Hunter Valley Grammar School
Hunter Valley Grammar School (abbreviated as HVGS) is an independent secular co-educational early learning, primary, and secondary day school, located in Ashtonfield, a suburb of Maitland, in the lower Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. The school caters for approximately 1,100 students from early learning through Year K to Year 12. Hunter Valley Grammar School is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales (AISNSW), and Hunter Region Independent Schools (HRIS). The school  is also an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) and Middle Years Program (MYP) World School. Curriculum. Students have the opportunity to participate in, English, Mathematics, Science, French, Japanese, German, Humanities (History and Geography), Visual Art, Music, Drama, Technology (Engineering, Textiles, Food Technology, Design Technology, IST, Hospitality, Agriculture), and PDHPE. HSC electives include English Advanced and Extensions 1 and 2, Mathematics General and Extensions 1 and 2, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Modern History, Ancient History, French, German and Japanese Continuers, Drama, Economics, Legal Studies, Business Studies, Geography, Society and Culture, Visual Arts, Photography, Music 1 and  2, PDHPE, Design and Technology and IST. Co-curriculum. Academic opportunities. Students have the opportunity to explore academic-based co-curricular activities. The ASX sharemarket Game, which students compete with the nation in achieving the highest market share for CA$H PRIZE, Australian Business Week and the Online Global Challenge are run by the Commerce faculty, whilst Debating, Chess, Tournament of Minds and Mock Trials are run through the English faculty. Sport. HVGS students may participate in a variety of sports, mainly within the HRIS competition. Sports include rugby union, rugby league, soccer, netball, cricket, tennis, basketball, rowing equestrian, taekwondo, touch  football, volleyball, athletics, hockey, golf, aerobics, and snowsports. Most of these sports are undertaken on the school premises. These include an indoor multi-purpose hall (used for Basketball, Netball, Volleyball and Futsal) a rugby oval, soccer oval, cricket oval, two basketball courts, two tennis courts and cricket nets. The school's rowing shed is located at Berry Park, Morpeth along the Hunter River. The rowing shed was upgraded to a two-story complex in 2015, allowing for more boats, training equipment, and improving the existing amenities. The school's annual regatta occurs at the beginning of November. Performing arts. Hunter  Valley Grammar School has maintained an active music program for its 25 years. It runs all Higher School Certificate (HSC) relevant music courses. In 2010 construction was completed on the Music Centre, connected to the Year 12 lounge from above. Students perform at the annual HRIS and HICES cultural festivals and other similar events. Co-curricular activities include: the K-6 Choir; 7-12 Choir; Senior Vocal Ensemble; Junior and Senior Concert Band; Stage Band Senior; Senior Strings; K-6 Percussion Ensemble, the 7-12 Percussion Ensemble and professional productions, seen from the parents and students of Hunter Valley Grammar Schoooool. Hunter  Valley Grammar School offers drama as a subject for students from grades 9 to 12. The school presents an annual drama production; alternating between musicals and plays. Throughout the years Hunter Valley Grammar has put on a variety of productions including: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oh, What a Lovely War!, The Wizard of Oz, Hamlet, Moonlight Avenue, Death by Chocolate, Blabbermouth, Friday Knight Fever, A Midsummer Night's Dream, High School Musical, Community Spirits, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Grease., Get Smart, Nutcracker, The Little mermaid, Cinderella panto, and most recently the kladdioscope. Service opportunities. The school  participates in the Duke of Edinburgh program, and also maintains an active lions club. Run by principal Fiona Devlin, the lions club runs school fundraisers and community programs. Associated schools. Hunter Valley Grammar School is the sister school of in Grevenbroich, Germany, which visits the school yearly.