PRESHIL WEEKLY
To our wonderful Preshil community, welcome to another edition of the Preshil Weekly!
Thank you for your patience as we took a short pause over the past fortnight. We’re now back and ready to roll as usual for the rest of the year!
Over the past two weeks, the first of our cohort camps for 2025 occurred. The Peppercorns recently explored Sovereign Hill, immersing themselves in its experiential history, while our Middle School students spent time on the Mornington Peninsula, connecting with nature and each other.
At Preshil, we are intentional about providing rich experiences beyond the classroom. As you may know, our cohort camps run from Years 2 and 3 all the way through to the much-anticipated Year 9 Central Australia trip. In the Senior School, we also offer a variety of optional study tours each year. In 2025, these include a New Zealand Ski Camp and a potential Tasmania Arts and Humanities Study Tour, running from June 23–27. The latter presents a unique opportunity for students to immerse themselves in Tasmania’s rich cultural, artistic, and historical landscapes.
These experiences are invaluable in fostering the deep sense of connection we aspire to as a radically human and connected place of learning. Being in a new environment exposed to different ideas and ways of thinking, strengthens these connections. Time away from home, surrounded by peers, also provides an opportunity to develop the trust and inclusivity that define our school culture.
Put simply, these trips are a lot of fun, and they will remain in the highlight reel of our young people’s memories for many years to come!
I hope you enjoy reading more about these and the other wonderful experiences we’ve shared together as a community of learners over the past fortnight.
Warm regards,
Aaron Mackinnon
Principal
P.S. If you get the chance to pick up The Age this weekend, you’ll find a feature on Preshil’s unique approach to nurturing creativity within learning. Take a look!
THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Year 7/8 Camp
We’ve had an incredible few days, filled with exciting activities like high ropes at Enchanted Adventures, surfing lessons at Point Leo, hiking along the coast, swimming at Peninsula Outdoors, and tackling the crate-stacking challenge. A real highlight was our visit to the Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association in Hastings, where our students had the privilege of learning from local Elders. They represented themselves beautifully—showing deep respect, curiosity, and engagement throughout the session.
A special shout to Michelle Berner and David Coulter who supported me (Lewis) on this camp. Michelle even wrote and performed a song all about our experiences on the camp. How amazing!!! Also a shout out to Alice and Rhi from Infuse Travel who were our camp leaders and game facilitator extraordinaire’s.
Yakult Factory Excursion
On Friday 28th February, Jay and Michelle took the Y12 Business Management, Y11 Biology, and Y9 Peace Café students to the Yakult factory in Dandenong South, where they learned about mass production, healthy gut bacteria, and product marketing. With the experience covering everything from the factory floor to the shop floor, the students asked insightful questions about sustainability and HR, as well as sampling some of the Yakult products and even interacting with some live bacteria cultures. Several of the students said they would be back for another tour, including the Yakult lab technician experience (free to anyone interested), or even to work there one day!
Kindergarten and Feelings
The kindergarten children have been exploring feelings and emotions and the kind alternatives we can choose to express how we feel and calm down. We are linking this theme with the primary colours theme as children recognise the emotions that they feel, verbalise them and normalise their feelings.
Alongside this, the children in the kindergarten and OSHC program are participating in sensory explorations where they can connect with their peers and engage all their senses to explore and pay attention to the world and their feelings.
CUA20220 Certificate II in Creative Industries
We are delighted to be offering the CUA20220 Certificate II in Creative Industries, providing students with hands-on experience in design, digital media, communication, and business. This qualification allows students to explore various creative fields while developing teamwork, problem-solving, and industry knowledge. Whether you’re interested in visual arts, or digital design, this course is a perfect first step into the creative industries.
Year 7-10 Global Politics Elective
A few weeks ago the Year 7-10 Global Politics elective students participated in an exciting crisis simulation, managing an international response to imaginary major earthquakes in Greece and Turkey. Students took on roles ranging from affected governments to international organisations like the UN and NATO, learning firsthand about the challenges of coordinating humanitarian aid and the importance of international cooperation.
Sushi Wednesday
We are proud to announce that Sushi Wednesday is back! This student-led social enterprise packs and delivers delicious sushi, generously provided by our business partners, Sushi Bros. We also offer a selection of kiosk items for sale at the senior school. All proceeds support the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC).
A huge thank you to everyone who purchased sushi. Your support makes a real difference! We look forward to serving you again next week.
Parenting Seminar: Understanding teens. Empowering families
Natalie Kisilevich, Student Wellbeing Leader, will be facilitating an interactive and educational session to provide families with an insight into mental health and wellbeing in adolescence, and skills and strategies for supportive conversations with their young person.
Date: Tuesday 25th March, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Registration required here: https://forms.gle/LUzWh3L6buprfdd5A
Audience: current and prospective Preshil families
Preshil Careers Hub
Discover everything you need to make a successful transition through high school and into the ‘real world’. Sign up to receive our Pathways & Careers Newsletters, access the latest guides on life and money management, work experience opportunities, and parent resources. You can also connect with the Careers and Pathways Team for personalised support. Click the link below for more information on Preshil’s Careers Hub.
THE WEEK AHEAD
- Public Holiday
- No special events
- 9:15am – 10:15am: Open Morning – Blackhall Campus
- Naplan Testing Window
- Naplan Testing Window
- Naplan Testing Window
