Principal’s Report

Dear Fortians, Parents and Carers,

As we come to the end of the school year, life at the Fort has continued to be vibrant and dynamic. There has been an unmistakable buzz of excitement among students and staff as we gear up for the summer break, though some are feeling a bit weary from the busy term.

Last week, students from the winning house, Kirby, enjoyed a day of fun at Luna Park and the History Faculty hosted the annual V for Victory History Dance, where it was wonderful to see both students and teachers dressed in period costumes. This week, Year 7 celebrated the completion of their first year at the Fort with a fun day at the movies following a morning picnic with their year advisers, teachers, and peer support leaders. A special thank you goes to Mr O’Neill, Ms. Wark and Mr Clark for their exceptional efforts in organising these memorable events.

MAD Night was held once again to showcase students work in Music, Art and Drama. Guests were able to enjoy a gallery experience curated of all the work from Visual Arts students 7-11 whilst being serenaded by the best and brightest of our Year 9-11 Music students. Interactive circus and drama performances from elective drama classes were also woven through the evening to bring the gallery experience to life.

I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Matt Manchester, all the IMP tutors, and the IMP committee and helpers for the outstanding end-of-year summer concert held on December 12. The event had a fantastic atmosphere and as always showcased an incredible array of musical talent.

I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Parent and Citizens Association (P&C) for their continued support this year, as well as to the generous families who contributed to our staff end-of-year thank you lunch. Your support is greatly appreciated.

HSC Results

Yesterday HSC results were released, the students of Year 12 2025 should be incredibly proud of their achievements. This year Fort Street ranked 20th school in the state amongst all private and public high schools. Of 156 students who sat HSC exams this year 30 (19%) achieved an ATAR of 98 or above. 37% of the entire cohort achieved an ATAR over 95.

Jayden Nguyen is awarded Dux of the year with an ATAR of 99.85.

The following students achieved state ranks:

Emil Hurley-Stone – 2nd in German Extension

Joseph McGee – 15th in Modern History

Luka Penney – 6th in Earth and Environment Science

Lily Vujovic – 19th in Modern History

Yujing Zhou – 3rd in Chinese Continuers

18 students achieved a result in the highest band (Band 6 or E4) in 10 or more of their courses making them HSC all-rounders.

129 students made it onto the distinguished achievers list.

For full details see the school website.

Australian Volleyball Schools Cup

I would like to thank Mr. Feng and Ms Catalan for accompanying our students on their trip to the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup, as well as Mr Sarif for his organisation of the event. Congratulations to the teams and our dedicated staff for their hard work!

Staff Farewells

As we near the end of the school year, it is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to some of our dedicated staff members. This year, we say goodbye to those taking a break and to others departing permanently. Their unwavering commitment and contributions have significantly impacted our school community.

We extend our heartfelt goodbyes to Ms. Carolyn Mattick, who has taken on the role of Senior Curriculum Adviser for the Department of Education at the Parramatta Office after 15 years at the Fort. In a last-minute surprise Ms Propsting has been offered a permanent Head Teacher position at Carlingford High School, so she will also have her last day at the Fort today after 10 years. We also bid farewell to Ms Camille Nguyen from the Science Faculty, Mr Robert Richie (Social Science Faculty), Ms. Angela Morosin (CAPA Faculty – Drama) and Charlie Bishop (Social Science Faculty).

We will also miss Ms Millie Lawson who will be on leave in 2026 working as the Head Teacher Teaching and Learning at Hunters Hill High School, we look forward to welcoming her back in 2027.

As this is the final edition of Mercurius for 2025, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Fortians and their families a wonderful, safe, and restful summer holiday.

2026 Important Dates

Week 2A

Monday 2 February – First day of school for all students

Tuesday 3 February – Swimming Carnival – Ashfield Swimming Pool

Wednesday 3 February – Friday 6 February: Year 11 Camp

Week 3B

Wednesday 11 February – School Photo Day

Friday 13 February – Second Hand Uniform Stall

Week 4A

Wednesday 18 February – Year 7 parent and Student evening

Thursday 19 February – SRC Rose Drive (roses delivered)

Friday 20 February – Speech Day at Sydney Town Hall

HSC Results 2025

MAD Night 2025

Creative and Performing Arts Presents MAD Night of 2025

On Monday of Week 9, the Creative and Performing Arts faculty hosted MAD Night, a celebration of Music, Art and Drama. Students were celebrated for their performances and artworks throughout the evening, and it was an amazing turnout.

