Principal's report
From the Principal
Our vision at HRS is to be a great world school, and over the last two weeks, we took another step towards honouring this goal.
From the Principal
A Great World School!
Our vision at HRS is to be a great world school, and over the last two weeks, we took another step towards honouring this goal.
We had 49 visitors from the elite Guangzhou Foreign Language School (GZFLS) in southern China. The group comprised 43 Middle School students and six staff. This was our first inbound study tour, and our guests arrived in the early hours of Monday, 11 August, and spent two weeks living in boarding in Madjirra and Dewarra. They left Darwin on Sunday, August 24.
The study tour was a great success for many reasons. The visitors added life and vibrancy to our boarding precinct, basically lifting our numbers from 100 to 150 boarders for the fortnight. They were able to interact with our seven full-time Chinese boarders, but it was great to see many moments and activities where all our boarders made connections. The second week of the visit coincided with NAIDOC Week, and this meant everyone got involved in Indigenous celebrations both at boarding and at School.
Weekends were an opportunity to explore the Territory and visit Litchfield, Leanyer Water Park, beaches, museums, and other well-known tourist attractions.
I would like to extend a huge thank-you to Mr Dennis Nowak and all our boarding staff for their extra work during this time in support of all our students. Fittingly, the funds raised from the visit have been set aside to enable further upgrades to Dewarra and Gumimba, ensuring that everyone benefits in the long run.
At school, Mr Brendan Evans organised 43 Middle School buddies – one for every student from GZFLS. Our students made the most of this leadership opportunity, forming lasting connections that will benefit them for years to come. Chinese visitors also joined in many classes across the two weeks, and our staff were generous in supporting this endeavour.
A special thank you goes to Mr Lei Shangguan, Head of International Relations, for organising the Study Tour and attending most events and activities during the fortnight. Equally, our International Student Coordinator, Ms Debbie Unwin, was a great support organising the School activities and running a series of workshops.
We are also excited that our second HRS China Study Tour will depart at the end of this term for a ten-day visit to China, including a visit to Haileybury Tianjin.
Andrew McGregor
Principal
Take note
Save the Date
|
Term 3 concludes
|
Friday, 19 September
|
|
Term 4 Commences
|
Monday, 6 October
|
|
The Addams Family - The New Musical
|
September 12 & 13
|
|
Junior School Father's Day Breakfast
|
Thursday, 4 September
|
|
ELC Father's Day
|
Thursday, 4 September
|
|
Junior School House Activities
|
Friday, 5 September
|
|
School Tour
|
Friday, 5 September
|
|
Tournament of the Minds Finals
|
Saturday, 6 September
|
|
Junior School Parent-Teacher Interviews
|
Tuesday, 9 September
|
|
Junior School House Activities
|
Friday, 12 September
|
|
Year 5/6 Thrive Showcase
|
Monday, 15 September
|
|
Middle & Senior School Parent-Teacher Interviews
|
Tuesday, 16 September
|
|
Online Parent-Teacher Interviews Junior, Middle, Senior School
|
Wednesday, 17 September
|
|
Boarders Travel Day
|
Friday, 19 September
|
|
Junior School House Singing
|
Friday, 19 September
|
|
China Study Tour
|
Saturday, 20 September
|
|
Canberra Trip
|
Sunday, 21 September
|
Boarding news
The Freedom Day Festival
In Week 6 Term 3, boarding students from Kalkaringi, Dagaragu and Lajamanu will travel home for the Freedom Day Festival. Freedom Day Festival is held to remember those who fought for our land rights by walking off Wave Hill Station and going on strike at Wattie Creek (Dagaragu).
It is a special day for the Gurindji people because our grandfathers and grandmothers were part of the walk-off with the old people, and our mums and dads do the Freedom Day Walk every year. The Wave Hill Walk Off happened in 1966, and since then, we celebrate it as an important part of Gurindji and Australian history.
Other language groups from around the area, Ngarinman, Bilinara, Warlpiri and Mudbara, joined the first Walk Off. Now people come from many places to celebrate their family members. Families gather to recreate the Wave Hill Walk Off and have lots of fun. At night, there are concerts in town, and you can hear music coming from houses around the community playing their own songs. We also celebrate by playing different sports, doing art and sharing stories.
In the 1960s, pastoralists came and tried to take our land from us. They claimed the area that Gurindji traditionally lived on and stopped us from going hunting and fishing. But a man named Vincent Lingiari stood up with bravery and spoke very loud. He encouraged the Gurindji to take our land back so we could live in our own ways. The story gets told in the famous song, “From Little Things, Big Things Grow.”
