In this issue
- Principal's Update
- Upcoming Events
- From the Library
- English News
- Opportunity News
- Science News
- CAPA News
- Sport News
- Careers News
- Parent Information
- Community News & Events
from the Principal
Term 1 is in full swing, with plenty happening both inside and outside the classroom. Some of these exciting activities are highlighted in this week’s newsletter. Don’t forget, next week we have our Open Day—an excellent opportunity to explore and celebrate our school community.
Celebrating Our School Community: Meet the Parent Evening and 2025 High Achievers
We were delighted to welcome Year 7 parents to our recent Meet the Parent Evening. This event was a wonderful opportunity for families to connect with teachers and the school. Parents engaged in meaningful conversations and gained valuable insights into how we foster a nurturing and stimulating environment where every student can thrive. In addition to welcoming our new families, we proudly acknowledged our high achievers from 2025. Their outstanding academic results and commitment to excellence reflect the dedication of both students and staff. Congratulations to our top performers who achieved remarkable ATAR scores and have secured places in competitive university courses in fields such as Medical Science, Business, Commerce, Physiotherapy, and Engineering. Their success exemplifies the strong culture of achievement at South Sydney High School. We look forward to continuing to work together with parents and carers to support our students as they grow, learn, and prepare for bright futures beyond school. Thank you to everyone who participated in making the Meet the Parent Evening a success.
Lions Club Maroubra Youth of The Year
A huge congratulations to Isabel T in Year 11 and Aryan S in Year 10 who competed in the Maroubra Lions Youth of the year event last night. The competition involved an application, interview and impromptu and prepared speeches. In a very competitive field, South Sydney High School came out on top with Aryan winning. Well done to Ms Pyliotis for all her hard work in getting the students ready. They have done South Sydney proud!
2026 Band
Our band practice sessions are hitting record numbers this term! It's incredible to see so many students coming together to make music, sharpen their skills, and build teamwork. Keep up the fantastic energy, everyone – the future sounds amazing!
Healthy Body & Mind
Our students are loving their gym workouts as part of their sports program! It’s fantastic to see their energy, teamwork, and dedication grow stronger with every session. Here’s to building fitness, skills, and healthy habits for life!
Breakfast of Champions
Year 12 students and teachers united over a delicious morning meal to fuel up and plan for the year ahead.
Uniform Warriors
Attendance Heroes
Upcoming Events
Tuesday 3 March - Open Night 4-6:30pm Thursday 5 March - Zone Swimming Carnival Monday 9 March - Sydney East Swimming Carnival Tuesday 10 March - P & C Meeting 7pm 11-16 March - NAPLAN Years 7 and 9 Thursday 26 March - School Photograph Day Tuesday 31 March - Parent and Teacher Interviews for Years 7,11 and 12
From the Library
Celebrating 25 years of the Premier’s Reading Challenge
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge! Since it began in 2001, millions of students across New South Wales have enjoyed taking part in this wonderful reading journey. South Sydney High School is proud to be celebrating this milestone and joining in the fun again this year!
What is the NSW PRC? The PRC is a statewide initiative that encourages students to develop a lifelong love of reading for fun and pleasure. It is not a competition, but a challenge to inspire every student to read more books and explore different kinds of stories and information. All students who complete the Challenge and have their reading logged and validated by our PRC coordinator will receive a certificate signed by the Premier of NSW. How do students log their reading? Students can log their reading using the PRC Student Experience website, which they can access with their Department of Education username and password via the Student Portal.
Manga Mania
Exciting news for manga fans! Our Library has just added a fresh selection of manga titles to the collection. From action-packed adventures and heartfelt romances to thought-provoking fantasy and slice-of-life stories, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to check out popular series, such as, Tsumiki Ogami's not-so-ordinary life, Yona of the Dawn and Kagurabachi as well as discovering new favourites. These additions are perfect for both dedicated manga readers and those looking to explore this vibrant genre for the first time. Visit the library soon and dive into the world of manga!
