Castlefield

Lunar New Year

In 2025, Lunar New Year falls on our first day of the school year and we are looking at bringing good luck and happiness to our campus and celebrating with a lion dance that will be performed for the community.

Welcome to Country

In the first week of Term 1, 2025, we will also welcome Uncle Jaeden Williams to Castlefield. Jaeden is a proud Yalukit Willam man of the Boonwurrung People. As we start the school year, we will celebrate with Jaeden and members of his community as they share stories about our land and perform a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony.

End of 2024

Our wonderful community of students, staff and parents have contributed to a brilliant 2024 at Castlefield. I thank our students for how they have cared, learnt, played, been empowered, tried hard and were kind. I appreciate our families for their partnership in creating an environment that sees students thrive, is welcoming, buzzes with laughter and joy, and has that sense of belonging. Our staff are amazing, and we are so grateful for the energy, enthusiasm, expertise and care they bring to their workplace, that ensures every student matters every day.

Please enjoy the festive season and have a safe and pleasant holiday break with your family. I look forward to our continued association in 2025.

Early Learning Centre

Ready to CELEBRATE

Not just a performance, but a beautiful celebration of all the growth, hard work and joy the children have experienced this year.

We felt very proud of the children as they danced and sang on stage. We saw their confidence and personalities shine.

Class parties provided a fun time for the ELC to come together and for the children to share their learning over the year with their families.

Learning journals

The learning journals acknowledge each child’s achievements throughout the year and all the beautiful learning that has occurred.

The journals have taken considerable time and effort from the teaching teams and represent our commitment to your child’s learning, development and wellbeing.

Not only are these a lovely keepsake, but they also act as a report to share with your family and future educators. It is very special that the children can relate to the learning journals and talk through their own learning, demonstrating their connection and sense of belonging to the ELC.

We trust you will enjoy sharing this journal with your child and revisiting fond memories throughout the year.

Sense of belonging for the new year

As the new year creeps towards us we are excitedly planning for our 2025 families to come together and for our children’s learning journey to begin. Term one brings planned events such as participating in the school’s Welcome to Country, a lion dance for Chinese New Year, an ELC coffee morning, storytelling with Uncle Jaeden Williams and a hands-on experience where the children discover how plastic can be reused.

Junior School

Memories made

The final few weeks of term were very busy for the Junior School. We had our Year 2 Strings Recital held at Aikman Hall, the Dance Gala, Year 3 Werribee Zoo excursion, Year 4 Beach Day, two athletics carnivals, two swimming carnivals, a Presentation Assembly, the Year 4 Graduation and our end of year concert. Our children were exceptional across all events and these memorable moments made for a great end to the year.

The Strings Recital is the culmination of a year’s work on their chosen instrument in the String Program. Year 2 students have two lessons a week on either a violin, viola, cello or double base and it is a real thrill to see all four Melbourne campuses on stage together to perform.

Mrs Cassandra Sinclair worked tirelessly to bring the Year 4 Beach Day to life with the assistance of staff and the Aspendale Life Saving Club. Students participated in myriad of different games and activities on beautiful Aspendale beach.

Year 4 Graduation is always a special occasion and marks the transition from Junior School to Middle School. The change is signified by removing their beret or magenta cap before crossing the Junior School bridge, leaving their current teacher and heading towards their new Head of Middle School in a moving assembly.

Our end of year concert was a Disney extravaganza. Mrs Tracey Jacob led the children in song and dance as a wonderful celebration of a great year.

Middle School

What a year it has been and what a year it will be

Reflecting is something that we encourage and guide our students to do each and every day. Whether it is a moment in the classroom, the playground or anywhere

As we reflect on the amazing year it has been in Middle School at Castlefield, we celebrate and appreciate all the events, activities, opportunities, experiential learning and inside and outside the classroom experiences we have had. All of these moments in time culminate in learning, happiness, improvement and development and we are so proud of our students to living up to our Middle School mantra; Try new things, work hard and be kind.

As we look towards 2025, we are already excited to welcome back our students on Wednesday, 29 January as we begin the first school week featuring two Induction Days when students will acquaint themselves with life in the Middle School including a Welcome to Country Ceremony and a Chinese lion dance in celebration of Chinese New Year. All of our camps head off domestically, interstate and even overseas (if you count Phillip Island as overseas) as our students get to embrace our outdoor education programs, create, foster and develop new friendships with their peers.

Middle School Leaders 2025

Outlined at our Celebration of Excellence evening, we nurture great leaders at Castlefield. On Thursday, 12 December at our informal ‘Thank you’ assembly for Middle School, we announced our Middle School leaders for 2025. We will formally acknowledge and induct both our Junior School and Middle School students early in the new year.

Artist Merindah-Gunya

Over the last couple of weeks, Bayley Misfud has worked with a group of Year 8 2025 students to workshop ideas for a mural to adorn a blank white wall in GMS. At the workshop, Bayley shared her story and connection to country with the students. All the students were invited to paint their ideas of Haileybury and their connection to the land. Many of the ideas came together to inspire Bayley and the concept for the mural was born. The mural starts with our 17 students and five teachers from the original Haileybury school and then journeys towards our current model of girls and boys learning together. The final part of the mural shows the continuing journey as we navigate the next steps towards reconciliation. The image also pays homage to the country we care, learn and play on, with the bay featuring prominently. This is an original artwork by Bayley Misfud and she has signed it using her Aboriginal name Merindah-Gunya.

Katrina Manson
Head of Castlefield (Brighton)