Year 10 INSPIRE Program

Students from both campuses had the incredible opportunity to meet Yorta Yorta singer-songwriter Scott Darlow. Scott not only performed his music live, but also shared deeply personal and moving stories from his life, creating a powerful and unforgettable experience.

A proud Aboriginal man, Scott, led a highly interactive discussion, engaging students with humour, his strong sporting opinions, and meaningful conversations about racism in sport. He even handed out a boomerang during the session, making the experience even more memorable. Throughout the talk, Scott shared stories from his childhood, including working alongside his father, explaining how he travelled to 39 different countries, and how he moved to Hong Kong and back at a very young age. Despite his global experiences, he repeatedly expressed that Australia remains the best place in the world.

Scott spoke about his father’s humanitarian work with refugees, and how witnessing such hardship shaped his understanding of privilege and empathy. He also discussed the importance of role models, explaining that many people grow up without positive guidance. Using his father’s life as an example, he shared a vulnerable story about how trauma and abuse can affect a person’s life, even when they have done great good. He also reflected on the long-lasting impacts of domestic violence, emphasising how trauma can remain even years later.

He connected this message to Indigenous communities, highlighting how the lack of stable role models can affect education and life opportunities for Aboriginal youth. Scott shared that during a recent prison visit, 100 out of 105 young people he met were Aboriginal children, showing the consequences of systemic disadvantage and showcasing how the lack of good role models results to these unfortunate numbers.

Scott also shared stories passed down through his family about life before colonisation, including a tragic real-life story of a young boy who died after being denied medicine because of his skin colour. This story gave students a glimpse into the injustices Indigenous Australians have faced.

To conclude, Scott introduced the acronym FLUTE-Forgiveness, Love, Understanding, Tolerance and Empathy—as a guide for living a meaningful life despite adversity. Many students left feeling inspired, moved and grateful for the lessons he shared.

Riona J – 10WB 

Maddingley

Year 9 Life Saving Excursion

On Monday 23 February, our Year 9 students travelled to Eastern Beach in Geelong to participate in the Life Saving Victoria; Lifesaving Education Program. This program aims to develop “Everyday Lifesavers” by equipping students with practical water safety, lifesaving and emergency response skills that help them make safe decisions when enjoying Victoria’s waterways.

Throughout the day, students took part in a range of engaging activities focused on recognising aquatic hazards, understanding beach environments and learning how to respond if they or someone else is in danger. The hands-on activities allowed students to practise key lifesaving skills while working in a real coastal setting.

Our students represented the school extremely well, showing enthusiasm, teamwork and willingness while participating in the program. One student reflected, “The life-saving excursion was a great experience, what I really liked was how it encouraged people to step out of their comfort zone and teach them valuable life-saving skills.”

Many students commented on how enjoyable the day was, highlighting activities such as jumping from the pier with life jackets, practising rescue techniques and learning how lifesavers respond in emergency situations. Others described the experience as fun and engaging, noting how much they enjoyed getting into the water and trying the different lifesaving activities.

Overall, it was fantastic to see students actively participating, learning important water safety skills and enjoying a great day by the coast.

Joshua Minto – Head of Year 9

Year 10 English Incursion

The Year 10 English students at Maddingley campus had an exciting and memorable experience last week, welcoming The Eagles Nest Theatre Co for a captivating live performance of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. As part of their current unit of study, students have been diving deep into Miller’s powerful exploration of hysteria and fear, reputation and respect, and power and justice in Puritan Salem. Seeing these themes brought to life on stage proved to be an invaluable extension of their classroom learning.

The performance took place in the Auditorium of The Hive building, providing students with an engaging environment to witness the tension and drama of the text unfold before them. The portrayal of characters such as Abigail Williams and John Proctor gave students a richer appreciation of the complex motivations and relationships of the play.

Following the performance, students had the opportunity to engage directly with the cast in discussions around key scenes, deepening their understanding of the text. The English faculty was thoroughly impressed by the maturity and enthusiasm demonstrated by students throughout the event.

Chantel Brooks – Yr 10 English Teacher

VCE Art Making and Exhibiting – Ballarat Excursion

Students studying Unit 1 and Unit 3 of VCE Art Making and Exhibiting recently visited a range of exhibitions in Ballarat to support their understanding of contemporary art and the exhibition process.

The first stop was the Next Gen 2026 exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat’s BackSpace Gallery. This exhibition showcases work by Year 12 students from the Ballarat region who completed their VCE studies in 2025 and includes the work of three Bacchus Marsh Grammar students Emily Marchington, Anna Seymour and Matilda Woods. The students saw a wide range of ideas and techniques, were able to view the SAT folios for these final artworks, and took part in an education briefing with the Education Officers. This experience will help them to consider how to plan, develop and present their own work throughout the year.

We also visited the Art Space Gallery, an artist run space that was hosting a group show of four Ballarat artists, one of whom was supervising the show and gave our students an insight into the exhibition process.

The students then visited Post Office Gallery to view Scope 26, a group exhibition showcasing work by Federation University’s Visual Art lecturers, including the work of world-renown performance artist Jill Orr.

The excursion helped our students gain a better understanding of how artists plan, create and exhibit their work, as well as how artworks can communicate complex topics.

Catherine Finnigan – Teacher

Longest Lunch

On Friday 27 February, 20 students from the Year 11 and 12 VET Hospitality classes participated in the Rayner First National Real Estate Longest Lunch at St Anne’s Winery, at which Bacchus Marsh Grammar has had a long and proud history of participation.
This year’s event again focused on supporting local community group, Soul Foods, who generously provide meals and other essentials to those in need in the Bacchus Marsh community.

Led by the Year 12s, the students worked in small teams to prepare and set the long table for 140 people, then served and cleared a three-course meal for guests. A small team of students was also fortunate enough to work under the guidance of Executive Chef Chris Timmins, preparing and plating each of the dishes served.

All students represented Bacchus Marsh Grammar with pride, with many comments made especially by past BMG staff, of their professionalism and high standard of service.

Nicole Garner and Nadelle Kiley – Hospitality teachers