It’s a Cashless Cafeteria Using MyStudentAccount

We are very excited to introduce the new MyStudentAccount payment system into the Stanmore Cafeteria. We have been using the system successfully at the Wyvern campus since last year and many boys in Year 7 will already have credit on their accounts.

By the end of this term every boy at Stanmore 7-12 should be able to use his Student ID card to electronically release printing jobs, borrow library resources and now, should you allow him, use a debit facility to purchase items from the cafeteria.

A staggered introduction over the next four weeks starts with Years 7 and 12 boys. Parents access MyStudentAccount through SPACES and can, via their credit card or BPAY, top up the “balance” on their son’s Student ID card. Boys may then use their ID card to make purchases in the cafeteria.

Years 7 and 12 and their siblings – Week 6 (this week)

Years 8 and 11 and their siblings – Week 8 (commencing Monday 17 March)

Years 9 and 10 – Week 9 (commencing Monday 24 March)

Some other advantages and features of MyStudentAccount

You can:

• Set daily spend limits
• Send allergy alerts and messages to the Cafeteria
• Prohibit items from sale to your son
• Recharge his Student ID card by phone
• Make top up payments by BPAY
• View the transaction history

Getting Ready to use MyStudentAccount

We ask you to help us reinforce the steps below so that your son is ready to use his card once it is activated.

1. Does your son have a current Student ID card?

If he does not have a Student ID card with electronic chip and photo ID, he will need to go to the Student Office (above the cafeteria and below the library).

2. Does his card work in the Cafeteria?

BEFORE USING THE CARD FOR THE FIRST TIME every boy should check his card is validated. This will tell him it is the correct card for him and that there is credit loaded to the card. There is an ID Card Scanner in the Cafeteria area to check this.

3. Does he understand that the card is credited cash?

Photos will be checked by cafeteria staff but he must keep his card safe.

4. Has he alerted the cafeteria staff that he is making a MyStudentAccount payment?

He must tell the cashier that he would like to pay by Student ID Card BEFORE he starts the transaction.

5. If he does not have his card – but it has credit on it  – can he purchase?

No, he will not be able to make purchases if he does not have his card with him. He will have to use cash.

The full instructions on how to set up your account can be found here.

Newington Year 11 Boys Volunteer at Loaves and Fishes

Congratulations to our Year 11 boys who have been participating in a roster to prepare and serve breakfast to the homeless and disadvantaged at the ‘Loaves and Fishes Free Restaurant’ in Ashfield. The restaurant is open six days per week and provides free meals to over 400 `guests’ every day.

As part of our Service Learning program, we supply three volunteers each day and already this year we have received positive feedback about our young Newington men, from one of the supervisors at the restaurant.

The supervisor wrote to say, “how well behaved the boys have been; courteous and above all, able to engage in conversation with adults which we know many teenagers find challenging”.

So far boys from Fletcher, Johnstone Kelynack and Le Couteur Houses, have been out on duty and these boys have ‘set the bar high’ for the other four Houses, who have their opportunity to serve later in the term. The roster then continues through the Houses all year round.

Mr Mick Madden
Head of Service Learning

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg Coming to Newington

I have decided to sacrifice my opportunity to create a deep, meaningful, and hopefully provocative, article for you this Black and White edition (next time) – instead I want to urge you to book a date in your diaries now – a night that will be truly meaningful and immensely important for you as parents (or grandparents) of teenagers.

We have the rare privilege of having Dr Michael Carr-Gregg come to Newington College very soon. This is a night sponsored by the Parents & Friends Association – well done P&F! Dr Carr-Gregg is the foremost adolescent psychologist in Australia in terms of issues facing the youth of this country and he will add to your knowledge and skills repertoire in supporting you as effective parents.

This man is not only an outstanding practitioner in his own right, as a clinician, but his material is all research and evidenced-based.  Furthermore he is one of the best communicators and consultants that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to or working with.

In a previous life as Headmaster of a large independent boys’ school in New Zealand, I flew Dr Carr-Gregg over to my school community and he helped me launch a transformational innovation in the pastoral care program at this boys’ college. I cannot endorse his presence with us more enthusiastically. If you miss out on this evening that would be a very sad thing.

