Senior School

The nature of school is different depending on the perspective of those involved.

For students, the 13 years they are required to commit to their education seem like a lifetime, and in their reality, it is! The experience of students is wildly different with each successive year, and of course, for each and every individual student. Early challenges range from learning to read, shaping strokes of a pencil into clear and legible letters that then become flowing sentences, as well as mastering the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, whilst artistic and physical skills are carefully nurtured. Transition to Middle School sees new challenges. Students are now required to demonstrate understanding of prose when they write, to ensure mathematical skills can be transposed to analytical scenarios for the first time, and they are introduced to the wonders of Science, The Arts and the Humanities by specialist teachers whose love for their subject areas is enthusiastically transferred to their students. Then along comes the new experiences of the Senior School. A transition to the emotional wildfire of early teens, most notably in Year Nine, and then progressing to the world of constant assessment, Outcomes, SACs and ultimately VCE examinations. It is these transition points that are critical in the development of any student. New experiences for some students bring excitement and determination. Yet for others, a sense of nervousness and anxiety can set in that becomes difficult to shift as these new challenges morph into seemingly unassailable mountains.

For parents, the 13 years of schooling begin with a sense of worry and nervousness on the first day of Prep – worry about how the first day of their young child will go without their caring presence. These feelings quickly change as the child gets older and settles into the rhythm and routine that schools provide. Parents, in reality, are often on the outside looking in when it comes to their child’s education. A 13-year time period is an enormous commitment in time, energy and funding and must be taken seriously. Parental involvement in a child’s development is critical if a child is to avoid the anxiety that some students will inevitably face at various times in their educational journey. Early on, reading to and with your child is incredibly important in fostering a love of reading, an essential skill that cannot be underestimated in its importance during a child’s early development. Taking an interest in your child’s subjects – Mathematics, Science, History, Creative Arts – what they are learning in the classroom, asking questions about what they learn and how they learned things in the classroom demonstrates to your child your keen interest in their education. Engagement with teaching staff when issues arise, or to assist in preventing issues arising, is also very important. Teachers want to work with parents to ensure positive outcomes for every student. It’s important that parents work with their child’s teachers in a collaborative manner – understanding what your child needs. How a parent can assist in the home is the perfect way to engage with a child’s teachers. The nature of parental involvement may change over the 13 years of their educational journey, but such involvement in a supportive and collaborative manner can never be underestimated in terms of its importance.

For teachers, the nature of schooling is transitory. For us, an academic year is not a lifetime, more a single event in a series of events to which we commit enormous amounts of time and effort to ensure a young person grows and develops – not just intellectually, but emotionally, physically and spiritually. We hope to see gradual changes in the outlook and development of all of our students as they mature and gain a true sense of the world around them. For teachers, our lives are compartmentalised into four terms of 9 or 10 weeks where we work away, pondering how we will face the challenges of future classes and generations, but nevertheless determined to provide a positive learning experience for our students. A new academic year brings energy and vitality as well as new challenges. Those challenges may be a year level we are yet to teach, a new subject to deliver, or more intricately, a modified Study Design to unpack with nervous new Year 12 students. The holiday periods for teachers, often maligned in the media, are not just a treat, but a necessity. The vast majority of teachers spend much of their holidays either marking assessments or preparing for their teaching for the following term or year. These periods of time are critical for teachers, if only to get the time to reflect on past terms and address issues that may have arisen, but also to celebrate successes and to recharge so that they can be the best educators they can be in the following year. Without these holidays, the teaching workforce would become a zombified workforce very quickly. Teaching is a profession that brings with it countless challenges. We are no longer simply educators, but counsellors, careers advisors and nurses among other things, desperately trying to support our students as well as we can, often dealing with students with increasingly complex needs.

In the educational sector, it is often the case that our busy lives prevent us from examining the perspective of other key stakeholders objectively. It can be difficult for us to see other people’s viewpoints at times. I hope that we can all take the time to experience the joy of seeing things through a different lens and learning from the perspectives of others as we move to 2026, as this can only result in the best possible outcome for all of the students in our care here at Newhaven College.

