap, can have many benefits including strengthening relationships between language students on other sides of the Pacific Ocean.
This term, year 8 and 9 Japanese students at Pilgrim and Barkly campuses have penned their New Year’s and Christmas greetings in Japanese. This activity is part of an active reciprocal exchange program, between Footscray High School and Reitaku Mizunami High School students in Gifu, Japan. It builds on the tradition of previous letter exchanges between the two schools.
The relationship was further cemented by a recent field trip by two teachers from Japan who spent the day at all three campuses with a view to bringing Reitaku Mizunami High School students to FHS on a Study Tour in August 2025. The teachers joined the Year 7’s Food Technology class at Barkly; were taken on a tour by Year 8 Japanese students around the Pilgrim campus and joined the VCE Japanese class. Their visit brought smiles to the faces of some of the Year 11 students who recently visited Reitaku Mizunami High School in Japan in the Term 3 holidays as part of a 12 day Study Tour.
Louise Prentice, Japanese teacher.
We’d love to recognise and congratulate the successful recipients of our Small Grants Program 2024. This year, 4 grants of up to $2000 were awarded by the group, and we expect our students to be benefiting from these for years to come!
Barkly campus
Pilgrim campus
Kinnear campus
The Small Grants Program is open to all FHS community members to apply for, and we were pleased to receive in excess of a dozen applications this year (across all three campuses). We’re looking forward to announcing next years winners at the second EatWell banquet.
Also, a big thanks to everyone who supported our fundraising by purchasing a Scouts Raffle ticket – we sold over 1500 tickets!
FoFHS has gone hybrid. If you can’t attend our meetings in person, please join us online via the link in the Agenda which is posted on compass a few days before we meet.
FoFHS parent volunteers run the canteen at school productions, all money raised funds the Small Grants program. Canteen duty is a great way to meet other parents and support the school. If you have an RSA or want to get one and can volunteer in the canteen for FOFHS we want you and will pay for your RSA training. Send us an email at friendsoffootscrayhighschool@gmail.com
We are excited to share the outstanding Community Engagement Projects, organised by our Year 12 VCE Vocational Major Cohort this year, which ran during the final four weeks of Term 3. As part of their studies, these Projects were aimed to respond to a variety of community issues, identified by the students.
1. Eatwell Community Banquet (September 12)
Our Year 12 students played a vital role in the Eatwell Community Banquet, overseen by our Eatwell Program, the Friends of Footscray High School parents and community group, and the VCE Vocational Major faculty.
In particular, Etienne, Grace and Ryder are to be commended for their work in planning and developing the event (including the seating, bar menu, and cuisine ideas). They were also instrumental in engaging local businesses and organisations in the community, resulting in the event receiving two $1,000 sponsorships – from Community Bank Seddon and Yarraville-Footscray Bowling Club, respectively. They also assisted in organising Raffle Donations for the event from Eye & I Optometrist, BFT Footscray, and the Footscray Traders Association (on behalf of Far Fetched Designs, Bar Josephine and Pie Thief).
Further, the Year 9 Eatwell program participants, with invaluable guidancefrom Year 10 students (Seniani, Molly and Sophie) and Year 12 VCE VM students (Lani, Lucy and Hadiya) were outstanding in managing the cooking and service of the delicious food for the dinner, overseen by Eatwell manager Jenny Nguyen.
This event was a wonderful opportunity to bring together our broader school community, and celebrate the achievements of the four recipients of the Friends of Footscray High School Small Grants Program, highlighting our collective commitment to community support and engagement.
2. Wellbeing Dance Lunchtime Event (September 11)
In addition to helping with the Eatwell Banquet, Hadiya organized a Wellbeing Dance session at the Kinnear Campus, facilitated by L2R Dance. This engaging event was designed to support students in Years 10-12 as they navigated the pressures of upcoming exams, promoting a positive and healthy mindset. Feedback from participating students indicated that they greatly enjoyed the event, and found it a very welcome break from their studies.