See you all there – hopefully we’ll have to transfer to Centennial Hall because the numbers will be so vast.

Rev David Williams
College Chaplain

Call for Presenters at our STEM Festival, 2014

The Biennial Science and Technology Festival returns this year with a broader scope as the festival expands to include the four fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics known by the acronym STEM. The Newington College STEM Festival will also benefit from a larger program, now spanning three days in Term 4 from Wednesday, 15 October  2014 to Friday, 17 October 2014.

The aims of the Festival are to promote interest in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics within both the College and the wider community and to provide experiences that are not available in the day-to-day curriculum.

In past years we have had a range of presenters coming from the University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, Macquarie University, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Australian Astronomical Observatory, The Australian Museum, Questacon, The Australian Maritime Museum, Westmead Hospital, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), many businesses, the ABC with presenters carrying out workshops and hands-on activities involving product design, milling, engineering, reptiles, insects, electrical circuit building, astronomy, forensic studies, chemical reactions and more.

Many past presenters are members of the Newington community, parents of current students and Newington Old Boys. If you would like to register your interest in presenting at the 2014 Newington College STEM Festival please register here.

We would like to thank the sponsor of this festival, the Newington College Parents and Friends Association for providing financial support for the event.

Mr David McNaughton
STEM Festival Co-ordinator / Maths & Computing Teacher

The History of Musicals at Newington

Our wonderful production of Oliver!, reported elsewhere, continues Newington’s long tradition of musical productions.

As far as we know, the first musical to be performed at Newington was a production of the Gilbert and Sullivan short comic opera, Trial by Jury, as part of a ‘Recital of Music and Drama’ presented over three nights in July 1962. The evenings’ performances, which also included the farce, The Crimson Cocoanut, and a variety of ‘Chansons Francaises’ by the French Choir, took place in the Assembly Hall (now the Prescott Hall).

Trial by Jury was organised by long-serving teacher Miss Joan Gray, the new Director of Music, Donald Hollier, and another teacher, G. Price. A report in The Newingtonian praised the excellent casting and singled out Christopher Leonard (now von Keisenberg) for his fine acting as the judge ‘who fell in love with the rich attorney’s elderly ugly daughter’. Overall, ‘the co-ordination of setting, timing and action was a triumph’, The Newingtonian reported.

It was a revival of Trial by Jury in 1973, as part of ‘An Evening of Gilbert and Sullivan’, that started an era of ever more ambitious musicals and other productions under the leadership of Headmaster Tony Rae and Director of Music Elizabeth Swain. Newington’s first performance of Oliver! in 1978 was one of these productions. The legacy of that era continues today.

Mr David Roberts
College Archivist

How to Combat Food Allergies

Food allergies commonly affect around 1 in 20 children. Ninety per cent of allergic reactions to foods in children are caused by eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, soy, fish, shellfish and wheat.

A child with a food allergy is unlikely to have parents with a food allergy. However if one child has a food allergy then their siblings have a slightly higher risk of developing an allergy.

Many children grow out of their allergies, for example most children with an allergy to cow’s milk will grow out of it by school age. Allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, seeds and seafood tend to persist through to adulthood.

Rates of peanut allergy have at least doubled in the last ten years. Peanut allergy is now seen in approximately 1 in 50 children and 1 in 200 adults in developed countries, although the exact reason for this is unclear. Research includes a vaccine preventing peanut allergy and immunotherapy to help desensitize the cause of the allergy is being undertaken. In the last few days an asthma drug has been shown to help desensitize people from multiple food allergens which is encouraging.

Skin prick allergy tests or allergy blood tests help to confirm or exclude triggers. Sometimes a temporary elimination diet under close medical supervision will be needed, followed by food challenges to identify the cause.

Those with food allergy may be ordered and antihistamine or adrenaline auto-injector with an Action Plan.

What are the signs to watch for?