In 1966, Vincent looked at his people and asked them to walk off to Wattie Creek with him. In 2025, we celebrate 50 years since Gurindji land was returned in 1975. We remember and thank our old people who did all those things so their ancestors could live peacefully in the future.
Ricco
Year 10
In the News
A bridge of learning: Guangzhou Foreign Language School completes successful Study Tour
Haileybury Rendall School was delighted to recently host a group of 43 students from our sister school, Guangzhou Foreign Language School, for a vibrant and immersive two-week study tour. It was a fantastic celebration of cross-cultural exchange and friendship.
The visitors were fully integrated into our school life, each paired with a buddy from their year level. They participated actively in core classes like English, Science, and Mathematics, and experienced unique Australian subjects for the first time, such as Food Technology and Wood Work. A highlight was our NAIDOC Week activities, where our Indigenous students proudly shared their culture, teaching our guests how to make traditional Damper. In a beautiful exchange, the GZFLS students then demonstrated the art of making Chinese dumplings.
Beyond the classroom, the tour showcased the best of the Top End. Students explored the stunning waterfalls of Litchfield National Park, cooled off at Leanyer Water Park, and experienced the vibrant Sunset at Mindil Beach Sunset Markets.
We are incredibly proud of the connections made and look forward to continuing this meaningful partnership. A huge thank you to everyone involved for making our international friends feel so welcome.
Lei Shangguan
Head of International Relations
Debbie Unwin
International Students Coordinator
Student Success
Balancing schoolwork with the pursuit of personal passions takes excellent organisation and a hard-working support network; the results can pay off in a variety of different and wonderful ways as we have discovered recently.
Congratulations to Transition student, Logan, who won a silver medal at the Australian Jiu-Jitsu Championship in August!
Year 10 student, Macey, had the privilege of being invited by Chief Minister, The Hon. Lia Finocchiaro MLA, to her private balcony at Parliament House to network with Territory Women who have made their mark on the NT in all facets of business, community, sport and the like. Macey and Lia had a great chat about swimming, training and the commitment needed to go all the way.
Music under the stars
Approximately 200 students took to the stage on Thursday, 7 August for the Music Department's annual Twilight Concert. There were seven ensembles in total, each performing two pieces to entertain a very enthusiastic audience.
The Electric Telephones performed first up with Australian classics "Dumb Things" by Paul Kelly and "In The Summertime" by Thirsty Merc, setting the tone for the evening. The Fireflies Choir followed with a retro song, "Where You Lead" by Carol King. They followed this with "Lanterns" by Birds of Tokyo. The Animato Strings entertained the audience with Tiptoe Boo and Ghost Train by Kathy & David Blackwell, both playful, yet spooky pieces.
The String Quartet performed "Palladio" followed by the Chamber Strings with "Mama Paquita".
The Contento Choir sang a beautiful hymn called Pie Jesu to set the tone for twilight and Defying Gravity from Wicked. We finished the concert as the sun set with the Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven's classic "Ode to Joy" and a combined orchestra/choir number "Somewhere Only We Know" with soloists Jax Myall and John Bush.
A special thank you to all the students involved in this concert for your dedication to practice and attendance at rehearsals each week, and for being a supportive and focused audience throughout the concert.
Ilona Martin
Head of Music
HRS soccer team
This term, students from Year 3-6 formed a HRS girls’ and boys’ soccer team, with the intention of playing games against Essington. Students played their first match on Thursday after a few weeks of after-school training. Our teams demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and determination, wearing the purple HRS shirt with immense pride. We concluded with some pizza and snacks, giving students from both schools the opportunity to build new social networks.
We look forward to playing our second match next week!
Tom Heggan
Physical Education Teacher - Junior School
Get to the chopper!
This year’s National Science Week was unforgettable at our school, with events that brought science and innovation to life for students across all year levels.
The highlight of the week was the spectacular arrival of the Australian Army’s 1st Aviation Regiment, who landed both an army helicopter and a search and rescue helicopter on our school oval. Students and staff gathered to watch the impressive display, before Year 8 students took part in a special presentation on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in Defence. The visiting aviation specialists spoke about the importance of science in their work and encouraged students to see how their own learning could one day take them into exciting fields such as engineering, aviation, medicine, and technology.
The celebrations didn’t stop there. Throughout the week, students witnessed thrilling live science demonstrations on the quad, including colourful bubble chains floating through the air and the dramatic foamy explosion of elephant’s toothpaste. Special thanks to our laboratory technicians, Xoanon Lambert and Angie Packwood, for these demonstrations. These hands-on experiences reminded everyone that science is not only important—it’s fun, surprising, and inspiring.
Science Week 2025 has certainly sparked curiosity, excitement, and imagination in our students, and showed them just how far an interest in science can take them—even into the skies!
