22 Aug 2017

What’s your ‘Why’?

It’s not everyday that a Wallaby player guest speaks at our assembly. Rarer still, is for that international sportsman to be an Old Boy who, at the current peak of his career, has something to say about overcoming negativity and finding the courage to dig deep and keep going.

Allan Alaalatoa (ON 2011) returned to the Centenary Hall stage last Wednesday for the Winter Sports Assembly. Reminiscing about his time at Newington, Allan says that Newington is the place “where I learnt a lot about myself and more so about how I can take on life post school”.

Allan came to Newington in Year 9 and says he was ‘that kid’ who took his schooling and life for granted; “who always chose the easy option and didn’t want to work hard”, he said.

“My first few weeks at Newington, I hated it, I was never used to wearing uniform, or handing in assignments on time, or even completing my homework.  It was a huge change which at the time I disliked but not knowing how it would all change my life around”.

Allan remembers being asked by Mr Brad Gill to train with the First XV after a PE session where a beep test that Allan felt was his worst ever, showed his potential.

“To this day I remember my PE teacher, the one who happened to be the coach who came to me and said ‘Kid I see you have so much talent, but that’s only going to get you so far. You need to be able to work hard and have the ability to keep striving to be the best, and I am going to teach you that’.

“Coming to Newington changed my mindset at a reasonably young age.  When I was 16 I had made the NSW Rep team and handed in my assignments on time and then I was thinking if I can make it here I can go one more. So I pushed on to make the Aussie Schools team and from finishing assignments I sat my HSC, which I never thought I would do”.

As Allan stood on stage speaking to a sea of Black and White boys, at the back on his mind was the Bledisloe Cup game he had to play on Saturday and the mountain of comments he and his teams were facing in the lead up to it. Australia hadn’t won the cup since 2002 and his year in Super Rugby, not one Australian team was able to overcome the all mighty All Blacks.

In response to the negative comments he was receiving, Allan said “Only I can make those comments matter to me if I believe in them”.

“People don’t understand the work we go through; the sacrifices we make to be where we are today and to have this rare opportunity to play this game this weekend.  All people see is results.  When you are at the top, people are just waiting for you to fall”.

Allan said that in the midst of this kind of scrutiny and judgement, it’s important to know why it is that you do what you do.

“There has to be a purpose to why you want to wake up in the morning and start your day. I’ve learnt that if you have a big enough why you can figure out the how.”

Allan said that for him, his family is his backbone and the reason why he does what he does.

“Because of my ‘why’ I am able to disregard all the noise that is irrelevant and concentrate firmly on the challenge ahead.

“This weekends’ game is a huge challenge and a milestone for me.  I grew up watching these games on TV.  And now I get the opportunity to put on that jersey and be the person I was watching when I was younger.  With challenge comes nerves.  You are always going to be nervous facing the biggest challenges of your life. But why are you nervous? It is because you have the fear of failure.  You are nervous because you have the fear of doubt in yourself.  But why are you fearing failure, when you have done the preparation?  When you prepare yourself the best you can for a challenge the only thing that is stopping you from putting it on the field is your mindset.”

Great advice for all our boys, especially those sitting the Year 12 Trials and the Year 11 exams.

 

New runners break a sweat for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation

On Sunday, August 13, Newington entered its fifth consecutive team in the City2Surf. This year 78 runners joined together to run the 14km from Hyde Park, up the infamous Heartbreak Hill and onto Bondi Beach. They were greeted by a feast of fresh food and cold drinks served in a marquee on arguably Australia’s most iconic beach.

The current Newington fundraising total is $15,500 and the top fundraisers are:

  • Sam Howes (9/KL) – $2,459.99
  • Felix Laubi (9/MO) – $950.03
  • Clive Hinrichsen (10/KL) – $630.00
  • Tom Hogan (12/KL) – $615.83

This year, the fastest time was achieved by David Charlton (12/MA) at 54 mins 08 sec. The age range of the Black and White team spanned half a century, with the youngest runner only 11 Years and 11 months old and the oldest 61 years old.

Again, Newington got behind the Humpty Dumpty foundation, a charity that provides support to our hospitals and health services to make sure they have the right equipment, in the right place, at the right time.

For more than 27 years the Humpty Dumpty Foundation has been purchasing essential and often life-saving medical equipment for sick and injured children in Paediatric Wards, Neonatal Units, Maternity and Emergency Departments in over 340 hospitals across Australia. Every supporter makes a difference to a child in need.

