Senior School

Year 10

Over the last two weeks our Year 10 boys have been covering prefect duties while most of Years 11 and 12 have been doing examinations. You may wish to ask them to share their experiences with you. Over the next 12 months they will have increasing leadership opportunities as they prepare to take responsibility for the student body in their final year. This will include Peer Support Training for all boys later this term.

We are fortunate to have an exciting and resilient story to share with Year 10 boys on Thursday 6 September. John Cantor will outline his experiences of adventure, failure and then success. Details can be found at www.johncantor.com.au and on his facebook page “John Cantor’s Brooks Range Traverse 2012.” John’s journey will also be featured on Australian Story in September.

Year 11

On Tuesday 18 September Year 11 will be attending a driver safety day (RYDA ) at Homebush. You may wish to visit their website here. Boys will be asked to arrive at school by 8.00am in blazer uniform and bring lunch/drinks with them. Full arrangements will be distributed later this week.

Students attend six sessions during the day—an overview of each session follows:

Stopping Distances: Demonstrating the impact of differing speeds, reaction times and vehicle traction on the time it takes to stop a vehicle, students are given the opportunity to travel in a vehicle, driven by a licensed driving instructor, as well as observe from outside.

Hazard Perception & Distractions: A high energy session familiarizing students with the most common crashes involving young people and how to avoid or minimize their impact.

Plan B: Alcohol, Drugs, Fatigue and Driving: An interactive workshop focusing on the impact that alcohol, drugs and fatigue have on driving ability.

Police: A Police Officer led discussion on the consequences of poor choices on the road, from the tragic human toll to the financial and legal ramifications.

Crash Survivor: A powerful presentation by a crash survivor who has a brain or spinal injury as a result of a vehicle crash.

My Wheels: Students learn about vehicle safety, covering such topics as ABS brakes, car maintenance and insurance.

Yr 12 Pastoral Conference

As part of the preparation for the final days of school a targeted pastoral conference/workshop will be run on Monday 10 September. This will consist of two key sessions. The first will be presented by School Liaison Police Officers in the Sydney South/West Division! They will give a graphic presentation that focuses on the need for safe partying and safe driving practices. If these practices are not followed the consequences can be horrific. This will be illustrated in a true story called “Sarah’s Party”. It depicts real life footage of an 18th birthday party. This was a scene of great celebration. The reality, however, was a tragedy underway. A combination of alcohol and inexperience resulted in a car accident later that night. The outcome was the death of Sarah and one of her friends, plus near fatal life changing injuries to another two of her friends. The impact on all involved at the party would last the rest of their lives. The key word is choice. We all have a choice in what we do. The choice made can have huge consequences, both positive and negative. It is therefore vital that the right choice is made.

The second session will be run by Heads of House with the boys in their House. The key objectives are the follow up of the alternative session, a reflection of each boys experience at Newington and how to finish up on a high. A series of focus questions were used to lead this discussion.

Paul Bourke
Head of Senior School