PITCH BLACK

2024 – 43 years on and stronger together

12 July – 2 August 2024

Exercise Pitch Black is returning to the Northern Territory in 2024 and the Royal Australian Air Force would like to thank communities across northern Australia once again for their interest and tremendous support.

Exercise Pitch Black (EX PBK) is the Air Force’s premier biennial flying activity for strengthening international engagement with nations from the Indo-Pacific and Europe.  EX PBK will be held from 12 July to 2 August 2024.  Aircraft and people will arrive as from the first week in July prior to the start of the exercise.

In 2024, we will see the largest contingent in the exercise’s 43 year history.

More than 4400 personnel from 21 nations will either participate or observe air combat training.  More than 140 aircraft from around the globe including France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Japan, Republic of Korea, UK, the Philippines, Thailand, Netherlands, Malaysia, New Zealand, Fiji and the US are expected to participate.  EX PBK 24 will be bigger as Italy, Spain and Papua New Guinea participate fully for the first time.

The biennial three week multi-national large force employment exercise is conducted primarily from RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory (NT) and RAAF Base Amberley, located near Ipswich in Queensland.  Flying will also occur from RAAF Base Curtin, near Onslow in West Australia and over the Arafura Sea this year.

For the Community

In appreciation of the support the exercise receives in the NT, the RAAF is pleased to continue the tradition of providing flypasts and handling displays from a multitude of nations at Mindil Beach on Thursday afternoon from 5pm on 18 July – the Exercise Pitch Black mini air show.  The RAAF Base Darwin Open Day on 20 July 2024 showcases some of the participating Air Forces’ capabilities and meet the people who fly, maintain, supply and work around these aircraft from around the world.  People need to register with OzTix –  The Open Day is free but ticketed.

Flying schedule:

Flying periods during Exercise Pitch Black 24 from RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal are:

• July 15-18: 8am until 5pm.
• July 22-25: 8am until 9.30pm.
• July 28 to August 1: 8am until 9.30pm

How to find out information about the Exercise and community activities

Your residents can find out more details will be provided closer to the Exercise as the flying schedules are bedded down. 

The Pitch Black 2024 website will be the central point of information – https://www.airforce.gov.au/news-and-events/events/exercise-pitch-black. You can also contact us by sending a query via the Contact Us page.

BLUE 4

On May 16 our class went to the All-Abilities Expo at the Netball Stadium. All Abilities Expo is a fun, interactive event that showcases services and connects people with disabilities to disability service providers.

We visited the stalls. At some stalls we had to spin the wheel, do a dance or throw rings to get merch. We collected lots of free stuff while learning about what’s on offer for people with a disability. We played wheelchair NRL and we scored a couple of tries. Some of our class played golf. We had balloon animals made by the balloon artist and got the see animals in the animal petting area. There was a horse chilling and relaxing outside. For lunch our class went outside for a feast. Most of the class had Kens Crepes, some had Subway and some Indian food. After we had Curled ice cream for an extra treat. We really enjoyed the day and we had some laughs along the fun filled day.

On Friday the 14^th of June we were lucky to go to the V8s once again.

Highlights of our day were:

• Airforce - VR flight simulator training Everyone had a go and loved it
• Army, we checked out the army trucks and tanks. We took photos with them
• We had a look at the racing area where they prep the cars and drivers
• Went through the tunnel under the track. to watch the races and rest and play mini golf. Everyone got slushie’s, Gerard got a brain freeze
• On the way back to school, our bus left last, but our driver took a short cut. We pretended we were in a race, and we won, all the kids were cheering.

While we were at the V8s Vlad was in Canberra at the National Disability Bowling Championships making us proud.

My Trip to Canberra by Vlad

Friday – Saturday: The reason I went to Canberra was because I do bowling. At age 15, it was my first time on a plane and out of the Territory. The time in Canberra is 30 minutes ahead of Darwin. We flew on Virgin Airlines to Brisbane and then to Canberra. I was tired when we arrived. I bowled, but missed the opening ceremony because our flight was delayed and cancelled. I was with my mum, and we did some shopping when we had free time.

Sunday: On Sunday, we went to the Federal Parliament House by bus. When we got there, it was huge. The place is a nice building with a lot of history and a gift shop. The old Parliament was good.

Tuesday: Between Sunday and Tuesday, we had good lunches and dinners, including a place similar to KFC. We met some new people and friends, took a lot of photos, and had some nice dinners, including pizza, spaghetti, and a fisherman’s bucket (I ate like a king). The tournament had begun, and I participated in the Cold Cup, bowling with former students like Toby Reynolds, Mitchell Dixon, and Christos. Amanda Hintz was also there. I was the youngest member of my team and was ranked 12th in the Masters.

Thursday: I had no bowling, so I went to the city by bus, explored the shopping centre, found my favourite artwork, and had McDonald’s. Canberra is super big, bigger than Darwin, about 30,000 metres long, like driving from Darwin to Palmerston. I also went to the War Memorial. It had good history exhibits, and I even taught the workers about history from 1914-1945 and 1918-1991. I told them about Marxism, the foundation of communism, and WWI-II. They said I could have a job there one day because I know a lot about history. There were the eternal flames and the dome, which I call the Australian Castle. The front gate was under renovation, and the next day it got vandalized with a political message. We explored a lake nearby our hotel, which looked nice. I met Amanda Thomas’s friend Katrice.