Later this term, members of the team will visit Royal North Shore Hospital to donate the equipment purchased on the back of our fundraising.

Many thanks to all the runners, parents and supporters who made it such a memorable day. A special thanks to Kate Bull from Humpty Dumpty for all of her effort, organisation and planning for the event.

Looking forward to many more Black and White participants in 2018.

 

Mr Troy Stanley
Head of Boarding / C2S Organiser

 

Basketballers selected for Australian Schoolboys

Brandon Freire (11/PR) and Matur Maluach (11/FL) gained selection in the Australian Schoolboys Basketball team at the completion of the School Sport Australian Basketball Championships held in Canberra last week.

With NSW fielding two teams, Brandon and Matur played for the NSW Invitational team and Jaidyn Goodwin (12/JN) and Reed Nottage (11/LE) gained selection in the NSW 1sts team.

At weeks end the undefeated NSW 1sts played the NSW Invitational team for the gold medal. In a fiery contest NSW Invitational held their composure to come out victors and gain not only the Gold Medal but “bragging rights” for future years. For the record book the results were NSW Invitational 74 def. NSW1 58.

Congratulations to the boys on their achievements. 

Year 12 Visual Arts show off their ‘Constructed Realities’

On Tuesday, 8 August, Concordia Gallery and the Newington Visual Arts department had the pleasure of officiating Constructed Realities, the Year 12 HSC Visual Arts Body of Works Exhibition.

Constructed Realities presented the work of our graduating Visual Arts students as they questioned the nature of the world around them; interrogated the liminal edges of philosophy; explored the physiological manifestation of pain and reproduced simulacrums of our contemporary aesthetics.

Each work offered a window into the world to come; a world determined and defined by the processes of adapting and existing within a contemporary setting. Whether an investigation into meaning and repetition, the intersection between the global and the personal; a questioning of the present saturation of images and our on-going anesthetisation; or an examination of gender boundaries, these works pushed and pulled at the question of what it means to live, participate and understand.

The HSC boys have been working on these installations, sculptures, performances, books, drawing and videos since Term 4, 2016. The resulting exhibition displays the thoughtfulness and skill with which they have engaged with their projects. Along with their teachers, each student has made manifest a range of timely and insightful critiques on the politics of navigating life.

Drawing on school, home life, television, gaming, art history, cinema, genealogy and pop culture each budding artist has manipulated a unique range of materials and processes to express art and life, as they know it.

Concordia Gallery and the Visual Arts department would like to extend their warmest congratulations to the boys and wish them all the best for their upcoming marking and Art Express stages. We would also like to thank the Creative Arts Association for their fantastic spread of food and drinks, and for helping to make the opening night one to remember.

Ms Kailana Armstrong-Sommer
Concordia Gallery Curator

Cyber Security or Science Fiction?

According to Australia’s first ever advisor to the Prime Minister on Cyber Security Alastair MacGibbon (ON 1985), the gap in our capacity to deal with cyber-crime is increasing exponentially. Cyber criminals are developing ways to commit crimes directly against computers and computer systems, or to use technology to commit or facilitate traditional crimes, far more rapidly than before.

Mr MacGibbon is an internationally-respected authority on cybercrime, including internet fraud, security and safety issues, and was the guest this August at the Centre for Ethics.  He spoke about the increasing need for Australia to have an advanced cyber security strategy where police, intelligence agencies and the government work together to investigate and prevent the unlawful use of technology and its systems. As a Federal Agent with the Australian Federal Police for 15 years, he was adamant that despite changes in crime, the way we deal with it falls under the same national and international obligations of law.
 
“Government is changing. There are huge wake up calls for governments in this area. We cannot function the way we used to. And we will be held accountable if we do things badly”, he said.

Mr MacGibbon drew our attention to the fundamentally unrecognisable landscape of a cyber war that wages an attack on systems. He said, “on the internet where there are no boarders”, and where, “we face, the ‘defender’s dilemma’, we, as the defenders, must be vigilant and successful all of the time, but the intruder only has to be successful once.”

Mr MacGibbon said that he knows these topics are controversial because they encroach on personal liberties and pose the question – how much of our digital footprint is tracked by the authories? And with this, the audience joined in with questions regarding allegations of Russian involvement in the US Presidential elections to encryption and the role of ‘hacktivism’.

Here Mr MacGibbon took the view that “impassioned people are led down a path of malicious behaviour, unwitting or unwilling to see the consequences”. 

While ideally we would like, “an open and free yet secure internet where democratising forces are the rules we follow, and the internet is largely self-governing”, in reality, with piracy and trolls taking advantage of a new and largely ungoverned landscape, there is increasing confusion over our behaviors online. Meanwhile, online disputes relating to defamation, freedom of speech, and piracy become the bread and butter of opportunistic lawyers and law enforcers.

It was a challenging evening of disparate socio-political views, future ‘glooming’ and at times what felt like science fiction. That is what we enjoy so much about the Ethics Centre Lectures. The conversation lasts so much longer than the brief one hour of thought-provoking presentation.

 

NEXT LECTURE:  

Sebastian Smee  Art Critic for the Boston Globe.
Artistic License: Why do so many great artists defy conventional morality?

WHEN: Wednesday 6 September 2017, 6:30 PM
WHERE: Old Boys Lecture Theatre, Newington College

Protect yourself from social engineering

In this series, Black and White bring you information to better equip you for work, life and play in a smartphone world.

What is Social Engineering?

Social Engineering involves some form of psychological manipulation whereby unsuspecting users are fooled into disclosing private, confidential or sensitive information.

Social engineering most commonly occurs over email and target the emotions: urgency and fear are used to trigger a prompt response from the victim.

Due to the fact that social engineering targets human emotions, it is tricky for big companies and enterprises to prevent it from happening to it’s employers and constituents.

Social Engineering vs Hacking

Social Engineering is not hacking because information is shared and not stolen, even though the means of accessing that information may be dubious. Hacking involves the use of computer technologies to gain unauthorised access to systems and networks. If you have willingly or accidentally shared or disclosed personal information to someone, you have not been hacked.

What to look out for

Social Engineering is impervious to ICT systems because they harness social interaction to fool the victim. An attacker may seem unassuming and respectable, possibly claiming to be a new employee, repair person, or researcher and even offering credentials to support that identity.

What are some common forms of Social Engineering?

Phishing and Spear Phishing – Phishing attacks use email or malicious websites to solicit personal information by posing as a trustworthy organisation. Spear phishing is when that source is supposedly someone you know.

Organisations to suspect:

Charities during natural disasters, epidemics or health scares, major political elections, holidays or times of economic surge or strife.

Ransomware – Ransomware is usually a phishing email sent with an attachement that reads “URGENT”. The attachment might have a file extension of “PDF.zip” or “PDF.rar” The attack often encrypts the entire hard disk of your computer and documents and would require a bitcoin payment to unlock.

How can you protect yourself

  • Set strong passwords
  • Use two-factor authentication
  • Never share or distribute or tell others confidential information such as passwords and PINS
  • Be sceptical of unsolicited emails
  • Be mindful of where you are logged in and notification of your account activity.

What can you do if you get attacked

  • Report it to the social media platform
  • Report it to your workplace
  • Report it to the office of e-safety

For more information or to report a case of social engineering visit the E Safety office website

Nagasaki Minami High School visits Newington

On Friday, 28 July seven students from Nagasaki Minami High School joined Newington for the day. To facilitate the visit, ten Year 11 boys played host for the day escorting our guests to classes and generally ensuring they felt welcome and comfortable.

As Minami is a selective Science school, the focus of their visit was to experience our Science facilities. Following on from a tour of our campus, including an impressive rooftop view across the city, we all headed to the Super Lab to conduct a standard dilution practical task in Chemistry. After morning tea, we went to Physics and investigated the origin of the telescope and tried to build one of our own.

We continued conversations over a hearty lunch of sausages in buns, before our visitors presented a slideshow of the impressive science experiments they have conducted in Japan. Their work included successfully cloning Chrysanthemums and recreating Martian soil to experiment whether we could grow crops there. They also shared with us various aspects of their culture and points of interest in Nagasaki, including an active volcano and Dragon Boat Racing. Before departing they presented us each with a Japanese gift as a memento of their visit.

Overall, the day was a great success and both parties learnt much about Science and each other’s culture.  We hope this is the beginning of an ongoing relationship with Nagasaki Minami High School.

