The Arrow Term 3. No 1

We have enjoyed a busy and bustling start to Term 3 in our Junior School!

Since returning from holiday break, Year 7 students have been unpacking their Year 7 Year Level Statement in Tutor Group. Year 7 at AHS is all about students going on a journey of discovery to learn more about themselves by trying new experiences, and developing creative strategies to adjust to the new responsibilities associated with being a high school student. As we ease back into our learning for Term 3, I challenge each of our Year 7s to try something new by attending one of the many extra-curricular clubs we have on offer at lunchtimes throughout the week. You never know, you might find your new favourite hobby!

In Week 2, 152 of our Year 8 students enjoyed camp at Alexandra Adventure Resort. This three day, two night camp was an exciting community-building opportunity with a specific focus on supporting students to develop our Year 8 Auburn Learner Quality: Collaboration. Activities undertaken on this camp foster the development of teamwork, resilience and independence, including flying fox, high ropes, giant swing, archery, initiatives activities and more. I commend our Year 8 students on the exceptional collaboration they displayed whilst on camp, and thank the sixteen staff who attended to ensure this experience was possible for our Year 8 cohort.

Alongside camp, Year 8s have also been working through the process of completing their first ever subject preferences in E4L. For the first time in their Auburn journey so far, Year 8 students have the opportunity to use their voice to select preferences for both their 2027 Year 9 Arts/Tech elective, and also their 2027 Discovery subject. Parents/guardians are encouraged to check in with their child to ensure that their preferences have been entered prior to the deadline, Wednesday 29th July (Week 3). Further information and instructions are available at the link.

Year 9 students have been hard at work in DARE Project classes completing their Pathways Portfolio in preparation for selection of their Year 10 subject preferences at our upcoming Year 9 Course Confirmation Day. They have:

• reflected on their Semester 1 results and completing their My Learning Growth
• unpacked their Morrisby Career information
• connected with their individual strengths, passions and interests
• reviewed our 2027 Curriculum Handbook to select their subject preferences for next year.
• attended our Week 1 Senior Expo and asked subject teachers further clarifying questions about the various programs we have on offer

A friendly reminder that Year 9 Course Confirmation Day (Friday 31st July – Week 3) will be an e-learning day for Year 9 students. Students will complete their lessons independently at home, following the lesson plan provided by the classroom teacher on Compass, attending school only for their scheduled course confirmation meeting. Course confirmation meeting times will be scheduled and published via Compass soon. Please refer to Compass Newsfeeds from Andrea Ganotis for further information.

Many of our students are in the final weeks of preparations for our upcoming 2026 School Production Singin in the Rain Jr. We wish them all the best with their rehearsals and thank Sally Edwards and Caroline Hardy for their commitment to leading this opportunity for our students! It’s not too late to buy your tickets – join us for a spectacular show: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1593983

📅 Thursday 13 August – 7:00pm

📅 Friday 14 August – 7:00pm

📅 Saturday 15 August – 3:00pm

📍 Phoenix Theatre, Elwood College

What’s coming up? Final planning is underway for our Athletics Carnival in Week 6 (Tuesday 18th August) at Duncan McKinnon Reserve. Who will be the victorious house in 2026?! Consent/payment is required via Compass, due 11th August.

Sam Francis

Acting Assistant Principal (Junior School – Years 7-9)

School Production Rehearsals

Year 8 Camp

Auburn High School Celebrates Bastille Day

Once again, Auburn High School celebrated Bastille Day with pride and fun! On Tuesday 14 July, the school was decorated with French flags, with French music playing at every bell change.

Year 7 and 8 students learnt about the meaning of Bastille Day, while the rest of the school enjoyed face painting and a magician performing live magic tricks. A bake sale featured treats baked by students, along with croissants and pains au chocolat from famous French bakery Café Reverie.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s celebration such a success. Vive la France!

Congratulations to Our Year 9 Brevet Achievers

Congratulations to our Year 9 French Binational students, who all passed the Brevet des Collèges! Another successful year for our 3ème, who achieved outstanding results.

This year’s results were particularly strong, with 42.9% of students awarded Mention Bien and 19.0% awarded Mention Très bien, and notably, not a single student finished in the lowest passing category of Admis. It’s a real credit to the hard work and dedication of our students and staff.

Students can be proud of their achievement, which sets them up well for senior school exams in the future!

Auburn Students Shine at French Model United Nations Assembly

Congratulations to Sam P., Haydon F. and Thomas C. (Year 11 IB representing the United Arab Emirates), Rose R., Annie I. and Zara L. (Year 11 VCE representing Germany), and Sayaka P., Alex T. and Hugo M. (Year 11 VCE representing South Korea) for participating in the 2026 French Model United Nations Assembly on Friday 17 July.

A Model United Nations Assembly is a simulation of the United Nations General Assembly, following the same protocols and procedures used by the UN. As delegates, students stepped into the role of ambassadors representing their allocated country to debate the global issue of “Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development: Harnessing the Benefits and Safeguarding Human Rights.”

