Principal’s Report

Dear Fortians, Parents and Carers,

Fortians Represent NSW Public Schools at Pass the Baton Education Peace Education Event

On Saturday, 16 August, I had the honour of representing NSW Public Schools alongside students Emma W, Oliver H, Aaron J, William L, and Brianna T in an ambassadorial role at the Pass the Baton Peace Education event.

This meaningful event commemorated the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Organised by the Japan Club of Sydney with support from the Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney, the event provided a unique opportunity for 200 Year 9 to 12 public school students to engage directly with Ms Keiko Ogura, an atomic bomb survivor, or hibakusha. Hearing her firsthand account allowed us to witness living history and honour the resilience of the human spirit.

In addition to Ms Ogura’s powerful testimony, we explored an educational panel display from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, enjoyed a storybook reading, and participated in an origami activity symbolising peace. This unforgettable experience deepened our understanding of peace, history, and hope for a better future.

The Addams Family Musical Production

Our recent school musical production, The Addams Family, was a comical feast that wonderfully showcased the incredible diversity of talent our students and staff have to offer. From the hilarious performances of our cast members to the captivating music brought to life by our talented musicians, every aspect of the show was a testament to the hard work and creativity within our school community.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the cast for their outstanding performances, the backstage crew for their seamless support, and the teams responsible for set design, costume design, makeup, lighting, and marketing. Each group played a vital role in bringing this delightful production to the stage.

Congratulations to everyone involved for making The Addams Family a memorable and entertaining success!

Year 11 and 12 Legal Studies Students Gain Insight from Fortian Legal Professionals

On Friday, 29 August, our Year 11 and 12 Legal Studies students were privileged to attend a seminar in the lecture theatre featuring a panel of four distinguished Fort Street alumni who shared their journeys into studying and practising law. The students engaged enthusiastically, asking insightful questions and gaining valuable perspectives on the diverse pathways within the legal profession.

The panel included:

The Honourable Michael Kirby
A 1955 graduate of Fort Street, Michael Kirby served as a judge for 35 years, including 13 years as a High Court Justice. He has held significant roles with the United Nations and the World Health Organisation. When asked about the finest achievement of his distinguished career, his reflections reminded us of the profound impact one can have through dedication to justice.

Owen Nanlohy
Graduating in 2005, Owen humorously recalls not being a high achiever academically except in Ancient History, and balancing his studies with sporting successes in futsal and soccer. After working in public affairs in London, he studied law at Oxford in 2013. Owen candidly shared that he didn’t find his true direction until his thirties, highlighting that career paths can be varied and non-linear.

Frieda Chan
Dux of Fort Street in 2008, Frieda is now a Partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, specialising in commercial litigation and class actions. She spoke about her work defending major digital platforms, including Google, in high-profile cases, showcasing the dynamic nature of commercial law.

Nidal Abdi
Also a 2008 graduate, Nidal studied law at the University of Sydney and has built a career at the Aboriginal Legal Service since 2015. As Managing Solicitor of the Redfern office, he has represented vulnerable First Nations clients across multiple courts, demonstrating a commitment to social justice and community advocacy.

We thank our guests for their inspiring stories and the invaluable insights they shared, enriching our students’ understanding of the many avenues within the legal profession.

HSC Major Works Showcase Celebrates Student Excellence

It was an absolute pleasure to attend the HSC English Extension 2, Visual Arts, Drama, and Music 2 Major Works Showcase on Tuesday, 2 September. As always, this event provided a fantastic opportunity to witness the extraordinary talents of Fort Street students across a diverse range of creative disciplines.

The showcase highlighted the dedication, creativity, and hard work of our students as they presented their major works, reflecting their passion and commitment. We extend our sincere gratitude to the dedicated teaching staff who have worked closely with the students, guiding and supporting them throughout this challenging and rewarding process.

A special thank you goes to Mr Tennent and Mr Patulny, Ms Cho, Ms Mattick, and Ms Propsting for their incredible support and mentorship, which has been invaluable in helping our students achieve such outstanding results.

