Congratulations to Year 12 2024! ~ Class of 2024 HSC results & achievements ~

~ HSC Major Projects ~

Major Work nominations in 2024

We could not be more proud of the talents in our Year 12 cohort. They invested considerable time and effort into creating amazing, quality products and performances. They undertook a huge range of different projects and showcased numerous ways of approaching learning.

We are very proud and truly amazed by the outstanding achievements of each and every student!

As Ms Marcus highlighted in the Year 12 Graduation Assembly:

The brilliance of this year group showed through every day and we have had a few of our students achieve the most extraordinary results in their Major Projects.

Congratulations to the following Major Work nominations in 2024:

• Visual Arts ARTEXPRESS exhibition - Sophia SCH, Juniper S and Frankie M
• Drama OnSTAGE showcase – Lexi O, Vinnie M and Juniper S
• Design and Technology SHAPE showcase – Sophia SCH
• Textiles and Design SHAPE showcase and TexStyle exhibition – Wyana PS
• Dance CALLBACK showcase – Frankie M

ARTEXPRESS

HSC Visual Arts

Three incredibly talented HSC Visual Arts students — Sophia SCH, Juniper S and Frankie M — received nominations for ARTEXPRESS, with 2 of these students being successfully selected for the exhibition! This recognition celebrates their exceptional achievements in the practical component of the HSC Visual Arts exam.

As with all HSC assessments, the practical works are meticulously marked by experienced Visual Arts teachers who expertly apply the marking criteria. During this process, any exemplary works that met the syllabus outcomes and demonstrated a high level of achievement, were selected for nomination.

Once nominated, the works underwent a further selection process, where they were evaluated for inclusion in the ARTEXPRESS showcase. We were thrilled when the announcement came through that Sophia and Juniper's nominations were successful! Their works will be featured in galleries across New South Wales starting in February 2025.

This is an incredible honour for our BBHS students, and we couldn’t be more proud of Sophia, Juniper, and Frankie for their unwavering dedication, hard work, creativity, and commitment to their art practice!

About Sophia's artwork

Selected for ARTEXPRESS - Lismore Regional Gallery

• Title - Memento vitae: Part I
• Expressive form - Painting
• No of pieces - 7

Artist's statement - Inspired by the practice of surrealist artist Firda Kahlo and Australian contemporary artist Kate Bergin, my body of work reimagines the concepts of the traditional Dutch still life vanitas and the fleetingness of life. Approaching the end of my final school year and envisioning my future, the thought of leaving home feels like the rug is being pulled out from underneath you, undermining your sense of security and replacing it with the unknown.

These seven panels move in chronological order, traversing from birth/childhood to adulthood, each embedded with symbolic references that are significant milestones, memories or experiences.

A sense of chaos is evoked by the right side of the work by the drapery being seemingly tugged away at the opposite end, highlighting the confrontation and uncertainty one faces as they move out into the world. Each symbol encapsulates memories, experiences and emotions which I have attached to certain objects or animals over my lifetime. My subject matter represents how rich my life is in terms of love, comfort and memories which have played a role in shaping my life. Ironically, throughout the process of creating this arrangement of objects the development of my fear and anxiety associated with leaving behind this period of my life has been replaced with a sense of immense gratitude for the opportunities that are opening up to me, facilitated by the abundance of love in every aspect of my life which have nurtured and sheltered me throughout my journey to this new phase.

About Juniper's artwork

Selected for ARTEXPRESS - Lismore Regional Gallery and Grafton Regional

• Title - Monstrous Girlhood Gallery
• Expressive form - Graphic Design
• No of pieces - 5

Artist’s statement - There are many fears and experiences intrinsic to being human: Grief is all-consuming or neglected; the never-ending pursuit of what we “should” be; the ever-fading present and the important bonds we share. Though these experiences are not unique, we are often made to believe that they are only reserved for a certain few.

Often the feelings of young girls are minimised; men discuss girls gossip, men are righteous, girls are petty, men are rational, girls are presumptuous. This work is an outlet for the thoughts that plagued my mind on restless nights and long showers. Thoughts that are widely echoed by my peers but seldom discussed.

