24 October 2025

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Year 9 Transition Program Kicks Off with a Splash!

The Year 9 Transition Program has started with a splash!

Across the coming weeks, students will take part in swimming sessions at both the Henbury Campus pool and Leanyer Water Park. They’ll also enjoy a range of activities including art, music, time in the library for a quiet “chill out,” and the ever-popular Engine Room for those who love to move!

Next week, students will head to Leanyer Water Park for a morning of water play, swimming, and social fun. The program will run from Week 2 through to Week 7, before students begin transitioning into their 2026 classes.

It’s wonderful to see our Year 9 students embracing new experiences, connecting with staff and peers, and demonstrating great enthusiasm as they prepare for the next stage of their Henbury journey!

This program allows space and time for our Year 6 transitions students time in Henbury classes so we can ensure we have the right mix of students in each class.

Celebrating Excellence – Congratulations to Shannon Doughty!

Henbury School is proud to celebrate Shannon Doughty, who has officially achieved Lead Teacher Accreditation — a remarkable recognition of her exceptional leadership, expertise, and impact on teaching and learning.

Shannon’s passion for authentic, hands-on learning has helped shape some of Henbury’s most innovative programs. She has been a driving force behind the Henbury Horticulture Garden, co-developing this flourishing space where students grow, nurture, and connect with the environment. Her leadership also extends to the Henbury on Aralia Café, which provides meaningful vocational experiences for students and fosters community connection.

Beyond her work in these programs, Shannon has played a key role in curriculum innovation through the development of the EAP Goal Bank, now used school-wide to support consistent, individualised learning pathways for every student.

Shannon’s commitment to excellence, collaboration, and student empowerment embodies the very best of The Henbury Way. We are incredibly proud of her achievement and grateful for her ongoing leadership across our school community.

DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH

October is recognized as Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness, promoting acceptance and celebrating the lives and achievements of individuals with Down Syndrome. Thank you to Pearl, Judy and Kiara for visiting Henbury and dropping of special treats for our staff to enjoy.

BANDANNA DAY FUNDRAISER – FRIDAY 31^ST OCTOBER

Canteen is an Australian charity that has provided free and tailored support to young people for almost 40 years.
Whether a young person (aged 12–25) is dealing with their own cancer diagnosis, a close family member’s cancer, or the death of a loved one, Canteen offers a wide range of free support services to help them overcome the specific challenges they face.

This year, Chloe W, a Year 11 outreach student, will be hosting a Bandanna Day Fundraiser BBQ at Henbury School on Friday, 31st October.
Bandannas, sausages, drinks, and icy poles will be available for purchase.

Please ensure your child brings money to school on this day if you would like them to make a purchase or donation. This is a student only event.

See the attached flyer for more information.

HALLOWEEN DISCO

This Friday 31^st October, Henbury school will be hosting a Halloween disco from 11:30am until 12:10pm. Student can come dressed in their spooky best! Enterprise education will also be setting up a stall selling a variety of Halloween creations.

Amanda Philp
Assistant Principal

PURPLE 5 ON THE MOVE - WALKING, COMPETING AND SUPPORTING INCLUSION!

What a busy and exciting term it’s been for Purple 5! This October, we’ve taken on a huge challenge walking 140 kilometres for Autism!

We’re lacing up our shoes and walking towards a future that’s more inclusive and supportive for everyone. Our students and educators are proud to be part of this movement, helping to ensure Autistic Australians have every opportunity to thrive.

Each student has their own Fitbit to track their kilometres, and we’ve already started racking them up! Whether it’s during recess, PE, or weekend adventures, every step counts. We’d love your help to keep us motivated by donating, sharing, or showing your support for our fundraiser. Every bit of encouragement helps us go the distance!

But that’s not all, October also brought some sporting excitement! On October 15^th, our students took part in the Top End and Darwin Mini Paralympics, held at the Darwin Netball Stadium. This amazing event gave students and community members with disabilities the chance to try Paralympic-style sports like wheelchair basketball, boccia, and athletics in a fun and supportive environment.

The event is supported by the Northern Territory Government, NT School Sport Association, the Australian Sports Commission, and Paralympics Australia and we’re so proud to be involved in something that celebrates inclusion, teamwork, and the joy of sport.

It’s safe to say that Purple 5 have been moving, learning, and leading with heart this term. Keep cheering us on as we walk, roll, and race our way through October!

Have a great weekend, from P5 class.

