What's On?
- Monday 28th: Staff Development Day (Office will be closed)
- Tuesday 29th April: Staff Development Day
- Wednesday 30th April: First day Term 2 for students
- Friday 2nd May: Sports Academy Year 7 2026 Applications Close
- Monday 5th May: HSHS Whole School Athletics Carnival
- Tuesday 6th May: Years 8, 9, 10 Parent Teacher Interviews
- Tuesday 6th May: UoN Early Entry Application Sessions Year 12
- Friday 16th May: Year 12 Reports Issued
- Friday 16th May: Enrichment Class Applications Year 7 2026 Open
- Monday 19th - Friday 30th May: Sports Academy Year 6 Trials (Year 7 2026)
- Friday 23rd May: Year 10 Vaccinations - Innovation Centre
principal's message
Dear Students, Parents, and Staff,
As we come to the close of Term 1, I can’t help but reflect on how quickly this term has passed—it truly has flown by! This term has been a time of incredible growth and achievement, setting a strong foundation for the year ahead. From the outset, the dedication of our staff and the perseverance of our students have shaped a positive and dynamic start to the school year. Together, they’ve fostered a vibrant and supportive learning environment where any challenges have been met with determination and a shared commitment to growth.
One of the standout moments of this term was our Information Open Evening, which turned out to be our largest and most successful event of its kind. We were thrilled to see nearly double the number of attendees compared to last year. It was an exciting evening where prospective families had the opportunity to tour the school while hearing from our leaders and squad captains. The night was strongly supported by many of our teachers, who stepped in to assist with tours due to the large number of attendees. The evening followed with a fantastic showcase of all that our school has to offer, including Academic Pathways, Sports Academy programs, Learning and Wellbeing, enrolment procedures, trial information, and much more. It was truly a team effort, and we received fantastic feedback from everyone who attended.
Years 7 and 11 Parent-Teacher Interviews were also held this term—another successful evening of coming together to support our students and discuss their progress. For those parents of Year 7 and Year 11 students who missed the opportunity to meet with teachers, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office to arrange a convenient time to discuss your child’s progress. Additionally, we would like to remind families of Year 8, 9, 10, and 12 students that our next round of Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held on Tuesday, 6th May, here at HSHS. More details about the booking process will be sent out early next term.
This week, we also celebrated the success and hard work of our students at the Term 1 Presentation Assembly. Students across all year levels were acknowledged for their consistent effort, and we were particularly proud to recognize our Year 12 students, who are now just two terms away from their final HSC exams. Many of them were honoured for placing first or within the top 5% of their courses—an incredible achievement. Congratulations to all of our award recipients, and to every student who upholds the values of the Hunter Sports Way and always strives to do their best.
At the assembly, we also announced our newly elected Junior School Leaders. These students will play an important role in supporting our senior leaders and working with the LEAP team on various school initiatives, fundraising for our 2025 charity, and ensuring that the voices of our junior students are heard. Please join me in congratulating the following students:
Junior Captains: Edward Broom and Raya Prestwidge
Junior Vice Captains: Rilee Finley and Elliot Bullen
Junior GEM Co-Captains: Blaire Carter and Ruby Wilson
Junior Prefects: Madison Trembath and Samson Nathan
And of course, the final days of the term were filled with fun and energy as we held our Hunter Sports High whole school Swimming Carnival, our cross-country event, and the popular Colour Run. A wonderful way to end a busy term, with students showing great sportsmanship and school spirit.
As we head into the school holidays, I want to wish all our students, families, and staff a restful and enjoyable break. I hope you have a wonderful Easter and return refreshed and ready for a fantastic Term 2, which will begin on Wednesday, 30th April.
Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!
Warm regards,
Ms. Rachel Byrne - Principal
PE PICKS
Year 11 Sports Coaching
The Year 11 Sports Coaching class has been working this term on creating and running sporting tournaments to demonstrate their communication and organisational skills. A number of lunchtime tournaments were held during Weeks 9, 10, and 11. The students announced their tournaments to the school, registered interested teams, set up draws, and ran the knockout rounds.
Options for students included indoor football, touch, and dodgeball. The student body couldn’t get enough, with the playground noticeably quieter during lunch breaks while the tournaments were running, thanks to the large number of students either participating or watching from the bleachers.
The effort these students put in to set up the tournaments and the commitment they have shown to create a great lunch time experience for the kids at Hunter Sports High is to be commended.
Swimming
On the first day of the term, around 70 students eager to qualify for the regional swimming championships turned up at Charlestown Pool, fresh off their holidays and ready to compete in our competitors-only carnival. It was a highly contested day across all age groups, with outstanding results.
A number of records fell, with Eli Gardiner and Aleks Gillon breaking the majority of records in their respective age groups.
