Hey everyone! 

As the new Prefects of NHSPA we would love to introduce ourselves and our focus for the school!

• Alice Kimber: Captain, Social Justice

• Denholm Branson: Captain, Landscaping

• Bonnie Kirgan: Social justice

• Josh Leek: Landscaping

• Gloria Hanna: Inclusion and Diversity

• Aurielle Smith: Inclusion and Diversity

• Ali Dib: Inclusion and Diversity

• Chloe Nicolson: Performing Arts

• Rafe Battista: Performing Arts

• Miah Smith: Sport

• Matthew Pieri: Sport

• Yuuki Hiwastashi: Wellbeing

• Charlie Love: Wellbeing

As the Prefect body of NHSPA, we aim to nurture a sense of belonging and champion student voice. We will achieve this by actively engaging with the school community in authentic and meaningful conversations making the path for change accessible to celebrate and support everyone's diverse strengths and passions. 

We have some exciting initiatives in the works and can’t wait to get started, see you around school!

The Prefects

If you have any suggestions/ ideas or feedback for the Prefects, please come and speak to us or fill out this form: 

Prefect Suggestion Box Link 

Schools Spectacular Rehearsals Have Begun!

We are thrilled to announce that rehearsals for the Schools Spectacular started on Monday 21 October, involving 31 talented students from Years 8 and 10! NHSPA is proud to be part of the Secondary Combined Ensemble for this incredible event.

The theme for 2024 is "All 4 One", celebrating unity, connection, and the power of working together towards a common goal. It’s all about looking forward and supporting one another.

This year approximately 5,500 students, Kindergarten to Year 12, from over 400 schools across the state will take part in the show. There will be 40 solo performances from featured artists, a 2,800-strong choir, 2,300 dancers, an 80-piece symphony orchestra, a world-class stage band and many specialist ensembles.

We look forward to supporting our students as they prepare for this exciting event!

Saturday 16 November
Stanmore Music Festival (Junior Jazz)

Tuesday 19 November
Animato Music Showcase Concert (ensembles tbc)

Thursday 21 November

Con Brio Showcase Concert (ensembles tbc)

Tickets and link will be advised via email. 

Please put these dates in your diary and be alert for instructions from your ensemble director in the coming weeks.

YEAR 11 DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 

Year 11 Design and Technology students have embarked on an exciting project to develop innovative lighting solutions tailored to specific needs within their community. 

Through thorough research and collaboration, these budding designers identified various challenges, ranging from energy efficiency to enhancing safety in public spaces. Utilising a range of materials and technologies, the students have crafted unique prototypes and products that not only illuminate but also address the identified needs, demonstrating their commitment to sustainable design practices. 

This initiative not only enhances their technical skills but also fosters a sense of responsibility and awareness of the impact of design on everyday life. 

Did you have a good holiday?

I went camping.

We went to the aquarium.

I went up the coast.

My holiday was a staycation!!

Parents and caregivers are invited to participate in the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. This survey complements the TTFM student and teacher surveys, which focus on student engagement, wellbeing, and effective teaching practices.

Parents and carers are an important and valued part of the school community. The survey will help our school understand parents' and carers' perspectives on their child's experience at school.

These include communication between parents/carers and staff, activities and practices at home, and parent/carer views on the school's support of learning and behaviour. This valuable feedback will help our school make practical improvements and inform school planning.

The survey is conducted entirely online at home or on public computers. It takes about 15 minutes or less to complete and is completely confidential. Participating in the survey is entirely voluntary, however, your responses are very much appreciated.

If you have more than one child at this school, and feel that your children's experiences differ, you can complete the survey more than once.

You can access the survey in your own time until Friday 8 November 2024.

Follow the link below on your computer or tablet:

http://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/nhspa2024

The link should open directly to the 'Begin Survey' page of the parent survey, and no login details should be required. If the survey opens to a login page, please copy and paste the link into your internet browser. This will ensure the survey launches directly to page one of the survey.

More information on the Partners in Learning survey can be found on the NSW Department of Education's TTFM website:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/education-data-and-research/tell-them-from-me/about-tell-them-from-me-/parent-survey

At Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, we aim to empower our students to understand and have agency in their own learning. Reflecting upon and discussing learning helps students to understand how they learn, what their strengths and areas for improvement are and to develop future learning goals. Student Led Learning Conferences and e-learning Portfolios are an integral part of our approach.

Please find below the information you will need for a successful Student Led Learning Conference with your child.

What is a Student Led Learning Conference (SLLC)?

Student Led Learning Conferences provide students and parents/carers with an opportunity to meet and discuss learning at a designated time. Research shows that these types of discussions with a student’s support team allow students to consolidate learning and develop goals for future learning.

Students have been working closely with teachers to create an online e-Learning Portfolio (e-LP) that highlights their learning journey. Students select evidence of their learning to upload to their portfolio, which may include work in progress, finished products or photographs of learning in progress and are encouraged to choose evidence which shows their own personal learning triumphs, these will be different for each student.

Students may also include feedback from peers and teachers and self-reflections on both how and what they have learnt in each subject.

The process of selecting evidence, writing self-reflections and discussing their attributes as learners assists students to deepen their understanding of how they learn. This approach stems from research on brain plasticity and encourages students to identify and actively work on developing dispositions for learning.

Students will share their e-LP with parents/carers at the Student Led Learning Conference and discuss their learning across all their courses.

When is the conference?

Term 4, Week 6 or 7. Choose a time that suits you.

Where are Student Led Learning Conferences?

This year the conference will take place at your home or a suitable location.

What do parents/carers need to do?

Ask your child when a good time would be to discuss their learning dedicating approximately 30 minutes to the conversation.

At the designated time your child will show you their e-Learning Portfolio, including tabs and reflections on their learning for each of their courses. They will discuss what and how they have been learning. Parents are encouraged to engage in the discussion and ask questions.

If your child needs some prompting to elaborate you could consider asking some of the following questions of your child:

• What are your strengths as a learner in this particular subject?

• What are some areas you would like to improve in this subject?

• What skills were developed over the course of the year?

• What are your learning goals for this term, 2024 or the future?

• What ways could parents/carers help foster these goals?

Parents/carers and students will be sent a link to a survey to gauge your feedback on the success of the SLLC. This helps us to continually improve and adapt and we thank you in advance for your contribution.

Welcome to our new canteen operator

Anthony Catering

ONLINE ORDERING AVAILABLE

To place orders online, you will need to create a Flexischools account via the link: 

Flexischools: Australia’s #1 School Canteen Online Ordering App Flexischools Guide (PDF 254.36 KB)