Nhulunbuy High School eNewsletter

School Motto

From the Principal

Newsletter Term 2 Week 8

End of the term

With two weeks to go in the term, teachers are working hard to complete mid-year reports which will be available to parents on Thursday of Week 10 via Compass. If you need assistance accessing Compass, please contact the school office. Mid-year reports are an amalgamation of the grades and comments provided on each learning task throughout the semester.

Students will have assessment tasks to complete for each of their subjects in the last few weeks. It is very important that deadlines are met so that the marking can be done and the information conveyed through the report by the teacher. If students are late submitting their work, teachers may not have time to complete the assessment process. Students in Year 11 and 12 need to be particularly mindful of this as they approach the mid-point of the year.

If you have any queries about what is required of your students, please communicate with their class teachers via Compass to clarify.

The school has set aside the date of Tuesday September 2 to conduct Student Led Conferences for Year 7-9 students and Parent Teacher Interviews for Year 10-12 students. This is in Week 8 of Term 3 so please put this in your calendar so you can be available to discuss the progress of your child. Further details on times, locations and bookings will be distributed next term.

Friday June 20, will be the final day of school for students in Term 2. Teachers will resume with a professional learning day on Monday July 14 while students will return for their first day of Term 3 on Tuesday July 15.

Staffing

At the end of this term, we will say farewell to some staff. Jarrod Maxwell and Oli Friedmann will be departing and will be replaced by Tegan Burness who returns from family leave. There will also be some changes in classes and responsibilities to cover these departures. This will be notified at the start of next term when all timetables can be confirmed. We thank Oli and Jarrod for their excellent contributions to the school during their time in Nhulunbuy. Britt Nolan will also finish with us early in Term 3 and we thank her for covering staff absences during the term. We are still fortunate to be able to look forward to Semester 2 with a full staffing team.

Emergency contact details

When a student is enrolled at the school, parents and carers provide details so that they can be contacted in the event of an emergency. Sometimes those details can change if people move houses or get a new phone number. We ask that you keep the office staff updated when you have any changes to the details, we may rely on to communicate with you. If there were to be an emergency at school that impacted an individual student or a group of students, we would be relying on having accurate phone numbers, addresses and email addresses to pass on information. We also strongly encourage families to sign up to Compass and to follow the school Facebook page to ensure that you can easily access up to date information about school events and last minute changes to arrangements.

A busy term

While the school focus is on the learning that happens in the classroom each day, there have been many other lessons and activities to highlight special community-based initiatives and movements. We also had a number of sporting days including the House Cross Country and House Athletics Carnival at which students joined in the spirit with their teammates and some qualified to attend interschool carnivals. The school has tried to raise awareness of some of the many special days and weeks as well as awareness campaigns and promotions with First Responders Day to be the focus during Week 9. A lot of the information for these is distributed in Home Room sessions starting at 8:10am so it is important that all students are in attendance from that time each day.

Athletics Carnival results

As mentioned above, the House Athletics Carnival was held in Week 7. See later in this newsletter for pictures from the day. Results of the winning House and winning competitors in each age group will be announced at the next school assembly at 8:10am on Tuesday June 10.

Student mobile phones

With the NT wide ban on the use of mobile phones by students throughout the school day, most students have adjusted well to these expectations. When this is not the case, students bring their phone to the office for storage. Students who repeatedly forget the proper procedure will be required to hand their phone in to the office at the start of each day. This process is well known to students and families, but it is also necessary to continue to include reminders.

Brad Madden
Principal

From the Assistant Principal

Nhulunbuy High School Commemorates National Sorry Day

On Monday 26th May, Nhulunbuy High School came together to commemorate National Sorry Day, a significant occasion for reflection and reconciliation.

Ms Kate, Ms Croser, and the Student Representative Council (SRC) led a meaningful mural activity located along the walkway to the library. Thanks to Ms Croser’s creative guidance and her brilliant art teacher brain!—the mural design was both powerful and inspiring.

Throughout the day, each class had the opportunity to contribute by adding their handprint to the wall. These handprints served as a collective symbol of support, healing, and unity in honour of the Stolen Generations and the broader journey of reconciliation. To finish the day, the SRC hosted a BBQ giving students a chance to gather, enjoy some lunch, and admire the finished mural together.

What is National Sorry Day?

Observed annually on May 26, National Sorry Day is a time for all Australians to reflect on the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples—particularly the experiences of the Stolen Generations. It is a day of acknowledgment, learning, and commitment to creating a more just, inclusive, and united future.

Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 students only - NHULUNBUY HIGH SCHOOL IS SO EXCITED TO BE INVITED TO THE INAUGURAL EAST ARNHEM YOUTH CONFERENCE

We’re excited to be invited to the very first East Arnhem Youth Conference & Festival of Youth, happening NEXT Friday June 13!

This youth-led event will bring together over 100 students from across the region for an unforgettable day filled with connection, inspiring conversations, cultural pride, career pathways, and hands-on fun. Developed by young people, for young people, every MC, panellist, performer and event crew member is a young Territorian.

Special highlights include:

🎤 The One Percent
Program featuring 2023 NT Young Australian of the Year Jahdai Vigona and 2024 NAIDOC Person of the Year Dante Rodrigues
🎶 Live performances by Yung Milla, DJ Wond3r and Lord Ndoro and local artists
🧪 Interactive stalls and STEM activities
🧠 Workshops, leadership sessions, and creative breakout spaces

This is a fantastic opportunity for your students to connect with peers from across East Arnhem, explore their futures and be inspired by young leaders who’ve walked a similar path.

Morning tea and lunch provided.

Key Dates

Friday June 13 2025 - East Arnhem Youth Conference

Time: 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Meet Miss Kate down at the bus stop at 8:30am and we will walk down to the Town Hall - Only students with excursion notes handed in via compass or into the front office will be allowed to go

Friday June 13 2025 - Festival of Youth

Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Nhulunbuy Town Hall

We’re excited to work together with the East Arnhem community to make this inaugural event a memorable and impactful experience for all!

Kate McNeil
Assistant Principal

2025 School Calendar

The school calendar is available on Compass and parents can see what events the school is holding daily. The Big Calendar items are:

Term 2

Week 9 – Monday June 9 – Kings Birthday Holiday
Week 9 – Wednesday June 11 - First Responders Day
Week 9 – Friday June 13 - East Arnhem Youth Conference
Week 9 /10 VET – Cooking
Week 9 – VET Construction

School Uniforms

Please see the uniform items pictured below. These are now in stock or being ordered through the office. Students are required to be in full school uniform each day at school. While achieving this may take some time for some families, we will continue to give reminders and order items for students as required.

Click here to download the School Uniform Guide

Middle School News

It has been fantastic to share and celebrate students’ achievements both in and out of school by giving them “shout outs” at our fortnightly Middle School Assemblies. Our students are doing some amazing things in the community, including representing East Arnhem in different sports, winning fishing competitions, receiving awards at Barra's Swimming Club, gaining qualifications and part time work at the Nhulunbuy Recreation Centre, being selected for Tennis Australia’s Learn 2 Lead Youth Leadership Program, and competing in the U18 Touch Titles, amongst other things!

We end each assembly with “shout outs” to students for behaviour, attitude or actions in the classroom that is above and beyond the rest of the class. Recent examples of “shout outs” include: Initiative and motivation in humanities assignments, Being a great friend, Always being kind and helpful, Always respectful and gives 100%, Contributing to safety of students by umpiring the rugby games out on the oval at lunch time and recess and doing a fantastic job of it.

We are lucky to have many students in our school community displaying behaviour, attitude and actions that align with our School Values of Creativity, Pride and Respect and it is a pleasure to celebrate them publicly in the Middle School community.

Pictured are our most recent “shout out” award recipients; Linc Riches-Murton, Shelby Gunnlaugsson, Izach Tremellen and Malachi Newman.

Jane Utting
Senior Teacher, Middle Years

Liya Djambutj News

Science in Action: This term in science, we've been busy developing our practical skills through fun and hands-on chemistry activities. We've explored solids, liquids, and gases - even diving into some tasty kitchen chemistry by baking bread! Measuring, mixing, and observing real reactions has helped us understand the science all around us.

Sporting Champions: A huge congratulations to all our students who competed in Athletics Day and Cross Country! We saw amazing effort, with several students winning their events and even breaking school records. The Liya Djambatj crew showed great spirit and sportsmanship - we’re super proud!