As these concepts are labelled universal they are mostly expressed through an older masculine perspective. I wanted to offer a fresh take on these concepts by reframing them through a younger feminine perspective. The girl creatures that infest every work are like the id, they are childish in both appearance and behaviour, they are pure beings of expression. I had been doodling similar creations in the margins of notebooks for years but never truly brought them to life. I enjoyed their exaggerated features and their warped anatomy; they became my strange muse.

About Frankie's artwork

• Title - Dad (the trophy room)
• Expressive Form - Drawing
• Number of pieces - 7

Artist Statement - I adore my Dad. His skin is painted in tattoos that break down his identity. My work has reproduced the ink on my Dad’s skin into five realistic graphite drawings, and two ink horizontal drawings that are personal symbols that link our family through ink, creating a deconstructed, symbolic portrait of my Dad.

He uses the artform to document his careers, family bonds, childhood, ideations of success and explore his compulsive and addictive personality.

The works progress in chronological order of his life from the butterfly representing his Grandmother to adulthood with his car. Using graphite enabled me to reinterpret his simple line tattoos and produce the illusion of three dimensional forms. I was influenced by CJ Hendry’s oversized, hyperreal drawings as it aligned with my own style, enabling me to bring to life my dad’s story and our permanent connection.

Sophia and Juniper's artworks have been selected for ARTEXPRESS!

Congratulations to Sophia and Juniper! Their artworks were selected for ARTEXPRESS. This is a significant achievement, as it recognises the outstanding artistic talent and creativity of students, highlighting their Bodies of Work as some of the best in the state for the NSW HSC.

I am incredibly proud of the girls for their hard work and dedication, and for this well-deserved recognition of their exceptional artistic abilities.

Miss Tarryn Wilson - Visual Art teacher

OnSTAGE

HSC Drama showcase

Two of our very talented, driven and focused performers, Lexi O and Vinnie M were nominated for OnSTAGE, the state-wide NSW Drama showcase in Sydney, for their Individual HSC Drama performances!

Students in NSW who performed at an exceptional level on the day of their HSC Drama performance examination were nominated by the external NESA markers if their work met or exceeded a certain standard.

Lexi and Vinnie deserve this outstanding recognition for their performances of ‘Captain Everything’ and ’Conception Control’ respectively; both pieces are written by Australian playwright Pete Malicki.

Adding to the success of Lexi and Vinnie's OnSTAGE Individual performance nominations, Juniper S also received a nomination for her exemplary Individual Project: Costume Design in Drama.

Juniper’s outstanding directorial vision saw her create a design concept that transported a 17th century French comedy into Mid-west America in the 1980s, seamlessly synthesizing the key characters and issues of deception, hypocrisy and blind faith of the original play in an innovative and original modern interpretation, communicated through her excellent final renderings, sketches and rationale.

These nominations are an outstanding achievement and we are so proud of Lexi, Vinnie and Juniper for earning this recognition.

Ms Simone Museth - Relieving Head Teacher CAPAL

Dramaworks showcase

Celebrating the top group and individual performances from the 2024 HSC Drama candidature from a range of schools across the North Coast

In September, Lexi O performed her Individual piece ‘Captain Everything’ by Pete Malacki (adapted by Lexi) at the Byron Theatre, to a full house of students and teachers from schools across the North Coast.

The Dramaworks Showcase featured a selection of the top HSC Drama pieces from schools across the Northern Rivers and it was a great honour for Lexi to be chosen.

Ms Museth, Ms Marcus and Year 12 Year Advisor Mr Sawyer took our BBHS Year 9 and Year 12 Drama students to see the show and support Lexi as she represented Byron Bay High School on the stage. Lexi’s solo performance is as entertaining as it is moving; she showcased her high level acting skills and exceptional stage presence in its delivery. Families and friends were also able to view her performances at an evening showcase.

Ms Simone Museth - Relieving Head Teacher CAPAL

SHAPE

HSC Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and Textiles and Design exhibition

This year, we congratulate Sophia and Wyana on their nominations for SHAPE. SHAPE is a showcase that recognises a selection of outstanding works from HSC Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and Textiles and Design students and will be held at the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct from March 2025.

Sophia SCH - Design and Technology nomination

Sophia produced some amazing sustainable and environmentally friendly wearable pieces of jewellery. This was achieved by sourcing ethical and eco- friendly resources and materials which were used to create the jewellery. Her design utilised found materials such as microplastics that permeate the world’s oceans to raise awareness on international issues, whilst providing an immediate solution of removing plastics from the ecosystem rather than creating more waste.

