Campus News
Welcome back to all our City families. We hope everyone had a relaxing and joyful holiday break. A special welcome to new families who have joined Haileybury City. A reminder that for the first two weeks of term, students have the option to wear the summer or winter uniform. From Week 3, every student will be required to wear the winter uniform.
The Haileybury Ball
Join us for a night to remember at The Haileybury Ball on Saturday, 23 May at Crown Palladium. The Haileybury Ball is a chance for our wonderful community to come together, celebrate and enjoy an evening filled with laughter, dancing and great company. Book your tickets here.
If you have any prizes to donate for the raffle please contact your Head of Campus.
Celebrating Ten@City
Happy 10th birthday to Haileybury City! Our campus opened on 11 April 2016 with 17 students, the same number of students as in 1892, when Charles Rendall opened Haileybury. The synergy is a reminder that from small things, big things grow. Our City campus now has 755 students and Haileybury is the largest independent school in Australia. Charles Rendall would have been so proud. Term 2 is a full term of City events and celebrations. We look forward to celebrating with you.
During the holidays, we gathered the students and their families who had spent ten years at Haileybury City and celebrated together. A special ceremony was enjoyed by all, filled with memories, stories, laughter, a time capsule and a magenta cupcake. We thank Mr Derek Scott, our CEO | Principal who joined our event and shared his stories and reflections from the early days, and cut the birthday cake. We also welcomed Dr Glenroy Garden from our Haileybury Heritage and Archives Department, who shared the story behind the time capsule.
There will be many birthday events still to come, as we celebrate our Ten@City with gratitude. All of these are on our Key Dates, so be sure to RSVP and attend.
Early Learning Centre
Numeracy development
Numeracy development is an important part of children’s learning, as it helps them to make sense of the world around them in meaningful and practical ways. Through everyday experiences and intentional teaching, children are supported to develop mathematical concepts such as number recognition, spatial awareness, measurement, patterning and problem-solving.
The Reception children have been strengthening their number recognition skills through an engaging numeracy scavenger hunt. Each child was invited to select a number from 1–10 before exploring the outdoor environment to find its matching number. Hidden numbers throughout the space encouraged children to look closely, think critically and persevere, while also adding a sense of excitement, curiosity and discovery to their learning.
In our Pre-Prep program, children have been exploring three-dimensional shapes using matchsticks and plasticine to construct cubes, rectangular prisms, and pyramids. They were encouraged to shape and mould the materials as they considered the structure of each form. This experience supported spatial awareness, counting and problem-solving skills, while also building resilience as children adjusted their designs when structures became unstable.
Across both experiences, children demonstrated wonderful collaboration, supporting one another, sharing ideas and celebrating each other’s successes. These rich learning opportunities are helping to build early mathematical thinking, communication skills and confidence, supporting children to become capable, curious and engaged learners.
Junior School
Year 4 Camp – Peninsula Outdoors
Within the final weeks of Term 1, City’s Year 4 students joined their peers from across Haileybury’s Melbourne campuses for an exciting camp at Peninsula Outdoors in Merricks. Throughout the experience, students challenged themselves, demonstrated independence and enjoyed plenty of fun together. They participated in a range of activities, including orienteering, canoeing and beach games, encouraging one another as they tried new things and stepped outside their comfort zones. Camp was a wonderful opportunity for students to build confidence and create lasting memories.
Up We Go – House activities
To showcase the strength of our House spirit at City campus, our Junior School students launched an exciting new event: Up We Go house-themed activities. Directly linked to our Junior School goal for the year, students took part in various team-building challenges that encouraged collaboration, creativity and fun, including activities like a grand paper plane-making challenge. The afternoon provided an engaging and interactive opportunity for students to work together, with all activities thoughtfully designed and led by their teachers. Up We Go continues to reflect the development of our students’ growth mindset and flexible thinking strategies, both of which were put to the test as students tackled challenges within their House groups with gusto.
