PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Welcome to another busy fortnight at Inverell High School. As always, there has been a great deal happening across our school, with students involved in academic preparation, HSC major works and performances, sporting competitions, community events and transition activities.

Year 12 – The Final HSC Preparation

For our Year 12 students, the countdown is certainly on. With only four weeks remaining this term, this is an important opportunity for students to carefully review their Trial HSC results, seek feedback from their teachers and identify the areas where they can make the greatest improvements before their HSC examinations commence next term.

The Trial HSC examinations provide much more than a result—they provide valuable feedback. I encourage every Year 12 student to use these remaining weeks purposefully, working closely with their teachers to refine their knowledge, examination technique and responses. Small improvements made now can make a significant difference when the HSC examinations begin.

It has also been an important period for our students completing HSC practical components and major works. Dance performances have now been completed, along with major works in Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and Textiles. Our Visual Arts students are putting the finishing touches on their Bodies of Work, which are due on Tuesday. These projects represent many months of planning, creativity, perseverance and hard work, and we wish all students involved every success.

Supporting Literacy and Numeracy

Students in Years 7–9 have completed their Check-in Assessments, providing the school with valuable information about student achievement in key areas of literacy and numeracy.

This data allows our teachers to identify areas of strength and where additional targeted support may be required. Strong literacy and numeracy skills remain fundamental to success across all areas of learning and are increasingly important as our young people prepare to enter a rapidly changing and competitive world. Our focus is to ensure that teaching and support are adapted to meet the learning needs of our students and provide them with the strongest possible foundations for their future.

Sporting Success

It has been an outstanding couple of weeks for Inverell High School sport.

Congratulations to our Under 15 Boys Basketball team, who are North West Regional Champions following an impressive and dominant victory over Oxley High School in the Regional Final. The boys will now progress to the State Championships in Ballina, where they will represent both Inverell High School and the North West region. This is a tremendous achievement, and we wish the team every success at the next level.

Our Under 15 Girls Netball team has also continued its excellent run, recording a strong victory over Quirindi High School in the Regional Semi-Final. The girls now progress to the Regional Final, where they will face the winner of the semi-final between Wee Waa and Glen Innes. Congratulations to the team on reaching this stage of the competition, and we wish them all the very best for the Regional Final.

Thank you also to the staff, coaches and families who continue to support our students and provide them with these wonderful opportunities.

NAIDOC Community Celebrations

On Monday, our students and staff proudly participated in the local NAIDOC March, joining members of our community in celebrating and recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and achievements.

Our Stars and Clontarf Dance Group performed for the community, with their performance very warmly received. It was wonderful to see our students confidently sharing culture and representing Inverell High School within our wider community.

We were also extremely proud to have our students recognised by the local NAIDOC Committee and presented with the **NAIDOC Committee’s Art Award**. Congratulations to everyone involved and thank you to our students and staff who represented our school with such pride.

Welcoming Our Future Students

Last Thursday, we welcomed students from our smaller local primary schools for a half-day transition experience at Inverell High School. The day provided students with an opportunity to begin familiarising themselves with the high school environment, meet staff and students, and experience some of the routines and opportunities that await them in secondary school.

This provides an important lead-in to our broader Year 6 into Year 7 half-day transition next Thursday. We look forward to welcoming our future Year 7 students for a day packed with information, activities and opportunities to experience life at Inverell High School.

Transition is an important part of ensuring students begin high school feeling confident, connected and excited about the opportunities ahead. We look forward to working with

our incoming students, their families and our partner primary schools as we prepare for another new Year 7 cohort.

With so much happening across academic learning, sport, culture and transition, it has again been a fortnight that demonstrates the breadth of opportunities available to our students. Congratulations to everyone on their achievements, and thank you to our staff, families and wider community for their continued support of Inverell High School.