Welcome to the final Board Bulletin for 2010. It was an exciting and challenging year for the Board of Studies NSW and I wish to thank all schools and education stakeholders for your engagement with us over this period.

Work towards a national curriculum finished the year on an eventful note.

While supporting the objective of substantial implementation of the Australian curriculum by 2013, the Board retains our commitment to our stakeholders that there will be no change to curriculum for NSW schools in 2011. The Board also wants to keep working on some important aspects of the Australian curriculum to ensure the best possible learning opportunities for students in NSW. As previously indicated to schools the Board will be implementing its syllabus development processes with regard to the Australian curriculum from the beginning of 2011. The next year promises to be another busy one as we work with you in schools to take the Australian curriculum to the next stage by October.

This year also marked the tenth anniversary of the implementation of the “new HSC”. The nervous wait for our record 71,310 HSC students will be over this week when results are released on Wednesday 15 December via the internet, SMS text message and automated telephone services.

Students will receive HSC results summaries in the mail on Friday 17 December and their HSC credentials by mail on Tuesday 11 January 2011.

I encourage you to see the HSC showcases and exhibitions in the new year, which will present some of the best and most fascinating HSC performances and major projects by dance, drama, music, visual arts, design and technology, and textiles and design students. ENCORE at the Sydney Opera House and OnSTAGE at the Seymour Centre are wonderful shows. DesignTECH and ARTEXPRESS begin at the Powerhouse Museum and the Art Gallery of NSW respectively before touring many regional venues.

On behalf of the Board I wish you all a Merry Christmas and New Year, and hope you enjoy a safe and restful break before we recommence in 2011.