Principal’s Report

Dear Fortians, Parents and Carers,

It’s hard to believe we’ve already reached the end of a very busy and exciting Term 3! This term has been filled with a variety of wonderful events and remarkable achievements, showcasing the incredible dedication and spirit of both our students and staff.

HSC Showcase Nominations 2025

Each year, the HSC Showcase season celebrates students who have demonstrated exceptional talent in creative arts and technology subjects. These HSC courses include a practical exam component, which may take the form of a project, submitted work, or performance. Like all HSC assessments, these practical exams are carefully marked by experienced and highly trained HSC teachers who apply consistent and rigorous marking guidelines.

During the practical marking process, markers identify exemplary works that not only meet syllabus outcomes but also demonstrate high achievement against the marking criteria. These outstanding works receive nominations for the prestigious HSC Showcases.

While we await the announcement of ARTEXPRESS nominations, we are proud to share that Fort Street has already received nominations in every other showcase category.

Congratulations to:

Hugh P, nominated for SHAPE, which highlights exemplary projects from HSC Design and Technology students. Special thanks to his teacher, Ms Catalan, for her invaluable support in guiding Hugh to such an exceptional standard.

In Music, the following students have been nominated for ENCORE, showcasing outstanding major works by HSC Music students across NSW:

• Edmund H
• Alexander P
• Kit W

Congratulations to their teacher, Ms Propsting, for her dedication and guidance.

In Drama, nominations have been received for OnSTAGE:

Individual Performance: Edain Barnier for Diary of a Madman

Group Performance: The entire drama class for Ghosts

• Edain B
• Owen D
• Emma H
• Arden L
• Charlie M
• Kit W

Congratulations to their drama teacher, Ms Mattick, for her exceptional leadership.

Meet Our New Student Representative Council

I am thrilled to announce the outstanding students who have been elected to represent their peers on the Student Representative Council (SRC) for Term 4, 2025 and in Terms 1-3, 2026. I know that these talented and dedicated young leaders are ready to make a positive impact in our school community.

Year 7: Jonah B, Oliver S, Cooper H, Hayden G, Charlotte T, Anh L, Bella V, Sam M

Year 8: Ethan W, Uzair K, Leo F, Jayden L, Jasmin H, Sarah J, Myra S, Ashleigh P

Year 9: Tony L, William S, James W, Nathan C, Avivi D, Steph H, Olivia H, Nancy Z

Year 10: Tim W, Christopher A, Ethan L, Jethro S, Helen L, Lucinda M, Jane N, Beatrice S

I am especially proud to introduce our new SRC President Lucinda M and Vice President Ethan W. They, along with the entire SRC, will continue to drive positive change and represent your voice with passion and enthusiasm.

A big thank you to the current Year 11 executive team — Miranda L, Grace Z, Angus B, Daniel R, Vennela B, William L, Wang C, and Isabel W — for their ongoing support and guidance.

German Tour

After a year of careful planning, Ms Reynolds, Mr Latimer, and Mr Prasad have embarked on an exciting journey to Germany with 14 of our German language students. The group will explore Berlin and Munich, including a day trip to Potsdam. While in Berlin, students will stay with host families from our sister school, the Georg Büchner Gymnasium. We are confident that this immersive experience will be both educational and unforgettable for all involved.

Gold Duke of Edinburgh Practice Hike

Last weekend, twelve students undertook a challenging three-day hike in the Hawkesbury River area as part of the practice requirements for the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. The adventure included two nights of outdoor camping and tested their endurance and teamwork. Many thanks to Mr Latimer, Mr Dong, and Ms Dooley for their support and guidance throughout this memorable experience.

Year 9

Year 9 students successfully completed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh adventurous journey at Camp Somerset, located on the beautiful Colo River. This tent-based camp involved moving from campsite to campsite, developing essential skills such as map reading, navigation, route planning, and campcraft. Congratulations to all participants for their resilience and teamwork!

Year 11

Our Year 11 cohort has now officially completed their preliminary courses and exams, marking an important milestone. They are preparing to embark on the next big step: their HSC courses beginning next term. We wish them all the very best as they move forward in their studies.

