Lycée Condorçet: Year 12 IB French

In the first week of June, four Newington IB French boys had the chance to visit a French international school to attend a full day’s classes in French. The Lycée Condorçet, a school exclusively for fluent French speakers, is situated in Maroubra, teaching the French education system and the IB.

The exchange allowed us to participate in the French schooling system and a mini mock-up presidential election. It was a superb learning curve helping us understand some of the differences and similarities in our respective education.

The day will aid us greatly as we undertake the final exams and all thanks must go to the Languages Department for organising such a wonderful day for us.

Daniel Han (12/FL)
Year 12 IB French

A Visit from Julian Burnside AO QC

“Here in Australia, when there is stress in the community, you will find issues in the key marginal electorates have a disproportionately large voice,” proposed barrister, human rights advocate, author and recipient of the Australian Peace Prize, Julian Burnside AO QC, when he presented Protecting Human Rights in a Time of Stress, at Newington College as part of the Centre for Ethics 2012 Lecture Series.

Mr Burnside’s address, delivered in front of the 200 teachers, students and members of the public who follow the Ethics Centre series at Newington each year, began with the premise that Australia’s baseline respect for human rights is “not all that bad”.

In fact, he suggested that for many in the audience who grew up in Australia in the latter part of the 20th century under Liberal and Labor leaders (Malcolm Fraser and Gough Whitlam respectively) who endorsed the immigration policies that have shaped our richly diverse nation today, “it would be unthinkable to go back to eating spaghetti from a tin”.

But since the stress of September 11 2001, Mr Burnside feels our response to the world has changed to “dismantle the rule of law”, to a point where bureaucracy, parliament and law are blurred and no longer stand as clearly independent bodies.

“If you think about some of the things we are doing to asylum seekers in this country it is far worse than the historic, early singling out of minority groups for exclusion and isolation in 1930s Germany.”

These were very strong sentiments and provocative ideas but well in keeping with Dr Jeremy Hall’s vision for the Ethics Centre to promote serious engagement with the moral issues facing young Australians. Newington’s senior students stole the advantage to question one of Australia’s most regarded legal minds and distinguished public law practitioners. Mr Burnside was asked to respond to the role of compulsory voting in creating a situation where news polls incite extremists with words such as the “terrorist” and “illegals”. Another question elicited Mr Burnside’s take on constitutional reform in securing human rights for the future. He was clearly impressed.

The evening was riveting both for the calibre of speaker and the audience response. Our boys’ capacity to grapple with ethics, in a legal context, would have reassured the audience that young people may well have their conscience pricked by radical ideas but they can also appreciate that to seriously defend human rights in this country we need brilliant advocacy at the highest levels of politics and the judiciary.

 Pam Hatfield
Director of Communications

To discover more about ethics and philosophy at Newington College, please visit the Centre for Ethics Insite.

P&F in Partnership with Parent Forums

The Parents and Friends Association have initiated three guest speakers as parent forums for 2012, the most recent of which was Jonathan Doyle, an education and leadership communicator with a professional background in educating boys.

The Newington P&F Executive sees itself as a body to be included as partners with the College when the agendas for the development of the boys are discussed and set. We seek opportunities and initiatives to provoke parents to consider and share aspects of their parenting; to acknowledge the challenge and commitment it takes to step up and critically evaluate the day-to-day interactions, limitations and expectations we set (or don’t set) for our children.

In particular, Jonathan’s address touched on false measures of manhood that include risk taking behaviour, avoidance of serious commitment and a desensitisation to the needs of others. He made it clear that fathers must not just ‘model’ their expectations of their boys from afar, but openly discuss masculinity, affection, sexuality and respect to ensure the right messages come from family values and not popular media or other influences in their son’s lives.

This week in the Chaplain’s report, Rev David Williams addresses some of the areas Jonathan covered in more detail. For more information access Jonathan’s website and blog which provide specific reading and presentation materials.

