Hello and welcome to our final newsletter for Term 2.

By the time you read this, many of you will have enjoyed watching students from Condobolin and Mt Victoria showcase their talents at our Show of the Arts Day. This event is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Senior Leadership Team and marks the first approved event of its kind in New South Wales in five years. I cannot recall an SLT delivering an event of this scale and complexity so successfully, particularly while navigating the many requirements and policies necessary to bring it to life.

I would like to sincerely thank all of our parent helpers and extend special recognition to Nikita, who has been instrumental in driving and coordinating many student performances around this event. Thank you also to the students, staff, and families from Mt Victoria for making the journey to Condobolin. Their participation has helped make the day a truly memorable and enjoyable occasion for all involved.

As we come to the end of another busy term, I am confident that we have continued to make positive progress as a school community. This was reflected in the feedback received from our recent Global and Regional visitors, who spoke highly of the positive culture and strong sense of teamwork evident across our campus.

While there is much to celebrate, we also remain focused on areas for improvement. The recent Year 7–11 examinations saw many students achieve excellent results; however, the assessments also highlighted some areas of concern in Mathematics that we will be addressing moving forward. Student reports have been released this week, and I encourage all parents to take the time to discuss these reports with their children. Parent-Teacher Interviews at the beginning of next term will provide a valuable opportunity to discuss progress, celebrate successes, and address any concerns with staff.

As Term 2 draws to a close, I think many of us are looking forward to a well-earned break. I hope all families have the opportunity to spend quality time together over the holidays and return refreshed, healthy, and ready for a successful Term 3.

Greg Mullins
Campus Principal

Oriana Kennard: Outstanding results in Math's, Kami and English.

Dion Buckland: Showing respect and excellent behaviour during choir sessions.

Harlow Kennard: Improved focus in focus zone.

Ainsley Salter: Commitment to Accelerate Program.

Kingston Small: Revising well for exams.

Millicent Davies: Excellent History assessment.

Munro Horsfall: Completed 3500 math's questions on IXL.

Porsha Salter: Engaged in her learning.

Bebe Kennard: Hard work and dedication skills.

Kelton McCulloch: Excellent work across all subjects.

Harlow Kennard: For his contribution to the arts day.

Kingston Small: For helping Mr Lester weld the trolley.

It has been a busy and rewarding few weeks in the Food Technology kitchens, with students across Years 7, 8, 10 and 12 developing their practical skills while exploring a range of exciting food projects.

Year 7 Hosts a Special Morning Tea

As part of their learning this term, Year 7 students worked towards planning and hosting a special morning tea to thank some of our wonderful volunteers from the school canteen and primary classrooms. Guests enjoyed a latte accompanied by homemade cheesy zucchini muffins and cinnamon swirl muffins.

Orlando and Carter were responsible for every aspect of the event, from baking the muffins and creating invitations to writing personalised thank-you messages, setting up the venue and ensuring guests were well looked after throughout the morning.

A special thank you goes to Aubrey Larsen, who stepped into the role of barista for the day, Sue Kennard for assisting with the canteen clean-up, and Mrs Black for helping with invitations, RSVP management and printing the thank-you messages. The morning tea was a wonderful opportunity for students to demonstrate their organisation, teamwork and hospitality skills while showing appreciation for valued members of our school community.

Year 8 Pantry Challenge

Year 8 students took on a creative pantry challenge, transforming ingredients that had been lingering in storage into delicious homemade protein balls. Using combinations of Medjool dates, peanut butter, chocolate and cocoa, students experimented with different recipes while learning about food waste reduction and ingredient versatility. The results were both nutritious and popular!

Year 12 Taste-Testing Kitchen

Year 12 Food Technology students have been operating a taste-testing kitchen, investigating how ingredient quality and preparation methods influence food products. Their studies focused on vanilla ice cream, beef stroganoff and artisan sourdough bread.

For the vanilla ice cream investigation, students compared a simple cream-and-milk recipe with a premium custard-based version containing eggs and real vanilla bean. After churning both mixtures into creamy soft-serve ice cream and allowing them to cure in the freezer, students compared their creations with commercial regular and premium ice creams.

The beef stroganoff investigation examined the impact of different cuts of beef on quality and value for money. Students compared porterhouse steak with more economical stir-fry strips and explored the process of tenderising meat using bicarbonate of soda, known as velveting. While the premium steak was judged the most tender, the velveted stir-fry strips delivered impressive results at around half the cost, making them an excellent budget-friendly option for families.

Turning the Kitchen into a Micro-Bakery

Year 8 and Year 10 students joined Year 12 to transform the Food Technology kitchen into a busy micro-bakery. Starting with a small amount of established sourdough starter, they fed it before combining it with flour, water and salt. They learnt how to develop the dough with traditional bread-making techniques, including stretch-and-fold and coil-fold methods.

After proofing, shaping, scoring and baking their dough, every student produced a beautiful artisan sourdough loaf to take home. The homemade loaves were compared with a commercial sourdough bread. Students unanimously agreed that their freshly baked sourdough far surpassed the shop-bought version in both flavour and quality.

These practical experiences continue to give students valuable opportunities to develop culinary skills, explore food science concepts and experience the satisfaction of creating high-quality food from scratch.

Middle photo: homemade loaf at the front, commercial loaf at the back, jar of sourdough started in background.

We are pleased to invite you to our upcoming Semester Two Parent–Teacher Interviews, which will be held over two days similar to Semester One:

Wednesday 29th July

Face to Face interviews: 1.30 pm – 4.30 pm

Thursday 30th July

Secondary – Online only: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Primary – Face to Face or Online: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

These interviews provide an important opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, strengths, and areas for development with their teachers. Your participation is vital to your child’s learning, and we strongly encourage all families to attend.

Please find key information below:

It is an expectation that students attend the interviews with you, as hearing feedback directly supports their learning, reflection, and goal setting. Students should attend interviews in full school uniform.

Appointments can be booked via the Parent Portal on Sentral.

Bookings will open on Monday 20th July and will close on Monday 27th July at 4:00 pm.

If you have multiple children with the same teacher, please ensure you make separate bookings for each child.

If you are unable to secure a suitable time or require a longer conversation, don't hesitate to get in touch with your campus, and we will be happy to arrange an alternative meeting.

Thursday 30th July is a pupil free day, allowing families the flexibility to attend scheduled interviews throughout the day.

Attached, you will find instructions on how to make your bookings. If you experience any difficulties or need assistance, please reach out to your campus team.

We look forward to partnering with you and continuing to support your child’s success.

TERM 2

1st July: Year 10 Minimum Standards Test

2027 Year 9 & 10 Subject Selection Process Regional Webinar

3rd July: Last Day Term 2 plus 'Show of the Arts Day' Mt Voctoria and Condo Campuses

TERM 3

20th July: Staff return for T3

21st July: Students Return for T3

30th July: Year 3-12 Parent Teacher Interviews (Pupil Free Day)

17th August - 26th August: HSC Trial Examiniations