Dear Parents and Guardians,

It gives me pleasure to announce Mr Andrew Quinane has been appointed Deputy Head of Stanmore (Students).  Mr Quinane will join Newington College at the beginning of Term 2.  Mr Quinane holds a Bachelor of Music, a Bachelor of Education, and is completing his MBA in Educational Leadership. He is currently the Director of Activities (Co-curricular) at Shore and a member of their Executive Leadership Team.  Before joining Shore in 2012, Mr Quinane was Head of Music and a Year Co-ordinator at St. Aloysius College (2001 – 2011) and involved in Sport, coaching 1st XI Cricket and Rugby.  Prior to Shore he was at Mt St Benedict College, where he was Head of Music.  I would like to thank Ms Linda Munns-Conry who will continue in the role as (Acting) Deputy Head of Stanmore (Students) until the end of this term.  Ms Munns-Conry has been instrumental in ensuring there has been a smooth start to the year.

In more good news, Newington College has received its third perfect score in the 2017 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Jarrah Lindhout’s (ON 2017) total mark was upgraded to 45 – the highest possible score – after a component of his Theory of Knowledge exam was reassessed by IB markers this week.  Jarrah joins Matthew Putt (ON 2017) and Mitchell Long (ON 2017), who also received 45 in the IBDP. The mark equates to an ATAR of 99.95.

This week we announced Aiden Fisher (12/FL) Captain of Swimming and Luca Polvere (12/KL) and Jack Rudkins (12/MA) Vice Captains.  Newington Challenge Leaders for 2018 are Captain Tom Barker (12/FL) and Vice Captains Nelson Crossley (12/PR) and Sam Wyrill (12/MO).  Thirty-seven Year 12 boys were named Cadet Leaders for 2018. Senior Under Officer Gus Burton (12/KL) presented the Company Commanders, RSM, Medics and Head Quarters staff. Unit RSM Alex Potter (12/ME) presented the A and B Company CSMs. A Company Platoon Commanders were presented by the A Company Commander, Alexander Humphreys (12/JN), and the B Company Platoon Commanders were presented by the B Company Commander Lachlan McIntyre (12/JN). Charlie Joyce Thompson (11/PR) and Finn Tainsh (11/MO) were presented with Silver Duke of Edinburgh awards.

Congratulations must go to our GPS Open 4 x 100 Medley Relay team, who not only came first in the competition last Monday but broke the GPS record.  The winning relay team is: Lachlan Sheehy, backstroke (11/JN), Luca Polvere, breaststroke (12/KL), Christopher Mina, butterfly (9/PR) and Jack Rudkins, freestyle (12/MA).

These achievements are outstanding.  We are in an environment where we watch boys compete fearlessly on the field, the tennis court and in the pool.  We are entertained by orchestras, bands and choirs.  We celebrate achievements of the highest level, and it is right that we do. It is, however, very easy to miss the “quiet achievers”, the boys who put their heart and soul into the school but may not receive the accolades they deserve.

At assembly this week, our Senior Prefect Lachlan McIntyre (12/JN) and Deputy Senior Prefect Alexander Humphreys (12/JN) publically recognised and thanked 37 “Quiet Achievers” – boys who embody this year’s slogan “One for Many”. These are the boys who stay behind to collect the water bottles after a game, or arrive early to help set up the music sheets. We all applaud the boy who scores the winning goal, but we can miss, if we are not careful, the boy who stayed behind after his own game to sit on the bench, just in case … We applaud the lead in the school drama performance, but we may also miss the boys dressed in black behind the curtain.

These boys do things because they know it will benefit one boy or a whole group of boys, and they do it without being asked. As an individual, they contribute to a greater number of people. 

Will your son be the “One for Many”?