In the lead-up to the event, students attended a series of lunchtime meetings to research their assigned country, explore the issue of AI and human rights, and develop an understanding of their country’s position on the topic.

On the day, each delegation presented its country’s stance on the issue and proposed amendments to the draft resolution. Students collaborated with fellow delegates, debated competing viewpoints, and demonstrated their negotiation and diplomacy skills in an authentic simulation of international decision-making.

Well done to all students for their outstanding preparation, confident public speaking and professionalism throughout the day. They represented both their assigned countries and our school with distinction.

Year 7 French Partial Immersion Update: Letters from Rosheim

This term brought a lovely surprise from our pen pals at the Collège in Rosheim, Alsace, France: a batch of beautifully written end-of-year letters, sent to celebrate the close of the French school year. Many of the letters were true works of art, filled with care, colour and creativity, and our students loved reading them.

Now it’s our turn to write back! Our Year 7 French Partial Immersion class will be replying with letters about their own summer holidays, timed to arrive in September, just as French schools return from their long summer break. Alongside the letters, we’re excited to send our pen pals a copy of the Term 2 French newsletter our Year 7 Advanced class has been putting together.

We can’t wait to keep this wonderful exchange going, and merci, Rosheim, for such thoughtful letters!

Year 8 French Binational: A Taste of Truffles

As part of the topic Nutrition des plantes, Year 8 French Binational students learnt about the truffle, one of France’s most prized culinary delicacies. Students explored what makes this rare fungus so highly regarded, from the way it grows underground in a special relationship with tree roots, to the meticulous work involved in finding and harvesting it.

Thanks to a very generous parent, students then had the pleasure of tasting truffle for themselves, first on its own, and then paired with creamy camembert. For many students, it was their very first taste of this famous delicacy, and a wonderful way to bring the topic to life beyond the classroom.

The Auburn High School Library celebrated CBCA Book Week 2026 A Symphony of Stories early in Week One at the start of Term 3. https://cbca.org.au/childrens-book-week/

Students began the week creating fun poems with spines of books in the library at Recess time.

On Tuesday we had visiting local author speak to all our Year 7 English students during the incursion. Stuart Wilson is an excellent speaker who focused on the use of descriptive words and the writing process of editing and subtracting in his presentation.  Students asked good questions. Keen Year 7 students came to the AHS Library borrow and read Stuart’s books after the incursion.

On Wednesday Auburn High School had its first Book Week Costume Day for students and staff.  Amongst the Auburn Community there were the following book characters: Percy Jackson, a Pidgeon, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Paddington, Madeleine, The Outsiders, Lord from Shrek, Clarice, Dr. Seus, Matilda, Where’s Wally Team, Robin Hood, Peter Rabbit and Rapunzel  It was a wonderful day where the joy of books, reading, story, and literacy were celebrated and shared.

The following day at recess students were introduced to favourite poems, and they happily recited these poems with expression. At lunch time musical notes creation was held in the library where students were encouraged to write and draw about their favourite books. To acknowledge student participation, students have been given DARE points and a book of their choice from the winning CBCA book awards winners list.

Thank you to all the staff for your support by dressing up on the day and supporting library activities and encouraging engagement and interest of literacy.

To make space for new books the AHS Library have been busy weeding the library collection.  Fifteen boxes of weeded fiction books have been donated to local not for profit: http://www.123read2me This has helped with putting in place our community values of excellence in environment and sustainability.

Students are reminded to record the reading of their books on the Victorian Premiers Reading Challenge Website. This VPRC link is accessible via School Favorites the Star on Compass. Login and record your reading to be in the running for DARE points an invitation the pizza party at the school in September of this year. https://vprcidentity.eduweb.vic.gov.au/account/login

All students and staff are reminded to let the librarian Ms Wong know of book requests. Suitable books will be considered that will add value to our Auburn High School Library Collection and also valuable for teaching and learning. Most new requested books can be obtained from our local books supplier, contacted and processed within a week ready for borrowing.

Auburn High School proudly presents Singin’ in the Rain Jr.!

Packed with unforgettable songs, spectacular dance numbers, and plenty of laughter, this much-loved musical brings the magic of Hollywood’s golden age to the stage.

Our dedicated cast, crew, and production team have been working tirelessly to bring this iconic show to life. From dazzling performances to stunning costumes and vibrant choreography, Singin’ in the Rain Jr. promises to be an entertaining experience for audiences of all ages.

Don’t miss your chance to support our talented students and enjoy an unforgettable evening of live theatre. Tickets on sale now!

As you may be aware, there were updates made to the school uniform policy for Victorian Government schools that commenced in 2026. The changes affect items worn from the waist down (such as shorts, pants and socks). These changes are designed to make uniforms more affordable.

What hasn’t changed:

• Auburn High school logo/branding remains part of required uniform for items above the waist, such as shirts, tops, jumpers, dresses, hats and bags.
• The primary distributor for these items is Dobsons, and our second-hand uniform store on-site will continue to provide families with more economical options. https://dobsons.com.au/schools/auburn-high-school
• Students who already own uniform items with branding on waist-down items will and have continued to wear them. They remain part of the uniform.

