Campus News
Year 8 Startup Makers Market
Students across the Junior and Middle Schools had their pockets jingling and taste buds tingling as the Year 8s showcased their entrepreneurial skills at the much-awaited Startup Makers Market.
On Thursday 1 May, across the gym and Dickinson Hall, our Year 8 students unveiled the market-style creations they had designed in Startup, all with a fantastic sustainability twist. From upcycled goodies to eco-friendly marvels, there were over 60 stalls with something for everyone to love and cherish. From arcade games to homemade soap bars, hot chips to designer pins and everything in between — like face painting, milkshakes and brownies — the market offered a delightful array of sustainable products. All items were crafted with love and sustainability in mind, ensuring you could shop guilt free while supporting our budding Year 8 entrepreneurs. Plus it was for a great cause, with fifty per cent of all the profits sent to our chosen charity — Our Village.
LEAP Week
LEAP Week kicked off today, and this year we are celebrating the theme of First Nations People with a vibrant line up of activities that honour and explore indigenous cultures from around the world.
Across this week, students will have the chance to take part in a delicious Mini Master Chef session using traditional indigenous ingredients, express themselves through innovative art activities and creative musical performances, and be inspired by guest readers sharing captivating stories of First Nations People across the globe. The PE department is leading engaging sessions exploring traditional indigenous games and practices, adding a physical and cultural dimension to the week. A true highlight will be the visit from Torres Strait Islander artist Chris Tamwoy, who will perform and share his powerful personal story. It promises to be a week full of connection, creativity and cultural discovery — an exciting opportunity for students, staff and the community.
Early Learning Centre
Exceeding!
We are extremely proud to share that Castlefield ELC has been officially rated as Exceeding the National Quality standards (NQS) in all seven quality areas.
The NQS sets a national benchmark for the quality of children’s education and care services across Australia. An overall rating of Exceeding is given to services that go above and beyond the requirements of the standard.
The NQS is informed by best practice and ongoing quality improvement in seven key areas, including the education program, health and safety, physical environment, staffing, relationships with children, families and communities, and the management of the service.
During the assessment, Castlefield ELC was described as “an exceptional service,” with the assessor highlighting the strength of our embedded Social Thinking program and the high quality of interactions and support across the service.
We thank our passionate educators, families and community for being part of this journey and for continuously supporting our mission to provide the best possible start for every child.
Celebrating Mums
The ELC was full of love when we celebrated Mother’s Day with a ‘stay and play’ morning, honouring our very special mums. The children were so excited to have their mums and special visitors sharing their learning environments, singing songs and giving special handmade cards and gifts. There were many smiles, happy tears and so much pride, from both children and mums. It was a beautiful and meaningful celebration, where memories were made.
Mummy takes me to the park and to the ELC. Anais
She buys me some nice food, healthy food to make me big and strong. Penelope
Mummy likes gardening — she always gets prickles out and cuts the roses. Hunter
I love mummy because she’s my favourite girl. Teddy
Junior School
Thank you
We had a gorgeous morning celebrating our mums and motherly figures with open classrooms in the Junior School. From building Minecraft worlds to pampering hand massages, planting succulents to crafts, there was something for everyone. The day began with our Junior School ukulele groups performing whilst visitors enjoyed a coffee and delicious biscuits from Lou’s on Hampton Street.
I love my mum because she takes me to the footy. Charlie
My mum is the best because she lets me stay up late and watch movies. Audrey
– I love to cuddle with my mum on the couch. Anya
Bayside Connections
Mr McCallum’s Year 4 class had their first session at Hampton Community Centre recently. The students and teachers walked from school down Hampton Street to engage in a multi-generational workshop. Lots of laughs were had and stories told. The Junior School has participated and funded this program, and the feedback is always fantastic from both sides.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, 29 May – Community BBQ in East Quad after school
Friday, 20 June – PJ Day
Thursday, 26 June – Cross Country 2.00 pm onwards
Middle School
Mothers Day Middle School Morning
On Tuesday, 6 May we hosted our Castlefield mum’s and special friends breakfast for our annual Mother’s Day event. The morning saw a sea of kindness and gratitude as our students showed their appreciation for all these incredibly important people in their lives. Mums and special friends were rewarded with medals of appreciation from Best mum to Boss Lady and a crowd favourite, Driver, Snack Provider and All-round Awesome Human. Families connected through coffee and croissants and making origami, and students showed off their artistic flair by drawing portraits of their mums. A beautiful morning for all.
