Year 12 HSC Exams

This week saw the conclusion of the HSC exams for our 2025 Year 12 students, who have exhibited great perseverance and dedication throughout the past month. It has been a pleasure to see students leaving each exam with confidence and positivity. This is a testament to the extensive preparations they made leading up to this period, and they should be proud of having made the most of their schooling career.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank parents for the support they have provided leading up to and during this time. The HSC year is immensely challenging, and the help and assistance that they have given has been invaluable, enabling our students to focus on developing their skills and knowledge. 

Alongside this, we would also like to acknowledge the dedication of the NHSPA teaching staff, who ran workshops and provided feedback and advice for students throughout the holiday period leading up to the exams. The success of our students is a product of the shared efforts of the entire school community. 

Year 12 students have been invited to a sign-out day on Monday 10 November at 10am, where they can return textbooks and other school resources borrowed during their studies. We wish Year 12 the best of luck and look forward to learning of their successes in the HSC exams.

Assessment and Reporting in Years 7 to 11

Students are now working towards completing their final assessment tasks in each subject before teachers begin the process of writing semester 2 reports. 

School reports are an opportunity for students to reflect on their strengths and areas for development as learners, which is supported through our report and goal-setting interview processes for students in Years 9 to 11. These interviews, which take place throughout Term 4, see students meeting with a curriculum adviser to discuss their progress and reflect on their academic and personal goals. 

Students should consider their reports as they set goals for the 2026 school year. Year 11 students, in particular, are encouraged to undertake careful reflection following their recent interviews to maximise their success as they move into their HSC year.

World Teachers’ Day

On Friday, 31 October, NHSPA staff celebrated World Teachers' Day with a morning tea. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff for their tireless work and the outstanding opportunities that they provide to our students. The NHSPA community is deeply thankful for the hard work that our exceptional teachers put in to ensure that our students reach their potential. 

Semester 2 2025 Showcase Season

We are rapidly approaching our Semester 2 2025 Showcase Season and look forward to seeing productions from students in dance, drama and music. This season begins with the Animato Music Showcase Concert on Tuesday, 18 November and Thursday, 20 November, at St George's Hall.  Drama Showcase is on Wednesday, 26 November and Thursday, 27 November. 

We encourage all members of the school community to come along and enjoy the amazing talents of our students and expertise of our Technical Company. Tickets can be purchased from the school website or via the links below: 

Home - Newtown High School of the Performing Arts 

NHSPA 2025 Semester 2 Drama Showcase - Trybooking 

NHSPA 2025 Semester 2 Music Concerts - Trybooking

School Transitions

Year 7 2026 students have commenced the process of transitioning into high school, with students from a number of local public schools visiting NHSPA to prepare for the next step in their educational career. Students from Newtown, Newtown North and Camdenville Primary School experienced the excitement of a practical Science lesson and created a mood board with our TAS teachers.

We hope that they have enjoyed their first high school experience and are excited for the diverse and engaging learning opportunities to come. 

Year 9 Peer Support Training

Year 9 students have completed their training as Peer Support leaders and are looking forward to working with our Year 7 2026 cohort. The process of transitioning into high school, which requires navigating a complex timetable and challenging curriculum, can be a daunting experience for some young people. We are fortunate to have such mature and capable students at our school who are eager to help their peers through this time.

Becoming a Peer Support leader is a great commitment, with students taking an active role in providing their younger peers with the skills and tools necessary for a successful transition into high school. It is a privilege that we know they will treat with the utmost respect, embodying the values of our school as they work with the newest members of the NHSPA community. Many of our Year 9 students will have fond memories of their Peer Support leaders and will now create their own legacy as respected leaders.

Supporting our Students in a Digital World

Year 8 students undertook a Digital Thumbprint workshop on Thursday, 6 November, to assist them in developing an awareness of the importance of safety in online spaces. Year 7 will also be undertaking this workshop in Week 5 on Thursday, November 13.

It is vital that students understand the importance of digital safety in a constantly connected world, with these workshops highlighting the ways in which they can protect themselves and others from a range of potential issues. This is timely given the imminent social media restrictions that will affect all young people under the age of 16. 

