Book tickets to Spamalot Now!

How many inflatable cows, rubber fishes and cans of Spam are required in the production of this year’s musical Spamalot?

Come along and find out on Thursday 25th, Friday 26th or Saturday 27th February at the Parade Theatre, NIDA, when Newington boys along with three other girls’ schools will take to the stage to present Spamalot, a musical comedy adapted from the 1975 hit Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The production features more than 86 drama boys and 20 orchestra members from across various year groups. The cast is now close to completing it’s hundreth hour of rehearsals and the energy behind the scenes is palpable.

Spamalot originally debuted on Broadway in 2005. Directed by Mike Nichols, the original Broadway production went on to become a Tony Award-winning showstopper that premiered in Australia in Melbourne in 2007.

Newington’s production of Spamalot will consist of 36 moving set pieces, 500 festoon lights and more than 200 costumes. With only 659 seats at the Parade Theatre in NIDA available, it’s time to jump onto Ticketek and book your tickets fast! 

For all enquiries please e-mail Jane Wynn-Jones. 

Setting boundaries right from the start

How often do we see talented sportspeople crash and burn after only a few years in the limelight? Now of course I am not going to name any names, but for me there have been two amazingly talented sportsmen who are on the verge of that disastrous decent into oblivion.  One is a tennis player and one is a rugby league player; both of these young men are nearing the top of their game but a succession of poor decisions and also, I believe, a lack of mentoring has seen them teetering on the brink of disappearing into sporting, and possibly even personal, obscurity.

The tennis player is probably the most talented young player that this country has ever bred.  He is agile, tall and incredibly psychologically competitive – he was born to play tennis.  Furthermore he is very popular especially with young tennis players in this country, and his young devotees unfortunately mimic his every move.  The problem is our young talented tennis hero has yet to find a way of curbing his on court profanities and extreme outbursts of uncontrolled behaviour, to the extent that he has been dropped from the Australian Davis Cup team.  Now I acknowledge it must be hard to be under the “spotlight” all the time – both on and off the court.  The problem is that his undisciplined, and ill-controlled behaviour has the potential to seriously limit his future in tennis and later as a well-balanced, contributing member of society.  There are consequences for out of control antics – the repercussions can be enormous.

The rugby league player’s situation is slightly different but it’s the same scenario in the sense that uncontrolled behaviour is putting this young man’s future in jeopardy.  Some unfortunate moments of this chap’s partying behaviour, fuelled by booze (and possible other substances), recorded on a mobile device have led this league player to be sanctioned and possibly ejected from his club, and possibly the NRL.

There are two strong observations we can make from these headlining sports disasters: the first is that stupid and ill-disciplined behaviour has serious knock on effects in our life (and the life of our young men). We should be used to having boundaries set early by our parents so that later on we have a moral sense of control to behave in ways that will not bring us into disrepute or damage other people around us. 

The second observation I make is to ask the question where are the close, strong and mature mentors to these two talented athletes?  Surely to an extent these two have been let down by the mentors around them – positive and older role models play such a vital role in the lives of our young people.

I hope I still have quite a number of parents still reading this short little article. I love sport and I love seeing success thrive however, expectations for good behaviour and moral boundaries need to be set by us as parents’ right from the start of a child’s life. It is too late when our kids reach the middle teens.

Secondly, our young lads need positive, mature and close mentors who they can look up to and model.  Be innovative in creating opportunities for your sons (and daughters) to meet such people and spend time with them in this school community and in your extended family.

Read Steve Biddulph or Dr Michael Carr-Gregg – they agree with this approach. Call it tough love if you like, but it works and here is a short passage from one of my favourite places in the Bible:

“8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”  (Hebrews 12)

Rev David Williams
College Chaplain

Year 7 get their Tech On

With Term 1 now well underway our boys are deep into the challenge of using their iPads and laptops to extend, enhance and deepen their understanding of subject matter and to create, connect, organise and personalise their learning.

2016 marks the fourth full year of the Newington Personal Learning Technologies program. Beginning with a structured iPad-based experiement in 2011, the program has grown to now incorporate all boys from Kindergarten to Year 12.

This week all Year 7 boys are working with E-Learning Leaders Mr Terence Priester and Mr Michael Ha, supported by Ms. Nikki Stevens and the enthusiastic ICT Service Team.