Signs of a mild to moderate allergic reaction:

• Swelling of the lips, face, eyes
• Hives or welts appearing on skin
• Tingling mouth
• Abdominal pain and vomiting which can also be a sign of a severe allergic reaction to insects

Treatment:

• Stay with the person and call for help. Follow their action plan, which may include giving an anti-histamine medication. Ensure their adrenaline auto-injector (epipen) is ready in case the reaction worsens.

Signs of severe allergic reactions include any ONE of the following:

• Difficult/ noisy breathing
• Swelling of the tongue
• Swelling and tightness of the throat
• Difficulty talking
• Hoarse voice
• Wheeze or persistent cough
• Persistent dizziness or collapse
• Pale and floppy (for young children)

Treatment:

• Lay the person down, give the adrenalin auto-injector and call 000 stating the person is having an anaphylactic reaction. Another auto-injector can be given in 5 minutes if there is no response. CPR may be required.

Remember a severe life threatening reaction can occur without any mild symptoms displaying first. Keep the person lying down to prevent their blood pressure dropping even if they seem to improve.

Some children with anaphylaxis also have asthma and so you may be unsure if the child is suffering from asthma or anaphylaxis. In this case give the epipen first and then the asthma inhaler and of course call the ambulance. Evidence has shown that asthma has often been a major component of food induced fatal anaphylaxis.

It is important that the boys

• Carry their adrenalin auto injector and action plan
• Know the signs to watch for and know what to do
• Read and understand food labels
• Be confident when dining out and tell restaurant etc about their allergy
• Be aware of cross contamination when preparing food.

Where can I find an adrenalin auto-injector (Epipen)?

They are available in the clinic, pool office, cafeteria and staff common room.

The cafeteria is not a ‘nut free’ area as food bans are not recommended. The staff will help with appropriate choices. I encourage the boys to come to the clinic if concerned about anything they have eaten or if they have any symptoms. If I am called to a student I carry an epipen in my bag.

In the clinic there is a trainer epipen sitting on my desk for all the boys to try. Some like to remember ‘blue to the sky, orange to the thigh’ to remind them of how to use the epipen.

Feel free to contact me if you have any concerns mbates@newington.nsw.edu.au

Sister Margaret Bates
School Nurse

Launch of Positive Psychology Program at Newington

Newington College has commenced it’s Positive Psychology program with Year 9 boys, undertaking a unit on Mental Fitness this term. It is hoped that by following some of the best practices and research in Teenage Positive Psychology, we can equip our boys to be more grateful, more optimistic and more mentally tough in both their curricular and co-curricular lives.

The Mental Fitness unit involves a mentor program whereby the boys are encouraged to improve self-awareness, especially in relation to “the unknown” or “hidden” self which is often responsible for negative thoughts and cynicism. It looks to reduce automatic negative thoughts, which often leads to a “can’t do” mindset, and focus more on performance-enhancing thinking or “can do” thoughts.

Some background work from Positive Psychologists such as Martin Seligman has been beneficial when putting this program in place. Mr Seligman defines Positive Psychology as being more than just being happy all the time, but more about how we can pursue happiness by making our relationship with the world around us more meaningful. For this reason, the boys will be studying the significance of engagement, relationships, meaning, purpose, and accomplishment in their school life. Often Year 9 is known as the ‘lost’ year in secondary education, hence we hope it will be particularly beneficial to these boys.

Paula Robinson from the Positive Psychology Institute is leading staff through practical ways of applying these principles of positive psychology – positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and purpose, and accomplishment – to the boys’ school and family life. She is also introducing both boys and the staff to the concept of Mental Fitness. Using the metaphor of the physical body to explain the idea of mental strength stamina and flexibility is particularly successful as it is something they can all relate to. We hope that boys can take away some of Ms Robinson’s strategies which will assist us all in being more resilient in our thoughts and when coping with disappointment as well as enjoying successes.

This term’s unit has been appealing to our boys however sometimes applying these concepts can be challenging as they are required to be honest. Often, teenage boys are more inclined to set their standards low to avoid disappointment so it would be interesting to see if Positive Psychology will enable them to separate their individual worth from their achievements and accomplishments. The concept of ‘team’ is also covered in this unit. Team reassures the boys of who is behind them or with them at difficult times. This is an important element in building a happy approach towards life. Other key topics include well being, hope, love, zest, gratitude and curiosity.