Congratulations to all students and staff involved in making the HSC Major Works Showcase a memorable and inspiring event!

Honouring Our Dedicated SASS Staff During SASS Recognition Week

During ASS Recognition Week, we take the opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the incredible School Administration and Support Staff (SASS) whose dedication and hard work are essential to the smooth running of our school community.

We would like to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of our outstanding SASS team. Our School Administration Office team includes Kellorin Long (Assistant to the Principal), Diane Debeczeni, Lina El-Deiri, Maria Karanikolas (Reception), Elaine Kuenne, and Smruti Patel. Alongside them, we recognise Kirrily Druery (School Administration Manager), Vivien Davies (Business Manager), Celia Batista (Science Assistant), Chris Egan (Library Assistant), Donna Padroth (Kitchen Assistant), Neil Prothero (General Assistant), Zerly Nazar (Technical Support Officer), and Iain Wallace (Archivist).

Their unwavering commitment, professionalism, and support across a wide range of roles create an environment where students and staff alike can thrive. We sincerely thank each member of our SASS team for their invaluable contributions and dedication throughout the year. Your efforts do not go unnoticed, and we are truly grateful to have such a passionate and skilled team supporting our school community.

SRC Elections Held Today – Winners to be announced Next Week

Today, our school held the Student Representative Council (SRC) elections, giving students the opportunity to vote for their peers to represent their voices and contribute to school decision-making. We congratulate all candidates for their enthusiasm and participation.

The winners will be announced next week and will be invited to attend the annual SRC Camp, scheduled for Week 10 of this term. We look forward to an exciting and productive year ahead with our new SRC team!

Upcoming events in Term 3:

Week 8 and 9: Year 11 Preliminary Exams, students are to attend sport on Tuesday 9 September after the English exam.

Week 8: Mario Kart House Competitions will be running during lunchtimes (contact House Captains for more information).

Monday 8 September: HSC Music Major works due and PISA testing (select year 9 and 10 students)

Wednesday 10 September: HSC Music Practical Exams  to be held in the Hall

Wednesday 10 September: P&C Meeting online from 7pm (see email from school with meeting link)

Wednesday 10 – Friday 12 September: Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh Camp at Somerset, Colo

Thursday 19 September: Year 10 Music Excursion

Sunday 14 September – Monday 15 September: Duke of Ed Silver Qualifier Walk

Wednesday 17 September – Senior Ultimate Frisbee Gala Day

Thursday 18 September – HSC Design and Technology Major Project Marking

Sunday 21 September – Tuesday 23 September – Gold Duke of Edinburgh Practice Hike

Monday 22 September: Year 12 Picnic

Tuesday 23 September: Year 12 Activity Day

Wednesday 24 September: Year 12 breakfast, FLOP Assembly and evening Graduation

Wednesday 24 September – Thursday 9 October: German Language Tour

Thursday 25 September – Environment Committees Movie Event: The Larynx

Thursday 25 September – Friday 26 September: SRC Leadership Camp at Collaroy

Friday 26 September – Whole School Assembly

Juliette McMurray

Environmental Committee Movie

Wear it Purple Day 2025

On Friday 29th of August, the Diversity Committee planning came into fruition for Wear-It-Purple Day. The day was an explosion of colour, glitter and hairspray provided by Diversity Committee members in Upper Kilgour during lunch! The food stall was once again very popular. The rainbow biscuits, brownies and cakes disappeared in a flash. Altogether, we raised $1,355.21 – thanks to the staff, students and parents who helped contribute to make this fundraiser a success!