If you would like to know more about the upcoming social media age restrictions, the Australian eSafety Commissioner has released a range of resources to support parents (see link below). This includes advice and toolkits to facilitate conversations about social media and forthcoming changes to access.  A parent and carer guide to the social media age delay for under 16's will be emailed home to all families as well. This has been written by Kirra Pendergast from the Safe on Socials team (now named Control Shift).  A link to their webpage is also found below.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/social-media-age-restrictions

https://www.safeonsocial.com/ 

ATTENTION 2025 YEAR 12 STUDENTS

While a student is enrolled in a NSW Public School, they are allocated user credentials that provide them with access to email, student portal, Google Workspaces and Microsoft Office 365. They can access these services for free both while at school and from home - or anywhere else.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY LEAVE?
Students need to be informed that from the date they leave an NSW Public School - i.e., when the school has marked them as a Leaver in ERN - they have 180 days before they lose access to:

• Their school email account (GMail)

• Their Google Drive contents

• Any Google Classrooms they were joined to

• Their Microsoft OneDrive contents

• Any Microsoft Teams they were a member of

So, from the time that they leave, they have 180 days to check all their content/files in these school-provided services and download anything that they need to keep. There is no need to delete what they do not wish to keep. Anything left in their cloud repositories after the 180 days will no longer be accessible to them.

On Tuesday 28 October, Year 11 and 12 Economics students attended a women-led conference hosted by Echo and UNSW. 

Students had the opportunity to hear from women in leadership roles across various industries, including Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Chair of the ACCC; Cosima Marriner, Editor of The Australian Financial Review; and Andrea Brischetto, Head of the Financial Stability Department at the Reserve Bank of Australia. They were able to ask insightful questions, reflect on the real-world applications of Economics, and engage with discussions on major current economic issues. 

With the theme Empowering Future Leaders, students were inspired by the female leaders shaping Australia’s economic narrative. They also learned about professional opportunities and career pathways available with an Economics degree, as well as study options at UNSW. The day was both productive and inspiring. 

To support learners in developing effective study habits the school will run an after-school study centre during term times on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons from 3:25pm-5:00pm in the school Library.

This is open to all students, providing a quiet environment in which focussed study could take place.

Whilst attendance every week is not compulsory, should your child wish to use this facility, it is recommended that they be regular in their attendance for effective learning to occur.

The study centre will be supervised by a staff member between the times above to assist learners with organisation, planning, and developing successful study habits should they so wish.

This is an excellent opportunity for students to form small study teams to work together to improve their understanding of concepts and spur each other on to achieve a personal best in their subjects.

Expectations for attendance are as follows:

Students

• respect the rights of other learners and so maintain a quiet learning environment.

• desire to improve their performance in subjects.

• use this time productively.

• be regular in attendance.

The centre has been shown to be an effective way for improving students' results, confidence, and organisation in an enjoyable, relaxed environment.

THE ASSC IS A QUIET SPACE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LEARNING AND SEEK HELP FROM STAFF

WHAT IS THE SCHOOL BYTES PORTAL

The School Bytes portal provides flexibility for you to conveniently:

• Make school payments online (including paying for multiple siblings at once)

• Use a family credit to pay for an activity or school contributions

• Download a receipt for payments made

• View all historical payments in one place

• Complete and submit digital permission notes

• View the status of all permission notes

Thank you!

School Bytes Parent Portal - accessed via this link:

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS

1.  St George’s Hall Trust Fund Performing Arts Donation

This donation is to support the school’s performing and visual arts endeavours. We suggest a donation of $200 per year per family or any amount which is tax deductible through our St George’s Hall Trust Fund. Each year donations provide funding for technical equipment, musical instruments and professional industry workshops for students which enrich our programs and extend students’ opportunities.  Donation(s) may be made on the School Bytes statement or Parent Portal.

2. Library Fund Donation

The Library Fund is a new tax-deductible fund established in 2025. Library Fund donations will be used for the following:

• new books

• computer/software and hardware

• library furniture such as bookshelves, booth seating, library displays and archival preservation

Donations made to the St George’s Hall Trust Fund or the school Library Fund are fully tax-deductible as charitable contributions under the ATO provisions.

OTHER DONATIONS

1.   School Donation

If you would like to make a general donation to the school, please include the amount you wish to donate at the designated section via the School Bytes statement which will be emailed to you in the beginning of Term 1. Please note, this donation is not tax deductible. Donation(s) may be made on the School Bytes statement or Parent Portal.

2.  NHSPA P&C Donation

The P&C relies on voluntary fundraising donations as their primary means of fundraising.  We suggest a donation of $50.00 per year per family. Funds collected are allocated to fund items or projects in consultation with the school. P&C members support the school to ensure our children have the very best educational opportunities possible and our aim, when allocating funds, is to have whole of school impact. 

The P&C works with the school to identify and implement specific funding for a variety of initiatives.  One such initiative was the purchase of mega decking, consisting of stage legs and braces, which were used for the 2023 production of the Musical ‘Sweeney Todd’ and ‘Legally Blonde’ in 2025.  In 2025 a laser cutter for the TAS faculty was partially funded through the P&C. Other items purchased in the past include the new school bell, PA security system and large fan in the gym.