Friday: We got lunch, started to pack, and had a big dinner and the league celebration. It had nice music with an 80s theme. We got back at 10:00 pm.

Saturday – Sunday I got a medal in triples, finishing in 3rd place nationally and 5th in the Masters. I put the NT on the map. We finished packing and got on the plane to Melbourne and then to Darwin, arriving at 12:07 in the morning.

The end.

Vlad, Ayden, Oliver, Mark, Zane, Anthony, Gerard and Kaleb

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TERM 2 ASSEMBLY

COMMUNITY NOTICES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to the following students that celebrate their birthdays in JUNE:

9^th Kaleb
10^th Daudi
11^th Zyethan
12^th Lucie
13^th Oliver
13^th Laura
17^th Joseph
21^st Leilani
24^th Manoli
25^th Gerard
27^th AJ     

UPCOMING EVENTS – Term 3, 2024

SPORTS DAY

It was an amazing day Brittany and team! Thank you for your leadership.
Was so lovely to see so many parents coming along as well.
Thank you to everyone who supported our students to stay regulated, be competitive and have fun.
So many fine examples of students encouraging other students and showing great sportsmanship.

And to top it off the excitement of the Blue Barras when they were announced winners (actually, the excitement of all the teams when they were announced it didn’t really matter where they came, they were happy!)

So many favourite parts to today to list…
Here is just one, Dixon doing the Acknowledgment of Country.

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YELLOW 5

Yellow 5 includes the following amazing students: Jerome, Callum, Matthew, Jekamiah, Michael, Brodie, Francis, Eddie, and the fabulous staff Tait, Doug, and Anne. The Yellow 5 students have experienced a productive semester engaging in their Modified Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCETM) Stage One and Two programs. They are completing tasks in English, Mathematics, Health and Wellbeing, Personal Learning Plan, Cross Disciplinary Studies, and Creative Arts.

The students are participating in Work Skill courses, work training, CDU courses, MNTCET Skill Sets, and work experience programs, which have fostered their independence and confidence.

Yellow 5 students also look forward to their Friday excursions as part of the Community Access Program. Throughout the semester, they have explored various locations and participated in numerous events, providing an excellent opportunity for socialising, relaxing together away from school, and promoting skills such as turn-taking, teamwork, coordination, and bonding.

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BLUE 3

Blue 3 Students Explore the changes to landscape with local expert Geologist Lachlan

In week 8 students from Blue 3 senior science skillset had an exciting day at the Darwin City Museum. Alongside local geologist Lachlan, they learned about the museum's exhibits and explored the geological formation of the cliff face outside of the museum by Fannie Bay.

Lachlan explained how these rocks formed over time, shaping the landscape. Students listened intently as he told the story of Earth's history hidden within the rock layers. They spotted fossils and noticed the shift from vertical to horizontal layers, revealing events like ancient seas and volcanic activity that occurred around 200 million years ago. The students concluded that "It's like a journey through time”. 

inside the museum, students had the chance to delve into the rock and fossil collections. They also examined a sand sample provided by Lachlan, discovering magnetic particles, primarily iron, within it.

Additionally, they explored other exhibitions, where Owen was amazed by the technology from the 70s.

Exiting the museum, the students carried with them a renewed interest in the world around them. Their time with Lachlan opened their eyes to the marvels of geology, leaving a lasting impact on their understanding and appreciation of changes to their local landscape.

RELAY FOR LIFE

Henbury School has registered to participate in the upcoming Relay for Life at TIO. Team name is Henbury School!

Relay for life will start at 4:30pm on Friday the 19^th of July 2024 and go until 9am the following morning. It is at TIO stadium, field 2. There will be some food provided by the school.

If you would like to come (even for a few laps), please register below. Registration cost is $35. If you cannot come, please look at donating even $5. We have all somehow been touched by this dreaded disease.

Link to register below:

RECYCLING NEWS

NTRS are putting out a challenge to schools in Darwin to help reduce hard to recycle items from going into landfill, the Colgate School Recycling Challenge.

NTRS have supplied a bin for the collection of dental care items, of any brand, like toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, floss containers, interdental brushes and electric toothbrush heads. These items could be from home or from classrooms.

For every eligible item collected, NTRS will donate 10c to your school. It is running until the end of week 3 term 3 2024.

Get the whole school community involved, reduce materials going into landfill and earn money for your school, it’s a win all round!

SCIENCE EXPERIENCE

Three Henbury School students recently enjoyed a fantastic adventure at the Charles Darwin University (CDU) Science Experience.

Jade, Jacky, and Kristine had a blast exploring science, engineering, and technology at CDU’s Casuarina Campus. During the event they participated in workshops, presentations, and experiments, discovering new interests and gaining confidence.

Jade loved the TAFE trades and Environmental Science, Jacky enjoyed interacting with other students, and Kristine was fascinated by paramedics and the NT Medical Program.