YELLOW 2 CLASS NEWS

It’s been a busy and exciting few terms in Yellow 2!

Territory Wildlife Park Excursion

Our class had a fantastic time visiting the Territory Wildlife Park last term. We explored different habitats and got up close with some amazing animals. The highlights included watching the birds of prey show and walking through the aquarium tunnel. Everyone showed great curiosity and respect for the environment — it was a wonderful day of learning and adventure!

Cooking in the Classroom

Back at school, we’ve been busy cooking in class! The students have enjoyed measuring, mixing, and tasting their delicious creations. Cooking has helped us practise teamwork, reading recipes, and using our maths skills in real-life ways. The best part, of course, was sharing and tasting what we made together!

Loving Our Reading Time

Yellow 2 has really caught the reading bug this semester. We loved our recent visit to the library, where everyone chose new books to borrow. It’s great to see students excited to dive into stories and share what they’re reading with friends. Our classroom reading corner is always full of happy readers!

We’re so proud of how engaged and enthusiastic the Yellow 2 students are in all areas of their learning. What a wonderful term it’s been so far!

G2 HAVE BEEN LEARNING ABOUT ANCIENT CHINA

G2 newsletter

G2 had a busy term three. In class we learned about Ancient China.

“I learned about Chinese dragons in school and I like Chinese dragons because they are kind.” – Jacky.

“I enjoyed history. I liked learning about the emperors and the four dragon kings.” – Marky

“I learned about the Western Sea dragon king. Ao Bing is the oldest out of the four dragon kings.” - Sonny

(Chinese Dragon drawn by Mark Babui)

Each week we went on Community Access.

“I enjoyed community access to Nightcliff for a BBQ.” – Josh

“I liked the big bell at the Military Museum” – Dixon

“I enjoyed community access to the museums. I liked the Cyclone Tracy exhibition and the vehicles at the Military Museum,” – Hunter

“I liked going to Harry’s place to get a smoothie. It was good and fun.” – Morgan

OUR WOODWORK AND ENTERPRISE EDUCATION TEAM HAVE BEEN SUPER BUSY

In Woodwork and Enterprise Education, students have been working on various projects for the upcoming Christmas Stall. They’ve made textiles and tie dye products, candles, wooden Christmas trees, plant stands, Santa and Rudolf snack boards, Christmas chopping boards, Christmas countdown blocks and more! Woodwork classes have also been working hard on creating their own projects including custom design wooden boxes and space invader wooden mosaics. Our sewing classes have made emotion plushies, and some students made purple bandanas for Bullying No Way Day!

The upcoming Henbury Corporate Luncheon on Friday 28^th November is set to be a fantastic day and students have been creating crocodile fridge magnets and polymer clay keyrings as gifts.

Our annual Christmas Stall will be held at Henbury School on Thursday 4^th December from 9:00-11:00am. Come along to purchase all your Christmas gifts, enter our Christmas Raffle and enjoy a cuppa from our café students.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Vince and Janna
Woodwork & Enterprise Ed teachers

CONGRATULATIONS BRISEIS ON A MASSIVE ACHIEVEMENT

A huge congratulations to our super star Briseis Brittain on an outstanding performance in the woman’s 400m final at the World Para Athletics Championships held in New Delhi. Briseis came sixth place with a time of 1:04.93.

You have done Henbury proud showing courage and determination every step of the way.

Athletics Aust article:

Australia reaps rewards in New Delhi to kick-start 2028 Paralympic cycle | Australian Athletics

2025 HENBURY ART EXHIBITION: DREAMING OUR FUTURES – STORIES THAT BRIDGE TIME

From Friday 17th to Tuesday 21st October, our school’s annual Art Exhibition transformed the stage area into a vibrant gallery celebrating creativity, culture, and imagination. This year’s theme, “Dreaming Our Futures: Stories that Bridge Time,” invited students to explore connections between the past, present, and future through their art.

We were honoured to welcome local visual artist Sarrita King, who selected the recipients of the Critics’ Choice Award.

Winner: Jade Obajdin – Upside Picasso
Throughout the exhibition, students, staff, and visitors also had the opportunity to cast their votes for the People’s Choice Awards, recognising creativity across the Senior Years, Middle Years, and Class Divisions.