Good luck & well done
As we head into a busy assessment time in Middle School, we extend our best wishes to all students as they embark on exams and assessments. Both are opportunities to ‘show off’ what they know and be proud of their progress and ability to take on feedback and improve in all areas of their learning. In the theme of working hard and taking on feedback, we congratulate our Years 7 and 8 students on their great start to the winter season, and to our Year 5 and 6 students on their start to Term 2 Sport. We are proud of the way you compete, try your best and win and lose with grace.
Work hard, try new things and be kind
In Middle School, we consistently ask our students to do three things: work hard; try new things; and be kind. We always want to provide experiences and opportunities to exhibit these. With our annual inter-campus Cross Country taking place on Tuesday 20 May at our Berwick Campus, There is a chance for all our students to work hard at never giving up, try something new if Cross Country is a sport you haven’t tried yet, and be kind in everything: how we speak, how we act and how we are. We look forward to another amazing event for students to showcase these three important ‘asks.’
Katrina Manson
Head of Castlefield (Brighton)
Haileybury Parents & Friends Castlefield (HPFC)
Mother’s Day Stall
Hundreds of students attended the HPFC Mother’s Day stall with envelopes of cash ready to be exchanged for precious gifts for mum and the special women in their lives. A huge shout out to all the parents who supported the stall and volunteered their time so presents could be purchased. Thank you to Annie Karamountzos for continuing to work with the HPFC to provide the huge choice of gorgeous gifts for our students to select.
Mother’s Day Luncheon
2025 saw another spectacular Mother’s Day Luncheon being held at Encore. It was brilliant to see so many mums in attendance, dancing, dining and celebrating Being Bold, Being Beautiful and Being You, the theme for this year. A big thank you to the families that donated raffle prizes, Michelle Greene, Irene Wang, Kelly Nikolakopoulos and Bianca Verginis, and congratulations to the winners.
It is always so lovely to welcome our ELC parents attending their first luncheon, and particularly special is the attendance of our Year 12 mums who join the festivities for their final luncheon as parents of Haileybury.
We are so grateful to our community and for everyone who came and had a fun afternoon.
SEEN the film
We warmly invite our Brighton parent community to join us for a special film screening of the Australian film Seen. Seen provides a reflective and proactive view into raising children in the ever-evolving landscape that is now and the future. The film includes excerpts and input from some of Australia’s top contributors, including parenting author and educator Maggie Dent, Developmental Paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey and best-selling author Dr Vanessa Lapointe.
At the end of the screening we will be joined for a Q&A with Lael Stone (author, speaker and educator) and Scott Doran (Vice Principal Community Engagement and Advancement).
Date: Monday, 2 June 2025
Time: 6.30 pm refreshments, 7.00 pm screening
Location: Dickinson Hall, Brighton campus
Tickets: $22.49
Our community here at Castlefield is special and we greatly look forward to welcoming you to this event.
Film Preview Exciting New Discovery
Event bookings: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/seen-the-film-haileybury-brighton-film-discussion-with-lael-stone-tickets-1354466498759?aff=oddtdtcreator
We look forward to seeing you there.
Haileybury Parents & Friends Castlefield
Traffic and parking reminder
A reminder for families that South Road is the preferred pick-up and drop-off location for students in Junior and Middle Schools and the roundabout is an efficient way to collect your child. Staff are on duty before and after school to help children remain safe within our grounds.
For Senior School students, South Road is the only drop-off and pick-up area for parents who drive their child to school. Students in Years 10 – 12 are not to enter via Villeroy Street gates at any time. We encourage older students to walk, ride or take public transport, rather than being driven to school. The PTV planner can be found here.