Year 12

This week, we celebrated our Year 12 students with a series of heartfelt farewell activities. On Monday, they enjoyed a relaxing picnic at Sydney Olympic Park. Tuesday saw them entertain each other with karaoke and a lively colour run ‘skirmish’ on the oval. Wednesday began with a cooked breakfast shared with staff, followed by the whole school FLOP assembly, which was full of fun and laughter.

The graduation ceremony later that evening offered a more reflective and meaningful moment as we officially farewelled our Year 12 cohort. We extend our best wishes to all Year 12 students as they prepare for their upcoming HSC exams.

Thank you to everyone for your ongoing enthusiasm and commitment. I look forward to seeing what Term 4 has in store for our wonderful school community!

Juliette McMurray

Upcoming events in Term 4:

Holidays:

– No access to school grounds due to asbestos remediation work

– German Language Tour Group return home Thursday 9 October

Week 1:

Monday 13 October: Staff Development Day – student free day

Tuesday 14 October: First Day of term for all students

Tuesday 14 October: Year 7 Music Incursion Periods 1 and 2 (Philharmonic Orchestra)

Tuesday 14 October: HSC 2026 Student and Parent Information Evening Hall 6:30pm – 8pm

Thursday 16 October: HSC Exams commence – English Advanced: Paper 1 – Texts and Human Experiences

Friday 17 October: HSC Exams continue – English Advanced: Paper 2 – Modules (AM) and Music 1 (PM)

Week 2:

HSC Exams continue all week

Monday 20 October: Year 7 Gala Day – Meadowbank Park (Yr 10 referees/coaches)

Wednesday 22 October: Year 10 Geography and History Excursion

Wednesday 22 October: Year 11 Legal Studies Excursion to Parliament House

Wednesday 22 October: Year 8 Science Topic Test

Thursday 23 October: Duke of Ed Silver Qualifying Walk Port Stephens (43 students)

Friday 24 October: Duke of Ed Silver Qualifying Walk Port Stephens (43 students)

Week 3:

HSC Exams continue all week

Monday 27 October: Duke of Ed Gold Qualifying Walk

Tuesday 28 October: Duke of Ed Gold Qualifying Walk

Wednesday 29 October: Duke of Ed Gold Qualifying Walk

Wednesday 29 October: Year 10 Math Assessment

Thursday 30 October: Year 10 Commerce Incursion

Friday 31 October: Halloween SRC event (mufti/costume)

Youth Forum NSW

On the 11th of September we had the opportunity to visit the NSW Parliament House and connect with members of parliament in order to participate in the Youth Forum NSW Parliament event. The event was designed to bring students from across NSW together in order to gather a wide range of opinions on creating a Human Rights Act. Currently, NSW does not have a Human Rights Act and this event was developed to form the beginnings of this legislation. As a group, we discussed some of the basic human rights and some of the potential obstacles that might be faced when implementing these into legislation. We also explored why these rights are relevant in today’s world, particularly for adolescents. Talking to fellow students from all over NSW really helped us to understand how human rights affect different people in different ways. This forum was also extremely useful and relevant to what we are learning in year 10 Commerce and linking this to the real world. 

By Mrunmayi and Ollie in year 10

NSW Volleyball School Cup

Year 10 Boys Division 1 – Term 3 Indoor Championships.

Our most important volleyball competition yet, all the top year 10 teams from NSW playing division 1, competing over the course of two days for gold and a chance to fly to Queensland as the top team from NSW playing at the top division against the best teams in all of Australia. Going back two years to year 8, we were playing in this exact tournament, ignorant of the skill required in the sport. This was our first competition and we were thrown straight into the deep end with no support. It was a poor showing, we came dead last only winning one set on our last day. However, despite our many defeats our morale was still high, the losses only sparking our ambition and determination for growth. Over the next two years we trained, without any coaches we only had ourselves and the guidance of our seniors to rely on.

Our passion burned strong, in term 1 of year 9, we were playing in our second comp. Coming into the first game we were clueless of how far we’ve come, it had been only half a year of training. Nevertheless, the fruits of our labour paid off, we came first! We proved to ourselves that even with less resources than our competitors, with grit and determination nothing was impossible. Our confidence was soon shattered when we decided to push our luck and play in Queensland a few months after. Even though we weren’t playing at the highest division, with a few unfortunate pool games while we were still adapting to the vastly new environment, we were dropped out of the semi finals coming 6th out of the 14 teams. While we lost, we were exposed to an even higher ceiling, the entirety of Australia had such amazing players and that truly fascinated us, a new fire was burning under us, one even greater than before.