Jock Ferguson (11/KL) and Jarrah McEvoy (11/FL)

chapel

Seasons of Change

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…He has made everything beautiful in its time.” – (Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 8)

As we rapidly move from winter into spring, with the flowers blossoming and the temperature warming, it is worth noting the purpose behind the cyclic nature of life. For the Newington boys, the winter sports season has come to a hasty end; the football posts have been removed and the cricket nets and pitches have been installed. As we savour the successes, the defeats and the memories of a competitive winter sporting season, our attention rapidly shifts to a new season packed with new experiences, new challenges and new outcomes.

Seasons of life have a purpose. The passage from Chapter 3 of the Book of Ecclesiastes suggests that it is God’s intention to allow us to go through contrasting times in our life, including heartache and setbacks, as what we can learn through the various challenges we face is critical in shaping our character and essential in shaping our values; who we are and what we stand for. Take trees, flowers and fruit for example; they all start as sprouts nestled in the dirt – yes the dirt. When we excuse the dirt and mess that we go through in life as simply being bad, we dismiss the platform that ensures we ‘sprout forth’ all the good that can come from such seasons. We will do well to embrace each season as a stepping stone toward living life to the full.

Each season brings new opportunities. We can often sit around waiting for a particular season to pass, waiting for another to come, and in the process miss the magic that is within each season. Cold and bitter times in life help us to seek the warmth that comes from those who are wanting to love. Such seasons also help inspire us to put our hope in what will protect us from the winds of despair.

During seasons of illness and injury, we are reminded that we are made to heal, that we are by nature broken and need fixing. Such seasons also provide the necessary platform in learning to be compassionate, empathetic and understanding toward those who will one day experience similar seasons. As much as we would rather avoid such a season, we are reminded that is just that…a season.

There are also seasons of privilege and untold blessing that we can quite easily fail to embrace. Each day as the staff and boys make their way through the Millner Gates, down Memorial Drive into the college, there is so much to be thankful and praise God for. What an honor it is to be part of a community that is rich in values and history, whose educators, sports coaches, music tutors, pastoral mentors and staff alike, care about the development and well being of each of the boys. Even through the more challenging seasons we face, if we honor and respect each season for what it brings, we will grow in wisdom and be enriched in so many ways.

What season of life would you say you are in?  How can you honor and respect that season?  What wisdom do you need in order to grow during this phase of your life?

Rev Geordie Barham
College Chaplain

Thunderstorm Asthma

Thunderstorm Asthma is a term we have all heard of now. It occurred in Melbourne last November where sadly nine people died as a result and ambulance services were stretched to the limit. So what exactly is it?

Thunderstorm Asthma can occur when there are high levels of pollen in the air combined with hot, windy, humid weather conditions. Ryegrass pollen in Spring is released into the air and blown with the wind. The usual pollen size is relatively large and so becomes trapped in the upper airways like the nose and throat. It does not easily reach the lungs.

During a particular type of thunderstorm however, pollen grains absorb moisture, start to swell and then burst into hundreds of tiny pollen starch particles. Storm winds blow these particles to the ground where they are easily inhaled deep into the lungs.

The lungs become irritated, linings become swollen, narrower and more mucus is formed.

People with asthma can be affected but interestingly those with severe hay fever are also affected even if they have never been diagnosed with asthma.

Thunderstorms are more common in Spring so be aware of the pollen count especially on windy days www.sydneypollen.com.au

What can you do to reduce your risk?

  • Firstly see your doctor to make sure that your hay fever due to grass pollen is well treated.
  • Regular use of nasal corticosteroid sprays is more effective than antihistamine tablets for severe hay fever, and both treatments can be used together.
  • Always carry your blue reliever puffer
  • Take your daily preventer and hay fever nasal spray if prescribed
  • Avoid going outside just before and after the thunderstorm
  • Close windows and doors
  • Follow your asthma plan or asthma first aid steps
  • If symptoms are quickly worsening call 000.

Bushfire Season

With the recent controlled bush burn off, smoke and increased air pollution can trigger asthma symptoms – wheezing, breathlessness, persistent coughing and chest tightness.

To limit exposure to the smoke, reduce outdoor activity, close windows and doors and use recirculated air in the car. Make sure you have more than one blue reliever medication with you in case one runs out.

Do you have an asthma plan?

An asthma action plan helps the person with asthma and/or their carer recognise worsening asthma and gives clear instructions on what to do in response.

Click here to see an example of an Asthma Plan

How to recognise signs of a asthma flare-up or attack

If you are experiencing any of these signs, start asthma first aid. Do not wait until asthma is severe. Remember anyone can develop asthma at any age.

Mild / Moderate
Minor difficulty breathing
Able to talk in full sentences
Able to walk/move around
May have cough or wheeze

Commence Asthma First Aid

Severe
Obvious difficulty breathing
Cannot speak a full sentence in one breath
Tugging in of the skin between ribs or at base of neck
May have cough or wheeze
Reliever medication not lasting as long as usual 
Call Ambulance on 000
Commence Asthma First Aid
Life threatening
Gasping for breath
Unable to speak or 1-2 words per breath 
Confused or exhausted
Turning blue
Collapsing
May no longer have wheeze or cough
Not responding to reliever medication
Call Ambulance on 000
Commence Asthma First Aid

If you are experiencing a severe or life-threatening asthma attack, call an ambulance – Dial Triple Zero (000) and then start asthma first aid.

Learn more about First Aid for asthma here: https://www.nationalasthma.org.au/asthma-first-aid

 

Sister Margaret Bates
College Nurse

Sport Report

Basketball

Congratulations to Newington Basketballers, Reed Nottage (11/LE), Jaidyn Goodwin (12/JN), Matur Maluach (11/FL) and Brandon Freire (11/PR) who recently represented NSW All Schools at the National Basketball Championships. At the conclusion of the tournament, Matur and Brandon were selected in the Australian Schools team. Congratulations to all boys on their representation.

Cross Country

Newington Cross Country runners Bailey Habler (7/MO) and Angus Beer (10/ME) both represented NSW at the recent National Cross Country Championships in Tasmania. Both Bailey and Angus came 2nd in their individual events. A fantastic achievement by the boys.

Congratulations to Old Boy Morgan McDonald (ON 2013), who ran for Australia at the recent Athletics World Championships in London in the 5km race, placing 7th in his 5km heat with a time of 13:30 missing out on the final by 0.37. Congratulations Morgan on your magnificent achievement.

Fencing

Congratulations to the following Newington Fencers who have represented the College recently.

Newington took home the bronze medal in the School’s Championships U15’s Foil Championships. Congratulations to the U15’s: Alex McEvoy (9/FL), Joshua Khu (10/JN), Benjamin Diskin (9/MO), and Daniel Blount (9/LE).

Newington again brought home a bronze medal in the School’s Championships U13’s Foil Championships, Congratulations to the U13’s: Lachlan Griffiths (7/KL), Jett Leon (7/ME), Luke Canter (7/JN), and David Upcroft (7/LE).

Last weekend, Jack Murtough-Coombes (11/KL) won the Pioneer Cup and Alex McEvoy (9/FL) was runner up.

Newington fencers also took home the silver in the School’s Championships U15’s Sabre Competition.

 

Say ‘No’ to Poor Posture

After numerous requests from parents, students and staff to assist in correcting posture, we thought it an ideal time to put together a ‘how to guide’ for all so you can start sitting and standing ‘tall’. Whether you are about to sit the HSC trial exams or are simply finding yourself feeling stiff and sore during work, this one is for you.

What is good posture?

The biggest misconception of posture is that if you stand straight and don’t slouch, you have ‘good’ posture. Unfortunately, this is not sound advice for most individuals as posture is relative to everyone.

Below are examples of different postural adaptations which may be perfectly normal throughout different phases of growth, but could also be improved upon. As everyone presents with different adaptations, simply sitting or standing ‘straight’ will not work.

How do you practise good posture?

The simplest and easiest cue for correcting posture is to visualise yourself with a piece of string that runs from the very top of your head, all the way down to your feet (see below).

To correct your posture, all you would need to do is ‘pull up’ on that imaginary piece of string above your head. This will lengthen your
back from the pelvis up to your neck, whilst lifting your head and chest in line.

Here’s some tips to develop good postural habits

  • Encourage good postural habits – re-enforce the benefits both study derived and athletic
  • Maintain exercise and activity level – encourages muscle strength and support
  • Limit time in front of the TV or Game consoles
  • Do some basic stretching before study – keep an eye out (there will be a stretch guide on its way)
  • Create a study environment that encourages good posture – (see below)

Two boys from Fiji

When we think of the boys who have come to Newington from the islands of the Pacific over our long history, we tend to think of students native to those countries. But members of expatriate European families have also been part of this history. The story of two such boys from the 1880s came to light as the result of an enquiry I received last month from a descendant.