3. Footscray High Greatest Shave (September 13)In a remarkable display of solidarity, Callum (along with helping support other events). coordinated the Footscray High Greatest Shave event, allowing fellow students and staff to shave or colour their hair in support of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF). This fun and impactful fundraising effort brought our community together for a worthy cause, and Callum was able to raise over $1,000 for ACRF! Sunny (in Year 11 VCE VM) is also to be commended for their excellent photos taken on the event, and during the Eatwell Banquet.
4. Mental Health BBQs (August 26-30)Five of our students, Paige, Noah, Corey, Josh and Matt (with assistance from a dedicated Education Support staff member, Rae) organized a series of BBQs across our three campuses. These lunchtime and recess events not only brought our school community together but also raised funds for the Black Dog Institute, supporting vital mental health initiatives. Collectively, they were able to raise over $630!
5. Brownie Stalls (September 3-5)Three enthusiastic students, Danyal, Montel and Steven, spearheaded after-school and lunchtime brownie sales at our Barkly and Pilgrim campuses. Proceeds from these delicious treats went to Melbourne City Mission, helping to support individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Also, a massive shout out to one of our staff members, Nikki, who supervised the students’ during their brownie making prior to the event.
6. FoodBank Food Drive (26 August – 22 September)
Three of our students – Lani, Lucy and Melia, advertised and oversaw a four-week Food Drive across all three campuses, collecting a variety of much needed supplies to be donated to FoodBank, in order to support those in need in our community. The students’ manage to collect an exceptional amount of donations, and are to be commended for their endeavour.
Other Projects/Initiatives
We are incredibly proud of our Year 12 VCE Vocational Major students for their initiative and dedication to making a positive impact in our community. Their hard work and passion for service exemplify the values of Footscray High School.
Thank you for your continued support in fostering a vibrant and engaged school community.
VET Furniture Making trainer Alex Dobric congratulates Year 12 students Orla and Ariella on the completion of their tables. Alex is sadly leaving Footscray High after 7 years as a VET trainer. Thank you, Alex, for your wonderful work.
Junior Art
Year 8 and 9 Art students from the Pilgrim and Barkly campuses had the recent privilege to attend the retrospective exhibition by Footscray raised, indigenous artist Reko Rennie.
Students participated in a gallery scavenger hunt, responding to incredible Australian artworks including the contemporary works by Reko Rennie and traditional paintings and sculptures from the NGV’s permanent collection.
Reko Rennie’s Contemporary, urban Indigenous art allowed Footscray High School Junior art students to explore large scale video works, sculptures, light installations, paintings and sound works that linked directly to the artists’ experience being both an Indigenous artist and a Footscray local. There was much about this exhibition that students from/Footscray could relate directly to, and the lively, engaging and exciting artworks created a stimulating, challenging and fun Contemporary Art experience our students won’t forget!
Students are creating a number of their own Contemporary artworks in practical art classes that respond directly to the artwork by Reko Rennie, using created personal symbols to explore their own identity.
Beth Cleary (Junior Art teacher, Barkly campus)
Former Students’ Artistic Showcase
The art department is thrilled to share that Amelia Hull, a proud graduate of Footscray High School in 2023, recently showcased their work in an art exhibition in collaboration with the Australian Matildas and Socceroos soccer teams.
Her installation piece, featuring a crocheted soccer net with flowers and handmade medals, celebrated femininity in sports and served as the entryway artwork for the whole exhibition. Amelia is thriving at LCI Melbourne Design School, continuing her journey of creativity and passion. Her participation in this exhibition is a testament to her hard work and artistic growth, and we couldn’t be more proud of her accomplishments.
Congratulations Amelia, we look forward to seeing where your talent takes you next!
Year 7s ACMI Excursion
All year 7’s attended ACMI last week to learn about game design, coding and the history of game-making in Melbourne.