Louise Staggs
Head of Science
From the Principal - Issue 08
A Great World School!
Our vision at HRS is to be a great world school, and over the last two weeks, we took another step towards honouring this goal.
We had 49 visitors from the elite Guangzhou Foreign Language School (GZFLS) in southern China. The group comprised 43 Middle School students and six staff. This was our first inbound study tour, and our guests arrived in the early hours of Monday, 11 August, and spent two weeks living in boarding in Madjirra and Dewarra. They left Darwin on Sunday, August 24.
The study tour was a great success for many reasons. The visitors added life and vibrancy to our boarding precinct, basically lifting our numbers from 100 to 150 boarders for the fortnight. They were able to interact with our seven full-time Chinese boarders, but it was great to see many moments and activities where all our boarders made connections. The second week of the visit coincided with NAIDOC Week, and this meant everyone got involved in Indigenous celebrations both at boarding and at School.
Weekends were an opportunity to explore the Territory and visit Litchfield, Leanyer Water Park, beaches, museums, and other well-known tourist attractions.
I would like to extend a huge thank-you to Mr Dennis Nowak and all our boarding staff for their extra work during this time in support of all our students. Fittingly, the funds raised from the visit have been set aside to enable further upgrades to Dewarra and Gumimba, ensuring that everyone benefits in the long run.
At school, Mr Brendan Evans organised 43 Middle School buddies – one for every student from GZFLS. Our students made the most of this leadership opportunity, forming lasting connections that will benefit them for years to come. Chinese visitors also joined in many classes across the two weeks, and our staff were generous in supporting this endeavour.
A special thank you goes to Mr Lei Shangguan, Head of International Relations, for organising the Study Tour and attending most events and activities during the fortnight. Equally, our International Student Coordinator, Ms Debbie Unwin, was a great support organising the School activities and running a series of workshops.
We are also excited that our second HRS China Study Tour will depart at the end of this term for a ten-day visit to China, including a visit to Haileybury Tianjin.
Andrew McGregor
Principal
Take note - Issue 08
Save the Date
|
Term 3 concludes
|
Friday, 19 September
|
|
Term 4 Commences
|
Monday, 6 October
|
|
The Addams Family - The New Musical
|
September 12 & 13
|
|
Junior School Father's Day Breakfast
|
Thursday, 4 September
|
|
ELC Father's Day
|
Thursday, 4 September
|
|
Junior School House Activities
|
Friday, 5 September
|
|
School Tour
|
Friday, 5 September
|
|
Tournament of the Minds Finals
|
Saturday, 6 September
|
|
Junior School Parent-Teacher Interviews
|
Tuesday, 9 September
|
|
Junior School House Activities
|
Friday, 12 September
|
|
Year 5/6 Thrive Showcase
|
Monday, 15 September
|
|
Middle & Senior School Parent-Teacher Interviews
|
Tuesday, 16 September
|
|
Online Parent-Teacher Interviews Junior, Middle, Senior School
|
Wednesday, 17 September
|
|
Boarders Travel Day
|
Friday, 19 September
|
|
Junior School House Singing
|
Friday, 19 September
|
|
China Study Tour
|
Saturday, 20 September
|
|
Canberra Trip
|
Sunday, 21 September
|
Boarding - Issue 08
The Freedom Day Festival
In Week 6 Term 3, boarding students from Kalkaringi, Dagaragu and Lajamanu will travel home for the Freedom Day Festival. Freedom Day Festival is held to remember those who fought for our land rights by walking off Wave Hill Station and going on strike at Wattie Creek (Dagaragu).
It is a special day for the Gurindji people because our grandfathers and grandmothers were part of the walk-off with the old people, and our mums and dads do the Freedom Day Walk every year. The Wave Hill Walk Off happened in 1966, and since then, we celebrate it as an important part of Gurindji and Australian history.
Other language groups from around the area, Ngarinman, Bilinara, Warlpiri and Mudbara, joined the first Walk Off. Now people come from many places to celebrate their family members. Families gather to recreate the Wave Hill Walk Off and have lots of fun. At night, there are concerts in town, and you can hear music coming from houses around the community playing their own songs. We also celebrate by playing different sports, doing art and sharing stories.
In the 1960s, pastoralists came and tried to take our land from us. They claimed the area that Gurindji traditionally lived on and stopped us from going hunting and fishing. But a man named Vincent Lingiari stood up with bravery and spoke very loud. He encouraged the Gurindji to take our land back so we could live in our own ways. The story gets told in the famous song, “From Little Things, Big Things Grow.”
In 1966, Vincent looked at his people and asked them to walk off to Wattie Creek with him. In 2025, we celebrate 50 years since Gurindji land was returned in 1975. We remember and thank our old people who did all those things so their ancestors could live peacefully in the future.
