P&F Ball shines spotlight on Dr Mulford

What do you do when the Headmaster decides to retire? Have a gala ball to mark his incredible contribution!

At the recent Newington P&F Ball more than 450 Stanmore, Wyvern and Lindfield parents and Old Boys raised a glass to Dr and Mrs Mulford.

The night began with a version of “This is Your Life” presented by Newington parents Kylie Gillies and Craig Reucassel, who took Dr Mulford on a trip down memory lane. Dr Mulford took prime position on an outsized red throne to review proceedings.

As part of his heartfelt response, he told guests: “Leading the College for the past 10 years has been a highlight in my career”. Dr Mulford received a well-earned standing ovation in recognition of his contribution to Newington.

A key purpose of the ball was to raise funds for the College Endowment Fund. Bidding on silent and live auction items was competitive and there was much interest in tickets to win a $10,000 cash prize in the raffle. Congratulations to the lucky winners.

Thank you to the 110 Year 12 parents who attended the VIP drinks before the ball and enjoyed the opportunity to converse with Dr Mulford and Mr Roberts in a relaxed environment, and to all those who made the evening so special.

As a parting gift, the Newington P&F is putting together is an ebook of messages to Dr Mulford that he can reflect upon during his retirement. To include your message in this custom book,  click here. We also welcome any donation you wish to make that will go towards the Mulford Bursary – Celebrating Diversity.

HSC Drama students nominated for OnSTAGE

A huge congratulations to the Year 12 HSC Drama students who performed at the College’s HSC Drama Expo on 17 September.

The expo opened with a short film that perfectly encapsulated the agonies of romance by text message (will she ever reply?!) followed by a night of brilliant solo performances, nonsensical physical comedy and incredible group performances. 

Among them were boys whose outstanding performances have been recognised with nominations for inclusion in OnSTAGE, a showcase of exemplary HSC work.

OnSTAGE nominees include Joshua Bowd(12/LE), Ryan Dive (12/FL), Will Dotson (12/LE) and Lachlan McIntyre (12/JN) for their piece #TheSecondComing, Matt Dyster (12/FL), Andrew Liu (12/PR) and Liam Taylor (12/PR) for their piece Bath Time! and Nicholas Fitzsimmons (12/FL), Simon James (12/PR), James Roach (12/MA) and Ben Taylor (12/MA) for their piece Land of the Free.

Simon James, Andrew Liu and James Roach have also been nominated for their Individual Performances, an incredible result for both the boys and the College.

Special thanks to Head of Drama Ms Tamara Smith who has worked so hard to help our students achieve such great results.

Images courtesy of Chris Hayles Photography.

Athletes hear from champion runner ahead of GPS meet

Eloise Wellings – who has competed at the Olympics and is one of Australia’s finest middle-distance runners – knows a lot about what makes a great athlete. And it isn’t just times, training, distances or winning.

Ms Wellings was the guest speaker at the Newington College Athletics Breakfast, an event held for boys who will compete in the AAGPS Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park tomorrow.

Ms Wellings gained an international reputation for sportsmanship when, after completing the 10,000m event at this year’s Commonwealth Games, she and two other Australia runners waited to applaud a competitor from Lesotho who was still running five minutes after the race had been won.

The Australian girls were the only runners who stayed on the track to congratulate Lineo Chaka on completing of one of the most physically demanding events at the Commonwealth Games.

Ms Wellings urged boys to think about every aspect of being an athlete as they go into this weekend’s AAGPS championships.

The College is hoping for a big crowd of supporters at tomorrow’s carnival. The meet kicks off at 9am.

Co-curricular shows its Colours

More than 100 boys received Colours and awards at this week’s Co-Curricular Assembly, in activities including Australian Rules Football, Badminton, Cross Country, Fencing, Football, Rifle Shooting, Rugby, Volleyball, Chess, Debating and Oratory.

Head of Co-Curricular Mr Peter Wilkins explored the history of Newington’s most prestigious awards – Colours – at the assembly. Below is his introductory speech.

According to Mr Dickens, ‘You have to know history to make history!

 Today, I would like to briefly reflect on the place of Colours awards in the history of Newington College.

 I was provided with the following information by our College Archivist, Mr Roberts.

The origin of the awarding of Colours at Newington is a bit mysterious. We know that it was already a common practice in many independent schools and universities in the UK, Australia and other parts of the Empire in the late 19th century.

