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Home
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High Notes, Vol 9 No 17, June 06 2008
From the Principal
High Talent
Our Role in the Post Typographic Society
School Communities and the New Staffing Procedures
TAS Visit Another Success
I want to thank the staff members who made the trip for their dedication to the school. We
recognise and appreciate that Geoff Stein, Paul Scrivener, Hugh Howey, Ross Farrington, Tony
Hannon, Steve Storey, Serdar Bolen and Richard Ayre have given up a large slice of their personal
time to support this very important opportunity for the boys. With the help of the Rugby
Committee, staff and students, I trust the TAS visit will remain an important fixture on the High
calendar. Public SpeakingThe regional final of the Rostrum Voice of Youth Competition took place last week. Zid Mancenido represented High in a tightly contested event. Zid delivered entertaining and thought provoking speeches. Well done!
In other news, lunch time competitions will commence on Friday in Week 8. These competitions will
allow junior students to develop their confidence and skills in delivering both prepared and
impromptu speeches. Chess
Results Results from 30 May 08, Round four Senior 4 v 0 Waverley Inter A 2.5 v 1.5 Scott Inter B 2.5 v 1.5 Sydney Girls Inter C Bye Junior A 4 v 0 Newington A Junior B 4 v 0 Ascham C Junior C 3 v 1 Fort Street AReturn to Index Academic Achievement List Year 9
Semester 1 2008
Points were awarded as follows- with the qualifying total being 38.
Nikhil AUTAR SBHS: Foundation Years
The Chronicle Some of the boys had been spurred on by the efforts of the girls upstairs in producing their own magazine and sought assistance from Mr G P Barbour, a relieving master who had had some experience in publishing at Sydney University. Many years later, Mr Barbour recalled: I do remember spreading myself on the opening pages and was rather proud of it then, but considerably less proud now, pioneering work is necessarily crude. The editorial committee, however, appeared to insist on high standards from the boys who contributed. For example, in the second number, March 1888, the editors noted: We have received several contributions in verse, but we would advise you to be content with prose, unless you have a strong natural talent the other way. This we must say our contributors have not yet displayed... After the December 1887 issue, The Chronicle was published as a quarterly journal in 1888. Regular features included a column called "Science Notes", match reports for the school's various sports and accounts of other extra-curricular activities including cadets and debating and letters to the editor (many of which have been quoted in previous parts of this history of the Castlereagh Street School) on subjects ranging from the need for university scholarships to the need for soap in the school's toilets. The boys also supplied descriptive "travel" pieces, including such titles as "Saturday afternoon in Port Jackson", "A pleasant trip", "A trip to the caves", and even "An afternoon in Rome". There were also comic pieces with titles such as "At the rink", "Woolloomooloo", and "An evening with the humourists" and serious pieces with titles such as "The political opinions", "William Bede Dalley: Patriot, Statesman and Orator" and "Imperial federation" as well as numerous pieces about the ever looming University examinations. Finally, one or two poems, presumably of sufficient quality, did make it in with such titles as "The vision of the vale" and "Deep, High, Low Life". The Literary and Debating Society took over the management of the publication in September 1889. The attempts thereafter to bring it out as a monthly journal appear to have failed as the School archives holds no issues after that of October 1889. The first issue of The Record, published 20 years later in 1909, reported: The youthful zeal and enthusiasm of the officials of the Literary and Debating Society was too sanguinary for the success of such an ambitious undertaking. The strain on the editorial imagination and on the pockets of the subscribers proved too exhausting when monthly publications were instituted, and ‘The Chronicle’ breathed its last in 1890. Return to IndexSBHS Debating
The Inaugural FED Competition
Congratulations to the boys in the following teams: A really big thank you goes to The Chiam family, especially Karen and Marina, for putting together the delicious supper. My gratitude also goes out to Angela Pal, the Treasurer of the DSG who made all the payments to the adjudicators across the duration of the competition.
