Preshil Weekly – Term 4 Week 9

Announcing the cast list for Preshil’s 2026 Production of “Hadestown”!
Congratulations to everyone who put up their hand to audition. Auditions are hard! And especially a huge congratulations for this year’s cast! Unfortunately, due to the large number of auditionees, quite a few people didn’t get into the cast this time. We are so lucky to have so many Theatre nerds at Preshil. This show may just be the best production Preshil has ever done.

U/S means Understudy, and these are our Understudies:

Orpheus – Hunter R

Euridice – Sammy R

Hermes – Archie V

Persephone – Rafi A

Hades – Hamish W

Fate – Mia S

Auditions for Hadestown
This week, we held auditions for our 2026 Production of “Hadestown”, which will be staged in the Chapel Off Chapel church in July. 

Over 30 students from Blackhall auditioned and they were some of the best our school has ever seen. Congratulations to all who auditioned – we are so proud!

The Arlington Theatre Company presents The Blue Ember
This term, the children formed their own theatre company, collaboratively writing, editing and refining an original script — no small task with nine creative minds working together at once. Through this process, they united their many ideas and characters into a single performance, The Blue Ember, a quest to stop a villain from freezing the magical beings of an enchanted forest. The children have also created costumes and small props, continuing to adapt the script with pencil edits as they rehearse and discover what needs adjusting.

Join us for the performance on Tuesday the 9th of December at 2:40pm. We look forward to sharing their imaginative work with you.

Box Wars
This week Aaron and Hayley led this popular activity of creativity and hands on learning by presenting;

Preshil’s anonymous BOX WARS Bard:

The ravaging swords 

Of the cardboard born

Three mighty kingdoms

In a legendary standoff

The Vigorous Vikings

Wild and striking

The Disciples of H

Agile and nimble

And the Guzman y Romans

The walking fortress 

DP Biology Excursion to Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary
Last Friday, our DP Biology and Chemistry students spent the day exploring the remarkable intertidal environment at Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary. This coastal reserve, rich in biodiversity and deeply significant to the Bunurong people, offered an ideal outdoor classroom to investigate the chemical and biological processes shaping marine ecosystems.

Students examined how abiotic factors such as wave exposure, desiccation, and substrate type influence species distribution across the shoreline. Biology students applied their fieldwork skills by selecting two local species, collecting presence–absence data, and constructing contingency tables for a Chi-squared test; an authentic opportunity to use statistical reasoning in a real ecological context.

Beyond the scientific learning, it was a valuable moment to appreciate Melbourne’s unique natural spaces and reflect on their ecological importance.

The day provided rich, hands-on inquiry that strengthened students’ understanding of the interconnected themes explored throughout the year, while fostering curiosity and respect for our local marine environments.

Senior Jerseys
Traditionally, many schools get jerseys printed for their senior students. They identify the students as senior members of the school and also create a keepsake that they can take with them when they leave. The jerseys are often uniform in style, in the school’s colours and have the year and students name or nickname printed on them. 

At Preshil, rather than having a uniform design, we invite the students to create their own personal designs. Students plan out designs, make stencils and use screen printing techniques to apply imagery and text to a t-shirt, hoodie or clothing item of their choice.

This year, the Peppercorns were given the design brief ‘a snapshot in time’. Their goal was to evoke a positive memory or feeling connected to your their in the Peppercorns. Their design might express something about Preshil, their friends, or personal interests — something that represents who they are and what this time means to them.

A visit from Hatman
As part of our continuing partnership with award-winning best-selling great-guy author Adam Wallace, he spent a with each of the classes at Arlington.He has written many silly, fun and heartfelt children’s books and he took the time to speak to us about his recent project, ‘Hat Man.’

When speaking to the Lighthouse, he shared information about the plot, characters, and marvellous music that matches certain scenes. He then asked the children to use their imagination to create the best jacket in the world! He ended the session with a step by step illustration session. The students had heaps of fun drawing, brainstorming, creating characters and generally being creative. It’s such a treat to have Adam here again, especially after the fun and success of his Hatman show back in October.

The children were proud of their work and charmed by Adam’s kindness and sense of humour.

Drama Victoria Conference
Last week, our resident Drama teacher, Laurence Page, coordinated and co-hosted Drama Victoria’s conference for over 200 Drama teachers. He had the pleasure of hosting talented comedians Sammy J, Gillian Cosgriff and 2 days of jam packed workshops for our Victorian Drama teachers. 

Helping Restore the Pines Committee has been awarded a grant
We’re pleased to share that The Pines has been successful in securing funding to support its restoration. The grant application was thoughtfully submitted on behalf of the student committee by Lyla’s parents, and we extend our thanks for their initiative and care.

Through the REA Group Employee Nominated Grants Program (reference no. 18398), Arlington has received $1,000 to begin rejuvenation works. These funds will help restore our much-loved green pocket, The Pines—a treasured space where children play, learn, and connect with nature.

After recent high winds caused the loss of several wattle trees, grevillea and other sheltering plants, the area has needed support to return to its former vitality. In response, Lyla and her friends formed a student committee dedicated to bringing The Pines back to life—an inspiring example of our young people caring for their environment and community.

Social Media Delay ‘Check Ins and Chats’
This week, Preshil’s Wellbeing coordinator, Natalie, facilitated a series of 30-minute information sessions and discussions to help students better understand the upcoming social media age-restriction changes and to support them in preparing for these adjustments. Students engaged thoughtfully, asking insightful questions and expressing valid concerns. They were encouraged to seek additional guidance through headspace, ReachOut, and the eSafety Commissioner as needed.

We encourage all Preshil families to familiarise themselves with the eSafety Commissioner’s Social Media Restrictions Hub, available here: https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions-hub. Our Wellbeing Team is also available to assist with any questions or concerns regarding the legislation, which comes into effect on 10 December.

Preshil Careers Hub
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