Head of Secondary Message, Term 2, Week 6 2026: Celebrating the AISHK Scholars of 2025

May 29
2 min read

Many thanks to the Year 11 and 12 families who attended last night’s parent-student-teacher conferences. The opportunity for students and parents to discuss academic progress with subject teachers is extremely valuable at a critical time. The event also allows AISHK families to catch up, socialise and share experiences of their HSC or IBDP journey, which brings ups and downs for all. Year 12 students now have less than five months until final examinations, and regular, purposeful study routines are essential for success. We look forward to Dr Prue Salter’s bespoke session for Year 12 on Monday 8th June, which will be delivered to students via video call at 2:45pm. All students are required to attend.

Good luck to Years 9 and 10 students who navigate half-yearly examinations next week. Honing skills and confidence under exam conditions is a key priority in the middle years of Secondary school and builds readiness for the challenges of the senior years. While it will be a busy and for some, stressful week, I am sure the students will give it their best effort and learn important lessons from the experience.

If they need inspiration, they can look to the wonderful achievements of the graduating Class of 2025, which includes eighteen new “AISHK Scholars” whose names will be inscribed on the honour board. These graduates are commended on their outstanding performance in last year’s HSC and IBDP examinations. Today we have shared a video which celebrates and showcases their accomplishments.

The criteria for the award of Scholar are based both on Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and achievement of grades at the highest level in individual subjects. Additionally, the top-scoring HSC and IB students each year are awarded the prestigious ‘Tom Corkhill Trophy’, named in honour of long-serving former AISFL Chairman, Mr Tom Corkhill.

Success in public examinations is by no means the only measure of success in life, and there is so much more to an AISHK education than just results. However, in acknowledging the Scholars each year, we are reminded of the personal excellence that can be achieved in our community through hard work and a positive growth mindset. It also reminds us that for students and teachers, there is no more important work than what happens inside the classroom. Everyone at AISHK should strive to be “scholarly”: curious about the world, creative when solving problems, and resilient in the face of challenges.