Term 4 has commenced positively, with our students returning with great energy and enthusiasm.
In the second week of term, our Year 12 students concluded their official classes at Buckley Park College. We celebrated their 13 years of schooling with the traditional Year 12 Breakfast and College Assembly on Thursday, followed by a day of fun and bonding at Funfields on Friday. From Week 3, our Year 12 students have been focused on preparing for their upcoming external VCE exams.
I am extremely proud of the 2025 Year 12 cohort, our largest to date. Their commitment to our college values and their support of one another throughout the year have been exemplary. I wish each of them every success as they strive to achieve their personal best in their exams.
A special thank you goes to our College Captains, whose leadership, energy, and dedication have greatly enriched our school community. They have been instrumental in uniting the student body and leading a variety of initiatives throughout the year.
On 23 October 2025, we celebrated the opening of our annual Art & Design Exhibition, showcasing the remarkable creative talents of our students across the college. The exhibition was a tremendous success.
This term, 46 Year 9 students attended the Leadership Camp at Rubicon, participating in a range of outdoor activities including hiking, kayaking, and rock climbing. In addition, four Year 9 students are spending the entire term at Gnurad-Gundidj School in Glenormiston South as part of the School for Student Leadership program, which focuses on experiential learning beyond the classroom. My thanks go to Mr Carey and the team of teachers who supported our students during these experiences.
Our Year 10 students also completed Work Experience earlier this term — the first year that all Year 10 students were required to participate. The feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive. I would like to thank Ms Ferridge and our teachers for visiting students in their workplaces and supporting this valuable learning opportunity.
Over the holidays, our VCE Unit 3 and 4 students attended Trial Exams, which allowed them to apply their learning under exam conditions and receive feedback ahead of their final assessments. My thanks to Ms Vargas and her team for coordinating these exams.
In the first week of term, our Year 10 Health Day focused on building peer connections through workshops with Elephant Ed, Art Therapy, and Team Sports. Thank you to Claire and the Wellbeing Team for organising this important event.
Our Year 7–9 students recently completed Literacy and Numeracy PAT testing, providing valuable data on student growth and helping us identify students for extension and support programs in 2026.
Capital Works
I am delighted to announce that Essence Project Management has been selected as our Project Manager for the $19.3 million Capital Works Program. Essence has reviewed the project, and we anticipate releasing a construction tender in the week of 20 October 2025.
Over the holidays, ramp upgrade works continued and are expected to be completed by the end of the year. I am currently finalising some design aspects, and I am pleased that our Accessibility Building Program will commence at the end of 2025 and be completed by mid-2026.
It is wonderful to see our college receiving this well-deserved investment, modernising our facilities and ensuring that our students have access to a contemporary learning environment.
Planning for 2026
Planning for 2026 is well underway. Workforce planning and recruitment are now complete, and the Leadership Team is reflecting on our 2025 achievements while setting clear goals, actions, and targets for the year ahead.
A Note of Thanks
I wish to apologise for the disappointing way the announcement of my transfer was publicised. This was not consistent with DET processes, and I understand it may have caused unnecessary concern in our community.
The college remains in a strong and positive position, with steady improvement in learning data, growing enrolments, and significant investment in facilities. Our success at Buckley Park College is built on a strong partnership between families, students, and staff. The continued dedication and commitment of our teachers ensure that every initiative we implement is driven by a student-focused approach.
This is an exciting time for our college, and I look forward to celebrating our students’ achievements and sharing further updates on new developments in the coming weeks.
Warm regards,
Harold Cheung