What has changed:

From the beginning of 2026, shorts, pants and socks are not required to have the school logo or branding.

What this means for you:

• When purchasing below the waist items, you will have the option to buy plain, non-branded (no logo) generic versions.
• The school uniform policy contains the following guidance and reference to the required colours and fabrics to assist you in buying the correct items:

Academic Uniform – Trousers and shorts:

• Trousers are a tailored pant made of cotton twill (woven weave) in the colour grey
• Knit fabrics: e.g. jersey, fleece and spandex are not acceptable. A knit fabric is the type of fabric tracksuit or yoga pants are made of.
• Any pants from the Auburn High School Dobson’s Uniform store that are charcoal grey are acceptable, as are the grey shorts and trousers that are provided by State Schools Relief.

Trousers in the colour black are NOT acceptable

PE/Sport uniform – pants and shorts:

• Plain black sport shorts (no logo/branding) – these must be loose fitted and above the knee and lower than mid-thigh.
• Plain black tracksuit plants (no logos/branding) must have an elasticised band at the bottom as wide legged track pants pose an OHS tripping issue for sport.

Leggings and tight fitted yoga pants or bike shorts are NOT acceptable. 

Helpful visuals:

Black Leather School Shoes:

Sock colour guide:

If you require any assistance in purchasing additional uniform, please submit your request via the 2026 State Schools Relief Uniform Request Form

I want to thank all families for seeking to understand the updates and to ask questions along the way. If anything is unclear, please don’t hesitate to contact your relevant Year Level Leader for clarification.

Kind Regards,

Dannielle Gibson

Everyday Counts – Important Attendance Information

Going to school every day is an important part of your child’s education. Children and young people learn new things at school every day, connect with friends, have fun and develop good habits that help them to succeed. Attending and participating in school will help your child:

• develop important skills and knowledge to help them learn
• develop social and emotional skills such as good communication, resilience and team-work
• establish friendships with peers which help develop self-esteem and a sense of belonging.

There is no good number of days for missing school. Being away from school for 1 day a fortnight adds up to missing 4 whole weeks of school a year. Where possible, you should avoid your child missing school, for example, make appointments for your child outside of school hours and keep family holidays to outside term time.

The school must be informed of ALL absences, whether it be illness, appointments, holidays or any other reason. You can do this by entering the absence on Compass at the earliest opportunity. If it is a planned absence, this can be done in advance. Parents are asked to submit a Holiday Notification Form to the relevant Assistant Principal in the event of a planned family holiday during term time.

If a student is absent on a particular day and the school has not been previously notified by a parent, or the absence is otherwise unexplained, Auburn High School will notify parents by SMS. The Year Level Leader, Tutor Group teacher or Attendance Officer will attempt to contact parents as soon as practicable, soon after a short period of unexplained absence, allowing time for the parent to respond.

If you have any attendance concerns or questions regarding an SMS message you have received, please call the school and leave a message with your child’s details and we will follow up your enquiry. Please do not reply to the SMS as this service is not available.

Unwell

Please remind your children not to contact you directly during the day to let you know they are unwell.  Instead, if they are feeling unwell, they need to ask the teacher to visit our Sickbay, and our First Aid Officer will contact you accordingly.  If you need to pick them up this will be organised via Sickbay.

VCE/IB/VM students

Please remember to provide Medical Certificates for VCE students for any medical absences.  This is to help maintain their VCE Attendance requirements for all students who are in Year 11 and Year 12 and students that are in Year 10 and completing a Year 11 or 12 subject.  Please forward certificates to our school email address auburn.hs@education.vic.gov.au 

Protocols around students arriving late to school:

Arriving to school for the day after 8.51am (i.e. Late arrival to school):

• All students are expected to arrive at school in enough time to get organised for Periods 1 and 2 and to be punctual to Tutor Group. Students can enter the school building via the student entrance at 8:30am and have 15 minutes to organise themselves.
• Any student who arrives at school after 8:51am must report to the front office to sign in prior to going to timetabled classes. Staff at the front office will log the arrival time in Compass and instruct the student to go straight to class. A staff member will also enroll students in a lunchtime detention when students do not provide a note: IE lateness is ‘unapproved’.
• If students arrive late to Tutor Group, they will not be required to report to the front office (either in the Main Building or Senior Building). Tutor Group teachers will log the lateness/absence on Compass.

Arriving to Class (Tutor Group, scheduled class or activity) late with no approval:

If a student arrives late to any Tutor Group, scheduled class or activity the teacher will mark the student ‘late’ on Compass. Our teachers will engage in a conversation with the student and establish strategies to prevent ongoing lateness.

Regular lateness or non-attendance to Tutor Group will be monitored by a staff member on Compass and a staff member will enrol the student in a lunchtime detention for regular lateness (3 or more times) to Tutor Group, scheduled classes or activities.

Early departure from school:

All students must sign out of the school via the front office where they have an approved reason for early dismissal. Approval will be granted with a parent note via Compass prior to signing out.