The evening kicked off with a Visual Arts Exhibition, exhibiting artworks from Years 7-11. Year 7 had their ceramic pots and still life drawings on display. A beautiful exhibit of colour and texture! Year 8 had some witty gouache Pop Art paintings, surreal Photoshop dreamscapes, and colourful Modernist reduction lino prints. Year 9 had some beautiful panoramic lino prints and textured layered landscapes. Year 10 had striking realistic charcoal self-portraits and recycled steam punk sculptures. Year 11 produced a range of expressive and realistic still life artworks and a small Body of Work. 

There was also work on display from Year 9 and Year 10 Photographic and Digital Media students. Year 9 exhibited a range of digital photographs with a focus on lighting, shutter speed, and manual DSLR camera techniques. They also produced a portfolio of decay photography from their Cockatoo Island excursion. Year 10 produced a portfolio of portraits that were distorted and edited, creating surreal and unique imagery.

Throughout the evening there were incredible performances from senior Music and Drama students. It was an opportunity to show off the talent of our students to a large audience. A huge congratulations to the following students that performed a musical item: Cameron Guglielmino, Henry Shannon, Austin Li, ‘The Freaky Beans’ (Dhruv, Lucas, Billy, Sean), Xavier Chen, Olivia He, Tony Lam, Ethan Tsang, Nancy Zhang, Erin Ju, Matthew Yong, Edmund Huang, James Wen, Damon Lau, Recorder Ensemble, Kai Hall, Terence Kang, Tyrone He, Lucas Chen. The musical performances were so captivating and moving. 

A huge congratulations to our Drama students that were highly engaging and dramatic either on stage or on the floor: Aliya Chaitow, Elliot Steel, Persephone Lee, Nea Tarrant, Antony Walczac, Alina Zhang, Nainika Kagithala, Sacha Coward, William Short, Sophie Siackhasone and Andrew Ding, Gabriel Cutcher Skellern, Jed Dou, Mia Gray, Lucinda Man, Genevieve Meunier, Zara Papageorgiou, Pranaya Prasath, Martin Tran, Oliver Williams. 

Also a big thank you to Callum Wong for being the photographer for the evening, and to Miranda Chelsea-Vernardakis and Farley Hammond for running sound and lighting. 

From the CAPA Faculty: Ms Propsting, Mr Atkins, Ms Capel, Ms Cho, Mr Manchester, Ms Mattick, Ms Morosin and Mrs Thompson.

English Enrichment Creative Pieces

Throughout the year, students from Year 9 and 10 participated in the English Enrichment course, producing a range of works—from lyrical poetry to short stories and even film scripts—to submit to various writing competitions. Through the support of not only teachers, but also their peers, they strung magic together with dedication and the desire to create, discovering new realms of literature to explore.

The enrichment course ultimately became more than a space for writing. Students not only honed their craft but also learned to listen deeply, to critique with care, and to celebrate the diverse voices within their cohort. In doing so, they built a community of young writers who approached challenges with creativity and courage, leaving behind works that reflect both their individuality and their shared journey.

Oliver Townsend and Steph Ha (Year 9)

Below are extracts from each piece. If you would like to read them in full, please click here.

Extract from Faraway Lands

By Mischka Allen (Year 9)

The ocean is dark ahead of him, velvet-soft ripples spanning either side of the small, fragile steam boat that he had, despite reason, boarded willingly. Euroka did not seem very able on land, and now that she had left it behind, Robert could not help but acknowledge the unease that rose like sickness in his stomach. 

He was still not sure how he had been so thoroughly misled. The mate had laughed at him when he had justified the company of Rose and their children, and that had been where his confidence had first wavered – it had taken many blows since. They were to be Northward-bound; to leave Sydney. Dreams of watermelon crops and a cottage hewn from strange Australian trees seemed suddenly so distant; but work was necessary and work was what had to be first established. 

