Astronomy Update

We are excited to share some images of NGC 253 captured from the new observatory at Staughton Vale!

Located approximately 11.4 million light-years from Earth, NGC 253 is one of the brightest spiral galaxies visible from the Southern Hemisphere. It is commonly referred to as the Sculptor Galaxy, named after its parent constellation, the Silver Dollar Galaxy, a nickname inspired by its round, luminous appearance through a telescope. Scientifically, it is classified as a starburst galaxy, meaning it is undergoing an exceptionally high rate of star formation.

The observatory captured multiple images of the galaxy, including two raw frames intended for scientific analysis and a processed, stacked image that reveals the galaxy’s stunning structure and detail. The stacked image combines several exposures to enhance clarity and contrast.

The ability to observe and study galaxies millions of light-years away brings a new element to our science curriculum and opens exciting opportunities for learning in astronomy.

Sarah Thomson – Head of Science (Maddingley)

Karl Wild – Teacher

Student Poetry Competition

Bacchus Marsh Grammar students have achieved outstanding success in the 2025 Independent Schools Victoria Student Poetry Competition, with a remarkable range of entries recognised across written poetry and performance categories. This year’s theme of gratitude inspired more than 1300 student submissions, making these achievements especially impressive.

We are delighted to congratulate Neev J (1B), whose poem My Magical Car Ride was awarded winner in the written poetry category. Alongside this exceptional result, several other students received honourable mentions for their thoughtful and creative work:

• Isabella (4F) for Animal Classes
• Myra G (4C) for Sounds of Instruments – Haiku
• Ryan B (8C) for Voices in Colour
• Sachee S (8H) for Only When It’s Goodbye
• Sai P (7A) for You’ve Reached Sam
• Arshiya H (10WA) for Solitary Dove

We also celebrate our talented finalists whose pieces stood out for their originality and expressive power:

• Myra M (4WD) for her performance piece My Gratitude Diary
• Shaurya J (3B) for the performance piece Heroes of the Ocean
• Nabihah S (10WA) for her written poem The Black Swan

These results reflect the strength of our students’ ideas, the creativity they bring to their work and the care they invest in their writing and performances.

Click here to read Neev’s winning poem

Click here to access the Student Poetry Competition Page

Nicole Heywood – Assistant Principal: Head of Senior School (Woodlea)

Corah Barker – Teacher

New French exchange with Lycée Notre Dame Saint-Sigisbert in Nancy, France.

From the 14 to 25 October Bacchus Marsh Grammar played host to a group of ten students and their two accompanying teachers from France. This is new a new link which has been forged with our sister school in Nancy, France, and October’s visit was the French school’s first visit to Australia.

During their time here our guest’s spent time kangaroo watching at Staughton Vale, had a guided tour of Melbourne CBD and the Old Melbourne Gaol, and spent two days discovering the natural beauty of the Victorian coastline.

Our French guests attended classes with their host student, and whilst onsite had the opportunity to try their hand at making Anzac biscuits, Fairy Bread and Milo! Of course, we couldn’t let them do all this without plying them with that great Aussie staple – Tim Tams. (The original version, of course.) A massive thank you goes out to everyone who helped make this short stay so successful and memorable for both sides.

Here are a couple of quotes from our host families:

“We thoroughly enjoyed having our guest, and it was a fantastic opportunity to show them the tourist spots of Melbourne which we do not often realise are on our doorstep”

“Our family really enjoyed the opportunity to open out house to a French student. We were able to show them our family life, a mixture of Australia and our own traditions. This is certainly something which help to break down stereotypes and make for a better world all round”

“I am deeply and truly grateful for the generosity and warmth which was shown by our families to all our guests during their short stay. Without this generosity, such trips could not go ahead. These are the kinds of opportunities which Bacchus Marsh Grammar wishes to provide, and I personally feel that such trips open the door to life-long friendships, as well as an appreciation of other cultures and languages” said Mrs Ogston, Principal.