After the busy food stall, the lunchtime activity stalls were great fun. There were badges to make, bracelets to bead, a chalk wall to decorate, quizzes to complete and face paint and glitter for some glamorous touches. Although, my personal favourite activity was the newly added photo wall, decorated with beautiful purple origami flowers, to capture the memories of this exciting day

As usual, all participants in the fashion parade looked fantastic but only one could be the ultimate winner for their category. So, congrats to; Mr DeJong from the teachers, Emily Nguyen (Yr 11/12 bracket), Persephone Lee (Yr 9/10 bracket) and Sinead Byrne (Yr 7/8 bracket). Each was awarded a sparkling crown, Mr DeJong received a box of favourites and students received a shark plushie. These will all be up for grabs at Wear-It-Purple Day again so don’t forget to dress up and join us next year!

Overall, this Wear-It-Purple Day succeeded with flying colours (haha) and the Diversity Committee can’t wait to begin planning an even bigger, brighter, bolder event for next year 🙂

~ Persephone Lee Yr 9

Addams Family School Production

Creative Arts present the 2025 Production of The Addams Family

Last week the CAPA faculty put on a special event, the Addams Family Musical of 2025. The first performance was a Matinee on Wednesday to an eager Year 7 audience, followed by evening performances on Thursday and Friday night. The audience laughed, cried and were occasionally spooked by the members of the Addams family. We had a HUGE audience, especially on the Friday night of over 300 people. A huge congratulations to all students involved in the production: cast, chorus, band, backstage, set design, lighting, and makeup. The CAPA team are so proud of all students involved and the huge efforts that took place over the last 12 months to prepare for the show.

A huge shoutout to all CAPA staff members that have worked so hard with the students in preparation. This includes Ms Liz Propsting for her Musical Direction, Ms Angela Morosin as Director, Ms Maddy Cove as choreographer, Ms Gabi Capel as set designer and backstage manager, Mrs Helen Thompson as costume designer, and Ms Hyun Cho as marketing and production leader. Another huge shoutout to Jem Harding for preparing and leading the band made up of IMP students, Mr Casey Atkins on guitar, Matt Manchester on trumpet, and Ms Angela Morosin, Ms Maddy Cove and Atalya Massi in the chorus. A huge thank you also to Ms Carolyn Mattick for her overseeing of the musical and assistance with lighting. And to Ms Ashley Wray and Ms Anni Finsterer who guided the students in 2024. 

A special thank you letter from Head Teacher Creative Arts, Ms Liz Propsting:

Thank you to ALL the amazing students involved in the production:

Cast – Mia Gray, Oliver Williams, Nancy Zhang, Samuel Hao, Nea Tarrant, Callum Goodwin, Gabriel Cutcher-Skellern, Flint Foote, Martin Tran, Lucinda Man
Chorus – William Short, Jack Jiang, Jacqueline Chen, Imy Rutgers, Michelle Cam, Oliver Khong, Emily Fan
Band – Erin Ju, Emily Gao, Isobel Jefferson, Penny Zhu, Billy Hunter, Amira Bouhabib, Albert Wilson, Hugo Newman, Nick Qu, Austin Li, Sebastian Kameron, Jack Ng, Ethan Tsang, Tony Lam, Alexander Jacquot, Joshua Lumbewe, Isaac Ismail

Student Choreographer – Pranaya Prasath
Backstage: Genevieve Meunier, Pranaya Prasath, Jingwen Cheng, Rita Cheng, Ocean Reznikov
Lighting : Farley Hammond, Miranda-Chelsea Vernardakis
Set production – Hayley Gek, Nozomi Giorgini, Steph Ha, Mai Ngo, Emily Nguyen, Emily Xia, Emily Zhu, Isabella Zhu, Jennie Zhu, Maya Badami, Ocean Reznikov
Make up – Maya Badami, Lila Bachfischer

Also to – 

Gabriel Cutcher-Skellern, who built a number of the incredible and horrifying set pieces including our torture chair
Michelle Cam, for designing the crew t-shirts 

We have taken on such a challenging show this year, I am so proud of how you have all risen to the occasion. I have seen the hours of dedicated work and toil that you have all put in and evening watching the incredible learning curve you have all been on in the last week alone and how much you have lifted as we’ve come into this show week has been incredible. It is such an incredible privilege to work with such talented and capable young people, and I’m so excited to see where the future leads you. 