Extract from Travelling

By Jason Chen (Year 10)

That morning I discovered a problem with my printer before I had even put my shirt on. This particular machine was a half functioning greyish block I had found on sale two years ago and it was sitting on the floor half disassembled and covered in stickers I had not put on it. Someone had come in during the dead of night and decided this was a good idea. They’d even left the window open for God’s sake, so that a faint hum of traffic filtered through the room. My clock was broken—someone had taken the time to wind it back 15 minutes from what my phone insisted was 6:30 in the morning. I noticed because today, time mattered. The manuscript had to be submitted before midnight. Miss that, and the sabbatical would be formally logged as unproductive. My father had been very clear about what happened after that.

Each sticker bore the red logo of the shop that had sold me the printer, followed by a block of text:

Notice: This item and its immediate surroundings may contain regulated or hazardous materials. Do not operate. Await further instructions.

Extract from Delayed Train

By Jed Dou (Year 10)

The platform of a small train station in an unknown city. CENTRE STAGE, a bench with paint peeling off it.  HANS and PAUL are sitting placidly on the bench. They appear to both be passing time, reading the newspaper. Occasionally, in unison, the two check their watches. STAGE RIGHT, next to HANS and PAUL is a dead pot plant. UPSTAGE, behind the bench, HANS, PAUL and the dead pot plant is a vending machine, its lights fill the stage with an inviting neon glow.

TRAIN INTERCOM

The 8:12 train to Central on platform 2 is delayed by approximately 157 minutes.

PAUL

(checking his watch lazily) We might be a little late for work this morning.

Extract from Methodical 

By Jennifer Duong

A careful eye glances at the shiny new mechanical pencils, analysing faults. That one over there looks more like a tester than a selling product, and the fourth one to the right is cracked. The pencils are the first thing most see when entering the shop, so it should not surprise her. She selects a decent looking one-certainly the best in the bunch-doodling briefly on the testing paper before placing it into her basket. The pencil rolls, then settles: proud in its loneliness. 

Her reasoning for skipping past the thick fluorescent highlighters lies with the far prettier ones arranged on the side, their aesthetically soothing pastels a direct contrast to their lively neighbours, and their slim figures far more pleasing. 

She finds herself at the other end of the store with fingers on a small black rubber. She has always preferred them to their brighter counterparts, rationalising it as dirt-free and cleaner. She will say nothing of red rubbers. But her experience with black ones has been quite good so far, with the exception of last Saturday…

Extract from artefacts as adhesive

By Steph Ha (Year 9)

v. metal, silver (age 34)

a watch, unclasped. its face a shard of broken dawn.

gleaming cold, inside gears grind 

like teeth locked in a sleepless jaw, gnawing

minutes to dust. you say that time is a river,

but this is no water— only hinges, only rust.

Extract from Stories of Escape

By Lucinda MAN (Year 10)

A phone rings. You pick it up. You say:

Emergency. Police, Fire, or Ambulance?

I’d like to order pizza delivery.

The voice is a child’s, muffled but not shaking. 

You called police to order pizza?

Uh, yeah. … To 9 Henson Road, in Flemworth. 

You are bemused. 

This is the wrong number to order pizza. 

No, no, no, no, you’re not understanding. 9 Henson Road, in Flemworth. 

A note of urgency. You scribble the address down and start searching.

Extract from (Lie)utenant

By Rita Karina Munoz (Year 9)

He’d always wanted to get into this military academy, the big one, in Moscow. He even kept one of those small plastic toy soldiers on his desk, like a little cheerleader. I always wished for an aspiration like his–it would make all the late night studying significantly easier, if I had a cheerleader of my own, even if it was only in the form of a dream, but one never came to me. I hadn’t yet known what I wanted to do with my own life, only that I wanted to get one. 

Extract from Breaking the vase and keeping it in the hope that one day it will magically fix itself

By Genevieve Meunier (Year 10)

It was a few days later when they finally bumped into each other. There’s a spark of something hateful in the air that the rain hasn’t extinguished, and it ignites, and it burns blindingly bright and spills out of Reggie’s mouth and into the air.

Extract from Earth 

By Ty Nguyen

Earth, I hope I can visit one day. 