It is anticipated that senior school students of French will have the opportunity to take part in the return visit to Nancy which is pencilled in for March 2026. Keep a look out for information and return your Expressions of Interest as soon as possible!

Duncan Malcolm – Head of Faculty: Languages (Maddingley)

Congratulations to our Garden Champions!

We’re thrilled to celebrate the students who participated in this year’s annual Bacchus Marsh Flower & Garden Show, held the weekend of 24 October. Each week at the Maddingley Raised Garden Beds, the students and staff of our Junior Produce & Landcare Club have been growing a vibrant array of vegetables – peas, carrots, beetroot and more.

Their efforts were rewarded with certificates and merits across several categories. What’s more, we’re proud to announce that for the second year in a row one of our students took out the “Best in Class – Photography” Award!

Entries were further bolstered by produce and floral arrangements from our Staughton Vale Campus, alongside additional staff-independent entries, highlighting our school’s strong commitment to horticultural practices and our continued success in this area.

The local community was delighted to see horticulture being adopted into the school curriculum and were excited to share that a representative from the Royal Horticultural Society of Victoria (RHSV) is now keen to visit our school to meet the successful students and explore our future horticulture pathway. And it was great to see so many

staff and students attending the community event throughout the weekend.

Interested in joining in next year? Make sure you visit the Co-Curricular Club every Friday and get involved, you could be the next winner!

The award winners were,

• Jaden V – 1st Place and Best in Section (Photography)
• Divjot S – 1st Place (Vegetables)
• Gurkeerat K – 2nd Place (Carrots)
• Mannreet S – 2nd Place (Peas)
• Staughton Vale Campus – 2nd Place (Mixed Citrus)
• Staughton Vale Campus – 2nd Place (Broccoli)
• Staughton Vale Campus – 2nd Place (Australian Natives)
• Ayansh G – 3rd Place (Carrots)
• Harbin K – 3rd Place (Peas)
• Luke G – 3rd Place (Mixed Citrus)
• Staughton Vale Campus – 3rd Place (Silverbeet)
• Andrea F – Highly Commended (Colouring)
• Harshimi E – Highly Commended (Colouring)
• Emerson P – Highly Commended (Colouring)

David Gorton – Head of Campus (Staughton Vale)

The Great BMG Sunflower competition returns for 2025

Over the next few weeks, look out for some of our youngest horticulturalists taking part in the annual sunflower challenge. From Prep to Grade 4, students from both Maddingley and Woodlea will be nurturing a class seedling until the end of the school year.

At Bacchus Marsh Grammar, the sunflower has become a symbol of growth, positivity, and community. Much like the sunflower turns toward the sun, our students are encouraged to seek knowledge and new opportunities for learning. The sunflower also reflects our strong connection to the environment through programs at the Staughton Vale Campus, where students engage in hands-on horticulture, sustainability, and Landcare activities. Bright, resilient, and full of life, the sunflower represents the optimism and ongoing growth that define the BMG community.

We also hope to share the competition across our wider community towards the end of the school year.

Good luck to all of our participants.

David Gorton – Head of Campus (Staughton Vale)

Maddingley

Maddingley Exam Timetable – Semester 2 2025

Pink Day

Pink Day was a wonderful opportunity for our school to come together in support of Breast Cancer awareness. It was fantastic to see so many students proudly wearing pink accessories, showing their support for this important cause.

The highlight of the day was the Pink Cricket events held across Junior, Middle and Senior School. These activities not only brought fun and friendly competition but also helped unite students from all year levels in a shared purpose.

A special shout out goes to our Year 10 and 11 students who played a vital role in organising and running the day’s events. Their dedication and leadership made the day run smoothly and ensured everyone had a great time.

Overall, Pink Day was a meaningful reminder of the power of community and the importance of supporting those affected by Breast Cancer.