The initial focus for Year 7 is ensuring that they have the raw ‘building blocks’ for learning with their iPads. In class groups they’re learning about SPACES and the online student Diary. They’re learning the strategies to stay organised: navigating through their online classes in Canvas to access work from class, complete their homework, and upload many of their class assignments. In upcoming lessons they’ll focus on tools for making notes, audio/video screencasts, and other ways to organise their notes and reflect on what they have learned.

At Newington, the use of ‘personal’ technology by boys is not a gimmick – its use is purposeful and strategic and is used by teachers in ways that are vitally important for the boys’ learning. ICT used in creative and relevant ways helps boys safely and steadily build the skills essential for coping and thriving in the 21st Century; it is about far more than the technology itself. As the learning, mathematics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) theorist, Seymour Papert notes, “nothing could be more absurd than an experiment in which computers are placed in a classroom where nothing else is changed”. The whole ICT team is looking forward to an exciting year ahead as the boys partner with teachers to discover and learn.

How to help your son settle into School

Welcome back and a special welcome to all new parents and students to the College. I hope that you enjoy this year. The Health Centre is situated at the top of the Le Couteur building at the car park end, while the building works continue. There is a lift but for two weeks from Monday 8 February the footpath in is being renovated so please phone me on 9568 9426 or 0407 004 738 if you are having trouble accessing the clinic.

I am here Monday – Thursday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. We also have first aid coverage for Saturday sport in the first aid room just inside the back gates on Newington Road.

Please let me know of any change in medical details for your son or of any recent injuries/illnesses so that I can update their files. New parents please ensure that you have completed the medical form online.

• If you are a Year 7 parent, please fill in the form here
• If you are a Year 8 – 12 parent, please fill in this form

We have some boys at school who are receiving treatment for cancer and other serious conditions. These students are recovering well but are nevertheless more prone to infections. Therefore it is very important that parents contact me at the Health Centre if your son develops an infectious disease, in particular chicken pox or measles. It is also important for your son to stay home if unwell with a fever/bad cold and cough or if they have a gastric infection, to help prevent the spread of infection to others.

The College is not a ‘nut free’ zone but as there are many boys at school with anaphylaxis, it would be appreciated if Nutella and peanut butter products were not brought to school. If your son is really keen to bring these items then please have a conversation with them about not sharing these foods and explain how some boys can have a serious life threatening allergy.

Spare epipens are located in the Health Centre, pool office, library, Common Room, Concordia, Boarding House and the boat shed.

For those with asthma please ensure that you carry your reliever in your bag. At school, ventolin inhalers are available from the pool office, library and the Health Centre.

Vaccinations for Year 7 will commence on Thursday 10 March 2016. These vaccines are only free while your son is in Year 7.

They will be offered

• Boostrix (diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough booster) single dose
• Chicken pox vaccine, only if they have not had it previously or had the disease.
• HPV vaccine in a 3-dose course.

Consent forms will be handed out in Mentor time shortly.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding immunisation, as it can be confusing.

To help your son settle into school routine the best advice I can offer is to be positive, patient and encourage them to get enough sleep each night. Nine hours of sleep really helps the boys to cope with the demands of school and new friendships.

I have a small supply of spare uniforms in case an item has been forgotten or gets damaged, which the boys are welcome to borrow. I would appreciate if these could then be returned ready for the next boy.

If you would like to discuss any concerns, please feel free to contact me by phone (9568 9426) or by e-mailing me at mbates@newington.nsw.edu.au.

Sister Margaret Bates
College Nurse

Sport Report

Welcome back to another year of sport at Newington!

Sporting fixtures and trials will be held on the following Saturdays in Term 1.

• Saturday 13 February
• Saturday 20 February
• Saturday 27 February
• Saturday 5 March
• Saturday 12 March – Head of the River Rowing Regatta – Penrith
• Saturday 19 March – Winter Trials
• Saturday 26 March – NO Sport, Easter break
• Saturday 2 April – Winter Trials

Winter Sport training will commence on Monday 14 March for boys in Years 8 to 12 and Tuesday 8 March for Year 7.

