Preshil Weekly – Term 3 – Week 4

Blackhall Book Week Celebrations
Book Week begins next week at Blackhall! Beginning on Tuesday you’re encouraged to bring a gold coin and donate a good book. This initiative will pass on donations through ROOP (Reading out of Poverty) to set up libraries in remote Australian communities in North Queensland (Yarrabah). This will run until next Friday (the 22nd).

On Wednesday Young Adult author Holly Cardemone will join us for a talk in the presentation space for the Year 7&8 English classes. Her soon to be released novel Summer In Between, is described as a cross between Looking for Alibrandi and Puberty Blues.

On Friday, come dressed as your favourite book or story character!

One Man, Two Guvnors
One week until the curtain rises with three nights of chaos and comedy. In just 7 days, One Man, Two Guvnors bursts onto the Chapel off chapel stage — and this rehearsal footage is your sneak peek at the mayhem to come.

Mistaken identities. Impossible timing. Physical comedy that might just bend the laws of physics. Our students have built this show with courage, precision, and a healthy dose of mischief — and they can’t wait to share it with you.

Get your ticket here.

Crepe Day
On Tuesday, Crepe Delice visited Preshil to supply a delicious range of sweet crepes to students and staff. The brave ones had an opportunity to order their crepes in French, much to the proud delight of Brin, Phoebe and France, the current Preshil French teachers. We were also treated to a serenade by Stephanie and Michelle, who performed a few French classics for the crepe clientele.

Valedictory Preparation
This week, the Year 12’s met with the Year 6’s at Arlington in preparation for the Valedictory Dinner.

New Zealand Ski Trip
Last week our students swapped the classroom for the mountains – and what a week it was.

Five full days at The Remarkables and Cardrona saw first-time skiers finding their rhythm, seasoned snowboarders taking on tougher runs, and everyone pushing themselves further with every lift ride. Skills grew fast, confidence soared, and the slopes became a second home.

Evenings were for refuelling and connection – from Lone Star and Winnies Pizza to the legendary Fergburger – with stories and laughter spilling late into the night.

Our “rest day” was anything but: Shotover Jet at full speed, Skyline Gondola rides with unbeatable views, luge racing, market exploring, and dinner high above Queenstown.

It was more than a snow trip. It was courage in action, friendships deepened, and memories we’ll carry long after the snow melts.

Debating
It has been an exciting term for debating at Preshil. On Monday night, our Year 11 debating team represented the school with distinction in the final round at Camberwell Grammar. Their thoughtful arguments, confident delivery, and strong teamwork made them excellent ambassadors for our school community.

We are also delighted to announce the launch of our Year 7 and 8 Debating Team, led by two experienced senior debaters. Debating is a dynamic, educational activity that builds communication skills, sharpens critical thinking, and encourages students to think on their feet. This new team will meet at lunchtimes, offering a fun and engaging opportunity for our younger students to get involved.

Science Week
This week, Preshil proudly joined the nationwide celebrations for National Science Week, bringing an extra level of curiosity and creativity to our Blackhall campus.

The Science Team curated a dynamic program designed to inspire and engage students across all year levels. Highlights included: Student-Led Lab Demos – our young scientists took the lead, showcasing hands-on experiments that wowed their peers; Science Cinema – thought-provoking films and documentaries brought big ideas to life (sponsored by SCINEMA); Guest Talks – researchers from the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University shared insights from the cutting edge of their fields and what inspired them to become scientists, sparking plenty of questions; Science Trivia – a fun and lively competition that tested knowledge, teamwork, and quick thinking.

Additionally, Dr Carolina Castano Rodriguez, one of our science teachers, was invited to MC the Kids Conference Antarctica at the Royal Society of Victoria. The event brought together an inspiring group of students to present their projects, alongside an incredible panel that included renowned Finnish educator Pasi Sahlberg.

The week was a celebration of curiosity, collaboration, and the wonder of scientific discovery. A huge thank you to our Science Team, visiting scientists, and all the students and staff who made the events so memorable.

You can view a couple of videos taken of experiments through the week here.

Building Resilience in Young People – with Dr Justin Coulson
Preshil is proud to host Dr Justin Coulson Australia’s number one rated parenting speaker, for an evening on how to help young people not just cope, but grow stronger because of adversity.

A leading voice in parenting, Justin is the co-host and parenting expert on Channel Nine’s @parentalguidance, host of Australia’s most downloaded parenting podcast (Happy Families, with his wife Kylie), founder of happyfamilies.com.au, and the best-selling author of nine books—with his tenth, on raising boys, due soon. His content has reached more than 100 million people worldwide.

With a PhD in Psychology, Justin blends research-backed insight with hard-won wisdom from raising six daughters (and now, one granddaughter). His presentations are interactive, thought-provoking, and practical—complete with a Q&A so you can explore your own questions. You’ll leave with tools you can start using the very next day.

Join us on Tuesday 9 September 2025 | 6:30pm – 8:30pm. Tickets are $20 and available here.

Tournament of the Minds
This Sunday our wonderful Tournament of Minds [TOM] team, will compete in two thrilling challenges: Language Literature and the Spontaneous. Our 2025 team cleverly named themselves ‘Little Strangers’, and have chosen to respond to the challenge of reading Shaun Tan’s book ‘Erik’, creating a play, costumes, music and artwork that highlights the themes of identity, belonging, discovery and the importance of small things. In the Spontaneous challenge, teams must ‘think on their feet’; they have four minutes to solve the ‘surprise’ problem, and just one minute to creatively interpret and decide on a unique response, or responses as a team. Then they need to present their ideas in detail in real-time to three judges. 

We will be celebrating their quick thinking and teamwork!

Inclusive education for autistic students – call out
Autism CRC is an independent national source of evidence for best practice in relation to autism across the lifespan and the spectrum.

They are currently seeking contributions to help form The National Guidance. The aim is to help the people who work in mainstream schools know how to best support positive social, emotional and academic outcomes for autistic children and youth.

To add to the call out please follow this link.

After School Soccer
Afterschool soccer is underway! Join us on Tuesdays from 3:50pm – 4:50pm. Register at Kickstart Training here.

Chess
Chess is running and open to all year levels. Join Leonid on Thursdays from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. Learn more and fill out this form.

New Menu
Please see updated Term 3 menu.

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.