Over the course of the next year, we trained continuously, until our most recent competition, the Year 10 two day School Championships, once faced with the same teams that were toying with us two years ago, we realised how far we’ve come, we were now on the same playing field. The first day was a pool phase, we played against many strong teams such as Rooty Hill and Killara High School, both of which had multiple state players. However, we were able to place at the top of our pool without dropping a single set. During the second day we played a few more easy matches, but then we had our semi finals. It was against Ryde Secondary, they had an All Australian player on their team, this game was truly exhilarating. The first set was close ending in a 25-23 victory our way, however during the second Ryde stepped on the engine, when the 50 minute time limit was up it was 22-24 to them, since we were tied on points we had to play a golden point, this one point would decide who would advance to play for a chance at gold.

The serve went over, the 30 seconds that this point took seemed to be 10 times that long, however I was able to kill it, scoring us the final point and bringing us to the grand finals, still yet to drop a single set. We had a 2 hour break before our final game, but even after the two hours our entire team was still sore from the previous gruelling match. It was against Baulkham hills, not the best team, but the fact that they got this far was a testament to their skills. Going into the game we were driven by pure adrenaline, playing perfectly and taking away the first set easily. However, when the second set began, we were tired, our play became sloppy and we lost the second set. This match was untimed, it had long been past 50 minutes, and when the third set started we were barely able to jump, quickly dropping down 8-3 , but a second wind hit us, our hunger for victory overruled our fatigue. The score was 13 all, two more points and the set would finish, all our efforts culminated into our final two points. They missed their serve. 14-13 our way, it was my serve. I got it over, they picked it up but it was sloppy. They were able to put it over, but we were able to convert it into a beautiful point, our middle slammed it down straight into the centre of the court.

It was but a singular point, but to us it was everything. All our efforts over the past two years, resulting in our success. From last to first it was truly an amazing journey. Even though we have no state players on our team we were able to beat not only state, but even national level players. Through ups and downs we were together as a team, thriving, and on the other side we came out victorious. This is not the end but merely the beginning of our story. We are the top ranked in NSW, but there are many teams from all of Australia we have yet to face, challenges we have yet to overcome, but with the same efforts I truly believe in my team, we will be able to persevere and come out better no matter the outcome. Thank you for reading our story. 🙂

Kind regards,

Ethan Luu (Co-Captain of the Year 10 Boys Volleyball Team).

Year 10 Girls Division 2 – Term 3 Indoor Championships.

Serve. Receive. Set. Spike. Every Monday morning training had led up to these moments. The NSW Volleyball Schools Cup was the tournament we had all been looking forward to, and was the only thing pushing us to work harder than ever over the past year. We had counted down the weeks, even the days, until we would finally be back on court, this time with something to prove.

Last year, our girls team entered the competition with bright smiles and ribbons in our ponytails, full of spirit and loud chants that echoed across the courts. As much as we had the most enthusiasm, our team had placed second last – which we weren’t going to let happen again. Since then, our girls team had trained relentlessly, just waiting for this second chance. The early mornings, the jarred fingers, the bruised knees – it was all for this one shot at redemption.

During the first day of the competition, our team played intense games and were fully immersed into each play. The courts buzzed with energy, the sound of whistles, shoes squeaking, and the constant roar of spectators. Every movement was calculated and unexpected for the opposition, leading us to winning most games, placing 2nd at the end of that day. The excitement was unmatched. We were climbing, game by game, set by set, and for once, everyone could feel the momentum was on our side.

However, the real plays were on the final day of the tournament. With every bump and every dive, our team won the semi-finals game, which meant only one game left. The pressure before the finals was intense: sweaty palms, fast heartbeats, last-minute pep talks. The last, finals match. The rallies were intense, and school spirit was certainly through the roof, but at the very least had pierced our ears. We won the first set 25-10, however, after a long and tiring match, the girls team placed 2nd overall.

