Campus News
Founders Day
Each Founders Day we celebrate an important member of our community. This year, Building and Grounds Supervisor Dale Goodman was our guest of honour, and the students loved hearing about the many developments that have taken place over the years. Dale has been a valued member of our campus for 31 years and has been instrumental in making Edrington the beautiful campus it is today.
Parent morning teas
We have held a number of parent morning teas and dinners this term. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we value the opportunity to come together as a community. These occasions provide a wonderful opportunity for families to connect with one another and strengthen the sense of community that makes Edrington such a special place.
Generations Breakfast
We recently held our OHA Generations Breakfast for families of Old Haileyburians who now have children or grandchildren at our campus. Each year our numbers grow, and the event provides an important morning of connection, conversation and delicious food. This year, we were honoured to welcome founding Head of Campus, Mr John Twist, as our guest speaker. Many parents were taught by Mr Twist and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce with him.
Pancake Day
Thanks to the wonderful efforts of our parents, Edrington has raised over $1,400 to assist families in need in our local community. It was a very hot day to be cooking at the BBQ, yet our volunteers did it all with a smile. The children certainly enjoyed every bite.
Early Learning Centre
Celebrating Chinese New Year in the ELC
Recently, our ELC community came together to celebrate Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year. This vibrant cultural celebration provided a rich opportunity for children to explore traditions, symbols, language and shared experiences in meaningful and developmentally appropriate ways.
Throughout the week, children engaged in a variety of hands-on learning experiences. They explored the significance of the colour red as a symbol of good fortune, created lanterns and decorative crafts, listened to traditional stories, and participated in music and movement inspired by lion and dragon dances. Some classes also explored simple Mandarin greetings and discussed the zodiac animal for the year, sparking curiosity and thoughtful conversations about family traditions and cultural heritage.
Embedding culture authentically within our program is a key goal. Celebrations such as Chinese New Year are not stand-alone events, but part of our broader commitment to fostering cultural competence, inclusion and respect. Our aim is to create environments where every child’s background, culture and identity are valued and represented. This helps children develop empathy, appreciation of diversity and a genuine sense of belonging.
We thank the families who shared their knowledge and experiences with us, enriching our celebrations and strengthening the connection between home and school. We look forward to continuing to embed meaningful cultural learning throughout the year as part of our commitment to inclusive, high-quality early childhood education.
Junior School
Reading Tree
Reading is fundamental to cognitive development, emotional intelligence and stress reduction, and strengthens a child’s brain structure, enhances empathy and improves vocabulary. This year we are really encouraging our students to develop their love of reading by entering their nights’ reading in their diary. Students will receive stickers, and leaves, to celebrate 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 nights of reading across the year. When they reach the 100 nights milestone, I will be highlighting their achievement with a beautiful gold sticker in their diary. Students who reach 150 nights will be able to choose a prize from my prize box to celebrate their amazing achievement.
In the Library Makerspace, a Reading Tree has been created with the colour of the leaves representing the reading night achievement of our students. The first of many leaves has been added to our Reading Tree by Rivaan in 1D for his milestone 25 nights of reading. Well done, Rivaan!
We would love our parents’ help to support this endeavour by listening to their children read each night and help record it in their diaries. Reading at weekends and holidays can also be included in the nightly count.
Middle School
Last Thursday, a simple lunchtime event perfectly captured what Edrington Middle School strives to be. It wasn’t a large, planned activity or a teacher-led program, but a game of soccer organised by our Sports Captains, Aaliyah and Kai.
What made this game special was the way it brought students together. With BMS and GMS students from multiple year levels forming mixed teams, the match was played in wonderful spirit. Students supported one another, showed great sportsmanship, and simply enjoyed being active together.
It was fantastic to watch a game that had grown organically from student initiative. Seeing students of different year levels and genders playing side by side, encouraging one another and sharing in the fun, was a powerful reminder of the community we are building.
Moments like these reflect what our Middle School is all about: student leadership, inclusion, connection, and creating opportunities for everyone to belong.
Girls Night In
Our Middle School girls enjoyed a fantastic Girls’ Night In, filled with laughter, fun and friendship. Students took part in activities including K-pop dancing, face painting and party games, creating a great atmosphere and strengthening connections across the year levels.
A powerful highlight of the evening was the World’s Greatest Shave, where five brave students and two staff members cut or shaved their hair to support the Leukaemia Foundation.
Together, the girls raised over $8,000, demonstrating incredible generosity and compassion. The evening was a wonderful reminder of the power of kindness, community and coming together for a meaningful cause.
Jeanette Rawlings
Head of Edrington (Berwick)
Haileybury Parents & Friends Edrington (HPFE)
Hello Edrington. Thank you to everyone who helped make our Pancake Day such a huge success. We raised over $1,400 for Uniting Care. That’s a lot of pancakes! The students bought their smiling faces and ‘A game’ manners. Thank you to all our volunteers who came to help shake and flip. We really could not do this without you.
Coming up on Tuesday, 24 March, we have Grandparents Day. If you are available to help serve morning tea to our special guests, please register at the link below. Also coming up in Term 3 we have our Cross Campus Cross Country in May (we will have over 2,000 sausages to cook), our Mother’s Day stall and the Staff Appreciation morning tea. Thank you to those who have already volunteered, we could really use some more assistance. If you can help, please register here.
Every Wednesday you will find Jenelle and Amphil at the SHUS from 8.30 am to 10.45 am. The SHUS is always looking for an extra hand, so if you have an hour to spare on a Wednesday to give Amphil and Jenelle a hand in the shop please contact them at shus-berwick@haileybury.vic.edu.au.
Kerry Ilic
HPFE President