                         I hate being in this ever-nocturnal life. 

                                             I just love the presents given by dad

The books contain information on: Gazelles, platypuses, even cassowaries. 

                                  “It’s like a mossball, floating in a sea of dreams.” 

          “What does it sound like when all the dreams … are crushed?”

** -DESCENT – COMPLETED- **

Extract from “What made you come to love this place again?”

By Oliver Townsend (Year 9)

She

It’s strange. Just down from the town centre and the grand Victorian mansions, the mill used to tower over us. Those silos were titans when I was a girl – hulking skyscrapers, watching over all below. My dad worked here. He’d come home covered in flour, hands splintered from crates and timber, which my mother would gently tweeze out each night. Back in the 70s, Summer Hill didn’t revolve around cafés and light rails, it pulsed to the scent of grain and the hum of freight trains.

V for Victory Incursion

On Thursday the 11th of December, all of Year 9 took part in the History Dance. This dance was themed around Victory Day, the day when WW2 was officially over. To celebrate, students dressed up in historical attire and learned popular dances of the 1940’s.

As Year 9 students walked into the hall, they were welcomed by the Victory band, playing Ella Fitzegerald’s famous song ‘Misty’. The first celebration song played was Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’, which was very popular during the 1940’s as it was commonly sung by soldiers before their departure to the battlefield. The band then led the year group for live karaoke. Shortly following that, the end of the war was announced, and the Victory dancing commenced. Throughout the day, we learned foxtrots, waltzes and cha-chas, giving a chance for students to display their talents during several competitions. The best part was when Ms Wark taught us the steps for the Cha-cha, demonstrating with Ms Fisher.

After the dances, we were engaged in our Victory tables, adorned with food, drinks, and decorations produced by each class and their planning committee. Each table looked incredible, covered with Australian flags, delicious snacks and beautiful cakes. However, the best part was eating all the amazing historical food we had all prepared. Ultimately, only one class could win the best table, but each class was incredibly successful in their efforts.

However, without some very important people, this day wouldn’t have been as amazing as it was. We’d like to thank the social committees of each class who organised the food, drinks and decorations for the hall. All of the decorations were beautiful and well-thought out. The Victory band also played a massive role in making the day entertaining; and the incredible organisation of Tony Lam made the band an overall success. Finally, we have to thank the History Faculty, (particularly Ms Fisher and Ms Wark), for their efforts in organising this wonderful event, it was such an eventful day that Year 9 will remember.

By Audrey Leblond and Nina O’Keeffe

Christmas Baking

Year 7, 9 and 12 have produced deliciously festive baked treats for Christmas.

Year 10 PDHPE

Year 10 students recently took part in a range of engaging physical activity experiences as part of their PDHPE program.

The images capture students enthusiastically participating in a high-energy Zumba class led by an experienced and motivating instructor. In addition, students were given the opportunity to attend yoga and mixed martial arts sessions, allowing them to explore a variety of movement styles and fitness approaches.

These practical experiences supported students’ understanding of lifelong physical activity, wellbeing, and the importance of staying active in ways that are enjoyable and inclusive.

Yr8 German Masterchef Competition

A yearly highlight of the Year 8 German program, the MasterChef competition gives students the opportunity to research a dish from a German-speaking country and then cook and share it with their classmates. 8T were excited to showcase their culinary skills this year and the competition unearthed a wealth of talented young chefs. After our feast, the students were able to vote for their favourite dishes. Here are the winners:

Best savoury dish – Arthur, Asher and Eli for their Currywurst

Best cake/pastry – Aayan, James and Leo for their Franzbrötchen

Best biscuit – Tristan for his Lebkuchen

Best Torte  – Candice, Emily and Srishti for their Black Forest Cake.

And the overall first prize went to Annie and Emily who made four different cakes including the hilarious Frau Reynolds cake. Thanks to all of 8T for the energy and creativity they brought to the competition.

