Campus News
SOAR
We were privileged to have Founder of Safe on Social and Ctrl+Shift, digital safety expert Kirra Pendergast present to us on Wednesday, 2 September as the final SOAR roadshow event for 2026.
Families who were unable to attend are encouraged to watch the recording. Kirra’s engaging and practical presentation offered clear guidance to help families navigate both the opportunities and challenges of raising young people in a digital world.
The recording is available on the SOAR page, and the link was sent to families via the myHaileybury app.
Term 4
Term 4 includes many key dates, with the Castlefield Celebration of Excellence a highlight for Middle School students and families. The event will be held on Monday, 30 November, at Aikman Hall, Keysborough, and all Middle School students are expected to attend.
The Calendar available via the myHaileybury app, has all the key dates including Years 7 and 8 exams, ELC and JS Grandparents Day, our HPF end of year event, transition activities, ELC orientation and UpDay, information evenings for ELC and Middle School families and graduations for Years 4 and 8 just to name a few. Make sure you have them all marked in your diaries.
Uniform
When we return in Term 4, students resume wearing their summer uniform. There is a two-week grace period to allow for variations in the weather and organisation of uniforms. All students should be in their summer uniform for the week commencing Monday, 19 October.
Please note that Middle School students will be required to wear their full school (winter) uniform for our Celebration of Excellence on Monday, 30 November, so please keep this accessible until the end of the year.
Our Second-Hand Uniform Shop, run by the HPFC, is a fabulous source of uniforms, so drop into their space near the Rouen Street gate on Wednesdays between 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm and Thursdays between 8.15 am – 10.15 am.
Early Learning Centre
A shared moment with dad
We enjoyed a wonderful Father’s Day morning as our community came together to celebrate the special dads and important adults in our children’s lives.
It was a morning filled with connection, joy and special moments. The children proudly performed a song, shared time together exploring, building with boxes, drawing and painting, baking, eating and most importantly playing side by side. Imaginations were sparked, conversations flowed and meaningful connections were created as these precious moments were enjoyed together.
Each dad left with a heartfelt gift, lovingly created by their child. A lovely reminder of such a special day.
Birds, birds, birds
The children’s fascination with birds has well and truly taken flight.
Their curiosity about birds that share our local community has been further inspired by the viral hit song ‘Eastern Rosellas.’ As the children listen, observe and learn from one another, they have begun recognising a wide variety of local birds, noticing differences in colour, sounds, movements and habitats.
Their growing knowledge and curiosity have sparked their creative imaginations, with the children designing and creating their very own bird species. You can see some examples of the children’s thinking below; a Tyre bird, a Sydney bird, a Bee Bee bird and a Rainbow Strike.
Junior School
Transition
One of the wonderful things about being part of Haileybury is the transition between the different areas of the School. This term marks the start of the official Pre-Prep to Prep program with Year 3 students visiting the ELC to connect with the children who will be their buddies next year when they move into the Junior School. Of course, the ELC children have been walking through East Quad and playing in the Junior School playground for a while now, but as their Prep year comes into focus, we intentionally build relationships with key staff and students, allow them to become familiar in the classrooms. They will even attend key Junior School events over the coming terms.
Book Week
It’s a calendar favourite. We are avid readers at the best of times, but the focus on books really steps up a notch in Book Week. Mrs McBride, our awesome teacher librarian, organises a fabulous week of visiting authors, book performances, mystery readers, a book swap, and of course our Book Week character parade. Much to the delight of the children, this year the teachers all came as carrots and Mrs Manson, our Head of Campus, was the rabbit from Too Many Carrots by Katy Hudson.
First camp experience
Haileybury’s experiential program kicked off with the Year 3 camp to Forest Edge. The excitement had been building all year and finally it was time to head away. Set amongst the picturesque rolling hills of Gippsland, children are emersed in nature. There is a great hike, where often the thrill is finding the cube-like wombat poo on the trail.
The swing bridge river crossing beside giant gums is a unique experience and rolling down the big hills is met with screams of delight. Then there is the tandem flying fox, crate climb and archery to have a go at. Camp builds independence, self-management, resilience and persistence. Their first camp is a rite of passage that our students remember for years to come.
Middle School
Inspiring journeys from our Old Haileyburians
Our recent events have provided wonderful opportunities for our students and community to connect, celebrate and be inspired. At our Old Haileyburians Association Assembly, we welcomed back former students, including past School Vice Captain Kayla Johnstone (OH 2025), AFL footballer Archie Roberts (OH 2023), musician Umbra Buntman-Bryant (OH 2018) and Elise Levalds (OH 2025), who is pursuing a career in Formula 1 operations.
Each shared their unique journey beyond school, reflecting on the challenges they have faced, the opportunities they have embraced, and the important role that their school experiences played in helping them achieve their goals. Their stories encouraged our students to dream big, work hard, and appreciate the value of the education and support available to them.
Celebrating sisterhood through connection and belonging
Last week, our Year 8 girls spent the day immersed in the Big Sister Experience, focusing on connection, friendship and supporting their precious sisterhood. Belonging to a community underpins a middle school experience for our girls. We value the girls nurturing and protecting their sisterhood, supporting one another and creating strong, positive friendships. It was a wonderful day of learning, laughter, reflection and growing together.
A special Father's Day celebration
We also celebrated Father’s Day with our much-loved community event in West Quad. Fathers and special friends enjoyed games, activities, egg and bacon rolls, and coffee while spending quality time with our students. It was a wonderful morning of connection, gratitude and celebration, highlighting the strong partnerships that enrich our school community.
Katrina Manson
Head of Castlefield (Brighton)
Parking
Parking around the property can, at times, be difficult. Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our Haileybury community. Parents leaving via the South Road exit, please take care when turning onto South Road, particularly as the pedestrian crossing is so close to the exit.
Remember that all exits from the School to Villeroy and Rouen Streets close at 6.00 pm nightly. If you are attending an evening function, we encourage you to park on South Road and enter through the front gate.
There is no drop-off/pick-up zone in Rouen Street, with parking restrictions in place along one side at busy school start and end times.
There are clearly signed two-minute parking spaces outside our Villeroy Street gate. These should be used as a ‘kiss-and-go’ zone rather than for disembarking from your car. Cars should not be left unattended.
Families are encouraged to use the roundabout via the South Road entrance as the preferred drop-off and pick-up location.
Please be considerate of the residents in the streets surrounding our School.
Haileybury Parents & Friends Castlefield (HPFC)
Thank you Father's Day volunteers
A heartfelt thank you to all our wonderful parent volunteers who generously gave their time to support our Father’s Day activities. Your help with the Father’s Day market and selling Father’s Day raffle tickets made these special celebrations possible and contributed to a joyful experience for our students and families. We are so grateful for your ongoing involvement and support of the Castlefield community.
Upcoming events - Term 4
Join the Haileybury Castlefield community for an unforgettable End of Year Event at Castlefield on Friday, 30 October, including the Junior School Halloween Disco. Further information will be communicated closer to the date.
Casey Harris
President, Haileybury Parents & Friends Castlefield
