Darwin High School

🎓 Subject Expo & Orientation Evening — THIS THURSDAY!

Join us this Thursday, 27 August, from 4.00pm–7.00pm at The Tank for our 2027 Subject Expo & Orientation Evening!

Whether you're a prospective family considering Darwin High School or a current student planning your 2027 pathway, come along to:

✨ Explore subject and curriculum options across Years 7–12
👩‍🏫 Meet our teachers and learn about our programs
🎓 Discover NTCET pathways, Select Entry Programs and subject electives
💼 Connect with our Careers Practitioners
🏫 Take part in a guided campus tour through our Orientation Sessions

Subject Expo: 4.00pm–7.00pm — no registration required. Everyone is welcome!

Orientation Sessions: Registration is essential. Sessions are available for incoming Years 7–8, new students entering Years 9–12, and current Year 9 students and families exploring the transition to Years 10–12.

🎟️ Register for an Orientation Session:
https://compasstix.com/event/c87a9520-23ed-4e7b-b04b-a91df6837c7d

We look forward to welcoming you and your family to Darwin High School and showcasing the many opportunities available in 2027!

🎨 Celebrating our talented Art Teachers!🎨

Last Thursday Parliament House hosted the 27th annual Portrait of a Senior Territorian Art Award, celebrating the incredible artists and subjects behind this year’s portraits.

We’re incredibly proud to acknowledge our three talented Darwin High School Art Teachers whose work is featured in the exhibition — Miss Jemima Saunders, Miss Jemma Shmeld and Miss Alicia Scobie.

A special congratulations to Miss Alicia, whose portrait 'I Call Her Yapa 3' was awarded Highly Commended. 👏

Miss Jemma’s portrait features our own Moira Wrigley from the Library, while Miss Jemima painted Filipino legend Norman Mangohig.

The Portrait of a Senior Territorian Art Exhibition is now open to the public at Parliament House and runs until Sunday 13 September 2026.

Entry is free and we encourage our school community to visit and celebrate the talent of Territory artists, including our very own DHS teachers!

Congratulations to our incredible Stage 2 Dance students on two outstanding performances of their final major work last week!

Created in collaboration with local artists, Darwin High School alumni and our talented dancers, the full-length contemporary work showcased the strength, creativity and depth of the Darwin High School Dance program.

Our students demonstrated exceptional technical skill, powerful storytelling, creativity and confidence, reflecting their incredible growth throughout their Stage 1 and Stage 2 Dance journey.

👏 Congratulations to all of our students on an outstanding achievement, and to their teacher, Ms Palmer, for her dedication and commitment to nurturing their talent.

A special shout-out to Ms Palmer’s Dad and Bill Surtees for their continued support of the Dance program and our students. Your contribution behind the scenes helps make these opportunities possible.

We are incredibly proud of our dancers and the strength of our Dance program!

IIEP Japan Adventure – Day 6: Tsuruoka to Tokyo

After an incredible few days exploring Tsuruoka, our Japanese Language students said goodbye to the region and flew back to Tokyo.

Once back in the city, the group had some time to explore Shibuya and the surrounding areas, taking in the sights, sounds and energy of one of Tokyo’s most vibrant districts. 🌆

It was also a great opportunity for our students to spend more time with their Japanese friends and continue building connections through the program.

🎒 Tomorrow brings another exciting experience as the students visit Oizumi High School to see firsthand what school life is like for their Japanese friends.

A huge thank you to INPEX for providing this incredible opportunity for our Japanese Language students and their teacher, Ms Cluff. Experiences like this provide our students with invaluable opportunities to immerse themselves in Japanese language and culture, build international connections and create memories that will stay with them long after they return home.

📸 Pictured: Our students with their Japanese friends and teacher in Shibuya.

IIEP Japan Adventure – Day 5: Silk, Culture & Zen

Our Japanese Language students continued their INPEX Scholarship Foundation International Exchange Program (IIEP) with a fascinating day exploring the history, culture and traditions of the region.

🧵 Silk Miraikan – Haguromachi

The group visited the Silk Miraikan, where they learnt about the region’s history of silk production and the important work being done to preserve this traditional industry for future generations.