Year 9 & 10 French Baking

Year 9 and 10 French Bûche de noël decorating

An important part of French Christmas festivities and the elective French courses is the annual Bûche de noël decorating. Also known as a Yule Log, this cake evokes the forest floor with a rolled chocolate cake decorated to look like a tree stump or fallen tree. The year 9 and 10 French classes split into groups, each received their cake, whipped cream, chocolate, toadstool biscuits or meringues, and began constructing and decorating their cake. Some were more successful than others, but all of them were delicious and fun to build. The finishing touches of using a fork to scrape through the outside to create bark, and a dusting of icing sugar to look like snow, helped to elevate the final product. Look at some of the masterpieces!

Monsieur de Jong

Year 9 Charity Event

Year 9 Charity Event: Women for Women International

This year, the year 9 Charity and Social Justice committee has been supporting Women for Women International, an organisation that helps to empower women in countries across the globe to receive an education and economic opportunities. On Wednesday 10 December, to coincide with International Human Rights Day, we held interactive and informative stalls to help inform students about this organisation and its important work. Students wore pink and teal accessories, and had the opportunity to make friendship bracelets and have their nails painted in the charity’s colours while talking to our members. On the day, we raised $258.45. Thanks to everyone for their support of our event!

Mr de Jong

Yr 8 Japanese Excursion

Yr10 Technology Excursion

10GTE Explores Sustainability and Sydney Architecture

Last Thursday, our Year 10 Graphics students embarked on an excursion that combined hands-on sustainability learning with architectural exploration across Sydney.

The day began at Banish, a B-Corp certified organisation dedicated to reducing plastic waste through innovative recycling and product creation. Our 16 students learned about the organisation’s BRAD program, which encourages individuals, corporates, and schools to donate their plastic waste. Students helped sort and produce a detailed sustainability report tracking the environmental impact of a few of their clients.

Students got hands-on experience sorting different types of plastic, learning the complexities of the recycling process. The highlight of the visit was moulding their own pens from recycled plastic, giving them a tangible understanding of how waste materials can be transformed into functional products.

After the morning session, students set out on an Australian architectural walking tour through the city. Despite the warm conditions, the group remained patient, engaged, and eager to explore the buildings and structures they had studied in their first assessment task earlier this year.

The walking tour provided valuable opportunities to see real-world examples of Australian architecture, connecting classroom learning with actual built environments. Students examined various architectural styles and design elements throughout the city.

The excursion concluded above Circular Quay Station, where students enjoyed panoramic views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. This iconic location provided a fitting end to a day focused on understanding how design shapes our urban environment.

Ms Catalan
Year 10 Graphics Teacher

SRC

Hello!

We’re your newly elected SRC, and we’re so excited to work with all of you to make your next year  at Fort Street unforgettable. If you have any feedback or ideas for the school or just want to see how we’re working towards our upcoming events, we’d love to invite you to our open weekly SRC meetings held in the Flexible Learning Space on Monday lunchtimes. 

From events to improvements around the school, we’ve got plenty planned. Here is a quick look at what’s been happening and what’s coming up.

Our Team

President Lucinda Man

Vice President Ethan Luu

Secretaries Jethro Shapiro-Liu and Beatrice Shimada

Treasurer Jane Nguyen

Publicity Officers Helen Li and Christopher Alexidis

Committee Liaison Tim Wang

Our Mission

After taking a look at the 2025 Tell Them From Me Surveys we realised that Mental Health at our school is often overlooked. Thus, we have decided that throughout the next year our combined goal is improving Mental Health and Wellbeing, and we’re looking into: 

• Raising awareness of the wellbeing resources available, such as counsellors.
• Hosting wellbeing-focused events that encourage open conversations and promote mental health in a positive light.
• Creating safe and fun spaces where students can connect, share, and feel supported by their peers.

SRC Camp

At the end of Term 3, SRC members of 2025/26 arrived at Collaroy Centre for our annual SRC camp. It was an awesome two days filled with planning, collaboration, and some very questionable team work activities (Just Dance was the fave). We came back energised, and ready to kick off the term with fresh ideas and events.

