Dear parents and guardians,

Tomorrow is the final day of Year 11 and 12 HSC and IB Trials.  The boys are still smiling but I think they will be relieved when the exams are over. At the completion of the exams, we will hold our Cadet Passing Out Parade.

We have some great activities planned for Year 12 boys between now and the end of term to provide a window of relaxation and fun, mixed with classes, before they return to study. On Friday 11 September, Year 12 will attend a retreat on campus. The retreat, postponed from Term 1, is normally a three-day, overnight, offsite event, but has been modified to keep the boys COVID safe.  Boys in Years 7-11 will be dismissed at lunch time to accommodate the Year 12 retreat giving the entire Stanmore Campus over to the Year 12 boys to help facilitate delivery of the program.  Details of all the events planned for Year 12 have been sent to parents and boys in a separate communication this afternoon.

Tomorrow, parents and guardians of boys in Years 9 and 12 will receive an email invitation from MMG Education to complete an online survey. It is important that we ‘take the temperature’ of the school every two or three years and we thank those parents in advance for participating. Responses will be treated in strict confidence: Newington never finds out who said what. The survey will be available from Friday 4 September and stay open for two weeks.  The Year 9 and 12 boys will complete the student survey during mentor period on Monday 24 September.  

It was great to see sport fixtures resume last Saturday. We thank you for understanding that we cannot have spectators on site due to COVID restrictions, but also ask that this restriction is observed on the steps and overpass across Stanmore Road.

Thank you again for continuing to do all you can to keep our Newington community COVID safe.