Welcome back to the new term. I hope you were able to enjoy some quality family time over the recent break.

Next week we are very excited to host Newington’s ninth biannual Literature Festival when our boys will have the opportunity to take part in a range of activities to promote their love of reading and writing. Over three days, our students will participate in sessions featuring special guests, authors, poets, illustrators and performers. There is also a comprehensive parent program set out on the Wyvern Library Space, click here. A special thank you to our Library team, