Annual Prize Giving Night

The Annual Prize Giving Night will be held at the Town Hall on Thursday 6 December. Boys are expected to attend this important event.

Requests for Leave

Parents are reminded that all requests for leave from school of one day or more must be directed to Dr Andrew Hirst, the Head of Secondary. He will then acknowledge the request in writing.

Senior School 

Year 10

The Peer Support Foundation Limited is dedicated to providing dynamic peer led programs which foster the physical, social and mental wellbeing of young people and their community. A longitudinal study conducted by the University of Western Sydney, Self-Concept Enhancement and Learning Facilitation (SELF) Research Centre, 2003, to determine the effectiveness of the Peer Support Programme found that:

• It helps students successfully negotiate the change from primary to secondary school
• The self-confidence of those participating increased significantly
• Enjoyment of school increased
• Relationships with others were improved
• Perception of support from others improved
• There were positive benefits for cooperative teamwork
• There were positive benefits for academic self-concept
• It successfully changed attitudes to bullying behaviours
• More information about the program can be found at http://peersupport.edu.au/program.html

The program will involve one and a half days of training of all Year 10 boys on Monday 3/Tuesday 4 December following the Annual Examinations. Year 10 mentors will be the key staff in delivering this program. On completion of this training potential leaders will be asked to apply for the position of Peer Support Leader. The appointed Peer Support Leaders will lead Peer Support activity sessions with teams from Year 7 during Term 1 in 2013. The benefits to the Year 10/11 boys will be development of their leadership skills. The Year 7 boys will benefit from an improved connectedness in secondary school, resilience, sense of possibility, as well as new friends. The Peer Support program will also link into Service Learning later in 2013 as boys in Year 8 work with Year 11 leaders in undertaking research about our key charity organisations. I would like to thank Mr Hunnisett (Head of Prescott House), Mr Pyne (Head of Kelynack House) and Mr Mountain (Head of Johnstone House) for their drive and leadership with this program over a number of years.

Year 11

Year 11 House Honour Colours

At a recent School Assembly I was able to acknowledge boys for their outstanding contribution to their House and School over the last 5 years. They have received the highest level of recognition from the House Colours points system with the awarding of House Honour Colours. Every student at Newington has the opportunity to reach this level but they must make the effort. Typically the boys participate in a minimum of four co-curricular activities and demonstrate a strong commitment to Service Learning over a number of years. Full details can be found on page 4 of the Student Diary. Boys receiving this recognition were Lachlan Cox (11/MO), Sam Evans (11/JN), Jordan Fotaras (11/MA), Sam Hardy (11/MO), Anthony Hryanthos (11/ME), Patrick Hudson (11/JN), Lachlan McKirdy (11/LE), Ryan Naylor (11/MA) and James Tsaousidis (11/ME).

Paul Bourke
Head of Senior School

Middle School

Year 7 2013

With Term 4 now well upon us, we are preparing the way for our large intake of Year 7 students. All class placements have been completed and boys and parents have been notified.  Experience Year 7 Day will be held on Friday 7 December and boys currently in Year 7 will be given the opportunity to assist their new colleagues on that day. The Head of Year 7, Ms Colleen Scalone, has been in contact with all families and is working hard to put together profiles on each boy to assist their transition into high school. She is being assisted in her role by Mr Troy Stanley. In 2013, the responsibilities of Year 8 will be shared by Mr John McVicar and Mr Gary Maxwell. Mr McVicar will be responsible for Fletcher, Johnstone, Kelynack and Le Couteur Houses, while Mr Maxwell will oversee Manton, Metcalfe, Moulton and Prescott.

Year 8 2013

The structure of classes in Year 8 next year will vary considerably from what the boys have experienced in Year 7. There will be two basic class gradings, one for English and one for Maths. Obviously, these two placements could be quite different. The English class will also serve as each boy’s Science, History, Geography, PDHPE and PRS class. As boys have also chosen two electives, there will clearly be a redistribution of boys as they study their various subjects and the common class group that they have known in Year 7 will not exist as consistently as it has this year.

Mentor groups will be formed on the basis of Houses, with two groups per House. The expectation is that the Mentor of a Year 8 group stays with the boy through to the end of Year 12.

Jeff Snare
Head of Middle School