DesignTECH: Letters have been sent to all nominated students and their schools. Nominated students must login to the Students Online website to submit an online nomination form and digital images of their project by Thursday 19 November. Students will be advised of the outcome after 25 November.

OnSTAGE: Selection letters will be sent to all nominated individual and group performers and to students whose projects have been selected for exhibition in the week beginning 16 November. Schools will also receive written notification.

ENCORE: Nominations will close on Friday 20 November. Selection letters will be sent to students and schools in early December.

ARTEXPRESS: Nomination letters will be sent to students and schools in the week beginning 16 November. Nominated students must login to the Students Online website to submit an online nomination form by Monday 23 November. Final selection letters will be sent in early December.

Young Writers Showcase: Nominated students will be advised in the week beginning 21 December.

Texstyle: Final selection letters were sent out to students and schools on 13 November.

Callback: Nomination letters were issued in September. Students and schools will be advised of final selections in early December.

Students, parents and school staff are reminded that nomination for an HSC showcase does not indicate a particular mark for the student's major work or performance. There are many factors involved in final selection for a showcase event or exhibition, for example: the ability to transport a major project; the suitability of a performance for a particular kind of stage; the need to show a mix of performances or projects that demonstrate the scope of the relevant syllabus; the inclusion of students from locations around NSW. Most importantly, there are limits on the number of performances or works that can be included in any one year. Inevitably, there are many outstanding students who are not nominated or, having been nominated, are not selected for the final showcase.

Preparations are beginning for the annual HSC showcases and soon the Board and Department of Education will be asking schools/students to submit DVDs and photographs of nominated works.

Encore, OnStage and Callback Nominated students need to submit a DVD of their performance. Many schools already film HSC performances as a record of students' work and to keep as a backup in case anything goes wrong. If your school already has a suitable recording, you don't need to film a new version for the nomination process. If your school doesn't have a recording of students' work, it's probably a good idea to try to film performances while students are still at school, prior to the start of written HSC exams.

The Board has extended the period for ENCORE submissions until 20 November 2009. This will allow schools that have not had an opportunity to film their nominated Music students before the exams to do so after marking is completed.

DesignTECH Nominated students will need to provide digital photographs of their major design project. Again, many schools and students already photograph major works to document achievement and as a useful record in case of misadventure.

English Extension 2 students are also reminded to keep a copy of their major work as the Board will need electronic copies if the works are nominated for the Young Writers Showcase. Journals are not part of the selection process.

Finally, students, parents and school staff are reminded that nomination for an HSC showcase does not indicate a particular mark for the student's major work or performance.

There are many factors involved in the final selection for a showcase event or exhibition, for example: the ability to transport a major project; the suitability of a performance for a particular kind of stage; the need to show a mix of performances or projects that demonstrate the scope of the relevant syllabus; the inclusion of students from locations around NSW.

Most importantly, there are limits on the number of performances or works that can be included in any one year. Inevitably, there are many outstanding students who are not nominated or, having been nominated, are not selected for the final showcase.

Additional advice about procedures and submission dates will be listed on the Board's Showcases and Exhibitions website as the information becomes available.

Subscribe to the Board's newsfeed and bookmark the showcases you're interested in to make sure you receive the latest information as soon as it's available.

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Joshua Harlen (centre), Trinity Catholic College Lismore, on acoustic guitar performing 'Talking Hands' by Forcione

Minister for Education and Training, Verity Firth, has congratulated 20 of the state's top music students who performed in the prestigious ENCORE concert at Sydney Opera House on Monday 16 March 2009.

Ms Firth said ENCORE, which is always a sell-out event, was a tribute to the outstanding young musicians and composers who have studied for the Higher School Certificate in NSW.

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DesignTECH: Letters have been sent to all nominated students and their schools. Final selections will be made on 24 and 25 November and students will be advised of the outcome soon afterwards.

OnSTAGE: Nominations were considered in October. Selection letters have been sent to all nominated individual and group performers and their schools this week.

Encore: Performance nominations were considered in early November. The panel reconvenes to consider composition nominations later this month. Final selection letters will be sent soon after that meeting.

ArtExpress: Nomination letters were sent to students and schools this week. Final selection letters will be issued by mid-December.

Young Writers Showcase: No notifications of any kind have been sent to students or schools as yet. The panel meets in December and final selection letters will be sent between 17 and 19 December.

Texstyle: Final selection letters were sent out to students on 13 November.

Callback: Nomination letters were issued in September. Students and schools were advised of final selections this week.

Students, parents and school staff are reminded that nomination for an HSC showcase does not indicate a particular mark for the student's major work or performance. There are many factors involved in final selection for a showcase event or exhibition, for example: the ability to transport a major project; the suitability of a performance for a particular kind of stage; the need to show a mix of performances or projects that demonstrate the scope of the relevant syllabus; the inclusion of students from locations around NSW. Most importantly, there are limits on the number of performances or works that can be included in any one year. Inevitably, there are many outstanding students who are not nominated or, having been nominated, are not selected for the final showcase.

Click here for more information about showcase events and exhibitions from the 2008 Higher School Certificate.

Board Bulletin (Vol 16 No 4)