An outstanding effort.
From there, a number of students advanced to compete at the Hunter Region Swimming Championships, where Hunter Sports High enjoyed its most successful meet yet, with 25 students qualifying for state.
Swimming Carnival Success
Years 7 & 8 Football Gala Day
This term saw the first Year 7 & 8 Football Gala Day, held at Endeavour Sports High. For the Year 7 students, it was their first opportunity to represent Hunter Sports High on the football pitch. Teams played in round-robin matches against other sports high schools, including Westfields, Hills, Endeavour, and Illawarra, in both 5-a-side and 7-a-side formats. It was a fantastic chance for the students to showcase their skills in tight spaces and, most importantly, have fun playing against quality opponents in their age group. The next Gala Day will take place in Term 4 at Speers Point.
BIG PICTURE
BPLA Alumni: Emrah
"I started my Big Picture journey at Hunter Sports High during Year 10 in 2018. It was always a goal of mine to go to university to become a teacher.
Big Picture allowed me to pursue these goals, and I had the best high school experience I ever could have asked for. My advisors were always pushing me to do my best and not only supported me with my plans for after school, but also with my Netball endeavours.
Year 12 rolled around in 2020, and I was fortunate enough to undertake the University Portfolio Pathway. I was accepted into the University of Newcastle to complete my Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood & Primary) degree.
Skip forward to 4 years later, and I graduated with my degree at the end of 2024. My dream of becoming a teacher was now a reality. As a graduate, I was so excited to start working as a teacher in 2025. I was offered a contract at a local primary school teaching my very own 1/2 class. Creating my own classroom space and teaching this year group is all of which I have ever dreamed. My class is full of amazing kids. One in particular who is the son of one of the advisors I had, while in Big Picture! It is such a full circle moment to think that this student’s dad was once my very own teacher (pictured below).
I have loved every minute of my teaching career so far and I am so grateful for the opportunities given to me at such an early age. I want to thank Big Picture and all of the advisors I had along the way, as without them, I would not be where I am today. I have worked hard to get to where I am, and I always stuck to my goals. This is your reminder to never give up on your dreams! It will all work out in the end."
The new Year 8 class in Shell’s Big Picture Advisory has started strong. Here's what some of the students had to say:
Logan Cook:
"I joined Big Picture because it's a better way of learning for me, I don't just get handed something and then have to do it. In Big Picture I can actually learn about the things that interest me and what I like. I’m learning about Car Mechanics this term and what parts are in an engine, what they do and how they work."
Mya Carey:
"I joined Big Picture because I found it hard to learn the normal way in the mainstream classes. I was still learning but not to my full potential. Here at Big Picture, I've been working on something that I find interesting and I've actually been enjoying going to school now. What I love about Big Picture is how we treat each other like friends, not just people we see at school, and everyone is just genuinely nice to each other."
Ezra Miller:
"I joined Big Picture mainly for the reason of not liking mainstream. I just didn’t enjoy mainstream, and the things being taught didn’t really have too much importance to me or my future life. So, I joined Big Picture so I could learn about things I wanted to learn about and help set me up for life when I finish school. The only other reason I joined Big Picture was because everyone was much quieter and more focused on what they wanted to learn instead of being loud and chaotic. Overall, I just think that Big Picture is a better more personalized version of school."
Hailie Cadogan:
"I joined Big Picture in 2025 as a year 7 student as I was having lots of problems in Mainstream, both with people and the learning style. It didn’t suit me, and I was extremely unhappy switching teachers all the time and having the pressure of upholding a certain grade or getting a certain mark.
When I first found out about Big Picture, I thought it was a waste of time, but while experiencing the shadow days, I felt extremely at ease and not pressured. I found the work we were given extremely fun and engaging, and I was able to easily incorporate what I wanted to do into it.
What I love about being in Big Picture is that I’m with the same group of people all the time, which helps me connect and feel more at ease talking to them. I love the fact that we can do our own work and manage our own time. I also love that we focus on what we want to do, and not on things that aren’t useful to us or our futures.
I have a strong opinion that every class should learn Big Picture style. We get to control our own learning, and even though at the start it is a lot of effort to keep on top of your work and make sure your work is good quality, eventually it gets easier and Big Picture becomes a part of your life. Also, we’re in charge of giving ourselves homework, something that makes school more enjoyable and engaging."
Ruby Williamson:
"I love Big Picture because it is a very inclusive space, you become close friends with lots of the other kids in the other advisories. It's very calm in our classroom and when it does get too loud in there, I can just remove myself and sit out in the open space in the main area. I love how I can do my own thing and don't have to learn about what everyone else is learning because lots of the mainstream stuff is all the same. I love that we can have breaks and not just sit and listen to a teacher talk to you because it can get very boring. I like being able to learn about other people's projects and getting to know them and what they're into. I also like that the teachers all take time out of their day to help you with your projects."
