Personal Glimpses

  • After the Black Saturday Bushfires, the Brunswick Secondary College felt the need to help the schools nearest to us. We had a Black Clothes Day where students donated a gold coin or more to the cause. We raised over $7,000. This was a great achievement that brought pride to our school community. Annalivia - Year 11

  • Our team was thrilled to win every debate in the competition as we have never been undefeated for a whole competition before. We are all excited about the finals. Thanks to Ms Kanela Gianakakis for her time and support to Brunswick Secondary College's many debating teams.Claudia - Year 9

  • For Work Experience I was fortunate to be placed at Penguin Publishers. I did things like photocopying, writing press releases, doing mail-outs to Radio stations and magazines, sorting through reviews and replenishing store stocks. I learnt about the publishing system and being a sales rep. I had heaps of fun. Savanna- Year 10 

  • I chose to do Work Experience in the area of Criminal Law. I worked with a barrister studying criminal law at a law firm. He let me analyse some cases. I also visited the Magistrates Court, the County Court, Appeals Court, Supeme Court and the Supreme Court library. This experience has made me eager work in Law in the future.   John - Year 10  

  • As part of the ALP (Applied Learning Program), my English class had to complete a project on student directed learning. I chose to do my project on landscaping. I was excited to learn more about this topic, the techniquest that are used and the processes for creating garden designs. I designed a garden for my teacher, Alison Sanza. It was good fun to use Google Sketch to create the garden.Ismail Year 10 

  • Over the past week, I have participated in a unit called Student Directed Curricullum. We developed our own topics and had to create assessment tasks based on skills we wanted to develop.  I chose Home Designs and Model Building. I created a model house on Google Sketch-Up. The presentation was a great success and I got praise from every teacher. Nathan, Year 10

  • Competing in the Internatiional Maths Olympiad  in Germany was a great honour. The highlights were winning a Gold Medal , meeting former IMO Gold Medallist and Fields Medal holder, Australian Terry Tao, and training beforehand with the British team in Cambridge.Andrew Elvey-Price, Year 12 

  • In 2008 I was part of the Bushwhacked class. We learnt lots of different skills, including rock climbing, swimming, orienteering and much more. I completed a season of Netball training. I also went with three of my friends to work at St Vincent’s Hospital for three months.  Alinta , Year 10  

  • In circus we are learning how to juggle and how to be confident in front of people. We have only had a few lessons so far. Our teacher Mr Hall is really nice. Next we will learn to tumble and do flips. I'm very excited. Ella, Year 7

  • Congratulations to Nilay Yalcin who, having just completed the third year of a Bio- Medicine degree at the University of Melbourne, has been accepted to do Medicine at Monash University commencing this year. Nilay, who was the 2005 Brunswick Secondary College Dux, has always wanted to be a Doctor. We wish her well and are proud of her success.

  •  I loved doing my Work Experience in Child Care. The  kids were great and it was fun to watch them at that stage of life, they have a great imagination and can have fun with something simple. Emma - Year 10   

  • I was surprised and elated when I heard that I had won a Swannie Award. These awards are given to the best speaker from each grade in debating. At Brunswick we are given really fanatastic debating opportunities including workshops and competitions. Debating has helped me become more confident in speaking to large groups and with essays, presentations and my general approach to studying and thinking about issues.  Holly, Year 10  

  • I have been involved in the Rock Eisteddfod for two years now. IN 2007, Brunswick won the Premier Division, In 2008, we were lucky to come 3rd. The Rock Eisteddfod days have been the best days of my life. This year we are performing in the Raw Division but will go back to Premier Division next year.
    Mallory- Year 8   

  • I'm estat6ic about winning the Legacy Junior Public Speaking Competition regional final. It felt great to know that my hard work and the support of my teachers had paid off. I am now working towards competing in the Preliminary Finals in September. Brianna - Year 9

  • I am very excited to have made the Under 15 State Golf Development Squad. I will be attending various training camps during the year and playing in the boy's championship in the coming holidays. My current handicap is 8 andI will be working hard to lower it in the coming weeks.Alex -Year 9 

  • Over the past five years at Brunswick SC, we have seen the school grow and develop into a great place. We are proud to be part of a team working hard to improve Brunswick and look forward to representing our fellow students and working closely with the school leadership and staff.  Leah Cox &  Tom Campion, 2009 School Captains  

Philosophy of Kendo

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Opportunity

Kendo teaches the importance of recognising and seizing hold of opportunity when it arises, without hesitation. Brunswick Secondary College is one of the only schools outside Japan to offer kendo, and one of only a handful around the world who offer such an innovative martial arts programme as part of their school curriculum.Currently the school offers kendo as a classroom elective at years 7, 8 and 9, and as an after-school activity.

Kendo pedagogy

The kendo dojo is a little different to a normal classroom. The space itself is seen as sacred, and respect is shown for all people and things involved in learning:

  • the sword, which is a symbol of the self
  • the opponent, who is a partner in the journey
  • the teacher, who is the living embodiment of the art
  • the dojo, which is a microcosm of the world

Kendo classes offer students a safe, structured and supportive environment in which they can test the limits of their focus and their perseverance.  The kendo dojo is a training hall for human beings, not the undisciplined, and this elective uses the shinai (bamboo sword) to explore the principles of humanity that underlie bushido, the samurai way.