🧘 Gyokusenji Temple

The students then travelled to Gyokusenji Temple, where they were warmly welcomed by the temple’s head monk.

They experienced a traditional Buddhist vegetarian lunch before taking part in Zen meditation, providing a wonderful opportunity to experience Japanese culture and traditions firsthand.

Another memorable day of learning, cultural immersion and new experiences!

📸 Pictured: Students experiencing the Silk Miraikan and visiting Gyokusenji Temple.

🎨 Stage 2 Visual Art Exhibition 2026 🎨

You are warmly invited to celebrate the creativity and talent of our Stage 2 Visual Art students at the 2026 Visual Art Exhibition.

The exhibition will showcase major works from our Photography, Design, Art Practical and Film students, with the majority of exhibiting artists from Year 12 alongside some Year 11 students.

📅 Wednesday 26 August
⏰ 6:00–8:00pm
📍 Top Floor, STEAM Building

Come along, explore the incredible work created by our students and celebrate their achievements. We look forward to seeing you there! ✨

IIEP Japan Adventure – Day 4: Tsuruoka

Our Japanese Language students continued their INPEX Scholarship Foundation International Exchange Program (IIEP) adventure with a train journey to Tsuruoka, a town recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy. 🍚🥬

Tsuruoka is renowned for its rich food culture, including its heirloom fruits and vegetables and locally grown rice. Students learnt how the region’s cuisine is closely connected to the seasons, with food and ingredients changing throughout the year to reflect what is locally available.

The group also enjoyed a presentation from INPEX Scholarship student Michelle Lay, before learning more about the science behind food and agriculture.

🧬 Students then attended a fascinating lecture from Associate Professor Yoko Yuzawa from the Institute for Advanced Biosciences at Keio University, providing another opportunity to explore the connections between science, food and innovation.

Another fantastic day of learning, discovery and cultural immersion in Japan!

🩹 Learning Life-Saving First Aid Skills!

As part of the Year 9 Health and Physical Education (HPE) Risk-Taking Behaviour Unit, Nurse Nicole delivered an engaging First Aid session to Ms Thompson’s class.

Students developed practical skills and knowledge, including how to assess an emergency, respond to common injuries and seek help when needed. Through discussion and hands-on activities, students built their confidence in responding safely and appropriately in emergency situations.

The session reinforced the importance of personal safety, responsible decision-making and knowing what to do when it matters most. 👏

IIEP Japan Adventure – Day 2: Kamakura

Our Japanese Language students continued their INPEX Scholarship Foundation International Exchange Program (IIEP) adventure with a visit to Kamakura, a former capital city of Japan from 1185 to 1333.

♻️ Learning about the circular economy

Students learnt about Kamakura’s innovative approach to the circular economy, where residents recycle an impressive 59% of their waste.

They also enjoyed a lecture from Professor Tanaka Hiroya, whose research explores ways to transform plastic waste into practical items such as chairs, benches and other equipment for use by the local community.

Students then had the opportunity to visit Professor Tanaka’s workshop and see this work in action.

🗿 Exploring Kamakura

The group also visited Kōtoku-in Temple, home to Kamakura’s famous giant Buddha statue, before students headed off on their first excursion with their partner students.

It was a fantastic day of learning, cultural exploration and building new friendships! 🌏🤝

📸 Pictured: Professor Tanaka’s workshop, the Great Buddha at Kōtoku-in and students exploring Kamakura with their partner students.

An International Adventure with the INPEX Scholarship Foundation! 🇯🇵

While our students and staff are back at Darwin High School this week, for a group of our students and staff, Weeks 3 and 4 of Term 3 were spent on an unforgettable international adventure in Japan!

Five of our Japanese Language students had the incredible opportunity to take part in the INPEX Scholarship Foundation International Exchange Program (IIEP), travelling through Japan alongside their teacher, Ms Cuff, and Year 12 Assistant Principal, Mr Ergos.

The program provided students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in Japanese language and culture, built connections with students from Japan, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates and experience Japan beyond the classroom.

📍 Day 1 – Yokohama

Our adventure began with a bus trip to Yokohama, a famous port city in Japan. Students participated in the official opening ceremony before taking part in team-building workshops designed to help them meet the other students and teachers participating in the program.

A wonderful start to an incredible two weeks!