TAS
The Technological and Applied Studies Faculty (TAS) has a total of 9 staff in 2025, 8 teachers and 1 SAO. The TAS Faculty deliver six courses over Stages 4, 5 and 6, as well as delivering two VET courses. TAS Faculty staff include Mrs Lee Carolan, Sally Connell (SAO Kitchen Assistant), Mr Paul Davies, Mr Ross Hanlon, Mr Grant Harmer, Mrs Megan Hearne, Mrs Karen Hines (Head Teacher TAS), Mr Nigel Hogan, and Mr David Winter (Head Teacher Administration).
🔦Spotlight on a specialist TAS teacher: Ms Lee Carolan
Ms Carolan has been teaching at Hunter Sports High School since the start of Term 1, 1992. She is an experienced teacher, specialising in Food Technology and Special Education across Years 7 to 12, and with these skills, she allows our students to produce quality food items in Stage 4 Food & Agriculture and Stage 5 Sweet Designs and Food Technology. We are very fortunate to have Ms Carolan on the TAS Faculty staff.
Marine and Aquaculture Technology
Students from the Stage 5 Marine Studies completed their water safety assessment at Merewether Baths earlier this term. As part of the assessment, they were required to swim 200 metres, create a trouser float using long pants, float unassisted for three minutes, and complete additional activities such as identifying rips and ocean hazards.
Recently, students walked to Nobby’s Lighthouse to observe the powerful swells that have been impacting the East Coast in recent weeks. A big thank you to Mr Davies for continuing to provide our Marine students with such valuable learning opportunities.
Our students in Stage 4, 5 & 6 electives have been creating some amazing work and demonstrating creative practical skills this term, and we look forward to the development of their creative technical skills and critical reflection in Term Two.
MUSIC NEWS
Our department has started the term well and been extremely busy.
Year 8 classes are learning about the Concepts of Music, with a particular focus on rhythm, and will begin their new topic on Australian Indigenous Music next term. They will be reading about Archie Roach and his remarkable life, exploring his connection to Country through his songs. This term, students have been working on creating compositions using technology platforms such as Drumbit and Incredibox, and performing popular songs and riffs on keyboard, guitar, and drums.
Our Music Stage 5 Elective classes have been busy participating in quality listening lessons and learning about how the Concepts of Music can be manipulated in musical pieces, creative composition making on the pentatonic scale, and solo and group performances all accessible on our online platform CANVAS.
Year 12 are writing their own compositions using technology platforms and preparing for their HSC Music Performance program in Week 9 of Term 3. They are preparing 4 pieces each with ensemble pieces on the way to being polished and performance ready.
Passion Projects Guitar class is also underway the Mr Doyle. He is making fabulous musicians out of our Year 7 - 10 students.
Our Music doors are open every day during Lunch 2 - everyone is welcome!
SPORTS ACADEMY
Term 1 has seen a really positive start for everyone involved in our Sport Academy Programs.
Term 1 has seen a really positive start for everyone involved in our Sport Academy Programs. It’s the term focused on laying the foundations for the challenges ahead in the school sporting calendar. Our students have worked hard, with a strong emphasis on individual development. Semester 1 fitness assessments have been completed, and strength and conditioning programs have been tailored to further develop existing strengths and improve areas of need. Hunter Region representative teams have now been selected across a range of sports, and we’re proud to share that many of our student-athletes have successfully gained selection in these teams. We wish them all the best at their upcoming NSW CHS State Carnivals in Term 2 and beyond.
2025 Sport Academy Squad Captains
In Term 1 our students, coaches and Academy Co-ordinators select their Squad Captains for the year and it is with pleasure that I list below the excellent cohort of students who have assumed this position of responsibility in 2025:
HSHS Sports Academy Instagram Page
We invite you to join our Instagram journey by following @hshs_sportsacademy. which showcases the incredible journey of our student-athletes and dedication of our coaches within our Sports Academy program.
This platform will be our main way of pushing out the individual and Academy Program achievements of those involved in the Hunter Sports High Sport Academies moving forward.
There is also a link to our Instagram page on the Hunter Sports High School website under the Sports Academy tab.
I sincerely appreciate the hard work and dedication of our coaches, teachers, parents, and supporters who have played a key role in starting our sports programs off on a strong note this year. Your support and encouragement are essential in helping our students achieve their best.
Wishing everyone a relaxing and enjoyable break!
