Dear Parents/Carers and Students

Newtown High School of the Performing Arts is very proud of the inclusive and vibrant culture we uphold with our values of Excellence, Creativity and Equity at the forefront.  Our 2024 Prefects organised the annual International Women's Day Breakfast followed by panel discussion centered around the significance of diversity and empowerment across all sectors of society.  Year 12 students were invited to attend the panel discussion and a huge 'thank you' must go to everyone involved in organising such an important and affirming event.

Heading towards the end of Term 1, students are now busy learning new curriculum, co-curricular performance works, and meeting new peers in clubs and teams.  During this busy time we would like to ask parents' help in reminding students to represent our school with pride. This includes wearing the correct school uniform, attending school and classes on time, and upholding respectful relationships with peers and staff.  Here are some reminders about our uniform policy:

UNIFORM

Full school uniform is to be worn to and from school as well as during school hours with consideration to the fact that students are representing our school and upholding our school values of Excellence, Creativity and Equity.  The NHSPA school uniform promotes equality and safety amongst our community, strengthens high expectations, supports the student code of conduct, and aligns with our school values. Students should be proud of our school and wear our uniform with pride.

A reminder that black enclosed leather shoes are required for students who have practical lessons timetabled in subjects such as Science, Design & Technology, Food Technology, Set Design and Construction, Master Chef, Master Designer, Visual Arts, Photo Paint & Print or Ceramics for work health and safety reasons. This applies on Tuesday sport days also.

The NHSPA uniform policy has been updated and is available to view:

NHSPA Uniform Policy 2024

ASSESSMENT

Assessment Booklets and Calendars for all year groups are accessible via the school website.  These have also been posted to your child's year group google classroom.  Whilst these are final, they are subject to change.  Any changes will be communicated in writing directly to students and amended on google classroom with at least 2 weeks' prior notice to the due date.  Any concerns regarding assessment should be referred to the class teacher.

YEAR 7 PEER SUPPORT CAMP

I have had the pleasure of joining Year 7 on the Peer Support Camp at The Tops Conference Centre this week where our newest NHSPA cohort were led through a variety of challenging activities such as go-carting, the giant swing, survivor challenge and archery.  Year 10 Peer Support Leaders displayed encouragement and kindness and a strong sense of initiative to engage and develop their younger peers in all activities.  Thank you to Amanda Di Camillo, our Peer Support Coordinator, who so ably coordinated the planning and delivery of the camp.

Camp photos will be included in the next edition of the NHSPA Bulletin.

Our Year 10, 11 and 12 students will attend a seminar during the day on Monday 25 March 2024 presented by Paul Dillon which will be repeated for parents in the evening at 6.00pm.

Paul Dillon has been working in the area of drug education for almost 30 years. Through his own business, Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA), he has been contracted by many organisations to provide updates on current drug trends, as well as advice on alcohol and other drug issues. He continues to work with many school communities across the country to ensure they have access to quality information and best practice drug education.

Paul has worked extensively with a range of sporting organisations including the Australian Cricketers Association, the Rugby Union Players Association and the Football Federation of Australia to provide training workshops to elite athletes on a range of alcohol and other drug issues. In 2009 his best-selling book ‘Teenagers, Alcohol and Drugs: What your kids really want and need to know about alcohol and drugs' went public and this has since been released internationally and translated into a number of languages. 

Monday 25 March 2024 6:00 PM 

LOCATION

NEWTOWN HIGH SCHOOL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS
380 KING STREET
NEWTOWN NSW 2042

Tickets at $5.00 may be purchased by clicking on the link: Paul Dillon Seminar link 

On Tuesday 19 March we began the first of a series of Artist Masterclasses for 2024. The aim of the Artist Masterclasses is to get students more familiar with professional artists and provide a far deeper connection and understanding to artists living and working in our city. It is a practical hands-on insight into the material and conceptual practice of artists that will elevate the work of our students.

We welcomed artist Catherine O'Donnell who began the day with an informal lecture to Year 11 and Year 12 Visual Arts students where she discussed her practice in drawing, elaborating on her perspective and trompe l'oeil techniques alongside the influences of her childhood, architecture and minimalism. Following this, 25 students had the opportunity to directly work with Catherine as she took students through simple yet challenging observation set ups using materials such as compressed charcoal and graphite. She shared her measuring techniques, ways to achieve crisp lines and how to control charcoal. Students produced detailed observational studies and Catherine was there to assist and share solutions to difficult perspective and tonal problems. Students came away with completed drawings and new skills in charcoal or graphite. 

Catherine is represented by Dominik Mersch Gallery, a second-year drawing lecturer at the National Art School, and has had her work commissioned, shown and collected by numerous Australian galleries.

We were so fortunate to have Catherine O'Donnell come to NHSPA to run a lecture and masterclass with our students. A huge thank you to Mrs Kotik for organising such a special artist for us all to learn from. 

You can find Catherine’s work here: https://www.catherineodonnell.com.au/ 

She is also part of a group show ‘Detail’ that is exhibited at Draw Space at 31A Enmore Road Newtown. Worth checking out from Thursday 7 to Sunday 31 March, so close to us all here at Newtown https://drawspace.org/