New to the Collection
A Light on the Rocks by Helen Edwards This is a great historical novel with real events woven through it, told in alternating chapters from both Daisy aboard the wreck, and Max and Rosemary as they see the ghost horse and discover stories about the wreck. It’s full of hope and self-belief and shows how much we are connected to the world around us, even though we are often too busy to notice. This will be well loved by those in lower secondary with an interest in history, who love great characters and a compelling storyline.
Grave Robbing and other Curious Activities by Joel McKerrow A terrific and macabre story, full of mystery and detective work, and about proving that your loved one is innocent even if it takes going to great lengths to do so. With the setting at a funeral home, it will best suit middle secondary readers.
Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman This is Amie Kaufman at her best. It’s a fast-paced sci-fi adventure that is full of action and a great story, with lots of smart one liners, as our two heroes try to work out whether to trust each other or not. Hunter and Cleo are great characters who are not only trying to save themselves and Mars but work out who they are and who they really want to be. It’s perfect to read in one sitting and sci-fi and adventure lovers will thoroughly enjoy this one. Perfect for all those 14 and up.
The Kid's Guide to Speaking Your Mind Without Losing your Cool by Dr. Matt Agnew Boost your critical thinking and debating abilities with this entertaining and interactive book, featuring imaginative activities designed to promote calm, clear, and logical thinking—authored by one of Australia’s most beloved scientists
Teen Breathe, Issue 49
Happy reading and happy learning! Ms Maddocks, Teacher Librarian
English news
What Matters? Writing Competition 2026
The Whitlam Institute’s 2026 WHAT MATTERS? WRITING COMPETITION is now open! Enter online. Entries close on 15 May 2026. Entries may be fiction, non-fiction, persuasive writing, poetry or prose, giving young people the freedom to express their views on any issue they care about in 600 words or less. Students have the chance to win a variety of prizes for themselves and their school. See your English teacher or visit the website for more details. SSHS has had several Highly Commended results over the years. Keep thinking, creating and writing! Ms J Tilby - English Faculty
Tournament of Minds
TOM is a voluntary competition for talented students (Years 7-10) focusing on collaborative problem solving and critical thinking. Teams of seven students work as a team to create a dramatic performance outlining their solutions to an open-ended Long-Term Problem in one of four disciplines: Stem/Language- Literature/Arts/Social Sciences. Students also participate in a shorter, unseen Spontaneous Challenge on the day of the tournament. Interested students will train during a lunch break once weekly during Term 2. Successful students will be chosen from this mix. See Ms J Tilby -English if interested. TOM Facilitator – Ms J Tilby
opportunity News
Dress for Success Inspires Year 10 girls!
As part of South Sydney High School’s Opportunity Program, Mrs Stell recently selected ten Year 10 girls to the Dress for Success headquarters for an unforgettable experience. We began the day with an engaging workshop on interview preparation, where we learned practical tips to help us feel confident and prepared for future job opportunities. The session highlighted the importance of first impressions and workplace professionalism. Afterwards, we visited the boutique, where personal stylists helped each of us choose an interview-ready outfit. From selecting the perfect blazer to adding jewellery, shoes and subtle makeup, we created polished looks that made us feel confident and empowered. We were even gifted the outfits we selected. We are incredibly grateful to Mrs Callaghan for driving us and sharing in our excitement. It was a truly inspiring experience that has better prepared us for our future careers. Greta & Jess - Student Ambassadors of the Opportunity Program 2026
Science
Science Enrichment Satellite Project
Our Year 8 and 9 Enrichment classes have recently wrapped up an exciting hands-on project where students designed and built their very own RAS Cubes. Throughout the project, students learned about satellites and how they are used to collect data and support communication and research here on Earth. Working collaboratively in teams, they created their own “space companies” and took on real-world roles such as engineers, scientific advisors, and project managers. A RAS Cube is a small cube shaped flat-pack satellite kit, designed to inspire and launch future stars into space careers. These cubes can carry sensors or simple experiments that operate in space, allowing students to apply their understanding of science, technology, and engineering in a practical way. Students were challenged to:
- Design and physically build their RAS Cube
- Work as a team to solve problems and manage their project
- Film the entire design and build process
- Submit a final video presentation explaining their idea and how it works
Their completed projects are now in the running to be selected as a winning team, with the incredible opportunity to have their RAS Cube launched into orbit! This project showcased outstanding teamwork, creativity, and innovation from our students, and we are very proud of the effort and enthusiasm they demonstrated throughout the process.