Horace and John Francis (‘Frank’) Hill entered Newington College at the beginning of 1880, Horace being thirteen and a half and Frank a year younger. Their father, Captain John Hill, had emigrated from Northern Ireland to New South Wales around 1860. In 1870, he had purchased the island of Rabi, also known as Rambi, in Fiji, from King George Tupou I of Tonga, and had established a coconut and sugar plantation. His young family moved there from Sydney in 1873.

Our admission register reveals that the boys had been in the charge of a governess on Rabi, but the Head Master, Joseph Coates, appears to have been unimpressed with the results, rating both boys’ knowledge of subjects variously as ‘poor’, ‘none’ and ‘very bad’. They were among the seventy students who made the move from Newington House at Silverwater to the new school at Stanmore in July 1880. They stayed at Newington until June 1882, when they returned to Rabi.

Frank subsequently had a successful career in the Fijian coconut and sugar industries, managing plantations for the Colonial Sugar Refining Company and other firms. Horace’s life, however, was tragically cut short. In September 1885, The Newingtonian reported that he had been out hunting on Rabi when he suddenly fell, his gun discharging into his leg. Medical help was days away and he died after three days’ suffering, aged just eighteen.

Mr David Roberts
College Archivist

End of Season Thank You

End of Season Football Event

The Newington College Football Community came together to celebrate another great season at The Smoking Goat restaurant in Abbotsford.

It was a night to reflect on the year that was and celebrate great football and continued development of our boys. It was an opportunity to listen to the boys talk about the football tours and tournaments that had been undertaken this year including the European Football Tour, Kanga Cup in Canberra and IBC Cup in Adelaide.

Our audience was captivated by a number of guest speakers including Mr Rale Rasic OAM – the first coach to take Australia to the World Cup Finals in 1974.

Along with Mr Rasic, we were fortunate to hear from former Newington 1st XI captains – Sam Mehmet (ON 2016), Alexander Iannuzzi (ON 2015) and Nicola Kuleski (ON 2014).

The students were inspired by the farewell speeches of this year’s Captain of Football, Jacob Nastasi (12/PR) and Andrew Wang (12/FL), the 2nd XI Captain. Both young men spoke with great pride and passion about their football experiences and of their respect for our outstanding team of coaches led by Mr Brian McCarthy.

Mr McCarthy presented a wonderful summation of an outstanding season with a collage of photos and videos from all football teams at Newington. By way of thanks, the boys presented a video tribute to thank him for his extraordinary dedication to their development and the program.

The NCFA Executive and our End of Season Sub Committee would like to thank Mr McCarthy and his dedicated team of coaches for a truly memorable year. All teams were extremely competitive and provided tough competition across the season.

Congratulations to the Senior Boys who were victorious in the Pre-Season Plate and the IBC Cup in Adelaide. They were also co-winners of the GPS competition and runners-up in the CIS Cup.  

Finally, a sincere thank you to all our families and friends who attended the night of celebration (some 235 in total) – without you, it would not have been a success!

The Football program at Newington has never been stronger, and we look forward to continuing to build on its success in 2018!

AFL End of Season Function

Over 80 people attended the inaugural AFL supporters group End of Season function, including special guest Simon Wilson from AFL NSW, senior coaches Rev Geordie Barham and Dion Zissis (ON 2014) and Wyvern coach Neil Brunton.

Parents and players were able to reflect on a fantastic first season of AFL in the senior school at Newington and hear some of the exciting plans for 2018. Each player received a commemorative medal as a memento of the inaugural year and the team captains presented the coaches with a Sherrin signed by all the players to thank them for their time and support.

Thank you to the AFL Organising Committee of Vicki Ditcham, Bev Walsh, Kate Macdessi, Heidi Cummins and Rohan Miller for organising the day. Looking forward to season 2018.

Cross Country End of Season Event

Cross Country held their End of Season dinner in Prescott Hall which celebrated a very successful running season for the group. Captain of Cross Country, David Charlton (12/MA) taking on the role of MC for the night gave an inspiring speech about dedication to the sport of endurance running. He thanked the the leaving Year 12 students for their commitment. Running is a great way to balance and release all of the tensions of studying and maintain fitness throughout the final year of school. 

Congratulations goes to Angus Beer (10/ME) and Bailey Habler (7/MO) who were interstate representing Newington at the 2017 Australian Cross Country Championships and couldn’t attend the function. 

Thank you to the Cross Country Organising Committee and Bill Smith President, Cross Country Association for making the night a special occasion for endurance runners.

Looking forward to the running season in 2018.