The Eastside Debating Competition
UNI DEBATING DAYS and SOCIAL DEBATES
Debating Supporters Group- Meeting
This is an important meeting that will answer your questions regarding the GPS Season and start
the planning process for the Annual Debating Dinner. I would like to see more parents actively
involved in the Debating Community. There are many boys taking advantage of the resources and
debates offered but a few parents (and usually always the same families) who assist with suppers,
parking or other activities that support and strengthen the Debating Group. Please email any
agenda items or your apologies for the meeting to David Rudder at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. EnglishThis week has a dramatic flavour in English. Our senior Theatresports team competed in an epic semi final round on Monday night at St Ursula’s. Among the scenes they played in this gruelling night of theatrical wit was a Slow Motion Commentary involving the extreme sport of making and flying a paper aeroplane, and the story of Snow White played in the style of a Western. Unfortunately they were narrowly defeated by the very talented teams from Smiths Hill and Blue Mountains Grammar, both of whom go on to the Grand Final at the Enmore. Huge congratulations to Alvin Leung, Beau Greenslade, Johnny Lieu and Nathan McDonnell and their tireless coach Mrs Yvette McDonnell for all their hard work and the great achievement of making the semis. The three groups of Year 10 drama students have by now completed their performances on stage at Fast and Fresh, the schools version of the biggest short play festival in the world – Short and Sweet, but as we go to press they are yet to tread the boards. In next week’s English report we will be able to tell you more.
Our Year 11 Advanced students are currently studying John Steinbeck’s sad and beautiful
novella Of Mice and Men. It seems appropriate to end my report today with some
encouragement from Steinbeck, who observed ‘I can do anything when my will is clean and
straight.’ So can you, boys.
Reading Torque For readers interested in history and its ramifications, Anna Funder’s Stasiland is an incredible collection of personal stories from survivors of the most rigorous surveillance regime, (the Stasi), and their ability or inability to cope with sudden freedom from repression. These stories have been woven together by a young Australian journalist who had been posted to a Berlin TV station after the collapse of the Wall in 1989. Living in the ill equipped and run down area of the former East Berlin, she meets and eventually actively seeks out ordinary former East Berliners, in order to discover their individual stories. Along the way she discovers that the Ossi (former East Berliners) have different ways to cope with this freedom of expression and movement, even those who were once informers. Some continue to live in the past, others who will be forever scarred by their upbringing, and those who have embraced the West. She interviews both former Stasi, and their victims. She tells of people who simply disappeared during the regime, children who would never know their parents. The reader learns of the ‘puzzle people’, those who are employed to ‘put the pieces of shredded documents’ from the regime back together. These documents are so numerous, that it would take 40 puzzle people 375 years to reconstruct all shredded documents that survived the intentional destruction when the Stasi finally collapsed.
Stasiland is a compelling read that offers us insights into the best and worst of human
behaviour under a repressive regime. National Chinese Eisteddfod 2008After three months preparation and hard training, our boys once again put on their best performance at the annual National Chinese Eisteddfod. This was definitely the best year yet for Sydney Boys High, as our students received so many awards and were most highly praised by the judges and the audience. The 2008 Chinese Eisteddfod attracted nearly 3000 candidates. This annual event was a poetry and prose-recital competition that provided students with the opportunity to use their acquired Chinese language skills and appreciate China’s rich culture. Our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wrote a letter to the eisteddfod committee. In this letter he mentioned his experience of learning Mandarin, congratulated all the candidates for their effort and achievement and encouraged students to learn a second language and its culture to better prepare for this competitive world. I shall publish the letter in the High Notes when I get a copy. Congratulations to the 9 boys from Year 8 Chinese (Advanced class), Ming Chi, Raymond Hua, Frank Li, Joel Ng, Nicholas Ooi, Nathan Tang, Jamison Tsai, Jeremy Yao and William Zhou, who won 3rd prize in the 13-15 year old group competition. Well done boys! In the 13-15 age groups, Tian-Yu Li came 1st, Henry Lu, Ming Ching and Yale Wong each received 2nd place in three different groups. Congratulations to all of them. Andrew Gaffney came 2nd in the non-native division. Fantastic work! Simin Yang achieved 1st prize in the 16-18 age group with his impressive work. Well done! He truly deserves this medal after competing in this event for the past consecutive 5 years and this was his first award. Tom Sun’s performance was outstanding. Congratulations to all boys who took part in this event for your dedication and achievement. I hope the experience that you gain through these eisteddfods will definitely benefit you in future learning and performance. Huge thanks to parents who gave immense encouragement and support to our boys. It was great to see families being so involved. I am so proud of our boys, not only because of their language abilities, intelligence, effort and awards, but also the honour they have brought to Sydney Boys High.
Please check out the photos and video from R drive in the folder of Modern Languages.
Enjoy!