Triathlon

Boys wishing to compete in the NSW All Schools triathlon at Penrith on the 2 – 3 March should see Mr Dickens in the Sports Department by Wednesday 17 February. Individual events are on Wednesday 2 March and team events are on Thursday 3 March. Further information will be posted on the Sports page on SPACES. Age Groups are:

Junior 12-14 Years

400m Swim    10km Cycle   3km Run

Intermediate 15 – 16 Years

400m Swim    10km Cycle   3km Run

Senior 17-19 Years

400m Swim    10km Cycle   3km Run

Rowing

On Saturday 13 February the State Championships out at Penrith will be held for the senior crews. At the same time the Newington regatta will be held for the junior crews at Hen and Chicken Bay. We wish all crews the very best. We would also like to acknowledge the support of the Newington Rowing Association in the running of the Newington Regatta.

Swimming

The Newington Age Swimming Championships were held on Friday 5 February with boys from Year 7 – 12 competing in a number of events. Reports from Mr Moar, Director of Aquatics indicate a strong season ahead for the Newington Swimming team. It was very encouraging to see many boys striving to do their best. Final results will be posted on the SPACES Swimming page.

Newington College offers a twice weekly swim squad for students. The purpose of the swim squad is to help boys improve their fitness and technique for competition in swimming, water polo and for general wellbeing.

During Term 1 2016 the squad will operate at the following times:

Tuesday 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Thursday 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Water Polo

On the weekend of 30 January the U16 Water Polo State Championships were held in Canberra. Newington was well represented with 13 boys competing for varying clubs for the title.

Congratulations to the boys on your selection.

Congratulations

Sailing

Thomas Larkings (9/FL) won Silver Medal in the 2015-2016 Australian Sabot Sailing National Championships which where held on Lake Macquarie in December – January. The championship raced over six days and ten races with over 120 competitors from four states. The final race was decided by the narrowest of margin.

Tony Harrison (8/MA) also competed and finished a very respectable 4th on handicap.

Well done to Tom and Tony who have now teamed up for the 2016-2017 season in a Flying 11 and will be competing at the National titles in Hobart in January 2017.

Another member of the Larkings family, Henry Larkings (10/FL) made sailing his debut season in the International 29er skiff class and won the Australian 29er Junior Champion. The Australian 29er Nationals was held at Woollahra Sailing Club in January with competitors from all over Australia, NZ and Hong Kong.

16 races where raced in appalling conditions often through very heavy rain and strong winds which did not deter the competitors but made it more challenging, pushing the 29er skiffs along at incredible speeds.

Congratulations to Henry on a superb debut!

A Message from the Head of Stanmore

The start to any school year brings with it that uncomfortable feeling of putting on the shirt and tie and perhaps the new pair of school shoes. For some there is the adjustment of sleeping patterns, the butterflies in the stomach coupled with the exhilaration associated with all that is possible in a new school year. The nervousness and other associated emotions can be overwhelming; but for most this dissipates quickly as the rhythm of the day and the people they share it with bring a sense of calmness and belonging. For those who take a little more time to adjust, this is also quite natural and I hope the Meet the Mentor afternoon for Year 8 to 12 students helped make the start of the year more pleasant. For the new Year 7s it is crucial that parents maintain open lines of communication with your son’s Mentor. We welcome parent contact and see our partnership with you in supporting your son as central to your son’s success and happiness at the College.

On the first day I met with all the new Year 8 to Year 11 students before they were collected by their respective Head of House or Mentor. I shared the same advice a friend gave my own son before he started at his new school. Some of those words of advice were – ‘ease yourself in; you do not need to announce to the world you have arrived as your actions will do your talking for you’. I spoke of the welcome I had received and the kind and helpful nature of our staff and students. Of course things will not always be easy and nor should they be.

I would like to extend my welcome to the following new teaching staff to Stanmore:

• Mrs Jessie Lawson – Learning Enhancement (Canobolas High)
• Mr Phil Willis – Mathematics (UNSW)
• Ms Emily Portmann – Visual Arts (Riverview)
• Mrs Shelley Carruthers – Hospitality-D/T (Marist Kogarah)
• Dr Bryan Hall – Science (Physics) (Fort St High)
• Ms Genevieve Hayes – Mathematics (AIS Malaysia)
• Mr James Battaglia – Science (Chemistry) (CBC Lewisham)
• Mrs Naomi Tsvirko – English (Semester 1) (Holy Cross Ryde)
• Ms Caroline Naguib – Mathematics (North Kingsgrove High)
• Ms Maya Saker- French (part-time) (Penrith Anglican College)
• Mrs Cassandra Pride – English (part-time) (APA Grammar School)

