With the weather taking on a distinctive chilly tone, it is time to switch to the winter uniform to keep students warm. As you are all aware, full school uniform is an expectation of all students.  Students should be wearing NHSPA shirt, trousers/skirt, school jumper/hoodie and black leather shoes.  

Pickles is our official uniform supplier for appropriate winter items for these colder months.

We would like to advise our school community of an important update regarding our school uniform prices.

The school has successfully negotiated a 10% reduction in price across most uniform items. We are pleased to be able to pass this saving directly on to our families.  The updated prices are now active on the Pickles website. We hope this reduction assists our families and supports our ongoing expectation that all students attend school each day in full school uniform.

We remind you that we have secondhand uniforms that can be purchased through the P&C and if there are any financial difficulties in purchasing uniforms please contact the school.

Excitement filled the library on Monday 25 May as our next much-anticipated school musical was officially revealed. West Side Story is set to take the stage in Term 1, 2027 at St George's Hall!

Bringing this iconic production to life is a talented and experienced creative team. The show will be directed by Judith Hoddinott, with musical direction by Emlyn Lewis-Jones. Ben Turner takes on the role of Production Manager, Ynping Mak leads as Vocal Director, and Matthew Barker (Year 10) joins as Assistant Director. Choreography will be created by members of the Dance department, including Alison McKellar and Olivia Callaghan.

With its powerful story, dynamic choreography, and beloved score, West Side Story promises to be a highlight of the school’s performing arts calendar. 

The audition pack will be released in the coming weeks, with rehearsals set to begin early in Term 3.

Stay tuned and get ready to be part of something extraordinary!

Maths Talent Quest

This term, Newtown High School of the Performing Arts will be running its first-ever Maths Talent Quest!

The National Mathematics Talent Quest (MTQ) is a nationwide competition that invites students to undertake real-world, mathematically based investigations, either independently or as part of a class. Through participation, students learn to think and work like mathematicians — collaboratively, creatively, and in ways that can make a meaningful impact.

Projects are due by the end of the term. Winners of the Newtown round will go on to represent the school at the state level.

For more information, please see Ms Carter in the maths staffroom, or attend a Math Modeling Club session on Monday lunchtime in C7 for support and guidance.

For inspiration, you can explore this list of project ideas:
https://www.mav.vic.edu.au/Tenant/C0000019/00000001/downloads/Student%20activities/MTQ/100_Inspiring_MTQ_Titles.pdf

The Visual Arts Faculty was pleased to host the annual "Places and Spaces" exhibition in the King Street Gallery, with the offical opening occurring on Tuesday evening,  19th May. 

The exhibition featured the work of Year 11 Visual Arts students, who complete a drawing or series of drawings, featuring a place or space that is significant to them. Students were also able to submit a body of work, adding a photographic, film or sound component to accompany their drawing, an option a number of students chose, adding to the diversity of the exhition. 

This year students in Year 8 "PPP" (photo, paint, print) exhibited work on the same theme, as did Year 11 Photography, Video and Digital Imaging students. 

This exhibition is always a highlight of our calender, as students create impressive work using a variety of drawing techniques, and this year did not dissapoint. 

Year 9 Hospitality

Year 9 Hospitality students recently catered for their first showcase event, the Music Showcase, held on Tuesday 26 May. 

Students spent the day preparing a delicious range of savoury and sweet items, including sausage rolls, spinach and cheese triangles, sushi cups, brownies and panna cotta. The students demonstrated growing confidence in their practical skills, teamwork and food presentation while successfully serving guests throughout the evening. 

Congratulations to all students on their enthusiasm, dedication and excellent efforts in making the event a success.

U15s Girls Netball Round 1 Knockout vs Kirrawee High School

On Friday 22 May, the U15 Girls Netball teams played Kirrawee High School in Round 1 of the knockout tournament. 

The A-team showed great determination and teamwork throughout their game, fighting hard against strong competition. Although unsuccessful in the match, the girls represented NHSPA with pride and displayed excellent sportsmanship until the final whistle. 

The B-team also played a friendly match against Kirrawee and put in a fantastic effort. Congratulations to all players on their positive attitude and effort on the day!