Resilience or our our ability to bounce back after a difficult situation has been a school-wide topic with Dr Andrew Hirst presenting the concept to the boys during assembly at the beginning of term. As Dr Hirst explained, a boys’ ability to grow from failure, manage stress, manage their emotions and ‘bounce back’ from disappointment is significant, and sometimes equally as important as trying to maintain happiness.

The ability to be optimistic is essential for better health, a happier life, reduced stress and better relationships. Surely it is worth pointing this out to our young men as they move into adulthood. However, it must be done in a realistic and flexible way if it is to have real meaning for them.

The initial introduction of the program looked briefly at gratitude and optimism with a hilarious YouTube clip of American comedian Louis C.K. on a talk show saying “everything’s amazing and nobody’s happy”(Click here to view). It puts into context our rights and our expectations in the modern world and how unrealistic some of them are at times.

The practical activities covered in this unit and how they are relevant to the demands of school life we hope will assist our boys in the years to come. Some first impression comments on the program are listed below and I will continue to give feedback on the progress of the program from both staff and student perspectives.

The single, long term aim is that our boys can better rise to life’s challenges, make the most of setbacks and adversities, and optimistically look forward to the future.

“We have been looking at how to be more positive, more optimistic. We are learning how we can be more resilient and bounce back from disappointments”. – Rhys Watkins, (9/MA)

“We have been looking at our goals for the year and how to use our strengths to help us”. – Nick Davies (9/MO)

Mr. Robert Meakin
Deputy Head of Stanmore (Students)

Clean Up Australia Day 2014

On a soggy Sunday morning over 130 boys from Years 7 to 12 gathered outside Centenary Hall to do their part for the environment and community. Armed with gloves, rubbish bags and the determination to take action against environmental degradation, they took to the streets surrounding the College for an event that engages local communities from across the entire nation – Clean Up Australia Day.

For the past three years, the Sustainability Committee has organised for the school to host Clean Up Australia Day. In 2011, our first year hosting the event, about forty boys gathered in Montague Gardens opposite Wyvern House and within an hour it was returned to a pristine, rubbish-free state. Learning from this experience, the Committee decided that larger areas were to be cleaned in future years, with the hope that more boys would continue to volunteer and that it would become a staple community event in the Newington calendar, akin to the Red Shield Appeal.

Needless to say, as the Committee and its various operations around the school grew and became better known, so did the number of boys volunteering to help clean up the streets of Stanmore. To account for the larger amounts of volunteers, the committee significantly increased the size of the area to be cleaned. This year we cleaned an area ranging from Trafalgar Street in the north down to Addison Road in the south, and from Shaw Street in the west to Tupper Street in the east. Naturally, an area of this size could not have been cleaned without the help of the 130 boys who were willing to give up three hours of their weekend to better our local environment.

Upon arrival, boys signed-in according to House groups, with House and School Leaders taking charge by helping organise all the volunteers into groups before they headed out into the streets to clean. A special mention of both Prescott and Kelynack House, with the largest numbers of volunteers.

After two hours of sweeping the streets the groups began to gradually return, bringing with them a vast array of unusual trash items found littered in the streets, along with the usual paper and plastic scraps. One group alone was responsible for finding a torn-up armchair, a cracked television screen, a shredded suitcase and three shopping trolleys. In fact, every group found shopping trolleys, which they craftily used to carry the heavier rubbish items. The rubbish collected was deposited on College Lane, where Marrickville Council will collect and properly dispose of it later in the week.

As the inaugural holder of the position of Captain of Sustainability, I took it upon myself to take care of the organisational matters that the Day required. However, I was soon overwhelmed by the sheer logistical prowess needed to help successfully organise an event like this. It is for this reason that I am extremely grateful to everyone who helped in organisational matters, including Sebastian Rees (12/PR) for making multiple speeches advertising the event and Louis Brosnan (8/FL) for hanging-up posters around the school.