Why ‘Colours’? This also isn’t clear, but might be because in some schools they took the form of coloured ribbons attached to blazers. Colours were called Blues at Newington for a few years in the 1960s, reflecting practice in many universities.

The first documentary evidence we have at Newington of these awards is a report in The Newingtonian in 1898 of a decision by the Games Committee to award Triple Colours. The first Triple Colours were awarded in 1899.

It is exciting that Matt Dyster will receive the distinction of Triple Colours today for his contribution across Athletics, Cross Country, Water Polo and AFL. He is one of five students to achieve this feat since 1981.

The criteria for the award of Colours has differed over the decades, sometimes simply for membership of senior teams and at other times requiring particularly outstanding performance.

Today in sport, while meeting criteria for a pre-determined number of appearances in the first team is important, the deciding factor for a player is demonstrating our character values of Enjoyment, Growth, Hardwork, Respect, Resilience and Unity.

‘Letters’ were introduced for meritorious Seconds teams in the 1990s. Today they will be awarded to the victorious 2nds Football team.

Colours were introduced a lot later in non-sporting co-curricular activities. We first know of Debating and Music Colours being awarded in 1978, while Drama Colours were first awarded in 1986. Today, in addition to sporting Colours, Colours will be awarded in Debating and Chess.

Legacy is in every action

Dale Schlaphoff (12/FL) reflected on six years at Newington, and what it has taught him about the importance of legacy, at the recent Prescott chapel service.

Tonight I would like to briefly talk about this service’s theme: legacy. Legacy is one of those terms that pop up quite frequently in assemblies and in the speeches of guest speakers, and its meaning has become slightly blurred. Despite this, as I reach the end of six years of secondary schooling, the idea of lasting legacy has become a very important concept that has prompted a great deal of reflection, reminiscing and thinking.

How have my many years at Newington impacted the community and how will I be remembered?

Tonight is a special night for me. It is my last ever chapel service. Having been a member of choir, it is my 48th service, and to say a lot has changed is an understatement. Many students and staff have come and gone, the pews have changed and sadly, the era of singing El Shaddai in chapel has long since been overturned. These changing factors highlight the true power and nature of legacy.

A legacy usually regards that which one will be remembered for, or the impact that an individual has had on the world, for example spurring on a political movement. However, most people make the mistake of classifying legacy only as major actions and change by one person. Every day in classes, we learn about the legacy of hugely influential figures like Einstein, Shakespeare, and Nelson Mandela, who each demonstrated the height of excellence and virtue in their respective fields. In weekly chapel recently, we have been going around the many great names in the room and recognising their legacy and influential impact on humanity. These people are, without a doubt, incredible humans and deserve every bit of respect that they receive. But for me, they grant the concept of legacy an overwhelming sense of grandeur.

Realistically, only a small minority of people go into the history books and are remembered for their actions and beliefs. This sad reality creates a great level of pressure to be the greatest and to obtain fame by any means necessary in the struggle to maintain a lasting legacy.

Yet, I think this perspective on legacy is limited and misleading. Legacy as a word is loaded with connotations of unobtainable standards. When these misleading connotations are stripped away, legacy is revealed simply as the handing down of something from a predecessor. In this sense, legacy is like planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.

Bringing this back to the realm of Newington College and the community around it, each of our contributions, in our school, co-curricular, external and family lives forms the legacy or fabric that holds our communities together and acts as a platform the next generation can improve and build upon. Regardless of who you are, or where you are from, your contribution to this legacy is essential as all actions have consequences and impact.  Even those quiet achievers who keep a low profile leave an important legacy.

If you take one message from this speech, let it be that you should not feel overwhelmed by perceptions of the imposing nature of legacy. Rather, focus on how your actions contribute to the true legacy of the community. Legacy is built by the impact of your actions, big and small, on the lives of your family and friends, and your effect on your community. Hunting for an idolised version of legacy can be all-consuming, making you lose track of what is really important in life; passion for what you enjoy, love, kindness, generosity of spirit and respect for those around.

Legacy is not about attaching your name to something but rather allowing your impact to grow and flourish. So tonight, take some time to reflect on your legacy and your impact on the community. Are you currently acting in the way you want to be remembered? How will the next generation and future students use your legacy to build an improved community?

And with those questions I will wrap this speech up and again welcome you to the Fletcher Chapel service. Thank you.

Studio Concerts

Over three magical nights starting from the 17^th of September, students, parents and staff were invited to immerse themselves in the wonderful world of music at the Studio Concerts Event. This event promised to showcase the talents of Newington’s marvellous musicians and did not disappoint!

The obvious skill and artistry possessed by these musical masters allowed audiences to become easily entranced by the soothing tunes of the saxophone, whimsical melodies of the xylophone and the solemn sounds of the violin. The amount of talent showcased in this event has left musicians and audiences alike, wanting more!

Until next year…well done to the students and staff who were instrumental in making this event a success, it was definitely one to remember!

Around the grounds

Term 3 is winding down, and the campus has been buzzing with excitement! Below is a gallery of photos from events in Week 9.

A bright future for Public Speaking at Newington

Public Speaking at Newington continues to grow; the program is definitely in positive hands for the future.

Our primary competition, the Newington Public Speaking Competition, was held in June. It was a fabulous evening of high-calibre oratory from boys across Year 7 to Year 12. All the participants were given a choice of two topics to speak on and one week to prepare; all speeches were engaging and well-delivered. The winners were William Sun (Junior Division) (8/LE), Rohan Gandhi (Intermediate Division) (9/KL) and Alex Humphreys (Senior Division) (12/JN).

The Legacy Junior Speaking Award was an external competition that William Smith (9/MA) and I were selected to participate in. The competition, from Years 7-9, operates under two categories: the prepared and the impromptu speeches. The prepared speech could be of any subject. In August, we travelled to SCEGGS to contest for our local final. There was a great diversity of themes selected- ranging from fake news, sporting culture, mental health & volunteerism. The speeches were unique and of a high standard. The impromptu, however, was a true challenge. With only five minutes for preparation, all participants were asked to deliver a two-minute impromptu speech on the topic of ‘A Fresh Start’. The open-ended nature of the topic meant that there was a variety of avenues that the contestants talked on. It was a great experience and I was extremely delighted to be going through to the next round! I talked about the dire state of the Australian Sporting Culture in my prepared speech and discussed how we need to redefine what we think of as ‘evil’ in the impromptu section. William delivered a brilliant prepared speech on mental health and gave an interesting spin on the impromptu section.

The Regional Finals were held on 6 September at The Arts Unit, Lewisham. The prepared speeches, once again, were inseparable in their quality. Food wastage, child labour & the development of technology, were some of the fascinating topics that were discussed. The impromptu topic was ‘A Step in the Right Direction’. I talked about the urgent need to take steps in the right direction for climate change whether it be for the government or for the individual. Many grasped this topic with confidence, and so it was not a surprise that it took the judges over 30 minutes to make their adjudication. Eventually, I was thrilled to discover that I was progressing to the state semi-finals, but moreover, it was amazing to be a contestant in such a high-quality round!

The State Semi-Finals, held on the 14 September, was not just special for the competition itself, but also for its venue. Speaking in the NSW parliament (the Jubilee Room & the Legislative Council Chamber) with 12 of the finest young orators, was an absolute privilege. The experience was further coupled with some mesmerising, distinct prepared speeches, about: scoliosis, trust & the power of words. The impromptu topic was ‘Puppet on Strings’- which really tested our spontaneous thinking. I managed to talk about how the government is the puppeteer who is controlling the refugees that are dehumanised on Nauru and Manus Island. A clear stand-out impromptu speech, however, was discussed on Australia being a republic- and thereby severing the ties we have with the British. With a balance of a solid prepared speech and an analytical impromptu; I was successful in going through to the state finals, which will be held mid-October in the Domain Theatre of the Art Gallery.

Overall, both these competitions were extremely worthwhile for improving our confidence with regards to public speaking. A huge thank you to Mr Laurence and Ms Shepherd for making all these oratory events possible!

Rohan Gandhi (9/KL)

Newington 4peats in Basketball

Newington College won the NSW All Schools Championships this week past for the fourth time in a row. The boys overcame Narara Valley High School representing the Combined High Schools (CHS) 98-62 in the semi-final and then Sydney Boys High School who also were representing CHS, 93-65 in the Final. The championship victory has qualified the boys for Australian Schools Championships, to be held in Melbourne in early December.

Newington’s poise and focus at the offensive end of the floor coupled with tough defence allowed the team to steadily build their victory margins over the course of each game. In fact, Newington’s defence has been the key ingredient in our remarkable four-year run and provides weight to that old adage “offense sells tickets but defence wins championships”     

The victory caps off a remarkably successful season for the Newington 1sts, winning the GPS and CIS competition without a loss and reflects the efforts of the boys, coaches and support staff.