Creative Arts- Music Video Project: Exciting news from Creative Arts - we’ve finished recording our original song Tide to the Sea! Now we’re in the middle of filming the music video clip. Everyone’s been getting involved, on camera and behind the scenes, and we can’t wait to share the final result, stay tuned!

Art News

This term our middle school art classes interpreted the world of Andy Warhol, the iconic pop artist known for transforming everyday objects into bold, colourful and repetitive 2D works. Instead of soup cans or celebrities, our students turned their attention to something a little more... rubbery....'The Croc', infamous for its quirky shape, bright colours, and reoccurring feature on the feet of our NHS students. Tasked with creating Warhol-inspired pieces, students explored the fundamentals of pop art, focusing on themes like repetition, commercial culture, and mass production. Each student selected a Croc shoe as their subject, then used various techniques to create eye-catching, multi-panelled compositions that reflect Warhol’s unique style. This project not only encouraged creativity but also offered lessons in art history, colour theory, and cultural commentary.

Year 9 are doing a project for their assessment. They have designed and made stickers and paste ups and have put them up around the school. The theme was 'positive social change', and the artworks have been stuck up using contact.

Astrid Joyce
Art Teacher

Stars

Stars were fortunate to be able to visit Norforce – Arnhem Squadron in Nhulubuy and learn about what Norforce do, the area they cover and career pathways within the Australian Army and Norforce Squadron.

Lizzie Graham
Director

Phys Ed & Health News

Inter School Cross Country Championships

🏃 Cross Country - A Gritty Run Through the Bush 🏃‍♀️

On Wednesday of Week 5 (14/05/2025), our students laced up their runners and took on the challenge of the annual High School Cross Country Day - and what a day it was!

The course, a gruelling 3.4km track, wound through rugged bauxite country, ventured deep into buffalo-inhabited bushland, and finally wrapped up with a triumphant finish on the school oval. The tough terrain tested not only endurance but also determination, as students navigated loose gravel and uneven paths.

Despite a forecast threatening rain, the weather held out just long enough, offering runners a mix of cool cloud cover and a refreshing mid-morning shower - a welcome relief that helped recharge weary legs.

As the finish line came into view, the mouth-watering smell of Breakfast Club bacon and egg rolls drifted across the oval, giving students that final burst of motivation to sprint home strong!

Whether students were racing to place, running for fun, or walking in solidarity with friends, the spirit of participation and resilience was unmistakable. Cheers echoed across the oval as the final runners crossed the line, greeted with applause and well-earned rest.

A huge congratulations to everyone who took part, and a special thank you to the staff and volunteers who helped coordinate a smooth and safe event. Cross Country Day 2025 was a true celebration of grit, community, and heart!

Please note that the Cross-Country top 5 students in each age group will be invited to participate in the Interschool Cross Country, next Wednesday June 11. Permission forms have been sent out this week.

Friday May 30 2025

Last Friday, Nhulunbuy High School’s annual Athletics Carnival burst into life with colour, energy, and community spirit. We were proud to welcome visiting students from Yirrkala and the Laynhapuy homelands who competed together as Gurruṯumi Mala. Our visiting competitors brought with them great sportsmanship and added to the electric atmosphere of the carnival. It was a true celebration of talent, determination, and connection across our wider school community.

The school oval echoed with excitement as students from Wathawuy, Lombuy, Galuru and Gurruṯumi Mala houses kicked off the day with a powerful war cry and a spirited march past, setting the tone for a day of fierce but friendly competition.

The day saw some truly outstanding performances, with 22 records broken across all age groups - a remarkable feat that highlights the incredible athletic ability of our students.

While the winning house and age champions are still under wraps, all will be revealed at the Whole School Assembly on Tuesday of Week 9 (June 10 2025) at 8:10am. Parents and community members are warmly invited to attend and celebrate the achievements of our young athletes.

A big thank you to staff, volunteers, and supporters who made the day run smoothly. Congratulations to all competitors - your energy, effort, and enthusiasm made this year’s carnival one to remember!