Mr Andrew Hine
President, Newington Parents and Friends Association

Soccer (Football) Holiday Camp

Click on the flyer below to open a printable PDF:

Two Commendations at da Vinci Decathlon

In the final week of May boys in Years 7and 9 visited Knox College for a day of intellectual challenges and group cooperation known as the da Vinci Decathlon. This year, Newington entered a Year 7 team and a Year 9 team in the event, during which students from 50 schools worked in teams of eight on a number of tasks. Chess, Art and Poetry, Maths, Engineering, Creative Production, Science and General Knowledge were just some of the areas of competition.

The Newington Year 7 team came 1st in the Creative Producers section, with their performance of an advertisement for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Meanwhile, the Year 9 team came 2nd in the Art and Poetry section for their work on the theme of ‘flight’.

Year 7 Team (pictured below, left):
(Back Row L to R) Nicholas Peppercorn (7/PR), Sebastian Hodge (7/ME)
(Middle Row L to R) Winston Lin (7/FL), Jarrah Lindhout (7/KL), Mitchell Long (7/MA), Fin Casey (7/KL)
(Front Row L to R) David Charlton (7/MA), Kevin Qian (7/PR)

Year 9 Team (pictured below, right):
(Second Row L to R) Kenn Savvas (9/JN), Joshua Mathew (9/JN), Justin Tran (9/PR), Saahil Parekh (9/MO)
(First Row L to R) Justin Ting (9/JN), Jeremy Sreejayan (9/KL), Eric Sparkes (9/FL), Alex Iannuzzi (9/MO)

Study Skills

STUDY SKILLS TIP FOR JUNE: REVIEWING YOUR WORK ON A DAILY BASIS

Did you know that if you don’t look at what you are learning for a second time within 24 hours you forget 60% of the detail? This is why teachers encourage reviewing what was learnt each day immediately after school.

One of the best habits to develop this skill is the following: each afternoon, before beginning homework, boys should spend 10-15 minutes reviewing what was learnt at school that day.

There are lots of different ways to do this review, here are some ideas (and it can be something different every day):

1. Highlight the key points in each lesson.
2. Write down the top 3 things learnt in each lesson (could be done in a separate book or at the bottom of the day’s classwork).
3. Make a mind map about the main points covered in the class.
4. Try and explain what was discussed in each lesson that day to a family member (or even to the cat).
5. Go on a Google adventure—do some quick research on one interesting thing from each lesson.
6. Write down for each subject a question that is relevant or clarifies something from the day.

There will be a fabulous payoff to doing this, more of what is learnt at school will stick, leaving less to learn at exam time. Assignments and projects are also easier with quick recall of what has been covered in class.

Learn more about the Brain and Advanced Memory Techniques at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au. Our school’s subscription details are:

Username: newingtoncollege
Password: 86results

From the School Nurse

Contact sports result in an increase in concussions seen in the clinic. Concussion is an injury to the brain usually caused by a blow to the head that results in a temporary loss of normal brain function. The brain floats in a cushion of spinal fluid surrounded by the skull. When the head is knocked, the trauma causes the brain to shift inside the skull resulting in injury.

Symptoms:

• Loss of consciousness may or may not occur.
• Headaches, seeing flashing lights
• Memory loss, confusion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness, slurred speech or ringing in the ears.
• Difficulty concentrating or balancing
• Mood swings

Assessing Concussion

Questions such as the day of the week, time, date and birthday, have been shown to be relatively ineffective in gauging concussion. This part of the brain is relatively well preserved. Questions that should be asked include:

• Which oval are we on?
• Which team are we playing today?
• Who is your opponent at present?
• Which side scored the last goal/try?
• Which team did we play last week?
• Did we win last week?

Players need to be referred to hospital immediately if any of the following occurs:

• Base of skull or facial fracture
• Eye injuries or unusual eye signs
• Weakness or paralysis in any limbs
• Bleeding from the ears
• Loss of consciousness for more than 4 minutes
• Continuing confusion or impairment 30 minutes post injury
• Deterioration in conscious state
• Any convulsive movements

If a person is unconscious then they should be treated as a neck injury and an ambulance called. Anyone who suffers a concussion should see a doctor and not return to play that day.

Physical and mental rest is the best way to recover. Following a concussion the person should not drive, drink alcohol, take pain killers (except paracetamol), do physical exertion or make important decisions.

In the clinic I can test for concussion using a simple paper and pen test matching numbers to symbols. I also use a Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT 2) test which is a standard series of questions, testing memory and checking balance. These are tools that help determine if a person is still concussed and are interpreted in conjunction with the person’s symptoms and history of injury.

The doctor will determine the length of time needed to recover (typically 2-4 weeks as young people recover quite slowly from concussions). It’s important during this time to avoid another knock to the head.

Following this a Graduated Return To Play program is commenced. This involves progressing from light aerobic activity to sport specific drills, to full contact over a period of about 5 days. If symptoms return then the person drops back to the previous level and the GRTP program takes a little longer. Medical clearance from a doctor, preferably a Sports Doctor or similar, should be obtained before returning to play.

The important point to take from all this is that concussions need to be taken seriously and managed properly.

Sister Margaret Bates RN
School Nurse

ph: 95689426 mob: 0407004738
m.bates@newingtoncollege.nsw.edu.au

Newington Women's Group

From the Newington Women’s Group

Following Newington Women’s Group tradition, plans are underway to celebrate the Newington College Sesquicentenary next year with an outdoor artwork. As part of this artwork, NWG are seeking talented members of the Newington Community who would like to contribute, particularly artisans who work with metal, such as metal casting. If you are aware of an artisan in this field who may be interested in this project, please contact Sally Larkings at sally@larkings.id.au or Rollanda Rosenstrauss on the_rosies@optusnet.com.au before the end of Term 2 (Friday 22 June).

The first planning meeting for the Term 3 Trivia Night will be held on Thursday 20 June in the Grove Room, commencing at 7.45pm. If you would like to be involved in the event, please email Sam Smith on smithcentral@bigpond.com.

It’s Enmore Theatre for Theatresports Grand Finalists!

Last week, Newington’s Intermediate and Senior A Theatresports Teams performed in the semi-finals of the Theatresports Schools’ Challenge. The Senior final was held at Oakhill College in Castle Hill, and the Intermediate at Tara Anglican Girls School in North Parramatta. Both contests were extremely competitive, comprising of some of the best Theatresports teams in NSW. Up to nine teams competed for only the top two places in each final in order to make it through to the grand final.

The Intermediate team: Lyndon Carney (10/FL), Brendan Creswick (10/JO), Erol Gorur (10/LE), Demos Hammond (10/KE) and Luke Taylor (10/MA) placed 4th out of 9 teams, which was an outstanding achievement in a very competitive final.

The Senior team: Jack Scott (12/LE), Tom Crotty (12/PR), Jack Hirst (12/KL), Greg Koumoukelis (12/LE) and Reuben Ward (12/KL) placed 2nd out of 7 teams, meaning that they are through to the grand final of the Theatresports Schools Challenge! It was a very tight competition, with Newington placing just 1 point ahead of 3rd Place and 1 point behind 1st place. Jack Scott, Captain of Theatresports, had this to say about their achievement: “It’s the first time Newington’s made it to Enmore theatre, so we must be doing something right.” All the boys all looking forward to the opportunity to compete at the competition’s highest level.

They will perform this Sunday 17 June at 5pm at the Enmore Theatre. The night will run for approximately two hours and will involve improvisations from the top 8 Theatresports schools from across NSW. The other competing schools will be Caringbah High School, North Sydney Boys High School, Nowra Anglican College, Oakhill College, Shore School, Sydney Secondary College – Blackwattle Bay Campus and The Scots College.

Book now to support and laugh along as they compete. Tickets are just $35 for Adults and $25 for Concessions.If you would like to attend and support the boys, please click here!

If you have any queries, please contact Mrs Zoe Cookson. We hope to see a strong Newington following in the audience.

Erol Gorur (10/LE) 

6 Stitcher Winter Holiday Camp

Register your interest for the 6 Stitcher Winter holiday camp at www.sixstitcher.com.au/register

Music: Sydney Eisteddfod Success!

On Tuesday 5 June, the College’s top wind ensemble, Symphonic Winds, took out 1st place in the Secondary School Premium Concert Band section of the Sydney Eisteddfod.

Adjudicator David Worrall awarded our band a mark of 98/100 – placing us in the ‘exceptional’ mark range. This was the highest mark he has ever awarded a school band in this type of competition.

To my knowledge, this is the first time that we have won this prestigious section. Huge congratulations to the boys and to Luke Gilmour and Rebecca Grubb for their inspiring leadership!

Mr Mark Scott
Head of Music

In the Spirit of Endeavour we watched the Transit of Venus

The planet Venus passed across the face of the sun last Wednesday 6 June 2012 and it won’t happen again for another 105 years. Transits occur in pairs, eight years apart. The next pair occurs more than a century later. The boys were able to view the event using solar viewing glasses which made the Sun appear like an orange ping-pong ball with a black spot on it. The black spot (Venus) gradually moved up and to the left over a period of six and a half hours later, from 8.14am to 2.44pm.

The Transit of Venus has great significance both scientifically and historically for Australia. If Venus did not make occasional transits across the Sun, the people of Australia would probably not speak English! The first voyage of Captain Cook was organised so that he could observe the transit from Tahiti in June 1769. As he was already in Pacific Ocean he continued travelling south-west and discovered Australia in 1770. By timing the transit from a wide variety of locations it is possible to calculate the distance from the Earth to the sun. That is why Captain Cook and many others were sent to far flung locations in the 1760s.

The transit was timed very precisely by surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon at the Cape of Good Hope in 1761. They were subsequently employed in 1763 to mark the boundary between the ‘free states’ (North) the ‘slave’ (South) in the USA. This is now known as the Mason-Dixon Line.

From the information gathered in 1761 and 1769 scientists calculated a distance of 151 million kilometres to the Sun. The currently accepted value is 149.6 million kilometres.

If you missed it, sadly you will never see another. The next transit of Venus is in 2117!

Mr Andrew Davies
Science Department 

Calling all Dads: 2012 City2Surf

Dust off your running shoes and get into some training!

We have entered a Newington Father and Son Team into this year’s City2Surf. This is a fantastic opportunity to get fit and strengthen your father son bonds whilst joining in a 42 year old Sydney tradition. We are not be aiming to break any records but simply to cross the finish line by running, jogging, walking or any combination!

Training Sessions

In the near future I will be establishing a training plan including individual training sessions and optional group running sessions. Register your interest at t.stanley@newingtoncollege.nsw.edu.au.

Newington’s Charity

We will be printing shirts for the occassion so if you or your company is interested in becoming a Gold, Silver or Bronze Sponsor, please email Troy Stanley at t.stanley@newingtoncollege.nsw.edu.au before July 12 2012. All proceeds will go directly to Angel Flight. If you don’t want to compete but would still like to donate please click on their logo below:

Sustainability: Back to Newington Day

Back to Newington Day is a day in the College calendar where the school is opened up to the wider community. This year visitors were able to experience something different among the usual array of stalls, with the ever-growing Environmental Sustainability Committee throwing a new angle on the day.

With prime placement opposite the Le Couteur block, the stall was manned all day by a collection of boys from Years 10, 11 and 12. The boys engaged with the Newington community through a variety of initiatives, schemes and prizes. Multiple businesses provided give-aways and information to help the day go smoothly, and we would like  specifically thank these organisations:

• Green Ecovations
  583A King St Newtown, NSW 2042
• Alfalfa House
  113 Enmore Road Enmore, NSW 2042
• The Watershed
  218 King Street Newtown, NSW 2042
• The Bower
  Building 34, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville NSW 2204

As a result of their involvement a collection of prizes was given out on the day, such as boxes of organic fruit and a massive bag of muesli from Alfalfa, and Shampoo and conditioner from Alchemy. A special congratulations goes to Jordan Greifeneder for winning the grand prize of two Hoyts movie vouchers in the Rubbish Throwing Competition. In this initiative boys were encouraged to collect as much rubbish as possible and then attempt to shoot it into a bin from 10m away. In addition to this were a number of other initiatives such as the distribution of free shower timers, information pamphlets on recycling, and greywater awareness programs. These, along this the competitions and prizes, certainly generated a large amount of interest in the community.

The stall on the day was merely a small representation of the activities and schemes being installed at Newington by the Committee, in an attempt to make the entire campus more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Programs such as battery and plastic bag recycling, class room paper recycling, the long term instillation of solar panels on the newly renovated buildings, and group activaties in the wider community such ‘Clean up Australia Day’ and ‘Earth Hour’ are just a few of the schemes occurring around Newington currently.

If any boys are interested in joining they would be very welcome as part of the committee, regardless of year. Thanks needs to be given to the many boys who helped out on the day, running the store and diligently greeting and informing visitors. Special thanks must be given to Ms Randell with her actions in organising, running and being the major driving force for Environmental Sustainability at Newington.

Max Schultz (11/PR)

Student observations from the day:

“The stall was a fantastic success. Many people wandered up to our little stand not expecting much, but left fully enlightened about how to improve the environment that they live in”.

Cameron Young (11/PR)

“It was great to see how so many students were willing to help; I am confident that their contribution led both students and parents to believe that Newington cares about the environment. All in all, our committee showed that we are willing to take action. We have started a new age of concern for the ecological sustainability of our resources at Newington. Perhaps boys will now think twice about dropping litter in the playground and their neighborhood”

Shaun Towers (12/MO)

2013 IB Information Evening

An International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Information Evening for Year 10 students and their parents or guardians will be held at 7.00 pm in Centenary Hall on Tuesday 19 June.

Dr Pride, Head of the IBDP, IB subject teachers and IB graduates will be present to explain the programme, answer your questions and offer advice.

The IBDP is suitable for all students who wish to study at university and are prepared to work hard, be organised and meet deadlines.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

The audience walks in and the mental asylum is in full swing. An eerie mechanical ambience reverberates throughout the Old Chapel. Students of Year 11 Drama cover the stage and the story has begun.

For over a term, the class had been rehearsing for the Year 11 production, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, based on the original novel by Ken Kesey. This production was a major part of the Semester 1 assessment syllabus, and consisted of each student’s individual performance and designated production role.

In approaching this particular play, the class needed to be mindful of the social and political issues intertwined within the narrative. The horrific treatment of patients of mental institutions in the 1960s was one such theme, and the students were required to deal with the issues and portray them in a mature manner.

As part of the assessment, students had taken on a cast role as well as a production role. Each student was required to hand in a director’s concept as part of the assessment, which outlined the creative vision and style of the students. It was agreed that the class would adopt a combination of realism and expressionism, developing a naturalistic relationship between the actors and the audience.

A unique element of this production was that each student was able to choose a specific production role to carry out in addition to acting. These included roles such as Producer, Publicity, Set and Costume, as well as Lighting and Sound Designer.

As a class we would like to thank Mrs Cookson, Ms Smith, Ben Williams, and Mr Honeywill for all their help in making the production such a success.

Yr 11 Drama Students 

Congratulations

Basketball

On Tuesday 4 June, the NSW Combined Independent Schools Basketball team played in the NSW All Schools Tournament. Representing Newington on the day were Chiir Maker (10/FL) and Lewis Holey (12/MO) (above), who were both instrumental to the team’s success. The CIS team won both games convincingly, defeating the Combined Catholic Schools team 86-48 and the Combined High Schools team 83-56. Both Chiir and Lewis have made the team to play at the Australian Schools Championships in Melbourne in August, which will be coached by our own Mr Rex Nottage.

Pierre de Coubertin Award 2012

Shaun Towers (12/MO), our Senior Boarder for 2012, has been honoured with selection as the Newington College nomination for the Pierre de Coubertin Award for 2012. This award is named after the founder of the modern Olympics, who believed that international sports competition between athletes from different countries would promote a more peaceful world.

This prestigious award is designed to celebrate the Olympic spirit and the ideals of sport and sportsmanship. This year is the 20th anniversary of the award and in an Olympic year the nomination is all the more special. Shaun was selected from a very strong field but in the end was judged to be the boy who exemplified the ideals of Olympism the best.

Shaun now becomes eligible to attend the New South Wales State Presentation and the Student Olympic Academy. This will be an opportunity to be recognised for his efforts at Newington as well as mix with former winners and Olympians.

Sport

Athletics

Following on from a highly successful Athletics Season, the following boys are recipients of Athletics awards for 2012:

Age Champions:

U13: Tyrone Taukamo (8/ME)
U14: Zac Newton (9/LE)
U15: Sepesa Loga Tarogi (10/MA)
U16: Ed Pollitt (11/MO)
U17: Lachlan Little (12/KL) (featured above)
Opens: Lewis Holey (12/MO) and Matthew Hood (12/ME)

Ellison Stewart Cup for Middle Distance Running:

Jack Hiscox (12/PR)

A.D.G. Stewart Trophy – 3000m Champion:

Morgan McDonald (11/MO)

Dr Alex Maggs Sprinting Trophy – Senior Sprint Champion:

Oscar Pople (12/JN)

ONU Service Prize:

Oscar Pople (12/JN)

Rowing

The Newington College Rowing Association (NCRA) AGM will be held on Wednesday 8 August at 7.00pm in Prescott Hall. All parents are invited to attend this meeting.

Newington Artist of the Week

Self-portrait drawing, with black ball point pen, by Alex Golovin (10/PR). Semester 1, 2012.

This semester the Year 10 Visual Arts students explored the theme of self-portraiture. Alex chose to use a black ball point pen creating layers of expressive overlapping lines. A very impressive work indeed!

A Message from the Head of Secondary

“The crisis for most young men revolves around identity and a core sense of purpose. In the absence of strong guidance from fathers and the community of men, boys are adrift and are increasingly trying to initiate themselves in personally and culturally toxic ways!”

Jonathan Doyle
Thursday 7 June 2012

May I sincerely thank all the parents, and in particular the 100 dads, who braved the elements and joined us last Thursday to listen to Jonathan Doyle. Jonathan provided many valuable insights, including the wisdom noted above, and the parental feedback has been very positive. Notes from his presentation are available on the P&F website and please do not hesitate to visit Jonathan’s site to discover more: http://www.choicez.com.au.

Next term, on Wednesday 18 July, Mr Paul Dillon will present the final address in our trilogy of ‘must-see’ information nights on the issues of teenage alcohol and drug addictions.

Co-curricular success

I am delighted to report that the College has enjoyed further co-curricular success since our historic Senior Athletics victory in early May. A fortnight ago, our debaters were victorious in the FED Finals with our Year 7, 10 and Seconds teams all defeating excellent opponents. Musically, the Symphonic Winds attained a fantastic first place in the Sydney Eisteddfod’s Premium Band Competition. A superb accomplishment and certainly the first of its kind for this College in many decades!

Similarly, this Sunday our Senior Theatresports team will contest in the Grand Final of the Impro Australia Theatresports Competition at the Enmore Theatre. Finally in sport, a record number of Cross Country Runners will represent the College and GPS at the CIS carnival. ‘Character’ remains the key ingredient to success in all these fields and I thank the boys, staff and parents for their contributions.

HSC/IB Diligence

I remind all Year 12 students that the July holidays provide an excellent opportunity for all boys to reflect on their progress over the past semester. Please read carefully your teachers’ advice from your recent reports and act upon their instructions in the calm of holidays and the comfort of your home. The HSC and IB trial examinations commence next term on Monday 20 August.

Applications for Leave

Please note that all applications for leave from school for one day or more must be sent to me in writing or by email. The request for leave should contain the dates being requested and the reason, with as much notice as possible, to give the necessary time to for the College to consider the request. I will then confirm, in writing, whether or not leave has been granted. If a student misses sport, then please forward your explanation to the Sport Administration Manager, Mr Brian Dene.

Overseas Tours

This June/July, the College bids farewells to four touring parties. Mr Pyne, Mr Scali and Mr Chambers lead 30 boys on a Classics Tour to Europe. Mr Quince, Mr Watson, Mr Potter, Mr Kolbe, and Mr Light lead 28 boys on a Service Learning Trip to Tonga; meanwhile Mr Madden and Chaplain Bennett will lead our inaugural Service Learning trip to an Aboriginal Community in the Daintree region of Far North Queensland. Finally we wish Mr Dene, Mr Burgess, Mr Cox and Mr Honeywill and our senior footballers every success as they compete in G6 knockout competition in Canberra. All four groups are incredibly fortunate and I know they will wear our School colours with pride!

This weekend versus Shore

Finally on behalf of Dr Wright, Headmaster of Shore, can I please request that parents supporting our boys do not park across driveways when attending sporting games at the Northbridge grounds. From 1.00pm onwards there is parking available on Shore G Ground if travelling south on Alpha Road.

Best wishes for the forthcoming holidays!

Dr Andrew Hirst
Head of Secondary

From the Chaplain

Approaching Manhood—Part Two

Last fortnight I focused your attention on the visit of Jonathan Doyle. He now has visited the College and I am confident that any of the parents who attended last week’s seminar considered it to be very worthwhile and concluded that this man certainly has a very good grasp of the issues facing our young men.

Having been to both the evening seminar and the two periods in the afternoon with our Year 10 students I thought it would be helpful to you if I reiterated the Seven Key Strategies Jonathan emphasised at the conclusion of both sessions. Jonathan’s ability to engage 200 Year 10 students over a period of 90 minutes was very impressive and the content on offer was of the highest quality.

Here are the Seven Key Strategies for growing into manhood:

1. For the rest of your life, whatever is easy, don’t do that. Do what is hard.

2. Realise that your happiness in life depends on realising that life is not about you.

3. Manhood is what happens when no one else is looking.

4. In the end, it is only your commitments that will define you.

5. Look at what everyone else does and do the opposite.

6. Nothing will reward you for ten years.

7. Legacy—what you leave behind matters.

Jonathan also warned about “autonomous rooms” (bedrooms) and quoted psychologist Dr Bill O’Hehir, “A lot of kids are coming home, not to a home, as we understand it. Their bedrooms have become ‘autonomous rooms’. Kids are eating in their rooms. They have their iPod (and iPhone), TV and computer in their rooms —where is the reason or incentive to leave it?”

• Make your home THE HUB! Make sure you know all your son’s friends and their parents and, as much as possible, make sure that your home is “the place to be”.
• TIME, TIME, TIME—spend as much time with them as possible. Create events and circumstances that make it possible to just be together.
• Example, example, example—remember the words of Albert Schweitzer. “We cannot ask of them what we have not at least attempted to master ourselves.”

Jonathan posts a weekly podcast, which is available on his website www.choicez.com.au (follow the Pod Tab). Beyond this, Choicez also has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Or, you can contact directly by email at info@choicez.com.au

Happy parenting!

Rev David N Williams
Chaplain

Pathways to the Future: Careers Expo Info

Careers Events in Term 3, 2012

Term 3 is an important and busy time for senior boys (Years 10, 11 and 12) and their parents. The Newington Careers Expo is fast approaching and will be held on the first Tuesday back, Tuesday 17 July commencing at 6.30pm.

On the following Tuesday, Tuesday 24 July, the Year 10 Subject Information Evening will be held from 6.00pm in Prescott Hall and the Function Room.

Finally, the Year 12 Tertiary Options Evening is scheduled for Wednesday 25 July from 6.00pm in Prescott Hall. Please be sure to add these important dates to your calendar for Term 3.

Careers Expo 2012

The Newington Careers Expo (Tuesday 17 July) is well into its final stages of planning. The event will involve more than 40 Old Boys and parents sharing their education and career journeys with senior and their parents in Prescott Hall from 6.30pm. In Centenary Hall, attendees will be able to wander around the Careers Expo, collecting information on tertiary options and talking with more than 50 tertiary institutions and organisations including private colleges (JMC Academy), universities (ACU), industry professional bodies (Ernst & Young), as well as volunteer organisations (Lattitude Global Volunteering).

Senior boys (Years 10, 11 and 12) are expected to attend the Careers Expo events in both Prescott Hall and Centenary Hall and wear school uniform. Car parking will be available at the Stanmore campus from 6.00pm (subject to good weather conditions). Click here for a summary program for the Expo. The final program will be available to collect at the door on the evening.

Year 12 Tertiary Options Evening 2013

On Wednesday 25 July 2012 from 6.00-7.00pm in Prescott Hall, Year 12 boys and parents will have the opportunity to:

• Collect copies of the University Admissions Centre 2013 Guide for Year 12 and other useful publications
• View presentations covering:
• Overview of the application process for university admissions 2013
• Alternative pathways to university—having a Plan B in 2013
• Bonus ATAR opportunities
• Alternative entry schemes
• Deferred study options including GAP Years and volunteer opportunities

If you would like to make further enquiries or to make an appointment, please contact me on 02 9568 9429 or email: j.breden@newingtoncollege.nsw.edu.au.

For boys at school, please drop by the Careers office located above the Prescott House lockers area, Level 1 at the back of Le Couteur Wing (Library).

Mr Jamie Breden
Careers and VET Coordinator

News from Archives, Alumni and Foundation

Alumni Update

It really was Back to Newington Day for 175 members of the Newington Family. The College welcomed back 90 MOONs (Mothers of Old Newingtonians) (above), 61 members of the Class of 1992 (20 Year Reunion) and 28 members of the Class of 1997 (15 Year Reunion), to join in the wonderful celebration of all things Black and White.

They say that behind every good man there is a great woman and the MOONs lunch, held annually on Back to Newington Day, is testament to that. It is an opportunity for the ladies of Newington to catch up and reconnect, to remember their sons’ days at the College and to recognise the wonderful contribution that mothers make to Newington. We had mums from the 1960s through to 2011. So on behalf of all Newington Boys, old and new, thank you Mum!

Whilst our MOONs lunched in Prescott Hall, Old Boys from 1992 and 1997 reconnected, toured the Archives Exhibition Space, visited their old boarder bedrooms in Founders Building and then gathered on the Johnson to give voice and support to the current boys against Scots. After the game the Class of 1997 (below, left) continued the evening in Newtown whilst the Class of 1992 (below, right) enjoyed dinner in Prescott Hall.

Lea Greifeneder
Director  of Development – Archives, Alumni and Foundation

From the Archives

This year’s Back to Newington Day was our first big event where the new Archives Exhibition Room was one of the attractions for visitors. We had group visits by the Mothers of Old Newingtonians (MOONs) and Old Newingtonians from the Classes of 1992 and 1997; as well as visits by many individuals and families from among the Back to Newington Day crowd—including some wearing yellow and blue colours! Special thanks are due to the group of Drama students who donned period costumes (featured above) and encouraged so many visitors to come up and engage with Newington’s past.

Available for the first time was the digital version of the ‘Book of Lists’, a database of past students’ positions, awards and teams, now comprising 220 ‘lists’ and over 36,000 entries.

Don’t forget that the Archives Exhibition Room is open between 2pm and 4pm each weekday and can be opened at other times by arrangement.

Mr David Roberts
College Archivist

Student Services

Middle School

Year 7

Reports have now been received and feedback from parents is starting to come through. No doubt this week’s Parent Teacher Interviews would have seen this feedback continue. This is a good thing and we encourage parents to have this dialogue with teachers. One interesting observation from my point of view is the performance of boys relative to their class placement. It is early days I know and things will change, but it is obvious at this stage that boys will be rearranged considerably in classes when they go into Year 8. The reason for this is something that I will expand on at a later date. The most important thing for us to remember as parents and teachers is that “it is not where the boys start that matters but where they finish”.

Woodbridge Exchange

Edward Henderson (9/LE) and Finley McAvoy (9/LE), returned from their exchange to the UK last week. They will tell of their experiences in a later edition of this newsletter but it is sufficient to say at this stage that they have memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. Assuming that Woodbridge is able to continue their involvement in the program, I will be calling for expressions of interest from current Year 8 boys during Term 3.

Bus Travel

One of the great innovations of recent times at Newington has been the bus services that run to various parts of Sydney. While they are a great service for families they do also create issues that the College has to deal with from time to time. These issues often involve the younger boys from Wyvern. Our high school boys need to be reminded of their responsibility as older boys and that they need to show restraint in their reactions to the younger boys.

Mr Jeff Snare 
Head of  Middle School 

Senior School

Year 11

A reminder that the Parent Teacher Evening is being held on Monday 18 June for Year 11.

Year 10

Jonathan Doyle gave an outstanding presentation to Year 10 on Thursday 7 June about the challenges and opportunities on the journey to manhood. This was followed up with an evening presentation to parents. Year 10 mentors will be discussing the issues raised at school and I encourage all parents, and particularly dads, to do the same at home.

Mr Paul Bourke
Head of  Senior School