Parents who have supported the kids to come to evening and weekends and holiday rehearsals and have probably had the sound track on loop for the last 6 months at home. And for everyone here tonight for coming out in yet another unprecedented weather event to support our performers and be a part of this amazing fort street community. 

MUSIC STAFF: 

Jem Harding band director  – We are so lucky to have such an incredible musician on our team! The way you have guided these young players through some of the most challenging music with grace, humour and outstanding skill in awe inspiring. The band sounded incredible – they could easily be mistaken for a professional group of adults (which mind you is what most High School musical productions do) This is a testament to your dedication and skill. Thank you also for guiding and advising me in the MD role, I am very grateful for your musical input. 

Matt Manchester  I am incredibly grateful for your organisational prowess, incredible trumpet solo and  impromptu tambourine playing. Your general ability to solve problems on the spot seamlessly and without any fuss is a huge reason for how the two performances came together so seamlessly. I’m convinced that there isn’t anything that Matt can’t fix with a roll of duct tape

Casey Atkins – Our fabulous music teacher and guitarist! The kids have really benefitted from  your attention to detail and commitment to always producing high quality performances. We are so lucky to have your expertise and dedication in and out of the classroom this year and also incredible guitar chops.

Atayla Masi  – Thank you for taking time out of her busy schedule working at Sydney Girls and Newtown to help sing with the chorus this evening. Your steady musical expertise and fabulous voice has been an anchor to the success of our singers tonight. 

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Maddy Cove: Thank you for not only lending us her fabulous voice to sing as part of the chorus, but also for bringing her passion and enthusiasm for all things musical theater to every rehearsal. I’ve loved working with you and having your energy and enthusiasm in our weekly cast rehearsal. Maddy has choreographed all of the dances in the performances and has worked tirelessly giving up her afternoons, lunch times and weekends to make sure these kids feel confident and well prepared for their on stage performances. I’m so grateful for her skills, because if it were up to me and my limited dancing skills the whole show would have been a rework of the nutbush. 

Hyun Cho: Thank you to Hyun for her endless positivity and encouragement. She quietly and calmly has produced all of the important admin aspects of the show like organising rights, marketing, ticketing, taking all the professional level head shots of the cast as well as the not so small task of producing and printing all the posters and programs for an audience of 400 +.

Helen Thompson – In a production like this, which is so other worldly, costuming is the centerpiece of helping our vision come together. Helen is an outstanding Art teacher but an equally excellent designer and seamstress. She has spent many an evening sewing each of these fabulous and sometimes wacky costumes pieces… right down to creating a papier mache breast plate and helmet for our conquistador character. Your creative vision has really helped to lift these performances. Thank you also for seamlessly running backstage and keeping us all to time while also helping us all look so stunning.  

Gabi Capel -. The stage and set production is so beautiful! It’s like walking straight into another world. Thank you so much for your innovation and leadership of the whole set producing team.
Commitment and attention to detail right to the last minute! The simple fact that you single handedly painted the Addams Family crest in a day is a testament to your commitment and incredible artistic skill. As well as organizing  the prop, set production and a team of artists to bring life to this stage You have also put in huge effort to running the back stage crew and keep our production running smoothly in every aspect. Thank you for your endless positivity and energy but also especially for the daily countdown reminders that have kept me focused and sane.

Carolyn Mattick– Has taught me everything I know about how to run these kinds of productions. This year as I have been taking on roll of producer for the first time, Carolyn has been my mentor and guru. I feel like I’ve had you on speed dial for every problem with lighting and sound and staging and scheduling and you have very graciously taken every call and talked me through every aspect of the job. Thank you I couldn’t have done it without you. 

Kirrily & the P&C for organizing the fabulous snack bar and for adapting the set up last minute to accommodate the rain. The smell of cheese toasties has been heart warming in this cold and dreary weather. It’s so lovely to have the support of our wider community and bring people together to celebrate the talents and achievements of our fabulous students. Thank you for all the hard work you have put in to bring this community together. 