Brett Torstonson

Head of Senior School

Peak Pursuit Preparation in Full Swing

Year 9 students are finalising their Peak Pursuit meal planning assessments in class this week. This task ensures they are ready to complete their shopping and meal preparation before heading out on their Peak Pursuit journeys in early December. Students have been working hard to plan nutritious, practical, and lightweight meals suitable for their selected adventures.

Over the coming weeks, students will be working in their camp groups, developing essential expedition skills such as navigation, camp routines, and teamwork. These sessions are designed to build the confidence and capability needed for a successful and enjoyable Peak Pursuit experience.

Exams are also rapidly approaching. It is recommended that students spend at least 15 minutes per subject each evening revising key concepts and practising past skills.

English: Thursday 21 November
Maths and Science: Monday 24 November

Details for our Year 9 Celebration Evening will be shared soon via SEQTA. This event will take place on the students’ return from Peak Pursuit at the Year 9 Centre and will be an opportunity to reflect on the year, celebrate achievements, and share stories from their journeys.

These final weeks of Term 4 are a great opportunity for students to demonstrate their growth, independence, and readiness for the exciting challenges ahead.

Sam Foura

Head of Year 9

Year 9 Horizons Project

The Horizons Project is designed to help students explore their own interests and develop their skills in areas they would like to, in an encouraged, safe and supported way.  

The entire project is a Self-Directed Learning Project, which means that they decide what they want to do, when they do it and how they do it. Everything that they do is planned, reflected upon and presented in a Production Design Portfolio that they create.

The artworks created this year are quite exceptional, and we encourage anyone visiting Year 9 to take a look.

Simon Furniss

Year 9 Teacher

Year 9 Woodwork

Our Year 9 Woodwork students have done a fantastic job this term creating their very own wooden pencil boxes! This project focused on traditional wood joinery skills, with each student carefully crafting housing joints to form the box. They then designed and produced a sliding acrylic lid, adding a personalised design to make their product unique. Students used a wide range of hand and power tools, learning the importance of precision, patience, and safety in the workshop. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow as they developed their craftsmanship and problem-solving skills. The final products look amazing — each one reflecting the creativity and individuality of its maker. A big congratulations to our talented Year 9s for their effort, teamwork, and pride in producing such high-quality results!

Carel Fourie

Senior School Teacher

Year 9 Careers

Our Year 9 students explored various career pathways by engaging in conversation with a wide variety of professionals. Students were curious and asked questions in a small group setting to learn more about a range of industries, pathways and occupations. The event was facilitated by the Local learning and Employment Network, and we thank them for bringing this event together for Newhaven College students.

An enormous thank you to our various guests for sharing insights with our young people about the world of work.

Adam Mitchell – Structural Engineer, AM-A

Alice Anderson – Communications Bass Coast Shire Council

Ayden Walker – Strategic Finance Project Lead, Westernport Water

Dan Courtney – Director, MDC Building Group

Daniel Baker – Director of Allied Health, Bass Coast Health

Ethan Lewis – Remote Pilot – Worker Bee Drones

Greg Baud – Asset Manager, Watersure

Jason Crestani – Inspired Honey Psychology

Jerrie Liberati – GippsSport

Jes Sago – Remote Pilot, Worker Bee Drones

Kaye Courtney – Bass River Dairies

Kirsty Harris – Process Manager, Watersure

Laura A’Bell – Marketing – Bass Coast Shire Council

Megan Krause – Victoria Police

Nick Carlson – Victoria Police

Rosie Zimmer – Management Accountant – Phillip Island Nature Parks

Ryan – Student Ambassador Country Universities Centre

Steve Lester – Jos and Skills Centre, TAFE Gippsland

Vivian Morris – Research Officer, Phillip Island Nature Parks

Anthea Bennett

Head of Careers