Senior Years
Trisvina Lewis – Kookaburra Dreaming
Chantelle Edwards – Spiderman
Kasey Deeble – Me and Allyiana

Middle Years
Elexis Erojo – Circle of Life
Zach Rogers – The Holden Commodore
Ruby Thompson – Sea by the Moonlight

Class Division Winner
Yellow 4 – Dreaming of our Futures

A heartfelt thank you to the Arts Exhibition team whose hard work and creativity brought this event to life — your efforts made Dreaming Our Futures a truly memorable celebration.

Congratulations to all our talented young artists for their inspiring work and to everyone who contributed to making this event such a success!

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HENBURY TAKES PART IN THE FIRST PARALYMPIC EVENT

Five Henbury classes joined Darwin’s first Mini Paralympics event today! The atmosphere was magical, and staff could not be more proud of our students’ engagement and determination to learn new skills and sports. Many were out of their comfort zones but showed resilience and teamwork It was wonderful to see confidence grow and fun had by all. Thank you to our teacher Amanda T for her detailed organisation and all staff who supported!

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2026 CONTINUING REQUEST FOR SCHOOL BUSES

To ensure transport services are provided to your child at the start of the school year, all students who are using this service and would like to continue transport in 2026 need to complete and submit the Request for Special Needs Transport form.

The 2026 Request for Special Needs Transport package is attached.  All sections of the request are to be completed and returned to school before Friday 28 November 2025. Incomplete requests cannot be processed.

Any forms received after the 28 November 2025 may result in your application being delayed in 2026.

Please contact the front office on 89977077 if you child currently does not use the service but you would like to apply for 2026.

Should your child not require transport assistance in 2026 please advise your school as soon as possible.

Please note that students that are attending Casuarina Senior College will not be provided with this service.

HENBURY NTLC IS TAKING PART IN THE OZHARVEST FOOD DRIVE

Help Us Spread Hope This Festive Season

With more families facing hardship this year, OzHarvest is calling on our support to help bring some joy to those doing it tough. Henbury school is excited to be a part of OzHarvest Christmas Food Drive, and we invite you to get involved in this meaningful initiative.

When: Friday 10 October – Tuesday 7 November
Where to Donate: Henbury School (Eco bags welcome!)

What to Donate:

• Breakfast cereals, long-life milk, tea and coffee
• Canned goods (fruit, vegetables, tuna, stews – ring-pull preferred)
• Pasta, rice, grains
• Sweet and savoury snacks (no alcohol)
• A festive treat you'd enjoy at Christmas!

Why It Matters:
This is a great opportunity to teach our students about empathy, compassion, and social responsibility. Even the smallest donation can brighten someone’s Christmas.

Let’s work together to make this a season of giving and kindness.

2025 RAZZAMATAZZ VARIETY SHOW – FREE EVENT FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

The Palmerston Lions Club is thrilled to invite Henbury School students and their families to attend the 2025 Razzamatazz Variety Shows on Sunday 2nd November at the Event Cinemas Palmerston. 

Sponsored by businesses in the Greater Darwin Region, Palmerston Lions Club hosts this free event to provide an accessible live theatre experience to children, young people, their carers and families.

To book tickets, please email your name, preferred showtime and ticket numbers to meredithnewman@showintent.com.au or call / text 0404 367 782.

Please see the attached 2025 Razzamatazz Variety Show Flyer for further details.

SPORTS VOUCHERS SCHEME - 2025

Sport Voucher Scheme – 2025–26 Applications Now Open

Key Details

• Semester 2 (July–Dec 2025) vouchers available now (opened 1 July 2025)
• Semester 1 (Jan–May 2026) vouchers open 1 January 2026
• Applications close: 24 May 2026
• Vouchers must be used by: 31 May 2026

• Each eligible child receives two $100 vouchers per year
• Open to children aged 5+, enrolled in an NT school or registered for home-schooling
• Vouchers can be used for sport, active recreation, and cultural activities

• How to Apply:

Parents and carers can apply online at 25/26 Sport Voucher Scheme | GrantsNT Administration

Missing File:  Sport voucher social tile.jpg

UPCOMING EVENTS – Term 4, 2025

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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

Charleze R – 4^th
Hunter H – 4^th
Fatima E C – 6^th
Emanouil – 10^th
Chase J – 11^th
Anita CP – 12^th
Marlee T – 14^th
Matilda NV – 17^th
Tatiana W – 19^th
Denilson S – 21^st
Jackson M – 23^rd
Dion HB  - 27^th
Jett J – 30^th

COMMUNITY NOTICES