My Account of the Chinese Eisteddfod At 6 years of age I started participating in the Chinese Eisteddfod. Over these first three years (2001-2003) I had scored two first places and one third place. I must admit that I was a bit smug about my continual success. The secret to my success was constant practice and perseverance to overcome my mistakes. And then it all fell apart... From 2004-2007 I had achieved failure after failure. Not only had my complacency long been replaced by a feeling of regret for each wasted year, but also I had deserted my previous success strategies. I guess the reason for my failures was that I wanted a second place not a first!!!! How absurd! And finally it all clicked... After a month of hard training both at school and at home I had finally achieved a second place (long overdue!). My old winning strategies had been visited to a great but ultimately limited effect. Anyway, who wouldn't want a second place after years of fruitless attempts. The message I'm trying to convey is that to achieve a placing in the Chinese Eisteddfod you need to constantly if not intensely prepare and practise. I had this sort of preparation thanks to the wonderful work of Ms Zhang and Ms Cao in addition to constant reminders from my parents. Essentially, the skills that you learn from the Chinese Eisteddfod can be applied through the way you speak. Therefore my speaking skills and manner of speech completely changed. It didn't only change in Chinese but in all the other languages I spoke. I discovered I was extremely good at drama last year for example. Anyways, I encourage anyone to participate in the Chinese Eisteddfod.
It is a rewarding experience. Library Building Fund
2008 fundraising campaign. Starting soon! If you receive a phone call, please consider donating to the fund, as this is the only way our new library will get built, just as the other benefits our boys now enjoy have been built by the efforts of current and previous parents. The basketball and tennis courts come to mind here, just as there are many other facilities provided by parents. Currently there is $700,000 on deposit and we aim to have $1,000,000 by early 2009. There are currently 82 monthly donors and we would like to boost this by another 200 this year. The monthly donations are the best way for us to leverage more funds from outside the school, and of course, one-off donations are always welcome. If you don’t receive a phone call, (as it is quite difficult to call the whole parent body) please use the forms available on the school website to make a donation. We can always do with a few more volunteers to assist with the Library Building Fund fundraising efforts. All materials and instruction supplied, for the week as above. Please join us for this very worthwhile cause!
For more details, please contact Steve Saunders From the CanteenAs I’m sure you all know, volunteer help in our canteen is vital to ensure healthy food for our boys and an ongoing income stream to the P&C for allocation to worthy school projects. We like to say thank you to our volunteers by rewarding them with the chance to win a $10 Canteen voucher for their sons. All volunteers have to do is turn up for duty as usual and sign the duty roster book. A draw will be held each month for the lucky voucher winner. Remember, if you find you can’t make your shift, just call a fellow parent on the roster and arrange a swap. And the lucky winner this month is…..Diana Sutherland, with Jack Musgrove in Year 10. Congratulations! Return to IndexYear 7 Immunisation ProgramVaccinations for Year 7 students will take place on next Wednesday 11 June when a team of specially trained registered nurses will be visiting the school. In 2008 the following vaccines will be offered to Year 7 students only -
If you would like your son to be vaccinated, please complete the Consent Forms in the kits which were distributed to all Year 7 boys this week and return completed forms to the collection box in the Main Office. Alternatively, boys can bring the forms with them on Wednesday. Boys who do not bring the completed consent forms will not be able to take advantage of this free service. Further information about the program including translated material for parents is available at www.health.nsw.gov.au After the boys have been vaccinated they will be given a Record of Vaccination to take home so that you can keep their immunisation records up to date. If you have any queries, please contact Mr Beringer. Return to IndexBoggabilla ExchangeThe exchange is on again this year. It occurs in Week 10 of this term. If you are interested in billeting the students from Boggabilla for two nights then contact Mr Barris. It has been operating since 2003 and is one of the many things in the school that I am extremely proud. Below are snippets from the present Year 12 reflecting on last year.
Boggabilla was a great experience. It’s always good to get away and experience the
country lifestyle with the Bogga kids; camping out on the sand, cooking on and sitting round the
fire and singing along to the guitar
The Boggabilla experience was certainly unforgettable. I was fortunate enough to be able to
teach guitar to one of the boys which was amazing.
My five years of taking part in the Boggabilla exchange came to an end this trip. It was quite
an emotional journey knowing the four days would come to an end, having learnt so much about the
culture of the indigenous kids. The most memorable moments were associated with the camping. The
camp food, the fire, the marshmallows and the songs around the fire were the best time I’ve
had in the five years and most importantly the friendships I made will last
forever.
