City

Campus News

International Women’s Day/Week

At City campus, we love to celebrate International Women’s Day over a week. Every day new activities have been enjoyed by all. It was wonderful to see our City girls from Middle and Senior School entertain everyone on the terrace with their beautiful singing, finishing up with a band of girls and boys for the finale. Much fun and joy occurred as we celebrated the amazing young women in our School.

Our Heads of Middle School reflected at the Middle School Assembly on what it means for young men and women to be upstanders together by living our respectful relationship pillars. Words have power and our students can uplift others to be stronger. Together, we thrive, and our parallel education model celebrates this notion. I encourage all families to enjoy some conversations around the dinner table about what your young person is learning, as they become their best self.

I was delighted to be invited to the Senior School Flagstaff House Breakfast where our invited guest, Kavinya Dissanyake (OH 2020), spoke about her experience post school, attending ACU. She encouraged the girls to embrace difference and follow their passions. It was an inspiring message of hope and wisdom, especially about the future opportunities our young people can pursue. It is a privilege to see our young people flourish as they journey through Haileybury City and out into the world.

Early Learning Centre

Loving numeracy in the ELC

With a wonderful sense of belonging established within the ELC, children have thrived with the start of our Term 1 program. Counting has been an interest of many children in Reception who have been busy building on these skills.

A clear love of counting with blocks has been combined at group time and children have been presented with a numeral before carefully collecting and counting small items to represent this number.

Meanwhile, Pre-Prep have been busy focusing on their collaborative learning skills through numeracy experiences demonstrating recognition of one- and two-digit numbers.

Outside the classroom, mathematical language continues to drive our play-based learning program. Children have been enjoying the warmer weather and engaging with water in the outdoor environment.

The use of buckets as we water and care for our terrace garden has introduced words such as heavier, full, half-full and lighter. We look forward to many more numeracy opportunities throughout the year that help foster a love of learning in this important area for our ELC children.

Junior School

Year 4 Semester 1 Leaders Inducted

We are thrilled to have officially inducted the Year 4 Junior School Leaders for Semester 1, 2025, as they begin their journey as student leaders and role models within our School community. Congratulations to the following students on their new roles. The appointment process was highly competitive, and the Junior School Leadership Team was incredibly impressed by how each student prepared their speeches, spoke confidently about their goals and embodied the school’s Respectful Relationship Pillars. We also look forward to seeing how the Semester 2 Captains will support and collaborate with them throughout their leadership journey.

You’re invited – learning in action

Throughout the final weeks of Term 1, City parents are encouraged to attend the following events, as listed in the Key Dates, to observe their child’s learning:

• Junior School in Action (Years 1 and 2) – Tuesday 18 March

• Junior School in Action (Years 3 and 4) – Tuesday 25 March

Please take some time to explore the informational flyers provided to parents via the myHaileybury parent app. We eagerly anticipate welcoming parents into our classrooms where you will see your child learning.

Theatre magic with the Preps and Year 1s

As part of their Drama Assessment Task, Year 8 Haileybury City students teamed up to bring their own original Children’s Theatre performances to life, drawing inspiration from two exciting themes: Magic Beach and Pirate School.

Before diving into rehearsals, they got to know their audience — our energetic Year 1 and Prep students — to make sure their shows would be fun, interactive and totally captivating.

Middle School

Middle School Leaders induction

Congratulations to all our Year 8 students who were formally inducted as Middle School Leaders during the assembly on Thursday, 20 February. These students have consistently demonstrated excellence in character and contribution throughout their Middle School journey.

Our students had the privilege of hearing from the Head of Senior Schools, Ms Lucy Cumming, who shared her reflections on leadership. Most poignantly, her message about leadership being a force for the greater good resonated deeply with our community.

We extend our gratitude to all our Year 8 leaders for their commitment to shaping our Middle School community and fostering the vibrant cultures that exist within GMS and BMS.

International Women’s Day Celebrations in MS

This year, for International Women’s Day, our students demonstrated their commitment to social justice through the Blessing Bags initiative. They generously donated muesli bars, tissues, and deodorant to support those in need and participated in an insightful workshop led by the organisation Blessing Bags, where they learnt more about homelessness and ways to make a difference.

Beyond these acts of kindness, IWD provided an opportunity for important conversations about gender equality and the power of collective action. Education plays a crucial role in challenging biases, amplifying women’s voices, and fostering a more inclusive world, and our students embraced this through discussion and reflection.

On Friday, our students enjoyed ‘Shine’ on the terrace during a glitter-filled, music-infused lunchtime celebration. Students enjoyed sweet treats and the opportunity to come together as a community in recognition of the day.

Our Year 8 students also took an active role by selling badges and stickers featuring the BMS and GMS themes, Lift Others to Grow Stronger and Together, We Thrive. All proceeds from these sales were donated to Blessing Bags, further supporting their important work. Through both action and awareness, our students honoured the spirit of International Women’s Day.

Year 6 Camp to Canberra

Our Year 6 students engaged in important learning around civics and citizenship during their visit to the nation’s capital, Canberra. Students visited Parliament House, directly aligning with their current learning in Humanities. The Year 6 excursion to Canberra plays an imperative role in shaping students’ understanding of democracy and how laws are made in our country. They also explored the Australian War Memorial and Questacon, gaining valuable insights into history, science and innovation.

The time away from home is an exceptional opportunity for students to build their independence and foster connections with their peers. Thank you to all the staff and students for making the 2025 Canberra trip such a memorable and enriching experience.

Caroline Merrick
Head of City

Haileybury Parents & Friends City (HPF City)

The Haileybury Parents & Friends City would like to extend a warm welcome to both new and returning families at Haileybury City for 2025.

We truly appreciate the efforts of everyone in welcoming our new families to Haileybury City. Whether through friendly greetings, introductions, organising playdates and picnics and attending our HPF City events, every gesture of kindness and connection contributes to strengthening our wonderful Haileybury community.

It was fantastic to see so many parents and friends engaging during the recent Parent Information Sessions and at the Welcome Morning event at the popular Inside Out Court. The event was a lovely opportunity to connect with others, enjoy a drink, cupcake and/or chocolate and have a relaxed conversation. We also had the opportunity to meet and hear directly from the Haileybury City Executive team including Lucy Cumming who has recently joined Haileybury City as Head of Senior School, before diving back into our busy schedules. We appreciate the time you take to join us.

As we write, we are busy finalising preparations for the highly anticipated HPF City Rooftop Party, scheduled for Friday, 14 March, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The event sold out quickly once again; a testament to the enthusiasm of our families to strengthen our Haileybury community and the reputation of our well-run events. Thank you to all who bought a ticket, donated a giveaway and helped run the night. Look out for the wonderful photos of the HPF community and the school choir in the upcoming issue of Insight.

A heartfelt thanks also goes out to the parent volunteers who run our popular Second-hand Uniform Shop. After a very successful 2024, the shop will be back for another round on Thursday, 27 March and Friday, 28 March. Save the dates in your calendar. The shop has many uniform items in great condition. You will find the link to the form and more information on the myHaileybury app. Together, we are helping families save money, reduce waste, and raise funds for the School.

We hope you had a wonderful summer, and that the Year of the Snake brings prosperity and joy to us all.

Melissa Fisher & Michelle White
Co-Presidents, Haileybury Parents & Friends City