The various co-curricular programs have started at a furious pace and I congratulate our senior leaders and particularly our senior rowers on the support they are offering the younger students in the program. In a school such as ours where there are strong connections across the College I saw first-hand what the gesture of help and support can do to the confidence of a younger student. Small gestures of kindness can have more impact than the giver thought possible, and can reverberate through the College and build on our ingrained culture of service. To lead is first and foremost to be prepared to serve others, and as Reverend David Williams so eloquently reminded me at my commissioning, humility is at the centre of leadership. Music, Drama and Sport are wonderful forums upon which such lessons can be learnt.

Mr David Roberts
Head of Stanmore / Deputy Headmaster

New Boys debut at Tropfest Junior Film Festival

A group of Year 9 boys have made it to the finals of the TropJR short film competition this year. Presented by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, TropJR is the junior competition of Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival. Films entered are made specifically for the festival and must be no longer than seven minutes long. The films will be screened on February 14 in Sydney’s Centennial Parklands along with live entertainment and great food and drink!

The entry of Year 9 students Christopher Spiropoulos (9/ME), Daniel Nailand (9/LE), Morgan Burkitt-Doyle (9/LE), Tom Mowat (9/JN), and Benjamin Klipin (no longer at the College) was a sci-fi/action/thriller entitled Chronophobia.

“Each year, TropJR has a specific object that must be included in the film,” explains the film’s producer Christopher Spiropoulos (9/ME). “Last year it was buttons. The way the buttons are incorporated in our film are such that the buttons have the ability to travel through time and our main character, James (played by Tom Mowat (9/JN)) goes back in time to stop his father’s death.” The boys took inspiration for their work from Christopher Nolan’s films such as Memento and Inception.

Their final film was the result of much hard work by these budding filmmakers but the opportunity provided invaluable experience and a great sense of collective achievement. “I enjoy watching the process unfold,” said the Director, Daniel Nailand (9/LE), “seeing it go from pre-production through post-production and then seeing the final product. It gives me a sense of accomplishment knowing that the hard work and effort from the team has paid off.”

Congratulations to the team on their fantastic efforts and we wish them all the best at the festival on the 14 February!

Sign up for Nepal 2016

Details of the 2016 biennial Nepal Trip are now up on SPACES. The trip combines time spent conducting worthwhile community work with extraordinary treks into the Everest region and intercultural learning opportunities.

Service learning is one of the main focuses of the trip. A student on the previous year’s trip, Alex Iannuzzi (ON 2015) commented that ‘this is one of the best opportunities Newington offers for us to go and directly support people who are truly in need.’

There are two main service projects: firstly, three days will be spent at a remote health clinic undertaking essential maintenance work on the building and providing valuable lessons on general hygiene and public health to under privileged students at a nearby school.

Secondly, time will be spent visiting the Hermann Gmeiner SOS Schools in Kathmandu which takes in homeless children, providing them with housing, food and an education. Newington has a strong relationship with this school having run the Wyvern gap year student program with students from the school for twenty years. The 2016 trip will help to further strengthen this relationship.

All this is combined with various treks and walks in to the Everest region to experience some of the most spectacular mountain scenery on earth and ample opportunities to gain an intimate insight into the culture and people of Nepal, who Alex calls ‘some of the nicest and most giving people in this world.’

The 22 day trip is set to be an incredibly rewarding and eye-opening learning experience that will push students outside their comfort zone and help them appreciate the value of service to others.

An information evening will be held on 10 March 2016. More information on the tour and photos from previous years can be found on the 2016 Nepal Trip SPACE.

For more information or to register your interest contact Mr Garner.

See the gallery of photos from the Nepal Trip 2014 below.

Nelson Crossley (10/PR) awarded Australia Day Citizen Prize

Year 10 student Nelson Crossley (10/PR) was recently named an Achievement Award winner in Ashfield Council’s 2016 Australia Day Citizen Awards. Nelson volunteers for Bushcare, a community group that helps with the regeneration of the Greenway with native vegetation.

“At Bushcare we try to grow a small patch of national bush land within the city,” Nelson said. “Its great fun, I get to know amazing people who want to help the environment, I learn a lot and hopefully I can help the environment as well.”