Valley Update

Construction has finally begun!! The valley is being flattened, and the gym equipment has been moved aside, which means there’s lots of opportunities to do something with this empty space. Currently, it is being transformed into a seating area, however it’s still in the works, and we’d love to hear from you. If you have any ideas or recommendations, make sure to tell an SRC member from your grade or just come to our meetings directly, you guys are always welcome 🙂

Halloween

Thanks everyone for your participation with Halloween! This was our first event, and we are glad everything went well with your help. This year we had our biggest turnout of ghouls and K-pop demon boy bands alike at our Halloween event on Friday October 31st. Congrats to our group winner Five Nights at Freddy’s, and individual category winners dressed as the Queen of Hearts, a dramatically splattered maiden and even a fully-motional Transformer! Props to the teachers too, who really got creative this spooky season. Thanks for helping us start the term on such a fun note, we look forward to your engagement with future events.

Staff Appreciation Day

Last year it was Teachers Appreciation Day, but this year we wanted to recognise all staff including the cleaners, office staff and wellbeing/learning support staff! On Friday 14th of November we held a Staff Morning Tea in the Fountain Quad, alongside a noticeboard which displayed heartfelt messages from students to staff. The event was well-received by all the teachers, who especially enjoyed the cheese platters!

Candy Cane Countdown

Over the course of week 8 and 9 we began selling Candy Canes. Students would receive a note with each purchase on which they could write a personalised message to one of their peers or to a teacher. These notes were tied to a candy cane and handed out on Friday of Week 9. The students were definitely feeling the festive cheer, and we fully sold out with 640 total sales. Thank you everyone for all your support, the funds raised will be dedicated to making the next year’s events even more spectacular than before.

Final Event of the Year – Annual Talent Quest!

To conclude the year we will be having our Annual Talent Quest this Friday 19th of December. With 25 acts lined up and ready to take the stage, this year’s showcase is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most diverse Talent Quests Fort Street has seen. This year’s lineup truly has something for everyone.  You can expect a mix of musical performances, from solo piano and violin pieces to full band acts with drums, guitars, and other instruments. There will also be singing across different genres and dance performances inspired by various pop cultures.

Talent Quest isn’t just about music and dance. There will also be comedy, drama, and creative video acts, including skits, stand-up comedy, illusion-based performances, and student–teacher collaborations. With performances from individuals, groups, and entire year levels, the event is a great showcase of the talent and confidence across our school community. We can’t wait to see the hall come alive with applause as we wrap up the year together. 

Coming Up: C&C Day

Next year is Clubs & Committees Day, where Years 7-12 can freely browse and see what the Fort has to offer! Clubs who want a stall can fill out this form here: https://forms.gle/Y3wziw64VVzDtxju8

We’re counting down the days to our next events and we wish everyone a great holiday.  Look forward to the great year ahead! 

 – FSHS SRC Executives 2025/26.

Addi Road x Amnesty Committee

Addi Road Hampers of Hope

From 24th November to 5th December, the Amnesty Committee received donations of small food items and gifts under the ‘Giving Tree’ in the school office. These goods were collected to donate to Addi Road for their Hampers of Hope drive during the holiday season, aiming to alleviate pressures on the community during this time of year. 42% of Australians encountered negative effects of the cost of living on their Christmas experience in 2024, a number which will only grow this year as the cost to maintain quality of life increases. 

We received a vast array of products, including non-perishable foods, gourmet Christmas food items and games which were compiled into hampers and gifted to those in need. Last year, Addi Road assembled an impressive 2026 hampers, a standard we hope to maintain through Fort Street’s volume of donations this year. Overall, this endeavour was highly successful in distributing a great number of gifts amongst the community through the Addi Road organisation, which allowed students and their families to do their part in helping local families enjoy the season.

Evie Cairns (Year 9)

Robotics Club

Robotics club is a wonderful opportunity for learning, and collaboration with your peers. It runs as a cocurricular on Thursdays from the end of school until 4:30. Once you’ve joined the club, you’ll form teams of 2 to 4 people, and from then on engage in entirely student based learning. The main focus of the robotics club is working towards the Australian robocup competition, groups will spend 3 terms building and developing their robot to compete in either a linefollow or soccer tournament. The first tournament you compete in is the state tournament, followed by nationals, and possibly even internationals.