Winter uniform reminder
With the colder months approaching, we would like to remind Junior School families that from Term 2 Week 3, all students from Prep to Year 4 are expected to wear their full winter uniform. We encourage all students to take pride in their appearance, reflecting the high standards of our community. To support families, the HPF City Second-hand Uniform Pop-up Shop will be held in the second week of this term. Please review the Key Dates for parents. Please note that the winter uniform is required for both Terms 2 and 3. Further details can be found in the School Info section of myHaileybury.
Middle School
Middle School in action
We warmly invited Years 5 and 7 parents to join their young person in the classroom, sharing in the learning alongside their child. Year 5 students commenced their Wonder text study, while our Year 7 students at GMS enjoyed a Maths lesson and those at BMS engaged in Mathematics and Humanities.
We deeply appreciate our families partnering with us on the learning journey, and we love welcoming them into the classroom. We look forward to welcoming Years 6 and 8 families later this term.
House Swimming
City Campus enjoyed a wonderful House Swimming event at the North Melbourne Pool during the last week of Term 1. In what was a glorious, sunny Melbourne day, both athleticism and House spirit were on full display throughout the day. Particular acknowledgement goes to our Year 8 House Captains, who led their Houses with enthusiasm and organisation.
In other swimming news, congratulations to Year 8 students Tom and Thomas on their recent success. Both students swam personal best times when representing the School at the APS Swimming Championships and were involved in relays that comfortably broke long standing APS records. The boys were busy over their holidays, both qualifying for the 2026 Australian Age Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast. What a remarkable achievement.
Next up is House Cross Country at Berwick on Monday 19 May. We look forward to seeing our students compete once again.
Great Composers Competition – Best Performance
Suwan (Year 6) recently competed in the Great Composers Competition – Best Performance, an international series that honours the world’s greatest composers, with winners announced on each composer’s birthday. This year, Suwan entered the Best Bartók Performance category, celebrating the 145th anniversary of Béla Bartók’s birth on 25 March 2026. Competing against a strong field of musicians from the United States, United Kingdom and across Europe, Suwan was awarded first place in the 11–13 age group. To represent Australia on an international stage and achieve such an outstanding result is an exceptional accomplishment. Congratulations, Suwan!
ANZAC Day
City Campus paid its respects to those who have served. We held our Anzac Day ceremony in Week 1, with members of the North Melbourne Rotary Club in attendance. It was a privilege to welcome them and to have them share in this special occasion with our school community.
Our youngest students, the Preps, had the honour of laying the wreath. Students from our Junior School, Middle School and Senior School all came together to participate, reminding us how important it is that we mark these significant days as one community.
The atmosphere was one of quiet reflection and respect. Seeing our students stand solemnly together, mindful of the sacrifices made for the freedoms we enjoy today, was a powerful and proud moment for all who attended.
Caroline Merrick
Head of City
Haileybury Parents & Friends City (HPF City)
With our 10-year celebration activities coming up in May and June, we encourage everyone to get involved.
- ELC Flagstaff Picnic & Party Games – Friday 15 May, 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm
- JS Family Board Games Bonanza – Friday 22 May, 4.00 pm – 5.30 pm
Featuring games supported by HPF City fundraising as part of our enrichment commitment.
The Middle School Trivia Night will be held on Friday 12 June, 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm. Be sure to secure your tickets early as this is always a sell-out event.
HPF City will provide a sweet surprise at each of these events.
In recent updates, HPF City supplied every student with a lolly bag at the end of the Middle School Swimming Carnival on 31 March, which was very well received. Our HPF City sweet touch will also feature at the JS Cross Country in Term 2.
The community strongly supported the Second-hand Uniform Shop in March, with one of our largest sales weeks to date. A special thank you to Tanya Stacey for preparing items for resale and all the wonderful helpers.
Michelle White and Andrea Livingston
Co-Presidents, Haileybury Parents & Friends City
