oCTOBER       Newsletter 

Dear Families, Caregivers and Friends

It has been an exciting fortnight at HRCS, with the last term of school flying by!

Congratulations

It gives me great pleasure to announce that two of our long-term temporary School Learning Support Officers have been successful through the merit panel system and will move into permanent SLSO Health roles in 2026.

Congratulations to Brianna, the SLSO in Room 11, who secured the full-time SLSO H position, and Melissia, one of our part-time SLSOs

who works across the school, who was successful in gaining the part-time SLSO H role.

Both are wonderful employees, and we look forward to working alongside them in their permanent capacity.

Halloween Disco

There were lots of spooky characters on the dance floor at our annual Halloween Disco! Our friend Chris from Majestic Music kept the tunes flowing, as families, staff and friends danced the night away.

One of the wonderful benefits of the evening was seeing siblings of our students and children of staff connect, having fun and dance together.

Thank you to everyone who came along to the disco, to the staff who volunteered their time, and to the ‘ghostly’ organising committee for coordinating another fabulous evening!

Meeting New Students 

This time of year is always exciting as we get to meet our incoming 2026 cohort. This year, we have a mix of Kindergarten students and older young people placed with us, and we cannot wait to learn all about them. We look forward to introducing them to you in the new year. Welcome, friends!

Art Show 

Did you know that we have an Art Show coming up?

Our amazingly talented students studying Visual Arts have put together a showcase titled “Art is What You Make It.” The exhibition will be held at Time Traveller Coffee Shop, 110 Grant Street, East Maitland.

Entry is by gold coin donation and the show will be open from 17 to 28 November. Come along and see how amazing our students are!

P&C Christmas Raffle 

Our P&C Mega Raffle is officially live! 

We’re thrilled to announce that the 2025 P&C Mega Raffle is now open! With 25 fantastic prizes valued at over $2,400, there’s something for everyone — and every ticket sold helps support our school community

and our amazing kids who live with complex disabilities. Funds raised will improve playground access and inclusivity. 

   Get your tickets here:  HRCS 2025 Christmas Raffle - Raffle Link 

Please share this link with your friends, family and local businesses to help spread the word and make this year’s raffle our biggest yet!

Raffle drawn: 16 December 2025

P&C Stall

Last weekend, our dedicated P&C team “set up shop” at the station in Newcastle, proudly promoting our amazing school and connecting with

our local community. There was plenty to enjoy, including kids’ activities, stalls, a food truck and lots of entertainment.

Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the stall, and to Sharna and her dedicated team who coordinated the event and promoted our school! We think you are amazing!

World Teachers Day

At Hunter River Community School, we are incredibly fortunate to have the most dedicated and caring teaching staff, beginning with our exceptional leaders — Principal Tracey and Deputy Principal John. Their unwavering commitment sets the tone for a supportive and inspiring learning environment.

Our teachers consistently go above and beyond to ensure every student at HRCS receives the same opportunities and enriching experiences as their mainstream peers. This dedication reflects not only their

Professionalism, but also their genuine passion for education and deep care for each child’s individual journey.

If your child is part of the HRCS community, now or in the past, you will understand just how privileged they are to be nurtured in an environment that embodies both excellence in education and a warm, welcoming spirit.

The HRCS teaching staff are true gems — delivering education with heart, compassion and a steadfast belief in the potential of every learner.

On this World Teachers’ Day, we celebrated and honoured the amazing educators at Hunter River Community School. Your hard work, patience, and love for your profession make a profound difference every single day. Thank you for everything you do!

Dubbo School Adventure 

Last week, a group of excited adventurers headed off to Dubbo for four days of exploring, learning and fun!

It was a truly fabulous experience for Charlotte, Elsie, Ethan, Levi H, Tannor, Alex, Blake, Dom, Macca and Zac. Activities included visiting

Dubbo Zoo, Wellington Caves, Dubbo Gaol and ten-pin bowling. Everyone made the most of the opportunities and embraced all that was on offer.

Camp would not be possible without staff volunteering to attend. A huge thank you to Jenny, Tahnee, Amanda S and our coordinator John for their commitment, dedication and willingness to go the extra mile.

This year we were fortunate to have a mum, Cass, join our team and we sincerely thank her for everything she did. Spending 24 hours a day with students provides a wonderful opportunity to get to know them on an entirely different level and the bonds forged last forever. Thank you to our campers for being totally awesome!

Where will we head in 2026???

I hope everyone has a wonderful two weeks!