The depth of the team saw Reed Nottage (12/LE), Matur Maluach (12/FL) and Brandon Freire (12/PR) gain selection for the Australian School Boys team. However, we would also like to acknowledge and thank Bryn Williams (12/LE), Finn Sleigh (12/PR), Darcy McDonald (12/ME) and Kelvin Du (12/ME) for their service to Newington basketball over the years.

Rex Nottage
Director of Basketball

Volleyball wins silver at NSW Schools Cup

After two full days of competition, Newington’s 1st Volleyball team won the silver medal in the Open division at the Volleyball NSW Schools Cup competition. Highlights included drawing with the U17 NSW State team and narrowly losing to the U19 NSW State team. 

Congratulations to the following boys: Jeno Suh (10/JN), Mack Addabbo (10/FL), Camptin James Knight (12/MA), Zac Goodhand (12/KL), Kevin Tran (11/PR), Alex Humphreys (12/JN) and Toby Walsh (12/FL)

The boys were coached by Antony Rowda (ON 2009).

Strengthening Swimmers at Newington

Throughout Term 3 a new program focussed on wellbeing through improving Aquatic Competency and Safety has been running in the College pool with a diverse group of students from Years 9, 10 and 11 taking part. Headed up by expert staff members whose primary responsibility is to improve and encourage swimming throughout Newington and it’s greater community the program has been lauded as a great success and will hopefully grow in the future.

Students identified through PDHPE swim testing as requiring assistance with swimming technique and confidence were offered a place in the optional ten lesson, five-week program. We approached a group of parents and students with some information and ended up with about a dozen keen participants mostly in Years 9 and 10. They were our first target group, and it has been very encouraging to see how the boys and staff have responded.

The program is only short and the lessons are designed to build confidence and get the students moving through the water more efficiently, some of the boys have improved dramatically. Future data collected by the PDHPE department will be used by the aquatics team to offer targeted lessons to swimmers with the goal of eventually raising the level of competency in our student population to what we believe is safe.

Ryan Moar 
Director of Aquatics

Shakespeare comes to Tonga

In term two teaching at Tupou College in Tonga, I decided to introduce my Form 1 (Year 7) English class to Shakespeare through a study of Romeo and Juliet. The teaching was fun and the boys responded well, so well that we decided to prepare a performance of the play for the whole school including staff and parents.

Happily, the teaching did focus on Shakespeare’s time and how males played female roles which otherwise may have been an issue.

With over 10 weeks of rehearsals-many at night after long days at school-the boys practised and practised. With the help of Tamara Smith during Newington’s July visit, the boys mastered the ball and fight scenes.

Costumes were fairly simple, all boys had masks for the ball scene and we used a recorded soundtrack, including an electronic siren to scatter the players at the end of the fight scene.

Fairy lights and candles added to the atmosphere in the open-sided school hall. A black backdrop was made by the Tech boys with a fabulous (Juliet!) balcony built from scaffolding and decorated with green garlands. The community got involved even making costumes for dolls that resembled mini versions of Romeo and Juliet.

All 21 students were involved, and they were sensational, mastering all five acts and the enormous volume of lines required to be learned. They got over their performance anxieties and were terrific to an initial audience of 1200 at Toloa, students, staff and parents.

Two days later they performed in town at sister school Queen Salote College’s hall and the performance was open to the public and was again very well attended. The Australian High Commissioner, his wife, the head of the Free Wesleyan Church and a couple of school principals were all very impressed with the boys’ competence and poise on stage.

Mary Nosworthy
English Teacher

St Vincent’s Hospital Visit

Four Year 11 Newington students were fortunate enough to be invited to a Schools Engagement Program at St Vincent’s Hospital on Tuesday, 11 September. The program, run by Newington parent Dr Pamela Blaikie, the Research Office Manager for the St. Vincent’s Health Network, engaged students from St Vincent’s College, Kincoppal Rose Bay School and Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, as well as Newington. The four boys, Lachlan Sheehy (11/JN), Angus Waldon (11/MA), Ned Stevens (11/LE) and Lewis Waugh (11/PR) have all expressed an interest in studying Medicine. It is occasions like this that can motivate the boys to take the next step.

Here is what the boys had to say about the experience…

Lewis: I found the day really enjoyable and significant, as seeing some practical applications of medicine and hearing from medical professionals cemented my interest in medicine. I also enjoyed meeting some other students on the day who shared my aspirations, it was great to hear why they loved the area.