Students explored internationally acclaimed video game created by Melbourne studio House House. The exhibition include behind-the-scenes look at game development and elements of design and storytelling in video games. Students were allowed to explore the history of moving images, evolution of film and television, contemporary digital technology and Australian film history.
Two music performances occurred this week at Barkly Campus. On Monday, November 25, a remnant of the String Ensemble performed for a small but appreciative audience. Numbers on stage were affected by the Great Vic Bike Ride, illness and other commitments, but the faithful remnant persevered to demonstrate their progress with a large number of arrangements covering a large time period and many styles of music.
The next day, Tuesday, November 26, the 2025 Barkly year 7 students and their parents were entertained by the first ever performance of the recently formed Community Band. Led by one of our Instrumental Music Teachers, Mark Gusman, the band pumped out some classic songs from the ‘70s and ‘80s and brought together Barkly and Pilgrim Campus students on a variety of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments along with guitar and bass. There was even some choreography going on in the back with the auxiliary percussionists. Earlier, there was a showcase of some of our guitar and bass players with some very competent solo work.
For the second year in a row, FHS entered the largest contingent of riders from a single school to take on the challenge of the Great Victorian Bike Ride. Reflective of the focus we have on active transport as a school, the FHS peloton rode a gruelling 5 days through North Eastern Victoria covering a distance of 311 kms. The students, parents and teachers camped along the way in places such as Myrtleford, Wangaratta and Mansfield.
We thank the teachers and parents involved for the effort in organising the trip and guiding all of the students safely through the course. Unfortunately, 2024 is the last year of this classic Victorian event.
We are excited to announce some fantastic community news!
One of our very own FHS students of Year 9, Hector, has just recently been selected into the prestigious Victorian State Basketball Development Program (SDP).
This initiative scours the state to uncover the most promising young talents and offers them tailored training and coaching at an elite junior level.
We are so proud of his hard-work and effort in being selected for the Victorian Metro sector in the under 16 age division.
Congratulations to Hector and we wish him all our best for the 2024/2025 season!
On Monday the 2nd of December all FHS staff will gather at our Kinnear Campus for a day of professional learning and collaboration. Teachers, Education Support Staff and School Leadership will start the day by looking back at the highlights for FHS over the last 4 years before engaging in a whole school self-evaluation of how we feel we have progressed against core outcomes and elements of the school: Learning, Wellbeing, Leadership, Teaching and Learning, Assessment, Engagement, and Resources and Support.
Staff will also be asked to provide evidence to support this self-evaluation. The purpose of this process is to gather a wide range of staff perspectives and supporting evidence to inform our school self-evaluation, or as it is known in edu-jargon; Pre-Review-Self-Evaluation (PRSE). This forms part of a 4 year strategic review that will inform the core work of FHS over the next four years. There will be opportunities for parents and students to participate in this review that is scheduled for term 2 next year.
Staff will also engage in a presentation on the Education Department’s Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools Policy which sets out how Ai can be used to support teaching and learning in a way that is safe and appropriate. For more information on the department’s policy, click here. After lunch, staff will meet in learning area teams to reflect on this year’s teaching and learning programs before curriculum planning for 2025. We look forward to an energising and collaborative day of professional learning. A reminder that this will be a student-free day.
Career Start is a structured program for graduate teachers which aims to improve the experience of graduate teachers as they are inducted into the profession. It provides time release, mentoring, professional development opportunities and a range of additional supports to graduate teachers and their mentors to accelerate the development of graduate teachers’ professional practice and support their wellbeing.
In 2024 Footscray High School had three graduate staff – Sean, Japleen, and Gloria – and two mentors – Amy and Prue – in the Career Start program. The program allows for weekly structured coaching time between mentor and mentee, great professional development opportunities graduate meetups where they can build network links and grow as teachers. On Tuesday 19th November, our graduates and mentors attended the Moonee Valley Racecourse for the final Career Start professional development session and celebration.
Congratulations to our graduate teachers who took part, and we look forward to supporting a new crop of graduate teachers in 2025 through this innovative program.