We look forward to seeing which team is selected and wish all participants the best of luck!
CAPA News
Visual Arts Excursion to Art Gallery of NSW
Today our Year 11 and 12 Visual Arts classes visited ARTEXPRESS and the Ron Mueck exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW. ARTEXPRESS is an annual exhibition showcasing exceptional student artworks from the HSC. Students and teachers had a fantastic day and are inspired to get back into the art rooms!
Sport News
SSHS Swimming Carnival 2026
NSW State Oztag U17 Boys Champion!
Congratulations to Austin in Year 11!!! We are proud to celebrate Austin’s outstanding performance as part of the U17 Boys team at the recent NSW State Oztag Championship. Competing with skill and determination, Austin helped lead his team to victory, bringing home the championship title. Well done, Austin, on this fantastic achievement! Your dedication and teamwork have made us all proud. Keep up the great work both on and off the field!
Boys Zone Soccer Trials
South Sydney took an excellent team of soccer players to Matraville Sports High to participate in the selection process for the Eastern Suburbs Zone squad. Congratulations to Finlay L, Andrew L and Dan G who were chosen by the selectors to join the team! Well done also to all the other students who participated as well - the boys represented South Sydney brilliantly!
Girls Zone Soccer Trials
Congratulations to Annabel and Aval from Year 12, and Lyra from Year 9, who were successful in being selected for the Eastern Suburbs Zone Girls Soccer team at the trials that took place on Thursday 12 Feb. These girls will now go on as a part of this team to participate in the Sydney East Trials on Friday 6 March. Well done also to Meliha from Year 11 and Lexi from Year 10 who also participated in the trial as a part of our combined team with Sydney Girls HS. This team performed strongly throughout the day, combining well and competing in the right spirit.
Oztag Champs
We are incredibly proud of the boys in the U16/17 Div 2 team who won their Grand Final in Oztag last week. Congratulations to Ashton F, Jayden E, Roberto Q, Ari K, Austin M, Tom C, Harlan G, Callum K & Kaelan G
2026 NSW Surf Lifesaving Age Championships
Congratulations to all the students who recently competed in the 2026 NSW Surf Life Saving Age Championships at Blacksmith Beach. Your dedication and achievements make us very proud!
Giddy Up!
Congratulations to Carly, who continues to excel in equestrian events with her new horse, Finn. She recently competed in an indoor show jumping event in Tamworth. Well done, Carly!
Careers News
Where Are They Now? - Class of 2025
Good Universities Guide for 2026 is Live
Google Classrooms
Please keep an eye on Careers Google Classroom for important information:
- Year 12 2026 sr64tws
- Year 11 2026 mutret6
- Year 10 2026 jatx4ftf
Year 10 UNSW University GATEWAY Presentation
UNSW is offering an hour in school workshop delivered by UNSW. The workshop is designed to encourage student to start to think about future pathways for University. Students will be guided to make informed decisions and connect to degrees of interest. The workshop will create pathways to future study and careers. Please complete the form below: (it is also in Careers Google Classroom - jatx4ftf 60 spots available. UNSW GATEWAY Presentation Form
South Sydney High Careers Website
You can subscribe to great weekly careers newsletters here!