Though the whole Boggabilla experience was one that I will never forget and will always
cherish, the first night will always be my greatest. Going for a jog around the neighbourhood of
Boggabilla, really allowed me to understand the differences in culture and lifestyle as compared
to that of Sydney. For me, the greatest memory of Boggabilla, will always be talking to people on
the streets. It was their generally friendly and welcoming nature that really helped me to
overcome any apprehensive feelings I had. Regional Cross CountryCongratulations to all the boys who took part in the Zone Cross Country Carnival held on Friday 23rd at Centennial Park. We had a fabulous turnout, and excellent results in all age divisions. High is the Eastern Suburbs Zone Cross Country Champion School for 2008. Cross Country Team runners will be going to the Sydney East Secondary School Sport Cross Country Championships on FRIDAY 13th June 2008 being held at Canterbury South Public School, High Street Canterbury starting at 11am.
Runners who came in the top 12 at the Zone Cross Country Carnival need to see Mr Prorellis to
collect a permission note. Volleyball
First Grade
Second Grade SBHS Football: The Onion Bag
No trial matches this weekend
End of Season Football Dinner and Awards night
Combined Independent Schools representative trials
Sydney High teams hand advantage to opposition
Parking Parking is High football’s major fundraising activity. It enables the purchase of the essential equipment for training and matches, as well as providing for the training and fit out of our student referees. If you are able to help out High football in the future with parking, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Dolan Cup, Golden Boot and Golden Gloves
Bill Turner Cup – U15 Knockout Match reports - Trial 3 31st May1st grade produced a much improved performance against a strong St Pats outfit, with a 3-3 draw. A steely resolve was evident as the team took the field, eager to erase the memories of the previous week. Sam Higgins made his 1st XI debut and added plenty of spark to the High attack. His partner up front, G Lo scored a beauty from long range, Sam got the second after a superb whole team build up involving several defenders, a smart cross and a solid header. The third was from the spot, with ‘Mr Set Piece’ Ronan Casey converting and then confidently, set about inciting the local supporters on the hill as he made his way back into position. Defensively, High was led brilliantly by the ice cool Daniel Campion, whose composure and evasiveness under pressure is remarkable. Daniel controlled a new look backline with Max Mikha and Anton Paul making their starting 1st XI debut. Both new boys handled the step up and both made substantial contributions. 2nd grade were overrun by a fast, skilful St Pats 2nd XI, losing 4-1. High’s goal came from Daniel Chiu, with his first time shot dipping in from long range. High found it difficult to match St Pats up tempo game and need to improve on slowing the opposition down when they break. Other match reports
High 5th Grade v. St. Pats Result: High WIN – 7-0
14A v St Patricks Loss 3-0
Quote of the Week
Mr R.Gifford Rugby
Tough Trials Help High Teams
Team of the Week: 13As
Match Reports
Rugby Committee meeting summary
Present: Serdar Bolen, Julie Blomberg, Kel O’Keefe, Katharine Deacon, Peter Ambrose,
Paul Koerber, David Vien.
Meeting concluded: 7.25pm. Next meeting: Wed. 25th June 2008, 6pm in Room 901. All are
welcome to attend.