I’d also like to thank all of the House Captains who helped increase awareness about the Day at their House Meetings, and especially to those leaders that volunteered to clean up. Two leaders had this to say about the Day:

“Clean Up Australia Day was again an enjoyable experience. The number of younger boys involved showed me how important the issue of environmental degradation is to our future, and it was great to be involved with combating it.”- Tom van der Velde (12/JN)

“This was my first time participating in Clean Up Australia Day and it was great to see boys from across all age groups come together to do something good for the environment. It was actually a really fun experience, so I’d recommend it for anyone of any age.” – Patrick Graham (12/MO)

Furthermore, I’d like to thank staff member Mr. Walsh for supervising groups on the day along with the Ground Staff, who provided us with rubbish bags and other necessary equipment.

I’m also greatly appreciative of the work of Thomas Barker (8/FL) who took photos on the day, with a sample attached to this article (the Sustainability SPACES page will have a gallery with all the photos). Naturally, my thanks are also extended to every single student volunteer who gave up their time to do something good for the environment and community.

Finally, the greatest thanks of all must go to Ms. Randell, whose dedication to bettering the environment is truly unmatched. She has been a great organiser, leader, teacher and mentor, guiding me, the committee and indeed the entire school to achieving the goal of a more environmentally friendly Newington. I know that with her guidance the committee will continue to grow and organise events such as Clean Up Australia Day, as well as creating our own events to carry out throughout the year.

In summary, this year’s Clean Up Australia Day was a great success for the committee, and it was the individual dedication and motivation of each student volunteer that made this so. I ask that all members of the Newington Community keep an eye and ear open for more news about the successes of the committee and furthermore that any student, parent or friend wishing to become involved within the committee does so. So, keep an eye on the Sustainability Spaces page, or email either Ms. Randell or myself.

Connor McNamara (12/MO)
Captain of Sustainability and Moulton Vice-Captain

Chier Maker awarded CIS 2014 Outstanding Individual Sportsman

Please put your hands together for Chier Maker (12/FL) who won the MJ Punch Award for Outstanding Individual Sportsman at the Combined Independent Sport Awards held on Friday 21 February.

This is the fourth year in a row a Newington sportsperson has won this prestigious award. Chier is the third Basketballer to win the award for Newington. In 2013, Water Polo player Anthony Hrysanthos (ON 2013) was awarded this title.

Year 10 student Callum Lowe-Griffiths (10/PR) received a mention on the night winning the Outstanding Secondary Contribution Award for his involvement in Swimming, Triathlon and Cross Country, and the following boys were awarded CIS Blues. Blues are given to individuals who perform at an exceptional level. They are awarded to boys in Years 10, 11, or 12 who are NSWCIS medallion recipients in the current year. Newington College is proud of all these boys for their outstanding achievements over the past year.

• Blazo Djurovic (ON 2013) – Tennis
• Jack Haddrick (ON 2013) – Basketball
• Jack Jones (ON 2013) – Basketball
• James Smith (ON 2013) – Water polo
• Joey Lussick (ON 2013) – Rugby League
• Jordan Gauci (11/FL) – Cricket

Morgan McDonald (ON 2013) was awarded a Blue Bar for his outstanding achievement in Cross Country. A Blue Bar is presented to someone who has been awarded the NSWCISSC Blue in the previous year, and who has repeatedly met the Blue Award Criteria in the same sport over time. Congratulations Morgan on a tremendous accolade.

The CIS Secondary Team of the year was Basketball which featured three Newington players, Jack Haddrick (ON 2013), Jack Jones (ON 2013) and Chier Maker. Congratulations to these boys and a special mention to their exceptional coach Mr Rex Nottage.

Le Couteur Centre Re-opens

It may have been a long time since Headmaster Philip Le Couteur walked through the corridors of Newington College, but last Wednesday 26 February, this prominient man and his legacy was remembered and celebrated in the official re-opening of the Le Couteur Centre.

The Deputy Chair of Council Mr Bruce Carroll (ON 1964), ONU President Mr Bruce Mellor (ON 1982), Michael Le Couteur (grandson of the former Headmaster) and several Old Newingtonians who attended the College during the Le Couteur years were present at the inauguration.