Mr Pascoe
MINIMBAH
Hunter Sports High School was invited to Woodberry Public School to assist them with their Harmony Week Celebrations on Friday 21st of March. Students were a key feature of the day by running 5 different workshops including Aboriginal Dance, Traditional Aboriginal Games, Traditional Māori Games, Pacific Islander dancing and Harmony Hands &Flags garden activity. Following this, was amazing performances by the Minimbah Dance Group and the Schools Pacific Island & Māori group.
The students involved conducted themselves with respect towards both staff and peers, and were kind, engaging, and entertaining when delivering the workshops. They showed pride and passion in their performances at the whole-school and community assemblies. The students have received outstanding feedback from the Principal and staff, who praised them as an impressive group of young people who modelled cultural education and captivated everyone present during their performances. Congratulations to the HSHS students who represented the school, their families, their cultures, and themselves with great honor.
CAREERS
We have certainly hit the ground running in Careers during term 1!
From the moment students came back to school, they were checking Canvas and their emails for our ‘Upcoming Career Events’. Here is just a snippet of the amazing career preparation our students have undertaken in term 1.
Early on in the term, we had an exciting time at the EPP Lake Macquarie International Women’s Day event at Glendale Technology High School. Our students did us proud in speaking publicly and participating in all activities on the day. Our girls returned to school inspired by the motivational speakers, with the mindset of achieving their career dreams through education and hard work.
Girls Can Too!
Congratulations to the three Hunter Sports High School girls who have completed the RIEP funded Girls Can Too program this term. The girls have learned about Work, Health and Safety, how to use hand and power tools and have combined their efforts to make a picnic table and chairs. In week 9, the girls came into our Careers office at school asking why it had to end because they have really enjoyed the course and made new friends from other schools.
RIEP Renewables course
In term 1, Hunter Sports High School students participated in the RIEP Renewables course at the Zeal Futures workshop. The week was spent learning about safety in the workshop and careers in renewable energy. After completing their theory component, our students created a functioning solar panel and gained many new skills during the course.
Our week 4 and 7 Pathways sessions in Tuesday’s mentor time have aimed to give our students the edge when it comes to career knowledge and preparation. This term, during our week 7 session, students heard from a range of inspiring presenters. This included The Educational Pathways Program, (Lake Macquarie) a massage therapist, former NRL players, Hunter Water, Apprenticeship Support Australia and The University of Newcastle. We love having new presenters come into school every term! If you would like to inspire students about your career, please contact the front office and ask to speak to Mrs Slaney or Mrs Schubert to arrange your visit during a week 7 Pathways session.
We would like to thank the Educational Pathways Program, (Lake Macquarie) for their funding and delivery of a White Card course for our First Nations students. All participants worked through the modules during the 7 hour course with the assistance of our Minimbah staff. Everyone passed the course and can now complete work experience and paid work on construction sites in New South Wales. Congratulations to all students who received their White Card in this course.
School & Community notices
School student travel information for parents and students:
School Travel Passes
Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.
In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.
Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.
Terms of Use
Students using School Opal cards must tap on and tap off in line with the Opal terms of use. This includes travel within the approved times between 6.30am and 7.00pm from Monday to Friday on school days only. Students must use their Child/Youth Opal card for any travel outside these times.
All students are required to comply with the Student code of conduct. The code of conduct aims to ensure the safety and well-being of school children and other passengers. It is important that parents ensure their child is aware of this, as failure to comply with the code of conduct can result in a suspension from travel.
Lake Mac Libraries Fab Lab at the new Windale Hub is running a free 10-week afterschool program for high school-aged girls, Tech Create Girls, which is an innovative program that introduces STEAM via creative disciplines.
For more information and register interest: TechCreate Girls Program - Lake Macquarie City Council
Spaces still available in Easter Holiday Tennis Clinics! 🎾🐰
Looking for a way to keep your kids active, entertained, learning new skills and making friends these school holidays? Our holiday clinics are perfect for you!🎾Clinics both weeks of the holidays at three convenient locations - Belmont, Mount Hutton & Rathmines!
🐰 All standards welcome and suitable for boys and girls 5-15 years of age!🏓 Pizza and prizes on the last day of each weeks clinic!🥚 Active kids vouchers accepted!
Clinic Dates: Monday 14th - Thursday 17th April @ Mt Hutton. Tuesday 22nd - Thursday 24th April @ Belmont - Tuesday 22nd. Thursday 24th April @ Rathmines
Time & Cost: Full Days 9-3pm and $60 per child per day. Half Days 9-12:30pm and $50 per child per day. Full Clinic (4 x Full Days - First Week Only) Special price $200 per child.
Book Online at: https://totaltennis.intennis.com.au/secure/customer/registration/v1/public/select-venue
Don't forget we have the HIGH PERFORMANCE CLINIC for our tournament players the second week also! Message us for info!