Campus News
Early Learning Centre
I love you, Mum
For Mother’s Day, the ELC recently celebrated and gave thanks to the mothers and significant women in their lives. The morning was filled with smiles, as well as activities shared by children, mothers and significant people and included sewing, bracelet making and sketching in our ground floor assembly area. A photo booth was also created by the children.
Having worked hard on their gifts of appreciation for the special people who do so much for them, the children were excited to present their mothers or special people with beautiful keepsakes. Thank you to everyone who joined us in this celebration.
We love to read
The Pre-Prep children are developing their skills and interests in blending and segmenting. As they continue learning the remaining initial sounds through a range of games, activities and intentional teaching moments, the children are being presented with opportunities to strengthen their phonemic awareness.
The children have been reading books by Julia Donaldson and, together, have been identifying rhyming words and displaying them within their classroom. This learning has consolidated their rhyme recognition, further strengthening their overall phonological awareness.
Junior School
Leap into Storytime with Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller
The excitement is certainly building as we look forward to the return of National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) in 2026. Coordinated each year by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), this very special event unites communities nationwide through their shared love of reading. At a set time, children across the country gather in libraries, schools, preschools and homes to enjoy the same Australian picture book together.
At City Campus, we are very fortunate to have Ms Kuhne, Head of Library Services – City, lead this special occasion. Junior School students will come together under the fair lights on Level 3, alongside our ELC children, to share in this memorable experience.
This year’s featured book is Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller, written by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd, and illustrated by Jake Minton.
Junior School House Cross Country
Our Junior School House Cross Country took place in the first week of Term 2 and was a wonderful afternoon filled with energy and House spirit. Set in the beautiful Flagstaff Gardens alongside our City campus, students ran distances of up to 1.6 kilometres, showing great determination and enthusiasm. We were lucky to have such lovely weather, and it was fantastic to see every student give their best and cross the finish line. A big thank you to our parent community for coming along to cheer, and to the Haileybury City Parents and Friends helpers for organising the much-appreciated lolly bags to help students refuel after their run. Congratulations to Elliot House for taking out the overall win.
Celebrating mothers and significant women
On Friday, 8 May, the Junior School loved welcoming students’ mums and significant women to our campus for a fun and engaging morning together. There was plenty to do, with everyone crafting paper mosaics, meticulously folding origami masterpieces, and creating paper bouquets. They left with their own functional travel pouches to take home, each one filled with care and made especially for mums by their child. We wrapped things up with a simple but sweet touch, sending everyone home with a matcha tea bag and a note that read “I love you so matcha.”
Middle School
Makers Market
The Makers Market was a vibrant showcase of the creativity and entrepreneurship of our Year 8 students. As part of the StartUp program, students designed and constructed an impressive array of products and experiences. Presented in unique stalls, visitors to the market enjoyed sweet treats, engaging games, handmade creations and a variety of other student-designed concepts. Students demonstrated exceptional dedication as they built their businesses from the ground up, developing essential skills in teamwork, problem solving and critical and creative thinking. Every stage of the process resulted in an event that truly celebrated innovation and enterprise.
Middle School mothers and significant women film afternoon
Middle School students celebrated Mother’s Day by honouring their mothers and the significant women in their lives. Taking place at Hoyts in Melbourne Central, students and their guests attended a private screening of Future Council. This inspiring documentary, created by award-winning Australian filmmaker Damon Gameau, followed eight children as they travelled across Europe, encouraging business leaders to confront the world’s most urgent environmental challenges. The film’s message provided an opportunity for reflection on leadership, advocacy and the impact of positive change. It was a memorable afternoon in which the students and their mothers and significant women were able to spend quality time together.
Poetry in action
Year 7 students were treated to an engaging theatrical experience through Poetry in Action, a performance that brought the world of poetry to life. The presentation entertained the audience with a storyline of mistaken identity and unexpected romance, blending humour with literary exploration. Students experienced a wide range of poetry forms, from traditional sonnets to the energetic slam poetry. The performance introduced a variety of poetic techniques and encouraged students to appreciate poetry’s versatility and emotional depth.
Year 8 Drama Performance
The Year 8 Drama Performance was a true testament to the power of teamwork and creativity. Within the Drama elective Collaboration to Creation, students began with the stimulus ‘Loneliness in a Crowded World,’ and from this starting point, they brainstormed and developed themes and ideas that they explored through performance. The process required them to apply the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the semester, considering all elements of production such as blocking, staging, lighting, sound, costumes and props. Over four weeks, students worked together to shape their ideas into meaningful performances, ultimately presenting their work to an audience. This experience not only showcased their artistic and technical abilities but also strengthened their confidence and understanding of theatre as a collaborative art form.
Caroline Merrick
Head of City
Haileybury Parents & Friends City (HPF City)
We hope everyone has had a great start of term. We wanted to take the time to remind everyone to check the calendar in the app for key events parents can attend. There was a lovely Anzac Day Commemoration at Flagstaff recently that families were invited to join. If you are unsure if parents are welcome, please email hpfcity@haileybury.com.au.
We look forward to seeing you at the Middle School Trivia night and Junior School Board-game bonanza coming up.
Michelle White & Andrea Livingston
Co-Presidents, Haileybury Parents & Friends City
