6 March 2025

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Welcome to this fortnight’s Henbury School Newsletter. For those that don’t know me, I’m Raylee Parker, Assistant Principal. A bit about myself – I started at Henbury in 2011 and have worked across most classrooms and programs in this time. I love working with our students, being part of their daily life and learning journey, and working with our dynamic and passionate staff. A main part of my role now is looking after our senior Yr 10-12 classrooms, and overseeing the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET) Modified programs. On a personal note, I’m from Brisbane originally, but fell in love with Darwin in 2006, whilst doing a ‘Trip around Australia’ in a caravan with my young kids (now adults!) and husband. I welcome all our new families to the Henbury community. I look forward to getting to know you, and trust you are becoming more familiar with staff and our school processes and supports available.

SCHOOL COUNCIL AGM

If you would like to have a say in how our school operates, our School Council AGM will be held on Wednesday 12^th March at 4:30pm. We encourage any new or existing parents to join. We would also like to encourage first nation voices for our school council as we have 55% indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled. You don’t need any experience to join, just a passion to provide the best for your child. We meet two or three times a term on Wednesday from 4:30 to 5:30 (times/days can be altered to suit the cohort of parents on the committee).

Transition / Education Adjustment Plans

Education Adjustment Plan (years 7-9) meetings, and Transition from School Plan EAP (TEAP) (years 10-12) meetings are underway from now until the end of the Term 1. These meetings are an important opportunity for parents/carers and other stakeholders to come together with teachers to develop an individualised plan that supports our young people to achieve their very best. If you are yet to receive an invitation, please contact your child’s classroom teacher or the front office. Meeting options are flexible, including Teams/Zoom, via phone or in person.

SOCIAL RECREATION @ HENBURY – APRIL HOLIDAY PROGRAM

Please see attached our schedule for the upcoming April School Holiday Sessions. Our program runs from the 7th to 11th April 2025 and for the Pupil Free Day on 14th April 2025. NDIS funding from your child’s plan is charged according to the required level of support (either 1:1 or 1:3) and for a minimum of 8 hours per day. Please contact Leah/Noor for pricing and/or quotes. New enrolments will require a face to face interview with the Coordinator to assess the participants suitability, level of support required and what funding is available.

Booking deadline is Friday 21^st March 2025. Any enquiries for Social Recreation @ Henbury (SR@H) – out of school hours or holiday program care, please direct to Noor Arbon henbury.sra@education.nt.gov.au

Raylee Parker
Assistant Principal

HELLO FROM YELLOW 4

Yellow 4 has had an exciting, fun, and action-packed start to the year! We have enjoyed settling into our routines, getting to know each other, and exploring the world of Science and Horticulture as our specialist subjects. As a class, we love swimming, going out on Community Access and heading to the shops for our weekly groceries. 

In weeks 3 and 5, we enjoyed getting to know our Green 4 buddy class. We met the awesome students and staff and were able to do our favourite things together, cooking and STEM activities. 

We celebrated the birthdays of both SESOs Wanderson and Georgie as well as Ilias!

Looking forward to a wonderful term full of adventures, growing, and learning!

HENBURY CORPORATE LUNCHEON

Announcing the Henbury Corporate Luncheon is back this year, held Friday 28 November. The luncheon is the school’s major fundraiser held every second year, at the Darwin Convention Centre. We host around 300 guests from the corporate sector and community. Funds are raised from monetary sponsorships, and donations of goods and services which are used for mega raffles, prize draws and silent and live auctions. We will be communicating more information in the coming weeks and months about how our school community can assist! 

NETBALL GALA DAY

On Wednesday 6 March, our middle years Henbury Netball team did us proud by competing against 8 other local middle schools at the Territory Netball Stadium at Marrara as part of the Interschool Netball Gala Day. With only 7 players and no subs, our players smashed it, playing 5 games across the day, and coming an impressive fifth out of the 8 teams. All players all gave 100% in their last game and went down by 4 points to St Johns. Our school values of resilience, teamwork, compassion, respect and responsibility were on display.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2025 NT LEARNING COMMISSIONERS

On Friday 21 February students came together for the annual democratic voting in of Henbury’s 2025 Northern Territory Learning Commissioners (NTLC). Students from across the school nominated and worked hard on their campaign trail. Thank you to all the students that nominated this year – what an amazing bunch of students!

The commissioner role involves:

1. Demonstrate Henbury School Values
2. Great school attendance
3. Attend at least one meeting per week with fellow commissioners
4. Represent Henbury at NTLC conferences
5. Organise and run Henbury School events
6. Listen and support peers

Announcing our 2025 commissioners and our 4 school captains:

Anne (B2)
Laura (G3)
Lucia (DMS)
Molyun (G3)
Jade (CSC)
Kiara C (G2)
Ayden (Y5)
Denilson (DHS)

School Captains
Jovanni (CSC)
Jordan (DHS)
Miley (Y3)
Reecee (CSC)

On Wednesday 5 March our NTLC attended their first official event. They joined other NTLC student representatives from other Darwin schools at The Hilton Double Tree. Our commissioners spent the day being inspired about how they can positively impact and meaningfully contribute to their school community and across the Department of Education. They shared ideas and their vision for the year ahead, ensuring student voice is heard at all levels in their education journey.

Commissioners looked at 2024’s student survey responses, which included feedback that there were not enough leadership roles at Henbury School. Our commissioners decided to have Henbury’s first official ‘Vice NTLC’. These students will have projects to work on around Henbury School and will run this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony. Congratulations to Henbury’s Vice NTLC students:

Deklain C (Y5)
Vlad D (Y2)
Adam K (G4)
Elizabeth V (G3)
Maia F (B2)

Meningococcal B

The NT Government is rolling out a free meningococcal B vaccination program from January 2025. Please read the attached flyer for more information.

HENBURY PRECINCT CAFÉ AND OP SHOP

Our Henbury Precinct Learning Precinct Café and Op Shop is vital to our students’ learning programs and work experience. Students attend these sites 5 days per week (Tues-Sat) and we need our school community to help to make sure they have lots of learning experiences! Please drop off your donations to the Op Shop and do a spot of shopping. Come into the Café and browse the giftware and items that students produce in a wide variety of enterprise education and classroom programs. You’ll also find students taking orders, using the cash register, waitering, preparing food, and making delicious barista coffee and cold drinks. Students work Saturdays, paid at award rates, and we always need customers! Your visits to the Café and Op Shop = lots of opportunities for students to practice their skills!

Located at Casuarina Village Shopping Centre (near McDonalds/old Coles). The Op Shop is open Tues-Saturday 8:30-2:30, and Café open Thurs, Fri, Sat 8:30-1:30. 

UPCOMING EVENTS – Term 1, 2025

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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

Harrison J – 1^st
Clinton J – 1^st
Tiara M – 2^nd
Kayden W – 2^nd
Molyun L – 4^th
Angela C – 5^th
Jasper C – 5^th
Emily H – 5^th
Morgan P – 7^th
Noah S – 9^th
Martin Y – 12^th
James T – 13^th
Kaarthig K – 15^th
Vlad D – 16^th
Layton R – 16^th
Kahn O – 18^th
Rekita R – 20^th
Laura MW – 21^st
Owen C – 22^nd
Marcius M – 26^th
Natalia R – 30^th

COMMUNITY NOTICES