The experience has really motivated me to strive for a career in medicine as it showed me where I could be in less than 10 years. Meeting some researchers and medical staff really grounded the profession as before the experience, being a doctor seemed like a very unachievable job.

Angus: three other Newington boys and I with students from other schools enjoyed a tour of the hospital and laboratories, a lecture from A. Prof Kumud Dhital on heart transplantation, a panel presentation from different medical professionals and the opportunity to watch several researchers present their theses in a series of three-minute presentations. The main thing that I got out of the day was a far greater appreciation of the sheer number of different career paths in medicine, specifically regarding medical research. Witnessing a working laboratory working toward finding improved treatment or testing for HIV-AIDs and Hepatitis C, especially in working with high-risk people and patients (such as drug users), and hearing about their impact in the local community was especially empowering. The thesis presentations were also very interesting, exposing me to areas and processes of research currently being looked into. I also really enjoyed the “Heart in a box” lecture presented by A. Prof Kumud Dhital, as I found all of the information on the medical process and the ethics of heart transplant fascinating.

I think that the opportunity to attend this Hospital visit has helped to further solidify my aspirations to pursue medicine as a career, and I hope to study Medicine at University after leaving Newington. The “Heart in a box” lecture has also really excited me about the prospect of becoming involved in cardiothoracic surgery (heart surgery) and heart transplantation, although that would, of course, be far down the pipeline. The exposure to medical research has also made me consider the research aspect of the medicine, and while I would love the opportunity to run a project similar to those seen in the three-minute thesis presentations at this point in time my long-term goal would be pursuing a career as a doctor or surgeon.

Shane Serhon
Head of Careers

Year 8 Classics Camp

On the 31st August, 8 students from Year 8 Latin went on a weekend away for Classics Camp in the Northern Beaches, where the boys met students from Sydney and Canberra also studying classics. On this camp, the boys learnt about Roman invective poetry, reenacted triumphal processions and gladiator battles, learnt about the Roman counting system, explored and performed stories from Roman and Greek mythology and participated in Ancient Olympics. Highlights of the weekend included the thrills and spills of the chariot racing and a special demonstration of authentic Roman, Ancient Greek, Celtic and Chinese weaponry by an Ancient weapons expert. Nicholas Disher (8/ME), Aidan Giordan (8/LE), Joel Goh (8/KL), Campbell Howe (8/MA), Manav Kalra (8/MO), Antony Litsas (8/KL), Toby Stepto (8/MO) and William Sun (8/LE) attended.

Mary Triantafyllou
Teacher Languages Department

Service Learning: Green Oasis

Johnstone and Kelynack Houses have had a relationship with Oasis (Salvation Army) for many years. Oasis operates a Crisis Centre for homeless youth and supports them through counselling, crisis and transitional accommodation and legal services, as well as other services.

I first began this project by contacting a representative at Oasis to ask for some Green Oasis leaflets. Green Oasis is a gardening social enterprise, where disadvantaged young people, aided by a supervisor will do a homeowner’s lawn, hedges, trim their branches and weed gardens.

On 22 August after school, 25 Year 10 and Year 12 Johnstone and Kelynack students went to Haberfield to do a door knock and leaflet drop to promote the service. The students were split up into groups of three or four to cover eight different areas in a period of an hour. They knocked on doors to try to persuade householders to use the service and left leaflets when no one was home. We did get some positive responses from people interested in using the services of Green Oasis to do their gardening for them.

What I learnt from this experience is that people within the community do need such service, especially if they are older and require assistance.

If you are interested in using this service, please look at the Johnstone or Kelynack Space page or ring Glendon at Oasis on 0408 301339.

Jason Chan (12/JN)

Newington’s Methodist Church Foundations

Micah 6:8 And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Newington is a Uniting Church school whose foundations are drawn from our Methodist heritage. In 1863, the Methodist Church, whose parishioners were referred to as ‘Wesleyan Methodists’, established ‘The NSW Wesleyan Institution’ on the banks of the Parramatta River on the ‘Newington Estate’. Of course, this name was later changed to Newington College and relocated to Stanmore. The first ever College president was the Methodist Minister, Reverend John Allen Manton and the first ever Headmaster was the Methodist Minister, Reverend Doctor James Egan Moulton.

In the late 18^th Century, John Wesley founded the Methodist Church in England as a break away from the Church of England, or Anglican Church as we know it in Australia today. At the time, Wesley was concerned about the way the church of the day ministered only to those who were educated and who were wealthy. Wesley sought to bring the Bible teachings to people who weren’t educated nor wealthy, instilling a sense of justice. One of the main changes he brought about was teaching and preaching outdoors, rather than in a Church building, which meant that many more people, sometimes in the hundreds and even thousands, could come and hear the message.

He also taught a justice-focused Christian faith that highlighted that everyone was equally loved by God and should work for the good of others. As a result of his teachings, the Methodist movement was instrumental in establishing schools and hospitals for many working class people in Britain, something that at the time had only been reserved for the wealthy. Wesley was also instrumental in the abolitionist movement in Britain at the time, campaigning for the abolition of the slave trade. Wesley also preached about the equality of women, who at the time were poorly treated.

It was this justice focus in the Methodist movement that lead to Methodist missionaries coming out from Britain to far parts of the known world to teach people. Rev. Dr James Egan Moulton was one such Methodist missionary who brought these teachings to Australia, before moving to Tonga.

In Australia, we don’t really have an explicit Methodist Church because the Methodist Church of Australia united with other Churches to form the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977. As is suggested in our reading from Micah 6:8 “Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God”; through these words we see that our Methodist heritage has played such an important role in establishing the foundations of our College.

Rev. Geordie Barham 
School Chaplain

Habits, good and bad

Habits are thoughts or actions triggered automatically which we repeat again and again. Examples of good habits are putting on your seatbelt when you sit in a car or brushing your teeth before you go to bed.

It follows that if we repeat an action consistently in the same context we will develop a habit. Habits are easier to form with a goal and plan. If you want to drink more water during the day – that is your goal. The plan then is to always take a bottle of water with you and drink it each day. Continue to do this and studies have shown that by week 10 it has become a healthy habit – we will now do this automatically.

So how do you break a bad habit?

There is no denying that it is not easy to change an established bad habit and this is harder if we are tired or stressed.

One Psychiatrist Judson Brewer suggests being mindful about your habit as you are doing it – smell the cigarette, describe what it tastes like, imagine the smoke going into your lungs – this triggers the part of the brain that makes decisions. This can help you decide that you don’t really like the taste or the smell and over time can help you quit smoking. Get curious about the habit and how your body is reacting – becoming restless and tense and then understanding that these emotions will come and go.

Habits can be linked to certain places – if you always call into the local shop to buy a pie then avoid going past that shop. Perhaps you always have a glass of wine when you get home in the evening but want to reduce your drinking, then it helps to change your pattern. A mental link is formed between getting home and the glass of wine. To break the habit go straight out and take the dog for a walk or have a tea or do some meditation. The urge to have a glass of wine passes.

1. To start, make a log of your unhealthy habits. Then use a diary to monitor the habit.
2. Enlist the help of your family or friends for support and choose a habit that you want to change.
3. Consider this habit and how it is affecting you (examples):

• poor eating habits which cause you to gain weight and prevent you from being active with your family;
• telling lies often because you don’t want to admit something, which affects your honest relationships with people;
• running late constantly, giving others the impression that you are so busy when really you are stressed and don’t want to spend time facing the causes of your stress.

4. Set a realistic goal and start with a simple plan

• If you want to eat more fruit then put an apple in your bag to eat on the drive home.
• If you want to walk more, then walk around the block at lunch with a friend. Use an app to motivate you
• If you want to stop eating unhealthy snacks stop buying them and instead buy healthy replacements. Successful weight loss is not about missing out on food but enjoying healthy foods so that it becomes a way of life.

5. Persevere, learn from any setbacks and keep trying.

Chances are, once you distract yourself from the bad habit—and keep doing it repeatedly—your brain will start to realise that you’re moving away from that pattern.

Margaret Bates
School Nurse

A global search for higher education

On Friday, 14 September. Debbie Shively, from Internationally Educated, spoke to a dozen parents and students about the opportunity to study in the United States. She informed the crowd about the structure of Colleges in the US as well as debunked myths about the boys’ chances of being accepted at the University of their choice.

As more and more students are looking to travel overseas to study, companies like Internationally Educated and free services like EducationUSA are helping them secure the best degrees at the most suitable colleges across the States. They have specific knowledge of some of the nearly 4,000 colleges available.

Shane Serhon
Head of Careers