Jade described it as, “one of the most brilliant life experiences that I have ever had”, while Jacky summed it all up as “fun”, and Kristine loved “learning about the organs and the human body.”

Thanks to sponsors, The Lions Club of Darwin - Casuarina, and of course our host CDU for making this trip possible. The students returned to Henbury School inspired and excited about their future in science. Congratulations to Jade, Jacky, and Kristine on their amazing journey!

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YR12 GRADUATION FUNDRAISER BUNNINGS SAUSAGE SIZZLE

A huge THANK YOU to the following politicians who donated to help purchase supplies:
Nicole Manison MLA – Member for Wanguri
Joel Bowden MLA – Member for Johnston
Kate Worden MLA – Member for Sanderson
Lauren Moss MLA – Member for Casuarina

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Congratulations staff, students and families on another successful semester of learning. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through each students report and seeing the progress that has been made over the first half of the year. Student reports were emailed on Friday 21 June. Please check your junk mailbox if you didn’t receive a copy of your child’s report. Alternatively, a hard copy was sent home with your child for those who don’t access email.

I would like to acknowledge Hannah who spoke at the recent ACEL Disability and Inclusion Conference at the Darwin Convention Centre. This event was attended by educational leaders from across Australia and from Singapore. Hannah spoke about her and fellow school captain Michael’s involvement in the NT wide Youth Voice Peak Group that provides feedback and a VOICE on youth issues to NT educational leaders and Ministers. Hannah spoke eloquently and with passion to sum up her message would be to quote her, “Everyone has a voice let yours be heard.”

Relay For Life

This year Henbury School is putting in a ‘Relay for Life’ team. We encourage the Henbury community to join us on Friday the 19 of July 2024. For more information and to register please see the article in this newsletter.

All-Abilities Netball

We have had many of our students join the All-Abilities Netball competition on Thursday evenings at 6pm at Marrara Netball Stadium. It is a free event provided by the Darwin Netball Association in conjunction with Netball NT. If you want to give it a go come on down, our next game is the 18 July. No experience necessary just a willingness to give netball a go. If you are interested let me know through the front office or via email at sarah.corry@education.nt.gov.au .

Congratulation to Natalia who participated in the Indigenous Netball Carnival at Marrara on the weekend of the 14 June and won the ‘Spirit of the Game’ award. Thank you, Amanda Thomas for supporting our students to attend this event.

V8 Supercars

Once again many of our students enjoyed a day out exploring the V8 supercars. Our school captains along with our Teacher Commissioners Amanda and Maddi enjoyed the comfort, view and food from the Chief Minister’s tent.

NAIDOC Celebrations

National NAIDOC week falls in the school holidays and this year’s theme is Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud. Henbury School celebrated a special NAIDO Day on Tuesday in Week 10. There were many great activities to be enjoyed including face painting, dot painting Australian animals, damper making, Cheeky Dog art, sand stories and woollen bracelet making to name a few. We also had a visit from some Australian’s of the year. Northern Territory Young Australian of the  Year Peter Susanto and the VIC Young Australian of the Year Bhakta Bahadur. Students enjoyed listening to them and asking and answering questions.

Thank you David and the NAIDO events team for organising this memorable event.

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Congratulations to all the students who received awards at our end of term assembly. Take care over the holidays and we look forward to seeing everyone back on day 1 of term 3, Tuesday 16 July.

OUR DRIPSTONE AMBASSADORS

Dripstone Middle School had their ‘Ambassador Badge Ceremony on the 15^th May. Congratulations to our students who were selected to be an ambassador in 2024. We look forward to seeing the outcome of their work through the year. Thank you to the staff at Dripstone who have provided this opportunity for our students. Our partnership with Dripstone is greatly valued.

BLUE 2

This term, Blue 2 students have had an exciting time with lots of animal friends! At the school farm, they loved feeding and playing with the chickens and their adorable chicks. Through our Community Access Program, the class also visited the Fannie Bay Equestrian Club, where they got to feed and admire the beautiful horses. Recently, therapy dogs came to our classroom, and the students had a great time petting and talking to them.

Interacting with animals has many benefits for students' well-being and mental health. Spending time with animals can reduce stress and anxiety, making students feel calmer and happier. It also helps them develop empathy and improve their social skills as they learn to care for and understand these animals. Animals can provide comfort and companionship, which is especially beneficial for students who might feel lonely or anxious. These interactions also offer a break from the regular school routine, adding some fun and excitement to the day. Overall, these interactions have been a wonderful addition to our term, providing joy and valuable experiences for everyone in Blue 2.

NIGHTCLIFF MIDDLE SCHOOL

Who said learning can’t be fun?

We love coming to school every day to take on new challenges and have fun with our friends.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to the following students that celebrate their birthdays in MAY:

2nd Kobey
3rd Adwin
12th Charlie
16th Jovanni
19th Briseis
20th Marilyn
20th Joshua S
24th Cloe
25th Max
26th Kaeturah
29th Agnes
31st Jade

UPCOMING EVENTS – Term 2, 2024