Wyana PS - Textile and Design nomination

Wyana created a surfboard cover inspired by her love of surfing, the ocean and our local environment. The decoration includes the colours of the sunset over the sea, frangipanis, dolphins, the swirls of the ocean current and various seashells. She mastered textile decorative techniques such as applique, dyeing and embroidery, and construction with stretch fabric to make a quality project.

Congratulations Wyana!

This week we were very excited to learn that Wyana's Major Project has been selected for TexStyle 2025! TexStyle is the exhibition of a selection of exemplary Textile and Design projects from the 2024 HSC, as chosen by the Technology Educators Association.

Wyana's Major Project will be showcased with other major projects from around the state at Gallery 76 in Sydney, from 2 March to 24 April 2025. Congratulations Wyana, on your fantastic achievement!

CALLBACK

HSC Dance showcase

Frankie M also received a nomination for CALLBACK, the annual showcase of exemplary HSC Dance performances and compositions, which will be held at the Seymour Centre in Sydney in February 2025!

Frankie studied Dance through Distance Education at Southern Cross Ballina and performed her major works for examiners in August. She was nominated for CALLBACK in all 3 of her Dance sections; Core Performance, Core Composition and her Major Study.

Frankie's nomination is a testament to her talent and dedication to dance.

Being nominated for a HSC showcase is an incredible achievement. Congratulations once again on your nomination Frankie!

Ms Robyn Ellis - Distance Education Coordinator and Teacher Librarian

Our Visual Arts HSC students' final BOWs

Celebrating the exceptional achievements of the Year 12 2024 Visual Arts class

As we celebrate the exceptional achievements of the Year 12 2024 Visual Arts class, this story serves as a tribute to their dedication, skill, and remarkable commitment. We have shared many moments of excellence, with numerous nominations and selections for ARTEXPRESS, but I'd like to honour the collective and individual brilliance of all our students.

We have been consistently amazed and inspired by the calibre of work displayed by every member of the class. Their passion and creativity shone through in each Body of Work, reflecting a powerful level of practice that is outstanding.

Below is the link to a booklet which showcases the students' Body of Works, along with their final artist's statements. We are incredibly proud of what they've achieved and excited to see where their artistic journeys will take them next.

Miss Tarryn Wilson - Visual Arts teacher

Design and Technology & Industrial Technology

HSC Major Projects

Year 12 Design & Technology and Industrial Technology students put in a lot of dedication and hard work to complete their Major Projects. Each project was accompanied by an in-depth portfolio, which included a design brief and supporting evidence. I can personally say that these excellent portfolios documented fantastic communication and organisational skills the students used to achieve the desired course outcomes. Please enjoy some of our student's work in the images provided.

Thank you to every student who gave their best efforts, each and every lesson; your hard work is evident in the quality of the projects and portfolios you worked so hard on. I wish you all the very success for your future.

Mr Mark Hernage - TAS teacher

HSC Music

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to our incredible Year 12 Music students for their extraordinary efforts this year. Each student demonstrated remarkable dedication, pushing yourselves beyond your comfort zones and emerging stronger, more confident, and truly shining.

Some achieved things you never thought possible, and I could not be prouder of every single one of you.

Congratulations to our HSC Band 6 students, Cinnamon Laddin-Catron, Jessica Docherty, Erin Woolsey, and Floyd Whitaker and to those who have earned a place at university to continue your musical journey—what an exciting next chapter.

I wish each and every one of my students the very best as you step into what I know will be bright and successful futures. Your passion and perseverance inspire us all.

Remember “Don’t Worry Be Happy!"

Mr Stuart Black - Music teacher

HSC Drama

Congratulations to all our Year 12 Drama students

For their HSC, our Drama students presented their Group and Individual performances for the visiting HSC markers, in front of an audience of Stage 5 Drama students. The Year 12 students all performed to their highest ability and the variety of entertaining and thought-provoking pieces were well received by the impressed student audience.

We congratulate the Class of 2024 Drama students on their outstanding efforts and hard work throughout the HSC year to get their performances polished, refined and exam ready.

Ms Simone Museth - Relieving Head Teacher CAPAL