Co-Curricular
It’s important that each student feels they have an opportunity to explore their interests and passions outside of the classroom. We believe that a generous co-curricular program can be vital in motivating and stimulating our students to want to learn. We facilitate a vast array of extracurricular activities throughout the year to enhance and enrich learning. These programs complement our formal curriculum and are integral to the growth of our learners and the development of their sense of self.
Camps
Camps are a core part of the Australian education and offer limitless opportunities for growth and learning beyond the classroom. All of our camps are designed to develop team building and leadership qualities as well as introduce students to skills that would serve them in our country’s challenging environment.
Year 7 Transition Camp | Introductory ‘getting to know you’ camp, in an adventure outdoors setting.
Year 8 Surf Camp | Students learn about coastal ecosystems and participate in a range of activities including cycling, hiking, snorkling, boogie boarding and surfing.
Year 9 Bush Camp | Students finish their academic year with a camp that focuses on bushwalking, cross-country cycling and canoeing.
Year 9 New Zealand Volleyball Tour | Students travel to New Zealand to compete with international schools and teams.
Year 10 Central Tour | A longstanding tradition of the school that was first established in 1966. Students can elect to join this bus expedition to Central Australia at the end of Term 1, with experiences along the way that include Camel rides, hiking around Uluru, Camping under the stars, and exploring remote and iconic areas such as Coober Pedy.
Sister School Tour | Students in grades 7-12 are invited to partake in our Japan Homestay with our sister school Mito Eiko JHS (The next tour is scheduled for 2025)
Later Years Surf Camp – Students engaged in the Surf Life Saving Program complete their Bronze certificate during a week’s stay with the Woolamai Surf life Saving Club.
Music Camp | The first week of Term 2 students involved in the Instrumental Music Program are invited to Ferngully Lodge in Healesville where they spend several days bonding through rehearsals and music wokrshops.
Year 9 Camps at Bonnie Doon and Kilcunda
Music and Performing Arts
Students have the opportunity to express and explore their creative passions through various extracurricular engagements at Upwey High School.
Instrumental Music Program
At Upwey, we are fortunate to boast a highly experienced music department, well-resourced with practice and rehearsal spaces, and a newly built recording studio. Our team of dedicated staff and talented musicians offer students weekly lessons, alongside ensemble rehearsals and performance opportunities. We have an exciting and vibrant program that students love to be involved in.
Learning an instrument and playing music with others has huge benefits for young students; connecting with other music students, confidence building, cultural expression and identity, as well as enhanced independent learning. Weekly instrumental lessons are scheduled on a rotating timetable and typically in groups of 2-4 students (VCE students have one-on-one lessons). Our diverse program offers tuition in Piano, voice, guitar, percussion, bass, trumpet, trombone, tuba, French horn, flute, and saxophone.
Ensembles
Our music department runs several ensembles throughout the academic year. Students beginning their learning are assigned to junior ensembles with others at a similar level, and then progress to more senior groups, eventually joining the VCE and/or VET music program. Here they are supported to run their own ensembles, mentored by their instrumental and classroom teachers.
Ensembles run regularly throughout the term and welcome all students learning an instrument to learn, perform and bond with fellow musicians. A multitude of performance opportunities are offered throughout the year, including schoolwide concerts, VCE performance nights, music tours of local primary schools, and school-based performances.
School Production
The school production is an incredibly welcoming program encouraging students from both lower and later years with interests in acting, dancing, singing, technical production (lights and sound), make-up, costume, and set design to contribute. Our annual production has created a highly collaborative culture since its introduction to the school’s program in 1955. It is proudly supported by the parents and friends of the Performing Arts Support Group, which includes ex-students who work as professionals in the industry and offer our students valuable support and mentoring. Since 2017 productions have been written in-house by the Head of Performing Arts, Ric Dooley and this inspires creative input from all involved. Students are currently working on the 2024 production; Flo The Cleaning Lady and her best friend Eric (at least I think that’s his name) save the world. Past productions include:
- Shoniqua, Loquitua, LaMaybelle… and Jill (2023)
- Up in Lights (2022)
- Normal (2019)
- The Meaning (2018)
- Bye Bye Birdie (2016)
- Up in Lights (2017)
- High School Musical (2015)
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (2015)
- Guys and Dolls (2012)
- Grease (2011)
- Pirates of Penzance (2010)
Sport
Knox District Sport Competition
We play against other secondary schools in the Knox District. There are two summer and one winter sport round-robin competitions that offer a large range of sports opportunities including; cricket, tennis, volleyball. softball, baseball, netball, AFL, soccer, badminton, table tennis and basketball.
UHS Sports Carnivals
The school also runs 3 whole school sports carnivals:
- House Athletics Carnival
- House Swimming Carnival
- CrossCountry/Colour Run
Volleyball Program
Upwey High School runs a specialised Volleyball Program across years 7-12, fostering cooperation and teamwork amongst our students. The school provides a structured coaching program where students learn and build key competitive skills. Players compete and train regularly with weekly internal competitions, and external statewide events such as the Victorian One-Day Cup, Victorian 4-Day Championships, and the Victorian Junior Championships. Successful teams have also participated in a volleyball tour to New Zealand where they competed in the North Island Championships.
The Volleyball Program is also fortunate to enjoy the strong support of the parents and friends of the Volleyball Support Group; a great opportunity for families to join and contribute to our passionate community.
Surf Life Saving Program
For over 60 years, Upwey High School has partnered with the Woolamai Surf Life Saving Club (Phillip Island), offering year 10-12 students the chance to learn valuable Surf Life Saving skills and join a long-standing community. Students begin with an introduction to Surfing and Surf Life Saving rescue and resuscitation procedures. Once they have obtained their Surf Bronze they become members of the Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club and are expected to undertake patrol duties over summer giving them valuable life and employment experiences.
Students participating in this program also complete a first-aid certificate, an advanced resuscitation certificate, and a 5-day camp at Woolamai Beach.
Clubs and Student Groups
As well as our more formal student activities we also have a growing number of student clubs. These spaces support our students in finding their place at Upwey by meeting like-minded peers who share the same passions and interests. Current clubs meeting regularly include:
- Wordplay Club
- French Club
- Homework Club
- Rainbow Alliance (LGBTQIA+)
- Chess Club
- Video Games Club
- Book Club
- VCE Art Group
- Badminton Club
Student Action Group
The Student Action Group is a project-based group of students who are interested in positive activism and who want to make a difference in their world. Recent projects have included:
- Raising money for, and then building, toilet facilities in a refugee village in Northern Thailand
- Raising awareness and funds to support the struggle against child slavery in Southern Asia
- World Challenge project in Nepal
- World Vision Australia’s Forty hour famine
- Raising awareness and funds for Amnesty International
- Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave