Preshil Weekly – Term 2 Week 2

Welcome to Term 2

Thank you for your patience while we paused the newsletter during the development of our new website. More on that below.

The term has begun in wonderful fashion. Our children and young people have returned happily to their friends, teachers, and the rich Preshil learning experience. It has also been a pleasure to see continued growth in our enrolments through Term 1, and to warmly welcome a number of new families into our community as we begin the term.

Term 2 is a significant period in our yearly calendar. With learning now in full flow, we begin to add further layers that elevate the experience for our students. Camps feature across many cohorts, performances and exhibitions become more prominent, and by the end of term we share our holistic reports, celebrating the growth and individuality of each young person at Preshil.

There is also much to look forward to in the weeks ahead:

• 6 May – May Autumn Soirée
• 13 May – Arlington Master Plan online meeting with families
• 27 May – Middle School Program Launch Evening
• 30 May – Lincoln Square House Warming. This will be a special opportunity for our broader community to come together and “warm” the Lincoln Square old piano factory, Preshil-style, before more significant construction begins. It promises to be a galvanising moment, bringing together past and present Preshilians as we step into an exciting new chapter.
• 2 June – Annual General Meeting
• 25 June – Winter Solstice Celebration. A true Preshil highlight and whole-school event — with performances, lanterns, soup, and mulled wine. Please mark this date in your calendar.

A Global Lens on Our Beautiful School

Our recent study tour of progressive and innovative schools across the United States offered a powerful affirmation of what makes Preshil so distinctive on the global stage.

Time and again, our observations confirmed that Preshil’s authentic mixed-age culture, the depth of agency we cultivate, and the genuine sense of belonging and freedom that defines our community are significant strengths, qualities that many internationally renowned schools actively aspire to. Our relational warmth and our commitment to seeing children and young people as whole, capable individuals stood out as something truly special.

At the same time, the visit surfaced exciting opportunities to further strengthen the school we already love. In particular, within this current moment of Middle School Program design and Senior Studio iteration, we have a unique platform to work alongside our team in discerning how these learnings might be thoughtfully layered into our evolving programs and approach. The aim is a highly deliberate model of progressive education that supports the full potential of every child and young person.

These new insights are in no way departures from who we are, but rather potential opportunities for thoughtful enhancement, strengthening a Preshil education that is already, in global terms, beautifully progressive.

Our New Website

As mentioned earlier, we are very proud to be launching our new website, the culmination of 18 months of work in marketing, branding, and articulating our voice.

I’m now pleased to hand over to Lucy, our Marketing, Community Engagement and Advancement Manager, who will share more about the journey of bringing the new website to life.

While we are launching our new website this week, it represents the culmination of 18 months of thoughtful work - beginning with defining our audience, creating our tagline Made for Originals, and shaping a brand voice that feels true to how we speak about ourselves: real, bold and warm. Following this, we developed our visual identity: refining the courageous golden eagle and typography, and complimenting them with colours and textures drawn from our built, created and natural campus environments. At various points, our community helped shape this work through feedback and conversation. In addition, new photographs show our students as they truly are, while a beautiful video on the home page (created by current parents/alumni) captures the spirit of our community. While the site has just launched, it will continue to evolve, with more elements already in development. Together, these elements have shaped a brand identity that clearly reflects the character of Preshil and we hope this new showcase makes you proud to be part of the Preshil community.

Warmly,
Aaron Mackinnon, 
Principal

Earth Day Environmental Commons Excursion to the Melbourne Museum

On Wednesday 22 April, several Year 9 and 10 students went on an excursion to the Melbourne Museum to celebrate “Earth Day”.

Earth Day around the world is considered the birthday of the modern environmental movement. Therefore, it was fitting that the students of Preshil were treated to a viewing of a documentary about one of the pioneers of Australia’s environmental movement, Bob Brown. 

This documentary entitled “The Giants” followed the personal, environmental and political progress of Bob Brown from his formative years to the present time. The doco showed how Bob’s family, friends and foes shaped him into the powerful advocate for conservation, marriage equality and international politics.  

Alongside the ‘Giant’ of Bob Brown, the documentary elegantly spoke to the biology and ecology of some of the last primary forests on Earth which Australia is lucky to have in Tasmania.  

After the movie, documentary makers Laurence Billiet and Rachael Antony answered questions about the film, and Bob Brown who the audiences questions about his life. Two Preshil students asked questions including, “What was your proudest moment,” and “What people in the past or present have you recognised as a figure of environmental change and what can I and others in this room do to be more like them?” Great questions and inspirational answers from the Great Bob Brown!

After the documentary, the students got to shake hands and have an informal chat with this most gracious Australian legend of the environmental and civil rights movement!

Thanks to Carolina Imlach Castano for organising this event and to Melbourne Museum for bringing together such an interesting group of influential and creative people.

Sylvie's Student Café

At Preshil, students are encouraged to pursue their passions and interests.

Through this, they develop the essential skills and deep knowledge needed to become self-motivated, lifelong learners. Sylvie’s Student Café is an important component of her successful journey within the VCE Vocational Major program.

IB Theatre Solo Event

Last week, our Year 12 Theatre class presented three solo performances centred around the concept of identity that have been videoed and being sent to the IB. Synopsis: A man attempted to console his crying partner in a bathroom. A teenager has two voices that control his identity. What if the story of Cinderella was set in 2026 in a modern Australian household where women are expected to do the bulk of the labour?

These performances were polished, provoking and well received. Congratulations to our Year 12s for tackling such brave topics.

Celebrating Our Philanthropic Community at Preshil

As we look forward to Preshil's exciting campus developments we hosted a philanthropic event for supporters in our community to come together.

The event started with a tour of our Lincoln Square Campus where two of our talented musicians performed their original keyboard duets. This was an amazing connection between our creative students and the buildings former life as a piano factory.

Drama Excursion - Bromance

Last week, our IB Theatre, VCE Drama and Exploring Drama classes went to the Motley Bauhas to see the hilarious Commedia Dell'Arte performance from Make A Scene, "Bromance".

Our cheeks hurt by the end of the performance, as the play was so engaging, and our students asked insightful questions about acting, audition advice and design ideas for their assessments.

Debating Round 2 Preshil's A Grade Team

Preshil's debating students led with an exceptional argument for the affirmative team; 'that very wealthy individuals i.e.; Clive Palmer and Alegra Spender, should not be allowed to run for Parliament in Australia'. Congratulations to Hunter for a very well-presented opening speech for their first ever debate.