Hunter School of the Performing Arts

Information Highlights

Information

A Message from the Principal

I wish to welcome all new students and families to our school community and to congratulate and thank you for seeking and gaining placement in our school. I also welcome those of you who are prospective new school community members and thank you for your interest in our school.

Hunter School of the Performing Arts is a dynamic learning environment, where excellence in the study of performing arts subjects is underpinned by academic excellence in traditional curriculum areas. Our sporting, cultural and welfare programs complement our academic and performance curriculum for students. Our school has a unique place in education in this state being the only Kindergarten to Year 12 school campus where all students enter via an audition process. Student achievements in external examinations and in performance areas have been remarkable and have established our strong reputation both within the community and statewide. Our new school colours and school uniform are recognised, appropriately acknowledged and admired wherever our students represent our school.

Students entering our school have a great opportunity to join a team committed to achieving the best possible in all our endeavours. I believe each of us. In living out our school motto "each of us is responsible for our own destiny", will, when working together, achieve far beyond our won individual potential.

Our school, today, builds on the strong school spirit established on this educational site in 1923 when the first school students entered what was then Newcastle Central School. The school has evolved through many stages in its history and continued to grow and develop.

I look forward to working with our new students and families and thank you for your commitment to the school and its programs.

Bryan Campbell.
Principal.

A Brief History

Hunter School of the Performing Arts was so named towards the end of 1998. The name change emphasised the school's focus on performing arts and its unique place within the district, the region and the state.

The school has undergone many name changes and changes of direction since its first day in July, 1923:

The original motto was "Advance." This changed in 1932 when the girls left. It became "Faber est suae quisque fortunae." Early in 1999 the school community was surveyed and the decision was made to keep the motto but in its English form.

The motto is now...

"Each of us is responsible for our own destiny."

The original colours of the school were those of the Newcastle Regiment of World War 1 - green and brown. These stayed with the school until 1999 when the school community was surveyed to see if a change of colours was appropriate to our new direction and focus. The colours chosen were: black, aqua and purple. Because of the desire of some ex-students and some well-known Newcastle personalities for us to keep our link with the Newcastle colours, our new logo (of the mask, dancer and bass clef) has been incorporated into a shield which also has a ribbon of brown and a ribbon of green and will be used on formal occasions. As a result of our change of colours our school uniform was changed. Jean Bas was engaged to design the uniform and liaise with manufacturers. The uniform is now available from the school uniform shop.