Year 9’s have been participating in a program brought by Vicky who is also a midwife along with a core of life trainer. COL is an evidence based, health promotion/early intervention, relationships and reproductive health education program. It aims directly to empower young people to build resilience for healthier, more timely parents by futures. Today the students participated in role play activities and got to explore the difference of a healthy and unhealthy placenta. How cool!

Lauren Ewing
Physical Education Teacher

Senior School News

Senior School Report

Students in the senior school have participated in several events over the past month. Several of our students have taken on leadership responsibilities and have made significant contributions to the success of these events. Congratulations to our House Captains for showing outstanding leadership at the athletics carnival and our senior boarding students for their leadership at Dawurr at Dusk.

Students in years 10 and 11 will finish their Stage One assessments this week and next. All students are completing compulsory requirements in Maths, English and EIF this semester and so the final push is very important. A huge thank you to Grace Senior, Ethan Jolley and Lauren Ewing who have supported our year 10 students to successfully complete EIF. Our cohort this year has achieved an outstanding result, and their hard work is appreciated.

Year 12s will continue to work towards deadlines up until the last day of Term 2. They have been working hard to fundraise for the formal and will benefit next week from a Wellbeing incursion/excursion. We’ll be focusing on managing stress and deadlines during the final months and weeks of year 12 and will finish the day with a game of volleyball and a BBQ at the beach. More information to come shortly.

Oliver Friedmann
Senior Teacher, Senior Years

Dawurr News

Ḏawurr on the Daily

Despite the challenges to get out on country, caused by heavy rains and damaged roads, Ḏawurr has enjoyed a positive and activity-filled term!

We hosted our annual Ḏawurr at Dusk which was a wonderful evening, filled with fun for everyone.
We celebrated our long-time resident chef, Groove’s 60th birthday, with the boarders lending a hand in baking a special cake.
Dressed to impress, we fully participated in the athletics carnival, showcasing our team spirit.
We took refreshing swims at Wathawuy, making the most of our time outdoors.
Our new Ḏawurr sports jerseys have arrived, allowing us to represent Ḏawurr in style!
Weekly fitness groups have kicked off with Sue, promoting health and teamwork.
Evening bike rides around town continue to be a favourite for many.
Our tutoring sessions have been particularly engaging this term, enhancing our learning experience, while keeping it relevant and fun.
Luneta has secured employment, starting next term—she's very excited!
Our senior boarders are proudly sporting their new shirts, designed by Ḏawurr boarder Daydae Yunupiŋu, looking sharp and ready for all the senior stuff.

As we wrap up another great term, we’re all looking forward to a well-deserved break. Boarders will begin flying home next week to enjoy quality family time before returning for the next term. We can’t wait to do it all again!

Thanks,

Clontarf News

The second half of Term 2 has been a busy one for the Nhulunbuy Clontarf Academy.

We kicked off week 5 with a co-hosted Mother’s Day pancake breakfast with Stars - where the young men and women displayed their gratitude for the important matriarchal figures in their lives. Our employment officer from Darwin, Choppa, flew out for a visit to spend some time on employment documents with the Clonny boys to begin preparing for life after school. Miwatj was all hands-on deck to conduct health checks, ensuring that we are all fit and healthy. We were very lucky to have worksite visits with local partners Black Cat Civil & Norforce, to give a perspective into employment and opportunities for the boys in the future. After highlighting the leadership growth among academy members earlier this term, the boys again raised the standard by developing initiative and doing their part in the program - such as preparing and cooking food supplied by our ever-giving partner, Woolworths.

To go with all these activities and events, it was business as usual at the Nhulunbuy Academy as the boy's fronted up to school regularly to further grow their education & transferable life skills. Time for a well-earned mid-year break!

Maritime

Maritime Students Dive into Real-World Survival Skills

This term, our Year 11 Maritime and Liya Djumbatj classes took part in hands-on training and assessment for the VET unit MARF027 – Apply Basic Survival Skills in the Event of Vessel Abandonment.

Students learned how to respond in emergency situations on the water, including how to safely abandon a vessel, use personal survival equipment like life jackets and rafts, and work as a team in simulated marine emergencies. The training focused on practical, real-world skills that could one day save lives.

All students were assessed on their ability to follow safety procedures, perform survival techniques in water, and demonstrate teamwork under pressure. It was a valuable and engaging experience that highlighted the importance of preparation and calm decision-making in emergency situations.