Juliette McMurray and the senior executive for their support and enthusiasm for this show throughout the whole process. 

I would also like to acknowledge two teachers who can’t be here tonight but still played an important part in the journey of this production. Ashley Hamilton, our music teacher who started the production as the rehearsal pianist before taking maternity leave this year and Anni Finsterer who was the director when we started the production  all those months ago in term 3 of last year. 

FABULOUS DIRECTOR

Angela Morosin – 

Thank you for your amazing work overseeing costuming, lighting, make-up, staging, every aspect of rehearsal and is now even lending us her amazing singing voice in the orchestra pit to sing with the chorus. 

The commitment you have shown to the  students is incredible and it is this tireless work ethic and dedication to the quality of this production which has really helped our students reach the outstanding heights of performance you have seen in our production. 

We are so lucky to have a drama teacher of her calibre at Fort Street. She brings such creative energy to every rehearsal and the students have benefited enormously from her deep experience and incredible ability to be across the details of every aspect of the production. 

Her tenacity and commitment have been incredible, Since she has been with us since the start of the year Angela has been at school at least 4 days a week past 5pm every week to support the musical and the other drama clubs and productions running at this school. 

Junior Chess Championship

Fort Street Students Triumph at the 2025 NSW Junior Chess Championships

We are thrilled to celebrate two remarkable achievements from Fort Street High School students at the 2025 New South Wales Junior Chess Championships.

A resounding congratulations to Year 7’s Yifei Hu, who emerged victorious in the NSW Junior Championship (Title Division) after a tense two-game playoff. Remarkably, Yifei staged a dramatic comeback: despite scoring just half a point in the first three rounds, he found his stride and climbed to a tie for first place. The playoff match ended 1.5–0.5 in his favour, securing the championship title NSW JCL.

This is an u18 tournament so a particularly remarkable achievement for a student in Year 7.

Equally impressive was Parthiv Prithvi, who clinched the title in the Under-18 Reserves Division. In a field of 43 players, Parthiv demonstrated exceptional consistency, conceding only two draws and finishing as the clear winner NSW JCL.

Both champions represent Fort Street High School, and their outstanding performances reflect both their personal dedication and the strong support of our school chess program – which remains one of the biggest and most active in the public sector.

Careers Fair

Year 9 Wheelchair Basketball

Our Year 9 students recently took part in a special basketball workshop led by a wheelchair basketball athlete. Students had the opportunity to hear his inspiring story and learn about his sporting career before getting hands-on experience themselves. They practised key wheelchair basketball skills and then put them to the test in a friendly game. The workshop was an eye-opening and enjoyable experience, giving students a new appreciation for the sport and the determination of athletes who play it.

Year 9 PDM

Year 9 had lots of fun doing studio photography recently in our PDM room. As part of their Semester 2 program, they are learning about how to use different settings on a DSLR camera. Using glass prisms and their own objects, they had to use different coloured light filters made from cellophane, plastic rulers or even cups! They then edited their photographs slightly on Photoshop and ended up with these. Year 9 had lots of fun and got very creative with their ideas and colours!

Some other techniques they have learnt this term is splash photography using a fast shutter speed, capturing creative shadows using light sources and experimenting with a variety of aperture settings to create moody photographs.

Ms Capel, Year 9PDM Teacher

Wellbeing Corner

Why is Sleep Important for Teenagers?

At Fort Street High School, we often hear from parents concerned that their child is staying up late (sometimes into the early hours of the morning) either studying or using devices. In our school where academic drive is strong and students are juggling high expectations, co-curricular activities and advanced coursework, it can be easy for healthy sleep routines to slip.