First Nations Collection

Our school community is immensely  grateful to the parents, carers, alumni and wider community whose generous donations to the NHSPA Library Fund have enabled the purchase of books which have enriched our First Nations collection. This collection, to be re-housed in a more prominent section of the library, includes novels, short stories, plays, creative non-fiction, memoirs and historical works produced by eminent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives and scholars. 

For the sake of our young researchers’ ready access, the collection also encompasses useful works by non-Indigenous historians, such as Henry Reynolds, as well as scholarship highlighting the transnational impact of colonisation. While First Nations works have great prominence, this collection is embedded in a larger Indigenous collection in order to highlight the lines of solidarity between our First Nations peoples and peoples such as the Inuit, Maori and Cherokee. 

The enrichment of First Nations resources, most particularly historical resources,  is a high priority at NHSPA. The 2017 Uluru Statement From the Heart  argues that truth-telling about settler state history is foundational to a future “based on justice and self determination” for First Nations children. Indeed, historical truth-telling is a vital plank of  viable democracy, just as it underpins any commitment to mitigating the profound injustices inflicted on First Nations peoples since the 1788 invasion.

Invasion and genocide? Such concepts in relation to our post-1788 past have been publicly contested since Geoffrey Blainey’s 1993 condemnation of histories allegedly tarnishing the reputation of Australia’s settlers. Blainey  used the  term “black armband” to denigrate the tenor of such histories as unjustly pessimistic. Some ten years later Keith Windshuttle claimed that the scholarship tracing Aboriginal massacre in Tasmania had been significantly exaggerated or “fabricated”. At the time, conservative politicians lapped up Windshuttle’s revisionist ‘history’ while the press milked the controversy. As of 2026 entrenched transnational ideological shifts, in conjunction with the rise of fake news, have intensified the value of historical truth-telling. 

SAVE THE DATES !

• Parents and carers get-together-Thursday 25 June (Wk 10)

A casual get-together at the Rose of Australia in Erskineville. Come along anytime from 6pm to meet and mingle with other NHSPA parents and carers. This event is open to everyone, not just P&C members, but we’d appreciate if you can RSVP so we can book a space to suit the group size: https://forms.gle/mADCiequunaTBb6s8

• Fundraiser Trivia Night - Saturday 7 November (Wk 4, T4)

You won't want to miss this one! Make sure you pop it in your diary so you don't miss out! We're also looking for people who are keen to help organise the event - if you'd like to help, please email us at nhspapandc@gmail.com and we'll be in touch.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK: support your school and save $$$

Purchase an Entertainment Book membership and receive instant discounts on everything from movie tickets to groceries. 

Buy now to receive a FREE $20 Everyday WISH eGift Card to use at Woolworths, Big W, Dan Murphys and BWS – on top of all the other savings you’ll receive as part of your 12-month membership. 

Check out what’s included and buy online: https://subscribe.entertainment.com.au/fundraiser/9g71273

Every membership purchased supports our P&C and our school. 

Thank you!

To support learners in developing effective study habits the school runs 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

You Will Need:

1. Medicare card details for you and your child

2. name of the secondary school your child will attend in Year 7 or Year 10

3. your Service NSW login details (this is the same account you might use to renew 

your driver’s license)

4. if you don’t have a Service NSW account, you can create one by visiting 

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/services/myservicensw-account/how-to-create-an-account

More Information:

For detailed steps on how to provide consent, please watch the How to Provide Consent Video or refer to the NSW Health webpage:

(https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/online-consent-school-vaccination.aspx).

If you or your child does not have a Medicare card, internet access or you are unable to complete the online consent, ask your child's school for a paper consent form.

On vaccination day, children should eat a good breakfast and wear a short-sleeve shirt like their sports uniform. After getting the vaccine children can play sport, shower, and do afterschool activities as normal.

For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit: 

www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination.

For a detailed video explanation of how to provide consent, please click the following link:

https://vimeo.com/877304083/da667f7044

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS

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.

Library Fund Donation

The Library Fund is a 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.

Tax Deductible Donations  

OTHER DONATIONS

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.

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.