Ainslee Grinter – Head of Year 10 (Maddingley)

Woodlea

Woodlea Students Represent at the Aintree Remembrance Service

On Sunday 2 November, Bacchus Marsh Grammar students proudly represented our school community at the Remembrance Service held at Aintree. Two students, Kushpreet K and Kosheen P delivered moving speeches they had developed to honour the fallen soldiers and to reflect on the enduring impact of their service in shaping the freedoms and values we enjoy today. Their words demonstrated deep respect and understanding of the importance of remembrance in our everyday lives.

Following the speeches, a student from each sub-school laid a wreath on behalf of Bacchus Marsh Grammar to commemorate those who served and sacrificed for our nation. As a community, we then joined together in a moment of reflection during the playing of The Last Post and united in singing the National Anthem.

Many community representatives, including local organisations, families, and veterans, were in attendance to pay their respects. Bacchus Marsh Grammar values these opportunities for students to engage meaningfully with local commemorations and to demonstrate the school’s ongoing commitment to respect, gratitude, and community connection.

Courtney Williams – Deputy Head of Junior School (Woodlea)

Visual Arts

A huge congratulations to all our Junior School students for their incredible, blue-themed artworks that were showcased at this year’s Royal Melbourne Show. Each piece reflected creativity, effort and a wonderful sense of imagination. We are so proud of the way our young artists represented our school through their artistic talents.

A special mention goes to Srishti P, who received Second Prize, Ira D, who received Third Prize, and Anaya S, who was awarded Very Highly Commended for her beautiful artwork. These wonderful achievements are a testament to their creativity, effort and dedication to their art.

We also celebrated our annual Art Show, where stunning artworks from the Junior, Middle and Senior School were proudly displayed. The exhibition was a vibrant showcase of colour, creativity and skill, with each student contributing something unique and inspiring. It was wonderful to see families and our school community come together to celebrate the artistic achievements of our students.

Well done to everyone for making this year’s art celebrations such a success!

Lucinda Degiorgio – Teacher

Angela Ryder – Teacher

Alison Thompson – Teacher

Art Show

On October 22 and 23, the Woodlea Campus hosted the 2025 Art Show, where we celebrated the creativity and achievements of our students across all year levels in the Visual Arts. It was fantastic to see families, students and staff come together to view and appreciate the work on display.

I would like to extend my gratitude to our Visual Arts staff: Danielle Houghton, Nicole Heywood, Lucinda Degiorgio, Angela Ryder, Vanessa Kamcev and Alison Thompson. Their tireless work throughout the whole year ensured that the exhibition ran as well as it did. Thank you also to Courtney Williams for her support with the Junior School displays, and to Sinisha Zdero for his ongoing assistance throughout the setup and event. I’d also like to acknowledge the many staff who contributed behind the scenes – your support is greatly appreciated.

Last but not least, congratulations to our students. The Art Show highlighted your imagination and artistic growth. We are incredibly proud of your work.

Click here to see all the photos from this event.

Anthony Cunsolo – Head of Faculty: Visual Arts (Woodlea)

The Great BMG Sunflower Competition returns for 2025

Over the next few weeks, look out for some of our youngest horticulturalists taking part in the annual Sunflower Challenge. From Prep to Grade 4, students from both Maddingley and Woodlea will be nurturing a class seedling until the end of the school year.

At Bacchus Marsh Grammar, the sunflower has become a symbol of growth, positivity and community. Much like the sunflower turns toward the sun, our students are encouraged to seek knowledge and new opportunities for learning. The sunflower also reflects our strong connection to the environment through programs at the Staughton Vale Campus, where students engage in hands-on horticulture, sustainability, and Landcare activities. Bright, resilient and full of life, the sunflower represents the optimism and ongoing growth that define the BMG community.

We also hope to share the competition across our wider community towards the end of the school year.

Good luck to all of our participants.

David Gorton – Head of Campus (Staughton Vale)