Careers News Bulletin - 26 February 2026
Return & Earn
Keep the return and earn coming in! If you have any cans, bottles and/or 10c items, please bring to school to Ms Mattock’s office. Thank you for your support!
Meredith Mattock - Careers Adviser
parent information
Naplan 2026 Information for Parents
NSW Health School Vaccination Program
Dear Parent/Guardian, If your child is in Year 7 or Year 10 in 2025, you can provide consent online for school vaccinations. In Year 7, students are offered free vaccines for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV). In Year 10, students are offered the meningococcal ACWY vaccine.
- Year 10 Meningococcal ACWY vaccinations: Thursday 19 March 2026 (Term 1, week 8)
- Year 7 diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV): Thursday 13 August (Term 3, Week 4)
Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received. Online consent will only be accepted if provided through the NSW Health School Vaccination Program portal. Consent should not be provided to the school via email or other electronic form submission. How to provide consent:
- To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit: engage.health.nsw.gov.au
- Follow the steps to log in to your existing ServiceNSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you do not have a ServiceNSW account, refer to ServiceNSW to create one.
- Update or confirm your personal details as required.
- Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:
- Enter your child’s personal details
- Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
- Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement
- Provide consent
Detailed instructions can be found on the NSW Health website. If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper consent form from the school. The benefits of providing consent online:
- easily update your child’s details
- receive SMS and/or email notifications when vaccinations are given
- faster upload of vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)
For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit: www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination. If you require information in your language, please visit: www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/school_vaccination_language.aspx Scan the QR code or click here to provide consent.
Deepfake Abuse – A Criminal Offence
The NSW Government has introduced new laws from the 16th of February to better protect people from image-based abuse, including deepfakes, to target the growing misuse of AI and other emerging technologies to harm, shame or control others. Creating, recording or and/or distributing intimate images, audio or video content of any person without their consent, or threaten to do so, is a criminal offence in NSW. This law now includes content created by artificial intelligence (AI) known as ‘deepfake’ and carries the following legal consequences:
- People who engage in such acts can face serious criminal penalties of up to 3 years imprisonment, a fine of $11,000 or both.
- Courts can also order offenders to remove harmful content, with penalties for not complying of up to 2 years imprisonment, a fine of $5,500 or both.
If you see harmful and/or distressing content online, please report it to NSW Police online or phone 131 444 and/or the eSafety Commissioner
Teaching safe online behaviour in schools:
- Schools promote safe online behaviours, and address image-based abuse through mandatory parts of the NESA PDHPE K–6 and 7–10 syllabuses.
- Students learn about consent, privacy, respectful relationships and online harms from primary years.
- In addition, programs developed by NSW and Australian Government agencies complement mandatory curriculum delivery.
- Learning and support resources for a safe experience online and to support a person who has experienced harm are provided by eSafety
Open Day 2026
School Photos - Order Online
Community news & events
Interested in AFL?
The Maroubra Saints Junior AFL Club is deeply community-based and focused on fostering team sports and healthy habits for children. We believe that participation in team sports not only promotes physical health but also builds important life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and resilience. For more detailed information about our club, programs, and values, please feel free to visit our website at www.maroubrsaints.com.
Donate Blood
Randwick Council - Workshop for Supervising Drivers
Randwick City Council and Transport for NSW are running an online workshop for parents and carers who are supervising teens as they learn to drive. It helps supervisors to be fully informed about their role and responsibilities as part of this learning process, leading to a much safer environment on our roads. This workshop is targeted at parents - it is a great resource for them to learn about having conversations with their teens and how to help teach them the road rules. With more and more teens accessing e-bikes, learning road rules is a key to their safety. The online workshop will be held on Wednesday 18th March 2026 from 6.00pm. To register go to: www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/gls or use the QR code
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We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Bidjigal people, the traditional owners and custodians of the land we work on. We also pay respect to Aboriginal elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to other Aboriginal people.
Contact us:
Telephone | 9349 3868
Email | sthsydney-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
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