This year’s state competition saw Fort St bring over 30 students representing more than 10 teams, the majority of these teams competed in the line-follow tournament, with two teams competing in soccer. The day of the tournament was very tense, yet rewarding, with teams rushing to fix problems or add new features in between their games. The year’s hard work paid off, however, with Fort St having three teams be awarded medals. In the soccer tournament, both teams played through the intense round robin, and managed to make it to finals, causing Fort Street to bring home the gold and silver medals in the soccer tournament. Fort St also managed to achieve a bronze medal in the linefollow tournament, which was won by a year 8 team. Ultimately Fort St achieved one of its best state performances in a while.

Sebastian Kameron Year 10

School Photos 2026

School Photos are scheduled for the 11th of February. Get ahead and order your photos now!

IMP News

Stellar performances at the IMP Summer Concert

The IMP wrapped up another inspired year of music-making with their Summer Concert on Friday 12th of December. Despite the grey clouds, the rain held off, allowing for a wonderful evening of great food and amazing music. In a new concert format, Junior Percussion, Jazz Ensemble and Big Band entertained us over dinner creating a wonderful, relaxed atmosphere which added to the lovely community vibe.

The main concert opened with the Philharmonic’s brilliant performance of the fourth movement of Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony No. 5. followed by the Symphony Orchestra performing the technically challenging third movement of Symphony No. 2 by Rimsky-Korsakov. Conductor J.O. noted that the Rimsky-Korsakov was in its original form and not often played by student orchestras. The Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Choir treated us with stunning renditions of Bridge Over Troubled Water by Paul Simon and the traditional spiritual, Wade In The Water, as well as songs by Brahms and Rheinberger. The Jazz Orchestra ended the first half of the concert with a fabulous performance of Full Count by Mark Taylor.

Senior Percussion Ensemble opened the second half of the concert with Blinker by Chuck Ricotta and the Training Band demonstrated huge improvement with an outstanding performance of Omicron by Sean O’Loughlin. Concert Band entertained us with a familiar favourite, selections from The Lion King. The Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble wrapped up the concert with the final two performances – Ghost Fleet by Robert Sheldon and the intense and technically challenging Symphony No. 4 by Andrew Boysen Jr.

Many thanks to the conductors for their hard work with the IMP Ensembles in 2025, including Matthew Manchester, John Ockwell, Alex Pringle, Emily Irvine, Mike Raper, Stuart Vandegraaff and Kerryn Joyce, as well as our wonderful accompanist Jem Harding. The evening could not have happened without the collaboration and efforts of IMP Coordinator and Director of Bands, Matthew Manchester, as well as Fort Street staff and teachers, the hard-working IMP Committee, the wonderful parent and community volunteers, families and, most importantly, the students. The evening raised over $12,000 that will directly support the Instrumental Music Program.

1. The stage set for the IMP Summer Concert 2025

2. Symphony Orchestra performing Rimsky-Korsakov

3. Fort Street Vocal Ensemble

4. Matthew Manchester conducting the Wind Ensemble

5. Parent volunteers on the fabulous and festive cake stall

Pulse Alive nominations now open

Pulse Alive will take place on Wed 18, Thurs 19, and Fri 20 March 2026 (Term 1, Week 8) at Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. This spectacular event is a vibrant celebration of creativity, connection, and opportunity in the performing arts. It brings together thousands of singers, dancers, actors, and musicians from NSW public schools across metropolitan, regional, rural, and remote communities.

Pulse Alive provides performance opportunities for students of all abilities from Kindergarten to Year 12. Students selected via audition to feature as principal vocalists, members of the Pulse Alive Dance Company, principal choir, members of the showband, drama ensemble, student hosts and members of the student crew will be required to perform/participate in all three performances.

For more information, visits: artsunit.nsw.edu.au/pulse-alive

Fort Street student selected for AYO National Music camp

A shout out to Henry Shannon who has been selected for Australian Youth Orchestra’s 2026 National Music Camp. Congratulations Henry!

If you have a musical achievement from outside of school that you would like to share with the IMP community, please email Dr Manchester for inclusion in Mercurius! We have IMP members popping up in all sorts of musical arenas, and we’d love to celebrate your successes with you!