I’m so, so proud of my girls and I can only imagine what we can do in the future. Volleyball has most certainly brought us together, and even though we faced scary competition, and had to find new strategies to overcome problems in-game, we did it as a team. And for that, I will always be eternally grateful for them. What started as just another school sport has turned into something that’s shaped us. As players, as teammates, and as people.

Sincerely,

Helen Li (Player on the Year 10 Girls Volleyball Team).

Year 9 History Excursion – Anzac Memorial

On Monday 25 August, three Year 9 History Classes (9HIS2, 9HIS4, and 9HIS5) visited the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park. This excursion was a part of our ‘Australians at War: WW1’ unit, and aimed to deepen our understanding of the experiences of Anzacs during the war.

We first watched a solo performance about a fictional soldier from a country town, who lied about his age in order to go to war with his father, this was an often occurrence that people did during WW1. This gave us valuable understanding of the societal pressure, norms, and personal struggles faced by soldiers daily, such as the deaths of friends, family and close ones.

We were then taken on guided tours around the building, visiting the Hall of Silence, Hall of Memory, and the exterior of the memorial. 9HIS2 also had the privilege of taking part in the daily star ceremony, in which each student released a paper star with the name and service details of an Anzac soldier into the Well of Contemplation, the collected stars are cremated, and the ashes of the stars carried on pilgrimages undertaken by history students to the battlefields on which Australians have fallen. All classes participated in the 1 minute of silence at 11am to honour all who died or suffered in service.

After a sunny lunch in Hyde park, we returned to the memorial to watch a second solo performance. This time it was a verbatim, meaning every word spoken was directly from a primary source; in which the actress switched between the roles of four nurses who served overseas during the war. We learnt about their efforts, such as providing emotional comfort to soldiers, and their struggles, including not being able to return home until a year after the war’s end.

We then did two activities in rotation. One activity was observing and taking notes about the artefacts in the exhibition space, with an emphasis on the stories of nurses, animals, light horsemen or underage soldiers. The other activity was engaging with either poems written by the soldiers while in hospital or records of soldiers’ injuries, then writing a letter home to a soldier’s family as if we were a nurse on duty on the front.

Overall, this excursion was a valuable and memorable experience, giving us meaningful insight into the personal experiences and challenges of the Anzacs.

By Audrey Leblond and Xixi He, 9HIS2

NSW Senior All Schools Frisbee Gala Day 2025

A range of Year 10-12 participated in the Senior Ultimate Frisbee Gala Day on 17th September 2025. Our 2 teams fought hard across the day, showcasing amazing athleticism and spirit throughout the day. Fort Street Opens 1, led by captains Christian Burger and Miranda Leighton had great success, going undefeated in pool play, losing to eventual winners Hurlstone Agricultural in the semis 2-1, before claiming 3rd place in a clinical game against Chatswood HS. Fort Street Opens 2 which consisted of Year 10’s had their first taste of Senior Ultimate Frisbee, with many of them playing their first ever game. They had a tough start in the pool play but was able to beat The Ponds on universe point 6-5 in the 13-16th semi-final. Our attention now turns to the Junior Gala Day, with high hopes of victory from our Year 9s.

Year 9PDM visit Cockatoo Island

On the 3rd of September, the Year 9 PDM class ventured into the picturesque ruins of Cockatoo Island to analyse the beauty of decay and capture how time intertwines with memory to create history through photographs. The trip proved to be an enriching experience that gave us an opportunity to not only capture magnificent images but also to learn about the history of the land and bond with our peers.

In class, we have been studying how photographers utilise compositional techniques to explore the aesthetics in aging, transformation, and deterioration. Our class visited Cockatoo Island to try and implement their techniques to create photographs that were successful in capturing the decay of the island. The main purpose of the excursion was to take a multitude of photos to submit for our assessment portfolio and to use it to create a photographic montage through photoshop, which many of us achieved very successfully. The class spent the whole day exploring the island and taking photographs of anything that appeared intriguing, with a majority of the students taking up to 700 photos.

The island in itself was an incredible sight to witness, seeing all the heritage buildings, views and the unique glimpse into Australia’s history. We all had such a great time taking photos, and just being in each other’s company. In the build up to the excursion, simply being on the ferry, we all eagerly began taking pictures, with a special re-enactment of the iconic titanic scene featuring a beautiful Celine Dion singalong. Huge thanks to Ms. Capel for her supervision and planning to ensure that our experience could be as enjoyable as it was!