The awards formally thank, acknowledge and congratulate local residents of Ashfield for their contributions and achievements in the community. Nelson has certainly made a significant contribution having given up twenty Sunday mornings throughout the year to work for Bushcare while also encouraging friends and family to join the group too!

It’s clear Nelson is full of passion for this cause: “It is obvious that the environment is not in a good state,” Nelson said. “And as young people we are going to have to solve this problem. So what better time to start than now. The sooner the better.”

Congratulations Nelson on your fantastic achievement!

Big Bash Champions Sydney Thunder at Newington

During the summer holidays, Newington was the training base for the Sydney Thunder men’s and women’s Big Bash teams – both 2016 Big Bash Champions!
 
International stars such as Australian Test, One Day and T20I Captain Shane Watson, Jacques Kallis, Usman Khawaja, Andree Russell, Clint McKay, and men’s team Captain ‘Mr Cricket’ Mike Hussey and women’s team Captain Alex Blackwell, trained at our world class facilities for the full eight week season.
 
Both teams were very complimentary of the quality of our facilities, which our boys benefit from every day and we like to think that this was the winning edge that saw both teams claim victory at the MCG.
 
All members of both teams were great with those boys they met on campus over the holidays – signing bats, balls, hats and shirts and giving them an insight into the life of an international cricketer.
 
Congratulations to both teams on being crowned BBL Champions and we look forward to having you back at Newington next summer!

Plane crash near school — Pilot making for oval

It is undoubtedly fortunate that the only recorded attempt to land an aeroplane on the College’s playing fields was made during the school holidays.

On the afternoon of Saturday 8 January 1938, Mr Ronald Gower took off from Mascot in a Taylor Cub light plane. He was flying over Camperdown at 2500 feet (762 metres) when the engine cut out. He picked out Newington’s ovals as the most likely place for landing and glided the plane down. It appeared that he would reach the oval, but the wind lifted the plane and he crashed into an iron railing at the rear of the College.

As the Sydney Morning Herald reported the following Monday, ‘the under-carriage was damaged, the fuselage ripped, and the engine displaced.’ Apart from suffering ‘slightly from shock’, Mr Gower escaped injury and was able to supervise the removal of the plane to Mascot.

The accident seems to have been the result of a confluence of circumstances. The same Taylor Cub plane had made a forced landing, for reasons not reported, at Randwick racecourse the day before while three other aeroplanes were damaged by sudden gusts of wind in Sydney on the day of the crash.

Mr David Roberts
College Archivist

Making Friends and Overcoming Fears at Year 7 Camp

After an exciting and information-filled first two days of school, our young men embarked on one of the highlights of their first term at Newington – the mighty Year 7 camp!

The camp at Stanwell Tops encourages our students and mentors to build on the initial friendships they have developed in Week 1, as well as giving them the opportunity to challenge themselves through a range of activities. The momentum this camp generates for our year group, together with the positive life lessons of friendship, cooperation, teamwork and honesty ensures that our boys start the year in the best way possible.

The camp was certainly a success with many of the boys sharing their positive experiences of the trip:

Angus Ole (7/PR) wrote, “On the 1st of February, a group of very excited Year 7s, our enthusiastic mentors and some keen Year 11 Peer Support leaders set off for Stanwell Tops, a sport and recreation camp organized by the very best! They even took our bags off the bus so we could relax and just have fun!” 

With heaps of activities arranged for the boys, there wasn’t a dull moment! Edward Moir (7/ME) was a big fan of the mountain bike riding, saying that “the track was all wet and muddy and I enjoyed doing skids in the dirt.”

There were also plenty of learning opportunities on offer with boys participating in a lesson on Aboriginal culture, which Clinton Walsh (7/KL) said was “both interesting and engaging! The weapons and tools were impressive and the boomerang throwing was terrific.”

Most importantly perhaps about the camp was that it was a great way to make new and lasting friendships with other Year 7 boys. “It benefited not just me but all of us to make new friends,” said Peter Dendrinos (7/MO). “This has wiped out all my worries and fears about making new friends and has set me up for the rest of the year and maybe most of my school life.”

Special thanks to Ms Christian and our fantastic mentors who led the boys with enthusiasm and cared for them with patience and understanding. They make a great team and the young men of Year 7 are certainly in for a memorable year ahead!