2008 Armidale Trip (Friday 30 May – Sunday 1 June) The trip started with slight confusion as Driver Avenue was blocked off due to a FIFA conference. The outrage at being shunned due to such a minute, insignificant event was overlooked as we were all simply eager to get onto the buses, waiting for us a bit further down the road. After much fuss and roll marking, we had boarded the buses and begun the journey. The Year eleven and twelve bus was a bustling, thriving output of entertainment. We watched several movies on the way up, with only one disappointment. The stop at McDonalds as usual was a mix of pleasure and frustration. The chance to eat, during a long trip is something to look forward to. However on the other hand, concentrating a population at a Muswellbrook McDonald’s, larger then the population of the town of Muswellbrook, does lead to immense queues, cramming and confused, weary and trembling fast food clerks. After a long day’s travel we arrived at Armidale, pumped up for the first event of the day, the Basketball and Tennis matches of Friday night. Though there were a few hours before this encounter to spare. Some boys used this time to buy drinks from the canteen, others to have fun. The First XV used this time in an attempt to hone the plays and game plan for Saturday’s encounter in what was a short sharp session. Then it happened, the basketball games began. At seven the juniors started playing, against an aggressive Armidale side, falling to a deficit of 3 points by halftime. However it was then that we saw the play of the trip. In quite literally the last second of the half Stephen Yoon, stumbling backwards, took a one handed shot from just past halfway, which somehow found its way straight through the basket, to level the score at halftime. Words don’t do the shot justice. The reaction was that the crowd stormed the court, in a fit of yelling and ecstasy. There was one question left unanswered. What if the shot was to win at fulltime? Not even God could have comprehended the reaction that would have been… Period… No questions. The senior game was also a hotly contested affair, with the scores level at 26 all at halftime. However captain Stuart Sugito and his amazingly aggressive nature to the game, saw basketball comeback for the win. Tennis also played that night. The Saturday Rugby games kicked off early, each game more exciting then the last, yet at the same time less exciting then the next. Eventually the excitement all built up to the First XV game, when the Firsts ran out from a pumped, frenzied tunnel of high supporters. The first half was a well contested affair, with TAS and their freakishly quick centres, punishing High with three tries. High did score its own very good try, through the work of centre paring James Ip and Nelson Ridges and a penalty goal to Nick Lochner and the XV was extremely unlucky not to score at the end of the half. The halftime score 19-8 with TAS having the lead. The second half however saw TAS use its strong backline to punish High, scoring several well constructed tries. With High scoring one try thanks to great vision from Danny Ng. The final score of 52-13 flattered Armidale, and wasn’t a completely accurate reflection of the game.
Saturday night was spent watching the Super 14 final with some of the TAS boys, allowing us to
further connect on a deep emotional level. The juniors spent the night watching movies at the TAS
auditorium. After the televised entertainment, the High boys split into their respective groups,
and reminisced on what was an eventful trip. Thanks must go to the staff and coaches and coach
drivers for making the trip possible. Thanks go to the boys, for keeping it super. Amnesty InternationalThis week particularly our thoughts turn to Beijing, not just because of the fast approach of the 2008 Olympic Games, but because Wednesday June 4 was the anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. Thousands were killed and many were injured during the crackdown. On Wednesday our Amnesty group held a memorial service to remember those killed and to stand in solidarity with those who are still demanding official government recognition, to allow public debate and mourning, and to release those still imprisoned in relation to the protests. We watched the extraordinary footage of the tank man, we heard a poem by prisoner of conscience Shi Tao*, we lit incense and remembered over a minute’s silence. Thanks to those students who participated. Caring about the past demonstrates care about the present and the future. If you haven’t been to an Amnesty Meeting at school before, please come along to one of our regular Tuesday meetings and help to defend human rights around the world. *If you are interested in reading about Shi Tao, a man arrested and convicted to ten years in prison for sending an email, go to http://action.amnesty.org.au/china/comments/11241/ Since the incident, government officials have banned all references to the crackdown within mainland China, including censoring information on the internet. 19 years later, many are still seeking justice. On Wednesday our Amnesty group held a memorial service to remember those killed and to stand in solidarity with those who are still demanding official government recognition, to allow public debate and mourning, and to release those still imprisoned in relation to the protests. We watched the extraordinary footage of the tank man, we heard a poem by prisoner of conscience Shi Tao*, we lit incense and remembered over a minute’s silence. Thanks to those students who participated. Caring about the past demonstrates care about the present and the future. If you haven’t been to an Amnesty Meeting at school before, please come along to one of our regular Tuesday meetings and help to defend human rights around the world. * If you are interested in reading about Shi Tao, a man arrested and convicted to ten years in prison for sending an email, go to http://action.amnesty.org.au/china/comments/11241/ UNITED WORLD CONCERT TOUR 2008 SYDNEY YOUTH MUSICALE FREE CONCERT Friday 25th JULY 2008 SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE 11:30am till 1:50pm Featuring PILGRIM CHILDREN'S CHOIR (Jae Joon Lee - Director) (Seoul - KOREA) Return to IndexHigh Store Price ListAutumn/Winter Price List - 2008
Clothing Pool
Payment OPENING TIMESMonday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 10:30am to 1:30pm Telephone 9331 7075 GOODS & SERVICES TAX ( G.S.T. )G.S.T. is included on all prices listed. |
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Sydney Boys High School
