Castlefield

Campus News

Mother's Week

Our school has been filled with mums, aunties, grandmas and special friends at the many events that have been hosted across the School, whether you joined us in the Middle School for cupcakes and coffee, the Early Learning Centre to hear beautiful singing and spend time in classrooms, chose to plant a succulent, or indulged in a hand massage in the Junior School, there was plenty on offer to show the special people in our lives how appreciated they are.

A big shout out to Hannah Crook and Tara Costello for their coordination of the Mother’s Day Market and thank you to the large number of community members who packed gifts and volunteered at the market to support our students in purchasing a gift for Sunday.

Our HPFC president, Casey Harris, hosted a fabulous Mother’s Day Lunch, on Friday, 8 May, with a photobooth, live music, DJ, acknowledgement of our Year 12 mums and a fabulous raffle. A big thank you goes to Casey and all the community members who donated time and items, and turned up to party. We hope everyone had a special day on Sunday.

Future of Sport

On Tuesday, 27 April, we were honoured to host a Future of Sport at Haileybury event led by our Head of Sport, Matt Dwyer, our Head of Coaches, Nathan Burke, and a panel of exceptional coaches, namely Grant Brebner, Melissa Barbieri, David Powell, Brad Hodge, Matthew Lloyd, Nicole Callinan and Craig Mottram. Each of them is a superstar: these players and coaches performing at the highest levels including the Olympics, in Australian and International teams and now guiding our Haileybury students.

Matt shared the Strategy for Sport at Haileybury, discussing the five personas of students participating in sport, which are not set and forget, but can change for a child based on the season of sport, their social context or age. The five personas are: Aspiring Stars driven by performance and progression; Team Player driven by competition and belonging; Wellness Seeker driven by health and lifestyle; Social Set driven by fun and connection; and Still Finding My Way driven by exploration. Each of these personas is recognised and catered for through our sporting program.

Nathan hosted our coaches and led discussions around the sport program we deliver, the connections that are made with students, the theme of team, and the insight our coaches have due to the inclusion of teaching staff in the sport program so students are well supported both on and off the field. Nathan also discussed that success in sport encompasses four areas (connectedness, striving, capability and fun) and that the differing levels of teams or intention of the students determines which of those four are the highest focus at any point in time.

Sport at Castlefield

This term we are fortunate that our Year 5 and 6 AFL Wednesday competitions and games will be hosted at Castlefield. On Wednesday, 29 April the first round was held with our Boys Middle School team who were cheered on in the first half of the game by our Year 7-12 students. The team held on for a victory and were thrilled to have been supported by the older students in their first game.

On the most superb autumn day, Wednesday, 13 May, saw our Year 5 and 6 Girls team play on Clark Oval against Caulfield Grammar. Playing in front of a crowd of Castlefield students from ELC through to Year 12 and an enthusiastic parent cheer squad, the girls played exceptionally well and convincingly won the game.

We will be hosting regular AFL or AFLW Year 5 and 6 games on Clark Oval during Wednesday APS competition, and the teams look forward to lots of cheering from supporters. Parents are always welcome to join us.

eSafety

Technology is part of children’s lives from a young age, making eSafety an important focus in early childhood. It involves teaching simple, age-appropriate skills like asking before using devices, and telling a trusted adult if something feels wrong.

Educators support this by modelling safe use and providing guided, child-friendly experiences. Working together with families helps reinforce safe habits at home and at school. By introducing eSafety early, we help children build the skills to use technology safely and responsibly. For more information, please take a look at the display in the ELC corridor, and you can also find lots of helpful resources here.

Junior School

A special morning

It was lovely to have so many gorgeous mums, nannas, aunts and special friends join the Junior School in the classrooms. From ‘minute to win it’ games and hand massages, to potting plants and photo booths, there was something for everyone. The children loved exploring the classroom activities and hosting their grown-ups.

Looking ahead

In a school like Haileybury, the students love to be a part of what’s next, whether that’s the ELC children coming and speaking at a Junior School assembly, or the Junior School students being the target audience of the Middle School Maker’s Market. Each part of the School has their own community, but we recognise we are part of the broader Castlefield community too. With many siblings stretched over the different areas, there is always an interest in the opportunities that come with each stage of a Haileybury education.

Middle School

Belonging

This term, our theme is Belonging, and we have been exploring what it means to feel connected, included and valued within our school community. One of the best ways we build belonging is by getting involved in community events, celebrating together and supporting one another. These moments help strengthen friendships, create lasting memories and remind us that everyone has an important place in our school.

Last week, we were thrilled to host our wonderful Mother’s Day celebration. It was fantastic to see so many special mums, guardians and special friends join us for a morning filled with smiles, laughter and appreciation, not to mention caffeine and cupcakes. Events like these are a wonderful opportunity for students to show gratitude and celebrate the important people in their lives. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the event such a success.

Belonging is further strengthened when we show up, support one another and take part in shared experiences, which is why attendance at the upcoming Cross Country Carnival on Tuesday, 19 May at our Berwick campus is so important, as it provides every student with the opportunity to celebrate House spirit, participate with pride, cheer on their mates and build stronger connections within our Middle School community.

We are also excited about our upcoming Open Classes, where families are invited to come along and see learning in action, be it algebra, a drama performance, narrative writing or painting a portrait, we look forward to your involvement. Students are looking forward to sharing their classroom experiences, achievements and learning goals with you. Stay tuned for these dates and times that will be sent via the app.

As we continue through the term, we encourage all students to embrace belonging by showing kindness, giving new things a go and being a supportive, caring friend to others.