Principal's Report

Welcome to Term 2

Welcome back to Term 2.  We have started the term in a very positive way, with many wonderful teaching, learning, sporting, cultural, leadership and wellbeing initiatives being planned for our students and staff this term.  Staff Development Day this term was spent planning for new curriculum and assessment, with a focus on explicit teaching. We wish all our students, families and staff a productive and positive term ahead.

ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day is a special time of the year, where we reflect on the many sacrifices people have made through their service to our country.  We held our ANZAC commemorations at school and our Senior Leaders represented the school at both the Long Tan Life Care Village Memorial ANZAC Service and the Merewether-Hamilton-Adamstown RSL Sub-Branch ANZAC Dawn Service on 25 April, in Gregson Park Hamilton. A special thank you to our P&C who represented the school community laying a wreath on our behalf at the dawn service this year.

This term we have many significant events occurring, including the JAECG and SRC leadership induction, zone sporting representation, our Athletics Carnival, a visit by Mr Eddie Woo from the Mathematics Growth Team, our Year 10 into Year 11 Transition events, and Semester 1 reports being completed.

We wish all our students, staff and families and positive and productive term ahead.

Mathematics Growth Team

The Mathematics Growth Team (MGT) emerged in 2020 as an initiative within the Department of Education, and in 2024 Newcastle High School is lucky enough to be the latest school getting involved.  In 2024 the MGT will support 13 Trainers and 33 Embedded Instructional Leaders across NSW – our allocated leader is Mr Ben McCarthy, who started with us in Term 1.

The MGT has been designed to both support and leverage expert mathematics teachers in NSW secondary schools, to improve the pedagogical and assessment practices of mathematics educators. MGT Trainers work with teachers of mathematics in their school and network primary and secondary schools and address any mathematics challenges they are facing.

The essential elements of the program are:

1.   Mentoring and instructional leadership supported at the school for 2 years, demonstrating and supporting the development of expert teaching;

2.  Tailored support for all NHS mathematics teachers; and

3.  Time invested in staff, with a reduced teaching load to support engagement in the MGT initiatives.

The Department leader of the MGT is Mr Eddie Woo, who teaches mathematics at Cherrybrook Technology High School. Since 2012, Eddie Woo has uploaded his everyday classroom lessons to his Youtube channel, Wootube, which has more than 1.7 million subscribers and 140 million views.  In 2018, he was named Australia’s Local Hero in the Australian of the Year Awards and listed as one of the Top 10 teachers in the world by the Global Teacher Prize. He is an internationally published author, TED speaker, TV host of ABC’s Teenage Boss and Channel 10’s Ultimate Classroom, Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales and the Education Ambassador for Sydney University.  Mr Woo will be visiting the school this term to present to students and staff, and we look forward to welcoming him to Newcastle.

More information about the Mathematics Growth Team can be found HERE.

P&C Meeting

Our Term 2 P&C Meeting and Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held face-to-face on Monday 27 May 5:30-7:00 pm in the school Library.  

 Remind me (ICS 3.78 KB)

What is a P&C Association?

A P&C Association is a school-based organisation consisting of parents, teachers and interested citizens.  The Education Act 1990 states that P&C Associations are established to:

• Promote the interest of the school by bringing parents, citizens, students and teaching staff into close co-operation;
• Assist in providing facilities and equipment for the school and promoting the recreation and welfare of the students at the school;
• Encourage parent and community participation in curriculum and other educational issues in schools;
• Report, when requested by the Minister, on the material requirements of the school and advise on the subject of maintenance of the school, alterations and additions to school facilities and the selection of new sites;
• Assist and co-operate with teaching staff at public functions associated with the school;
• Be responsible for the election of parent representatives to any school council constituted at the school in consultation with the principal of the school; and
• Assist in any other matters in which the Minister may seek the co-operation of the association.

These objects and functions are included in the prescribed and standard constitutions for both incorporated and unincorporated associations.

We look forward to welcoming you into the school for the NHS P&C Term 2 and AGM.  Light afternoon tea and refreshments will be provided.