Mr David King
Head of Year 7

Discovering a new Visual Language at Bundanon Art Camp

The annual Year 11 Visual Arts Camp was held from Saturday 30 January to Monday 1 February and attended by all 36 boys from the HSC Visual Arts course. Situated in the pristine environs of the Shoalhaven River Valley, the very location Australian Artist Arthur Boyd felt had a profound effect on his thinking and work, our boys spent three days attending a Masterclass and immersed themselves in their own art making.

This year’s program asked boys to investigate representation throughout art history and referenced Philosophers and theorists from Plato to Walter Benjamin. The program was also influenced by this year’s New Artist in Residence Mikala Dwyer. As a contemporary artist, Mikala was able to guide our boys into thinking about the freedom artists have in questioning the meaning of representation.

Working amidst the breathtaking vista of Bundanon Trust, Mikala challenged the boys to look beyond the concrete and literate and think more abstractly about the landscape. She encouraged the boys to experiment with contemporary mark making processes, and so throughout the camp, the boys tried out experimental drawing and printmaking processes to recreate the landscape they were living in. Many said that the biggest challenge they faced was in working with non-recogniseable styles. However it was also with this limitation that they were about to gain the most as many boys found their own visual language through this process.

As always, this year’s camp provided the boys with fresh ideas and approaches towards their own art making. A great way to kick start their HSC journey. A big thank you to Mr Thompson, Ms Chapman and Ms Tanase for their dedication and organisation. 

Fresh Start at Edmund Webb Boarding House

The Christmas Holidays were a hive of activity at Edmund Webb Boarding House as significant renovations took place. Black & White sat down with the Head of Boarding, Mr Troy Stanley to find out what’s new at the Boarding House and what our boarders can expect in the year to come.

How far along are the renovations?

The top floor is now fully complete with new bathrooms, décor and furniture now providing a far more modern boarding environment for our boys. The middle floor has begun stage one of renovations with new bathrooms installed already. The final stages are to take place over the next two major holidays periods.

How have the boarders settled into their new environment?

The boarders are thrilled with their new rooms which were designed to encourage sound work and study habits. Newington is a very busy place and boarders in particular need to have a warm and happy environment to come home to. The Boarding House will never be as good as home; however, it can be the best home away from home.

Tell us about what a new boy can expect as a boarder at Newington?

Boarding at Newington is a very unique and special experience. Having additional access to the school’s teaching and physical resources is certainly an advantage and the well established daily routine tries to capitalise on that. Academic preparation times embedded during Study Hall time (3:30 PM – 5:30 PM) in the well resourced library ensure that the boys are in the ideal environment to harness their academic motivation. During this time, boarders have access to high level English, Mathematics and Science teaching staff for Newington as personal tutors. When boarders have sport after school, the second prep time is 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM, when boarders are also able to make the most of the academic support from the Boarding Masters and Research Librarians who staff the facility into the evening.

The daily routine also caters for boarders who want to take advantage of the Strength and Conditioning programs prescribed in the Taylor Sports Centre. All boarders will do a minimum of two hours supervised prep a night; many will do much more.

The Boarding House consists of 50 beds. Traditionally the boarding demographic is evenly split into thirds between local, rural and overseas students. This provides a wonderful network not only whilst at school but long afterwards into a boy’s professional career and personal life.

What has it been like for you personally to have the boarders back?

Having the boys back has been fantastic. I don’t think you could do this job unless you genuinely love what you do. Being on call 24/7 is a challenge that comes with great reward. Having the opportunity to encourage boys to get more out of themselves is very satisfying.The relationship with a boy’s family is extremely important and I am extremely humbled to have been entrusted in this position by the boarders’ families. This is such an exciting part of the boys’ lives – a period of time when they grow so much and in so many ways. Being part of the journey and knowing that you have played a role in their upbringing is something that pushes all the boarding staff to do more and to improve what we do here at Edmund Webb House.

What are some of your goals for Edmund Webb in 2016?

This year, we are aiming to embrace our ‘Super Power’. I truly believe that everyone has one (or more) attributes that they have been blessed with. Together we have to search for it and put it to good use. Most people find it at some stage in their lives. I want our boarders to discover whatever that may be during their high school years.