After the ceremony, the Headmaster Dr David Mulford invited the official party to take a tour of the newly refurbished building. While many were stuck by the staged lecture space in the Photographic and Digital Media specialty classroom, others reminisced about the friends and teachers they had met while being a student at Newington.

Prior to the renovation, the Le Couteur Centre had been home to the College’s Library and Cafeteria.  Today Visual Arts Classes occupy the first floor with Languages and Learning Enhancement classes held on level two.

Oliver! The Musical

After three months of rehearsals and many weekends spent in Centenary Hall honing our dancing skills, the cast of boys from Years 7 to 12 and girls from PLC Sydney, MLC School and SCEGGS Darlinghurst performed the broadway classic, Oliver! at the Parade Theatre at NIDA.

The show was met with critical acclaim from staff, parents and boys alike. The 88 strong company was lead by Leo Tracy (12/MO) who played Fagin and Senior Prefect Kevin Stathis (12/JN) who played Bill Sykes. The musical also showed off the talent of some up and coming stars of the Drama department such as Jack Crawford (9/KL) as The Artful Dodger and Oliver Smith (8/MA) in the title role.

The opportunity to perform in a professional theatre was relished by all and particularly exciting on our closing night when we performed to a sold out house of around 650 people!

We encourage all boys to get involved in future musicals at the College, even if you have no prior experience. Anyone who wants to be in the cast is allowed to participate and we can honestly say, it will be one of the greatest experiences in your time at school.

A big thank you to all of the staff involved who worked tirelessly to give us the experience, particularly Ms Smith, Mr Scott, Lauren McKenna, Mrs McKenzie, Mr Williams, Mr Harris and Dr Gilmour.

Lyndon Carney (12/FL) and Brendan Creswick (12/JN)
Oliver! Cast Members

Oliver!
Book, Music & Lyrics by Lionel Bart
Orchestral Arrangement by William David Brohn
By arrangement with Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd,
exclusive representative of Cameron Mackintosh and the Southbrooke Group.

Academic Excellence Assembly 2014

“To the students who completed Year 12 last year, I’m sure that you’re excited to enter a new phase of your life, whichever path you’ve decided to take. I have no doubt that your time at Newington was enjoyable and rewarding, providing you with the best possible foundation for the future”. – Jonathan Selby (ON 2008)

Former Dux of Year 12 from 2008 and Law graduate from the University of Sydney, Jonathan Selby (ON 2008) was the guest speaker at the Academic Excellence Assembly held in Centenary Hall on Wednesday 19 February. As boys from Years 10 to 12 were congratulated on their achievements in the past year, a special place was reserved for sixty six boys from the Sesquicentenary class of 2013 who had achieved top marks in the HSC or IB Diploma.They were seated in the first two rows of the hall, waiting for their turn to stand and take their place on the stage.

Jonathan’s message about giving it your all, and enjoying the journey reverberated through the Hall as each of the Year 12 2013 high fliers was invited onto the stage. With the student body, Newington staff and family members before them, it was a proud moment for these Old Newingtonians.

We congratulate the HSC and IB Diploma class of 2013 on their excellent results and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

Next Stop Cambridge for Andrew Zhao (ON 2013)

The recent Academic Excellence Assembly gave the school a chance to catch up with the boys who performed well in 2013. One in particular was Andrew Zhao (ON 2013), who was one of two boys who scored 7 in the IB Diploma in Geography and a top band for the Extended Essay.

Under the astute guidance of Mr Bernard Harris, the class as a whole performed very well as the first cohort to complete the Geography course. As a glowing tribute to his efforts in the subject in the IB Diploma course, Andrew has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study Geography at Queens College. He doesn’t start until October but is preparing himself for the experience by tapping into Mr Harris’ recollections. He also intends to complete some TAFE courses to broaden his capabilities (that and grow a beard…).

We wish Andrew all the very best for what will be an outstanding experience.

Bundanon Visual Arts Camp

From Sunday 2 February to Tuesday 4 February 2014, 43 Year 11 Visual Arts students and Mr Thompson, Mr Pawley and Ms Chapman travelled to the Bundanon Trust, property of the late Australian artists Arthur Boyd in the Shoalhaven River area.