By Stephanie Ha and Victoria Zhao

Year 9 Geography Excursion

Year 7 History Excursion

The Rise and Rise of the Classic Novel

Recent years have seen the rise and rise of the classic novel, books that have stood the test of time and are known for their enduring themes, timeless characters, and universal messages. We often share consciousness of these timeless stories having read (or claiming to have read) the works of literary luminaries such as William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain. And we are now looking beyond the Western canon to classics such as The Tale of Genji, the 11th century Japanese classic by Murasaki Shikib. Arguably we need classics more than ever because they force us to slow down, to ponder complex, nuanced and often profound insights into the human condition. In 2025, the classic novel may indeed provide a necessary counterpoint to our fast-paced world dominated by social media and AI. At Fort Street High we have been promoting classic novels… and students are responding.

Students ask why they should read classic literature. There are many reasons. While it may take longer to immerse oneself in classic novels due to more challenging vocabulary and more complex structures, classic novels are often set in different time periods and provide us with a glimpse into the lives of people from different cultures and backgrounds. By reading classics, we are thus able to step outside our own lives and hopefully empathise and feel compassion for others. The classic has also been tested by time and has endured, teaching us about universal issues such as love, betrayal, grief and redemption. Most significantly, classic literature offers a lens to view our own lives, to assess our place in our own world and to recognise that individuals can work through their struggles. With the increase of translated texts, it’s pleasing to witness the expansion of the traditional literary canon beyond predominantly Western classics by providing access to stories from Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American authors, among others. International literary prizes and increasing sales of translated fiction means that we are reading across cultural borders which can only be a positive trend. At Fort Street High Library we are keen to expand our cross-cultural collection.

The reading of classics has been noted to have enjoyed a peak during the pandemic years as we turned to our books sitting on our dusty bookshelves. Publications such as The Guardian noted that sales of classics such War and Peace, Don Quixote and Middlemarch were booming during Covid and the appeal of a seriously long read had never been more alluring. “We were expecting possibly to see a spike in comfort reads, like cosy crime or light comic novels. Instead, it seems that readers have been inspired in lockdown to tackle the great literary monuments – the books that maybe they’d always intended to read, but never before now had the time to embark on,” remarked Penguin Classics editorial director Jess Harrison (The Guardian, 28/10/2020). Reading during the pandemic also highlighted how books and their meanings change. Novels that we think of as settled in their significance acquire new meaning as they are read under shifting conditions. For example, Jane Eyre has been cited as a novel that many readers picked up during lockdown. Suddenly, this classic seemed to be a novel about a woman locked in small rooms living through a cholera epidemic. Many connected with the ‘small spaces’ within which the action of the novel plays out.

In current times, perhaps it is even more urgent that we all return to, or visit for the first time, classics such as Orwell’s 1984. While published in 1948, it is such a timely reminder to sit up and pay attention to encroaching restraints on free speech. Big Brother is watching more than ever. While ‘War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength’ are the watchwords of the tyrannical regime in Orwell’s cautionary tale, this classic novel mirrors too well aspects of today’s global political landscape. We need to read classics to heed the warnings of the past and to encourage us to challenge and question the way that we may live in our own world. We thus want our students to read broadly and to read classics as part of their reading smorgasbord, to make connections to their own lives. As stated, we need classics to force us to slow down, to ponder nuanced and often profound insights into our shared humanity. And once hooked, the classics offer brilliant page turning stories- and that, ultimately, is why we read.

Wellbeing Corner

Career News

• Please arrive 5 minutes before the start of the workshop at the ANSTO Discovery Centre to sign-in. The workshop starts at 9:30 am sharp.
• Workshop includes a recess and lunch break outside (weather permitting). Please bring a bag with sunscreen, snacks/food, a hat and drink bottle.
• All workshops are delivered by accredited educators with experience in science, engineering, programming and robotics.
• Contact the ANSTO Discovery Centre on (02) 9717 3090 or education@ansto.gov.au if you have any questions.
• Creative Kids Vouchers accepted. Please email education@ansto.gov.au to redeem.

School Holiday Works