Principals Report
Dear Fortians, Parents and Carers,
Year 12 have completed their HSC Trial exams and have returned to class for their final 6 weeks of classes. Some of our students are making final preparations for the next few weeks when they will complete their HSC practical performances and projects. The HSC Language oral exams also officially began over the weekend.
All the best to the HSC Class of 2024 who will complete an exam over the coming weeks, and to those handing in major works.
Public Education Week
Last week was Public Education Week which is an annual celebration of NSW public education and the achievement of our schools, teachers and students. It is fitting that on the first day of Public Education Week as the oldest government high school in Australia, Fort Street received a visit from the Governor General of Australia Sam Mostyn AC with her husband Simeon Beckett SC (Fortial 1981) and Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG (Fortian 1955).
This awesome trio offered up advice in a Q&A session with our Year 11 Legal Studies students who one day wish to join the bar, with Mr Beckett and Justice Kirby reminiscing on their good old school days at the Fort. Our distinguished guests were then taken on a tour of the Robotics lab where they were introduced to our international award winning Year 11 robotics team who had the opportunity to proudly demonstrate their very own designed, built and coded soccer robots.
The tour then continued into the Wilkins building where Justice Kirby and Mr Beckett were treated to an intimate performance of ‘Gaudeamus Igitur’ and the School Song ‘Come, Let the Strains Resound’ by Year 10 Music students and Ms Propsting.
The tour ended with a visit to the school museum in which Mr Beckett was able to see articles and photos of himself.
Student Congratulations
The first day of Public Education Week ended with an event for the Public Education Awards 2024. Ms Cameron and I had the honour of attending this prestigious ceremony at Sydney Town Hall to congratulate Year 12 student Kalanie Prabhakar for being awarded a Minister’s Award for Excellence. Kalanie was presented her award by the Honourable Prue Car. This award was presented to Kalanie for initiating and organising a number of student campaigns and events at FSHS. As SRC President, she organised a Future Leaders Conference for over 200 students across 30 high schools. Kalanie has been a member of the SRC every year since Year 7, is active on a variety of committees and has completed the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. Outside school she coaches netball and is a (non-Jewish) member of the Sydney Jewish Museum Youth Committee. Kalanie is a positive, enthusiastic champion and ally for a wide range of people and causes she believes in.
The Honourable Justice Michael Kirby, who is leading the Department of Education’s new alumni project, was also recognised at this event with the presentation of one of the inaugural Outstanding Advocate for Public Education Award.
Upcoming events in Term 3:
Friday 16th August: Multicultural Day – student to wear cultural dress to school. There will be a multicultural day focused assembly and special events and food stalls taking place during lunch.
Friday 16th August: NSW Interschool Girls Teams Chess Challenge
Saturday 17th August – Friday 23rd August: International Students visiting from Suginami Sogo Sister School in Japan
Thursday 22nd August: Be Smart Year 11 excursion to Homebush
Friday 23rd August: Second Hand Uniform Stall at lunch
Juliette McMurray