“The camp is planned as an introduction to the Senior Visual Arts program, structured along the line of an intensive university level course where students undergo a series of lectures and masterclasses in various art making techniques. In the lectures Visual Arts Teacher, Mr Pawley introduced the notion that all artworks are forms of representations as well as many of the significant concepts covered in the HSC course”, said Rowan Smith (11/PR). “I no longer value art by how realistically it represents its subject”, he added.

The days are spent on the inspiring property of The Boyds, all 1,100 hectares of it. Boys visited Arthur Boyd’s original studio and homestead and worked within the conditions of the landscape to create sculptures. They were able to further develop their skills through drawing and painting workshops continuing to engage in representing the landscape.

“In the rural area, there was so much around to work with. So many different landscapes and intricate natural objects to find. I really appreciated the level of diversity in the area that enabled us to explore so many different ideas. Because of the diversity, every one of us could create something completely different and unique”, said Ashan Karunagaran (11/KL).

From their experiences boys were then asked to select aspects of their impressions to represent in their own artworks. Unsurprisingly the American Institute of Architecture Gold Medalist and Pritzker Prize winner, Glen Murcutt’s accommodation was a highlight for the boys.

“I appreciated the peacefulness that the buildings allowed us to enjoy and work in. It gave us the chance to always be in the environment and observe it from multiple perspectives no matter where we were in the buildings”, said Mackenzie Connell (11/FL).

Year 11 students are spending all of Term 1 developing the ideas through a range of mark making techniques that will eventually be compiled into a book that they will submit.

As teachers we find this intensive time away incredibly helpful for the boys success in the Preliminary and Higher School Certificate Visual Arts course. The content they are able to absorb and then employ is unique to the teaching and learning at Newington College and provides a critical platform for their future achievements in the course.

Thank you to Head of Visual Arts, Mr Andrew Thompson for his organisation and leadership in this camp.

History Debaters Reach Grand Final Two Years Running

Newington’s Year 11 History debating team made up of Ben Adams (12/FL), Sean Hatten (12/ME), Sebastian Rees (12/PR) and Samuel Wallace (12/MO) have again made the Grand Final of the Les Gordon Inter-School History Debating competition. The team has maintained an extraordinary run of form remaining undefeated since they started in the competition in 2012.

On the way to the final in the 2013-14 competition they defeated Sefton High in the Quarter Finals and a formidable team from Tara in the Semi Finals. The Grand Final will take place here at Newington (Prescott Hall) at 4.30pm on the 13th of March. Our opponents in the final will be the unknown quantity that is Good Samaritan School, Hinchinbrook. They have claimed some big scalps on the way to the final including James Ruse Agricultural High School and last year’s Year 10 Grand finalists, Loreto Normanhurst.

The topic for the debate will be that “the historian is more important than history itself.” The boys would love to see members of the Newington community in the crowd for the Grand Final especially as we have word that our opponents will be bussing a crowd over to Stanmore for the event.

Team member Sebastian Rees shared these comments going into the final,“Having won the competition last year, we’re reasonably confident coming into the final, but we cannot afford to be complacent. We know from past experience, careful preparation and case outline can prove the difference in this competition.”

In commenting on the experience of History debating, team member Sean Hatten has offered these insights, “History debating has allowed me to take an approach to history that I would not otherwise have had; that history is not as static as some would have us believe. I have learnt to delve into various biases and opinions regarding important events in history, rather than taking the entirety or every version recounted to me as fact.”

The boys have worked hard to maintain high standards in this competition and have been impressed by the quality of other historians in the schools they have visited around Sydney.

First Speaker Ben Adams respectfully comments that, “going to other schools around Sydney has been a good insight into the standard of competition that’s out there. We’ve seen that there are other students working just as hard as us and sometimes to an even higher standard, so that has forced us to constantly lift our performances.”

The boys are the true embodiment of the critical and analytical thinking we aim to develop in all of our historians here at Newington. They have been buoyed by the support they have received from staff and students thus far and would love to see this continue in the Grand Final. If they do win, they will be the first team that has won the trophy two years running. Fingers crossed for another triumph!

Mr Marco Scali
History Teacher