The Henry Lawson High School released their newsletter for term three, week 7 on Monday, 1 September.

Science and Engineering

During last week (Week 6), our Science and Engineering team travelled to Newcastle to compete in the NSW State Final Event.

This event brought together the top-performing schools from across the state, giving our students the opportunity to test their skills against some of the best young minds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Throughout the day, the team took part in a series of hands-on problem-solving challenges.

Each challenge required not only technical knowledge but also teamwork, creativity, and resilience.

They came in 5th place on the day, with only 85 points separating them from 1st place, with most events placing in the top 4.

Our students represented the school with pride, showing determination and focus in every event.

The scores and feedback highlighted the dedication and effort they had invested in preparing for this competition. It was inspiring to see the way they encouraged one another, shared ideas, and worked collaboratively to find solutions.

We are incredibly proud of their achievements and the way they carried themselves throughout the day.

Competing at state level is a significant accomplishment in itself, and their commitment, enthusiasm, and positive attitude are a credit to themselves.

Congratulations to our Science and Engineering team – a fantastic effort and a job very well done.

2026 Captains speeches

On Thursday, 28 August, ten of our Year 11 students presented their captain speeches to the school community.

This year, the theme was “Ignite Your Potential.”

Each student spoke with passion and purpose, sharing their vision for leadership and how they would represent their peers if elected.

The speeches reflected the students’ commitment, creativity, and courage in putting themselves forward for this important role.

We are proud of all candidates for their efforts and wish them the very best as the election process continues. Well done to each of our Year 11 students for embracing this challenge and showcasing their leadership potential.

YES Program

Fifteen students have commenced a five-week TAFE NSW program at the Grenfell campus, exploring a variety of courses including floristry, hair and beauty, special

effects makeup, animal care, and hospitality.

The program began with students honing their floristry skills through a virtual delivery, and in week two they’ve been hands-on with Animal Care. It’s been an exciting start, and we can’t wait to see what the coming weeks will bring.

Ben Halls Shield

On Friday, 29 August, THLHS hosted Forbes High School in the second round of the Ben Hall Shield.

The competition was played with exceptional sportsmanship, enthusiasm, and humour despite the threatening weather.

THLHS achieved some pleasing results throughout the day, showcasing strengths and defeating Forbes High School in:

Junior Boys Indoor Hockey and Table Tennis

Junior Girls Soccer and Volleyball

Senior Boys Soccer and Table Tennis

Senior Girls Netball and Soccer

Senior and Junior Trivia

And of course, showcasing our champion Boccia Team.

THLHS MVPs, as voted by Forbes High School, were:

Junior Boys: Wyatt Bruce

Junior Girls: Daisy Forde

Senior Boys: Jethro Fenton

Senior Girls: Marley Loader

Support: Riley Dennis

Forbes were great sports, and everyone had a fantastic day together, building strong relationships between the schools. Forbes were victorious overall, defeating THLHS 66 - 47 in competition points.

Forbes also won the Staff Challenge, overcoming a late comeback to beat THLHS staff in straight sets in Volleyball.

The Ben Hall Shield is a triangular series between THLHS, Blayney High School, and Forbes High School.

The results of this years competition are:

Blayney High School defeated THLHS (at Blayney)

Blayney High School defeated Forbes High School (at Forbes)

Forbes High School defeated THLHS (at Grenfell)

The Ben Hall Shield winners for 2025 are Blayney High School.

Mr Barclay would like to thank Ms Tara Morrison (Forbes High School) and Ms Maureen Dickson (Blayney High School) for their time and effort in working in partnership across our school communities to coordinate this competition between the three schools. Thank you to Loaders Coaches for rising to the occasion to transport Forbes High School. Thank you to all THLHS staff for their tireless efforts and commitment to providing positive learning experiences for our students. A special thanks to our catering

team — Barista students, Stage 5 Food students, Ms Hunter, Ms Troth, Mr Connelly, Nigel, and Luke — for their amazing efforts and to Ms Bell for her coordonation of the support students alternative activities.

Congratulations to all our students who participated in the Ben Hall Shield, making it a huge success in supporting our sense of belonging, connection, and wellbeing as a school.

2025 Debating

This year, we proudly entered five impressive teams in the Premier’s Debating Challenge, including one Stage 6 team and two teams each representing Stage 5 and Stage 4.

All teams performed exceptionally well, winning several debates and engaging in some outstanding exchanges.

Our Stage 6 team advanced to Round 4 of their competition, a significant achievement to be proud of.

Meanwhile, all our Stage 4 and Stage 5 teams secured at least one victory within their respective zone debates.

Beyond the wins, the real success has been witnessing the growth of each debater. They have demonstrated remarkable resilience and strength, confidently standing up to defend a range of topics and issues. This outstanding group of students has shown they are more than ready to take on bigger challenges.

We are incredibly proud of their achievements and can’t wait to see where their debating journey takes them in 2026!

Well done to:

Stage 6: Hugh Nowlan, Bridie Forde, Xanthe Johnson and Harmony Hua.

Stage 5: Adelaide Nowlan, Marley Loader, Hannah Kohnen, Matilda Morley, Maddison Martin, Ali McCann, Keira Chown, Georgia Petty and Jack Death.

Stage 4: Patrick Radnedge, Thomas Kilby, Ben Hay, Wyatt Bruce, Heidi Morley, Tilly Hockings, Jessie Pollock and Ava Baker.