Ricco
Year 10
In the News - Issue 08
A bridge of learning: Guangzhou Foreign Language School completes successful Study Tour
Haileybury Rendall School was delighted to recently host a group of 43 students from our sister school, Guangzhou Foreign Language School, for a vibrant and immersive two-week study tour. It was a fantastic celebration of cross-cultural exchange and friendship.
The visitors were fully integrated into our school life, each paired with a buddy from their year level. They participated actively in core classes like English, Science, and Mathematics, and experienced unique Australian subjects for the first time, such as Food Technology and Wood Work. A highlight was our NAIDOC Week activities, where our Indigenous students proudly shared their culture, teaching our guests how to make traditional Damper. In a beautiful exchange, the GZFLS students then demonstrated the art of making Chinese dumplings.
Beyond the classroom, the tour showcased the best of the Top End. Students explored the stunning waterfalls of Litchfield National Park, cooled off at Leanyer Water Park, and experienced the vibrant Sunset at Mindil Beach Sunset Markets.
We are incredibly proud of the connections made and look forward to continuing this meaningful partnership. A huge thank you to everyone involved for making our international friends feel so welcome.
Lei Shangguan
Head of International Relations
Debbie Unwin
International Students Coordinator
Student Success
Balancing schoolwork with the pursuit of personal passions takes excellent organisation and a hard-working support network; the results can pay off in a variety of different and wonderful ways as we have discovered recently.
Congratulations to Transition student, Logan, who won a silver medal at the Australian Jiu-Jitsu Championship in August!
Year 10 student, Macey, had the privilege of being invited by Chief Minister, The Hon. Lia Finocchiaro MLA, to her private balcony at Parliament House to network with Territory Women who have made their mark on the NT in all facets of business, community, sport and the like. Macey and Lia had a great chat about swimming, training and the commitment needed to go all the way.
Music under the stars
Approximately 200 students took to the stage on Thursday, 7 August for the Music Department's annual Twilight Concert. There were seven ensembles in total, each performing two pieces to entertain a very enthusiastic audience.
The Electric Telephones performed first up with Australian classics "Dumb Things" by Paul Kelly and "In The Summertime" by Thirsty Merc, setting the tone for the evening. The Fireflies Choir followed with a retro song, "Where You Lead" by Carol King. They followed this with "Lanterns" by Birds of Tokyo. The Animato Strings entertained the audience with Tiptoe Boo and Ghost Train by Kathy & David Blackwell, both playful, yet spooky pieces.
The String Quartet performed "Palladio" followed by the Chamber Strings with "Mama Paquita".
The Contento Choir sang a beautiful hymn called Pie Jesu to set the tone for twilight and Defying Gravity from Wicked. We finished the concert as the sun set with the Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven's classic "Ode to Joy" and a combined orchestra/choir number "Somewhere Only We Know" with soloists Jax Myall and John Bush.
A special thank you to all the students involved in this concert for your dedication to practice and attendance at rehearsals each week, and for being a supportive and focused audience throughout the concert.
Ilona Martin
Head of Music
HRS soccer team
This term, students from Year 3-6 formed a HRS girls’ and boys’ soccer team, with the intention of playing games against Essington. Students played their first match on Thursday after a few weeks of after-school training. Our teams demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and determination, wearing the purple HRS shirt with immense pride. We concluded with some pizza and snacks, giving students from both schools the opportunity to build new social networks.
We look forward to playing our second match next week!
Tom Heggan
Physical Education Teacher - Junior School
Get to the chopper!
This year’s National Science Week was unforgettable at our school, with events that brought science and innovation to life for students across all year levels.
The highlight of the week was the spectacular arrival of the Australian Army’s 1st Aviation Regiment, who landed both an army helicopter and a search and rescue helicopter on our school oval. Students and staff gathered to watch the impressive display, before Year 8 students took part in a special presentation on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in Defence. The visiting aviation specialists spoke about the importance of science in their work and encouraged students to see how their own learning could one day take them into exciting fields such as engineering, aviation, medicine, and technology.
The celebrations didn’t stop there. Throughout the week, students witnessed thrilling live science demonstrations on the quad, including colourful bubble chains floating through the air and the dramatic foamy explosion of elephant’s toothpaste. Special thanks to our laboratory technicians, Xoanon Lambert and Angie Packwood, for these demonstrations. These hands-on experiences reminded everyone that science is not only important—it’s fun, surprising, and inspiring.
Science Week 2025 has certainly sparked curiosity, excitement, and imagination in our students, and showed them just how far an interest in science can take them—even into the skies!
Louise Staggs
Head of Science
Start the journey
In the spirit of reconciliation, Haileybury acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
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