Strike A Chord 2026

The dates for Strike A Chord 2026, Musica Viva Australia’s national program celebrating chamber music for school-aged students, have been released. Whether you’re an emerging ensemble or ready to take the national stage, there’s a place for you in Strike A Chord. Now is the time to start gathering your ensemble and exploring repertoire ideas for next year. With free coaching sessions, expert feedback, and tailored resources built around a national competition, Strike A Chord helps young musicians of all levels refine their skills and experience the joy of making music together.

Who can enter?

· Full-time students up to Year 12

· Groups of 3–8 players/singers (one per part, no conductor or adult accompanist)

· Any instrument or voice combination performing repertoire broadly classical in style

Visit the Strike A Chord page for more information: www.musicaviva.com.au/strike-a-chord/

Further resources can be found here: www.musicaviva.com.au/strike-a-chord/strike-a-chord-resources/

SYO Summer School, Summer Symphony Orchestra and HSC Programs

On 12-17 January 2026, join SYO for five fun and intensive days of rehearsals and tutorials with some of Sydney’s best educators, culminating in a concert at Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Verbruggen Hall.

In the SYO Summer Symphony Orchestra, young musicians will have the incredible opportunity to learn and perform under the guidance of conductor Dr Joanna Drimatis. This program is open to orchestral strings, brass, woodwind and percussion AMEB Grade 6 to AMusA or equivalent. Recommended age is 14 to 18 years old. Previous large ensemble experience required and must be having private instrumental tuition.

For further information, including all the Summer School program opportunities and registration details, visit: https://syo.com.au/2026-syo-summer-school/

Wellbeing Corner

Book Talk

The Book Club excursion was a lovely and entertaining trip, consisting of a bus ride to Glebe, in order to select different books for our school library, culminating in lunch at a local cafe. Gleebooks had a welcoming and warm atmosphere, and the shelves were absolutely covered in books- there was a large variety to choose from, including the popular young adult section and the quieter, but nonetheless crowded history and non-fiction section. Although the first floor was relatively crowded, the second and third floors were also covered in books- admittedly second-hand. However, we discovered novels and hardbacks that were absolutely perfect for the library. Most people managed to pick out 1-4 books each, and the senior book club selected six books for 2026’s meetings.

After we’d chosen our books for the library, we went for lunch next door at Sappho Books, a cozy cafe doubling as yet another bookstore. The dining area was a courtyard, so we were able to sit under trees and fairy lights- an absolutely magical atmosphere. It was an amazing way to spend a Tuesday. 

Book Club is an excellent place to spend your time, meeting up twice or three times every term- definitely don’t miss out!

Jennifer Duong, year 9

P&C Update

P&C MEETING Updates – Last one of Year 2025 and this is a brief one post AGM

Thursday 11th December 2025

Principal’s Report

· Budget: Faculty budgets approved; some P&C funding requests remain and will be discussed during next meeting.

· The Principal’s Director visited the school for an end-of-year professional development meeting.

· Positive Feedback: Orientation day well-received by parents and students.

· School assembly 12th December, Talent Quest on 19th December – marking closure of the year

· End-of-Year Operations: Office closed during holidays; GA remains for maintenance. Staff return after Australia Day and before students return.

General Business

· Staff Acknowledgement: Appreciation expressed for teachers’ efforts and resilience.

· Drama Department Update:

Current Drama teacher (Carolyn) leaving; acknowledged for HSC showcase success.

New Drama teacher appointed and positively received, we wish ourselves and the new teacher best luck and continue our school’s success in drama

o Great proven teaching experience

o Will teach Years 7–8 and optional for Years 9–12.

o Temporary for one year; likely to become permanent.

Membership Administration

· Current membership stands at 37 financial members.

Acknowledgement

· Proposing acknowledgement in a formal way for volunteers, in particular uniform shop volunteers due to frequency and the required time slots.

Next Meeting

· Scheduled for Wednesday 11th February 2026

Thank You to FSHS Staff (End of Year Gift)

The GroupTogether collection has now closed.

Families raised more than $7500 to say a big ‘Thank you’ to the teachers and staff at Fort Street High School!

 The card with messages of appreciation is being sent to all the staff to read and they will be enjoying a well-deserved celebratory meal together.

Many thanks,

Fort Street High School P&C