Dear Parents and Guardians, 

Joining one of the many tours offered at Newington is often a life-changing opportunity for our boys. This year’s Red Centre Service Learning Tour and Cambodia/Vietnam History Tour were transformational experiences for those who took part, and we learned why at assembly this week.  Sam Lye (11/ME) spoke about what made the Red centre Tour special and encouraged boys to join it when they are eligible. A video, edited by Calum Boland (11/PR), showed the breathtaking beauty of Uluru and highlighted the service learning, trekking and sport components of the tour. The highlight was the close-ups of boys eating witchetty grubs for the first time.

Alex Forward (10/LE) and Christos Fotopoulos (11/MO) shared their experience of the first Cambodia/Vietnam History Tour.  The boys spoke about the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge and its infamous S-21 prison, and the terrible human cost of the Vietnam War.  A video, edited by James Koumoukelis (11/LE), also showed the truly breathtaking tourist experiences, including canoeing on stunning Halong Bay, staying on board a cruise ship overnight, the Vietnamese White House and the Rex Hotel.  Perhaps the greatest experience for the boys was the service learning component of the tour.  The boys witnessed firsthand the hardships of the Cambodian people, which contrasted sharply to the privilege of living in Australia.  They came away with a new understanding of the value of hard work and perseverance by raising $15,000 for the Tbeng Primary School.  This enabled the boys to spend three days building a shelter and food storage area at the school, provide a salary to employ an English teacher, and provide an endowment for a female student to attend university and complete a three-year degree. These tours are wonderful experiences for the boys and staff who attend.  Our staff continue to provide these opportunities because our boys are brilliant to take on tour and our boys do return and demonstrate their gratitude.

We are now mid-way through Term 3. Learning profile assessments for Years 7 (2020) and 8 (2019) have taken place, and tomorrow is the start of Year 11 HSC and IB yearly exams and Year 12 HSC and IB trials.  This year, Year 12 boys will be able to sit their trials in full blazer uniform or smart casual clothes. They can choose to wear whatever makes them most comfortable, within reason, however, there is still an expectation they will be clean shaven with tidy haircuts.  I encourage the boys to finish the term strongly.