A New School Year

Welcome to 2022, and to the start of another school year. 2022 will be an exciting, challenging and rewarding year. Despite returning to continued restrictions I am hopeful that these will be short term, and that our school can soon return to a normal range of operations and opportunities that reflect a more settled year for our entire community. A particular welcome to parents and students new to Henry Kendall High School, especially our Year 7 cohort.

In spite of the restrictions to what we can do, there has been an extremely settled and industrious start to the school year. Our students have returned with a positive and focused mindset and have engaged themselves straight into learning. It is wonderful to see that our students are keen to make the most of each opportunity and to contribute positively to what is their school.

New Staff

I would like to welcome a number of new staff:

Miss Bianca Fazio joins us in English
Mrs Jenny Court joins us in CAPA
Mr Matthew Sheppard joins us in PDHPE
Mr Neale Ashby joins us in TAS, and
Mrs Gemma Lucca returns to Henry Kendall in CAPA.

We are excited to have such a strong array of new staff join our fabulous school and our outstanding teams committed to the education of our students.

Outstanding HSC Results

6 students attained Band 6 results.
Rachel Ross and Xander James each achieved 2 Band 6 results.
Our highest individual result was Xander James (Mathematics Advanced) who all achieved 95. Xander (Mathematics Extension 1) and Rachel Ross (Business Studies) also attained 92 in these courses.
10 courses had more than 20% of students in the top 2 Bands.
5 courses – Geography, Mathematics Standard 2, Mathematics Standard 1, PDHPE and Hospitality - had an exam mean above state average. Of these, 2 courses were significantly above state average –Mathematics Standard 2 (4.01), and PDHPE (3.07).

The 2021 HSC cohort were faced with the most extraordinary circumstances and challenges. Their achievements in this context are fabulous, along with some outstanding course and many individual stories that deserve recognition and celebration. Well done to the class of 2021.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank our wonderful HSC teachers. The selfless work they do is a significant factor in the achievement of our students. Their dedication, passion, drive, subject knowledge, and depth of educational expertise is valued and appreciated.

New School Plan 2022-25

In 2021 Henry Kendall High undertook External Evaluation with the department of Education. In this process an external panel considers evidence presented by the school to assess our progress against fourteen domains of school excellence. I am pleased to report that Henry Kendall High was assessed as Excelling in nine of the fourteen domains.

Following External Evaluation, school then commence a new four year planning cycle. In the coming weeks I will be working with the school leadership team to write the 2022-25 School Improvement Plan. There will be a significant focus on addressing the mandated targets the department has set for our school, in aspects of NAPLAN and HSC achievement, wellbeing, and student attendance.

Over the next four years we have identified three strategic directions;

Student Growth and Attainment
Future Focussed Learning Now
School Culture

These three areas will guide the development and implementation of a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening the outcomes of our students.

COVID Guidelines Term 1

As I have communicated on Facebook and via email, schools have again been issued with new COVID Guidelines for Term 1. For the most part, there are few changes.

The most significant of these is the provision of Rapid Antigen Tests, at this stage for the first four weeks of the year. I thank all families who have engaged in such a positive manner with this strategy, aimed at providing an added layer of protection across our school. I will continue to provide information regarding the RAT program as it comes to hand.

We are required to maintain many restrictions at this time, with these limiting much of what we can do. The key restrictions currently in place include cohorting, masks indoors, no assemblies and requirements for sport and excursions. As a result, we continue to be unable to operate the canteen. We have been advised that Sydney North and CHS Sports programs will continue.

As the covid situation across our community starts to abate I am hopeful that a translation into relaxed school restrictions follows quickly.

A Strong & Open Partnership

We have a strong and supportive culture at Henry Kendall High School, where parents and staff work together to nurture and grow the most important people in your world … your children.

A sign of any mature organisation is knowing that if people want to voice an opinion or concern, they have permission to do so. As Principal, I can proudly say that we are all part of a school where opinion and feedback are accepted and valued … not always practical or within policy, but certainly heard.

The vast majority of feedback is positive and we love receiving affirmation from parents. There are also occasions where parents/carers feel the need to share insights or perspectives of a negative nature. We value that feedback as well. We are not sharing information about how to highlight concerns because of a perceived problem. In fact, we have quite the opposite! The vast majority of feedback we receive is complimentary.

This information is being shared because we value the partnership we have with the community and we want to ensure that you understand our school-based procedures for expressing concerns, should you ever feel the need. The best person to assist you initially is your child’s classroom teacher or Year Adviser. If you still have concerns after chatting to your child’s teacher, then please feel free to contact a member of the school executive team. Please see the attached School Community Charter for more information on this topic.

Mobile Phones

Parents are reminded that our school maintains a strong mobile phone policy in classroom situations.

ALL students are required to have their devices (including headphones) in their bags prior to entry to the classroom. If the device is to be used within the learning program, the teacher will ask students to retrieve their device. Any student who has a device out in a classroom context when they shouldn’t do will have the device confiscated and they will need to collect it from the Deputy Principal at the end of the school day. Repeated infringements will require the device to be collected by parents.

Parents and carers support in reinforcing the school’s expectations with their children would be greatly appreciated.

Parents & Community Association

Our P&C meetings will be held in the staff common room at 7.00pm on the scheduled dates. There are two meetings in Term 1, then one meeting in each of Terms 2, 3 and 4.

Tuesday 22 February – General Meeting
Tuesday 8 March – AGM
Tuesday 24 May – General Meeting
Tuesday 16 August – General Meeting
Tuesday 8 November – General Meeting

Mr Andrew Backhouse

Principal

Student Services