But the research is clear: sleep is not a luxury, it’s essential for high performance. For adolescents, getting enough quality sleep supports:

• Stronger focus and retention, especially when tackling complex ideas across multiple subjects
• Better emotional regulation, which helps with managing stress, anxiety, and peer relationships
• Sustainable performance over time, reducing the risk of burnout and promoting long-term academic success

As parents and caregivers, you play a powerful role in supporting your child’s sleep and overall wellbeing. Encouraging consistent bedtime routines, setting healthy boundaries around screen use in the evenings, and modelling good sleep habits yourself can make a significant difference. Creating a home environment that values rest and balance is important and it will help your child sustain their performance, emotional health and motivation across the school year.

For more evidence-based strategies and information, read the full fact sheet by the Sleep Health Foundation.

Free Online Parent Workshop – Tech-Smart Parenting

We are pleased to share an upcoming free online parent workshop run by the UTS Kidman Centre as part of their wellbeing series for families.

Workshop 6: Tech-Smart Parenting – Creating Healthy Screen Time Habits

🗓 Tuesday 16 September 2025 | 🕕 4:00–5:00PM | 💻 Online (via Zoom)

Who is this for? Parents and caregivers of children and teens

What will it cover? Learn how to create balanced screen time routines, develop a family tech-use plan, understand common apps, and support your child’s mental wellbeing in a digital world.

You can register directly via the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiGYH3k2_uFLfZsVhNgXZrYe8tWfaFtcQaWGKtHBrUrwGUcA/viewform

The full program flyer is below for those interested in other upcoming sessions.

Free Mental Health Webinars for Parents – Black Dog Institute

Black Dog Institute are offering Free Mental Health Webinars for Parents and Carers.

Co-delivered by a clinical psychologist and a youth lived experience advisor, these webinars will explore:

• Understanding mental health in adolescence, including insights from the Future Proofing Study
• What is mental health, and when to be concerned
• Key strategies to support adolescents
• Having the conversation – what to say and how to create a supportive environment
• Getting help – health professionals, online and digital support for parents and adolescents
• Promoting healthy habits – including building connections, sleep, and screen use

Upcoming Dates:

Thursday 11th September @ 7PM (AEST) Register here
Thursday 9th October @ 7PM (AEDT) Register here
Monday 20th October @ 7PM (AEDT) Register here
Thursday 30th October @ 7PM (AEDT) Register here
Wednesday 12th November @ 7PM (AEDT) Register here
Thursday 27th November @ 7PM (AEDT) Register here
Wednesday 10th December @ 7PM (AEDT) Register here

IMP News

Over 100 Fortians dazzle audiences in ‘In Concert’ 

On Monday 18^th of August, over 100 Fortians took to the stage of Sydney Opera House to perform as part of the secondary choral festival ‘In Concert’, along with guest artists The Australian Vocal Ensemble and Katie Noonan. 80 students from the Fort Street Vocal Ensemble participated in the Combined Choir, featuring singers from schools across NSW. The Fort Street Vocal Ensemble was by far the largest cohort, making up 1 in 10 of the 800+ voice choir!

Fortians also appeared in NSW Senior Singers, NSW Schools Symphony Orchestra, and NSW Schools Jazz Orchestra, in both featured items and accompanying the combined choir and guest artists. It was a sensational concert with a diverse repertoire ranging from Elton John to the Mozart Requiem. It was incredibly special to perform on the Sydney Opera House Stage and outstanding that Fort Street had such a strong showing in this important festival.

Fort Street Vocal Ensemble on their way to the ‘In Concert’ rehearsal

NSW Primary Schools Festival of Choral Music

The NSW Primary Schools Festival of Choral Music was held at Sydney Opera House over 5 nights (4-8 August) with thousands of primary school students singing to a packed house each night.  Fortians featured prominently in this festival as members of the Festival Orchestra, accompanying the singers, and as members of Arts Unit ensembles who performed across the festival.  Ethan Tsang (pictured) featured as a cello soloist and amazed audiences with his brilliant performance. Congratulations to all Fortians on their contributions to this inspiring festival.

Ethan Tsang performing in the Sydney Opera House at the NSW Primary Schools Festival of Choral Music

The Addams Family Musical

IMP students starred in two brilliant performances of The Addams Family Musical, on Thursday 21^st and Friday 22^nd August, in both leading roles and as part of the band. The band was led by the amazing Jem Harding and both Mr Atkins and Dr Manchester joined the students for the performance too.

The Addams Family band

Year 7 Fort Street student wins first prize at the Ryde Eisteddfod

Congratulations to IMP violinist Jack Ng, of Year 7, who won the 10-12 years String Section at the recent Ryde Eisteddfod and third place at the St. George Eisteddfod in July. In his winning performance, Jack played the third movement of the fiendishly difficult and very beautiful ‘Winter’ from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Jack was also heard in the Addams Family Musical on 21 and 22 August! Well done, Jack!

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!

UPCOMING MUSICAL OPPORTUNITIES

Applications for The Arts Unit Instrumental Ensembles are now open for 2026

Join high-potential students from NSW public schools in varying ensembles directed by professional conductors, including the intermediate ensembles – Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Stage Band, String Sinfonia; and advanced ensembles – Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Jazz Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra.

To apply, all musicians are required to be at an AMEB grade 4+ level for the intermediate ensembles (Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Stage Band and String Sinfonia) and an AMEB grade 6+ level for the advanced ensembles (Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Jazz Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra). Don’t miss the chance to be part of this amazing experience.

Once the applications close, a link will be emailed on Friday 10 October with access to the set excerpt/s. Auditions will be scheduled on either Saturday 25 October or Sunday 26 October and held at The Arts Unit at Lewisham Public School.

Email for further questions: music.artsunit@det.nsw.edu.au

To apply: https://artsunit.nsw.edu.au/event/2025-10-06/instrumental-ensembles-2026-applications

Applications deadline: Monday 6 October at 5pm.

Pulse Alive 2026 nominations are now open

Pulse Alive 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. More than a performance, Pulse Alive is a positive educational experience where every student is celebrated and included.

Pulse Alive will take place at Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney Olympic Park on the following dates during Term 1, Week 8:

• Wednesday 18 March 2026
• Thursday 19 March 2026
• Friday 20 March 2026

There are many opportunities including Drama Ensemble, Choir, Showband, Pulse Alive Dance Company, Student Crew and more.

For full details of available opportunities, selection criteria, and key dates, visit:  https://artsunit.nsw.edu.au/pulse-alive/participants 

SYO Summer School and HSC Programs – Limited early bird registration now open

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

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

Applications now open for 2026 Young Mannheim Symphonists Programs

Applications are now open for the 2026 Young Mannheim Symphonists programs – Australia’s only national youth orchestra devoted to historically informed performance of Classical and Romantic music (HIP). The YMS National and State Academies are co-directed by the internationally-acclaimed Rachael Beesley, Neal Peres Da Costa, and Nicole van Bruggen along with a world-class faculty.

Students and emerging musicians, aged 23 or younger, are provided with the chance to experience the transformative power of historical performance & instruments; play masterworks by Beethoven, Mozart, Spohr, Suk and Richard Strauss; participate in workshops, tutorials, chamber music, side-by-side rehearsals, and career development; and participate in a triumphant final public performance.

Playing level: Performance standards differ for each instrument, but as a guide, a minimum of AMEB Grade 7–8 level or equivalent is recommended.

Sydney dates (National Academy):  6-11 July (click link below for other dates)

Application deadline: Midnight Sunday 26 October 2025

For further information, including costs, audition excerpts and to apply, visit: https://www.arco.org.au/yms-2026

Careers Office News

Book Talk

In the last week of August, the library celebrated Book Week 2025 with a week full of literary games. About 130 students participated in problem solving based around books , solved literary puzzles, went on Library Treasure Hunts and guessed the titles of books that were shredded into bottles. Book Week is part of an eighty-year tradition in Australian schools, a tradition established in 1945 by The Children’s Book Council of Australia to promote reading for pleasure. It was brilliant to see Fort Street High School students getting into the spirit of Book Week- and many won book prizes and walked away smiling. It was a good week!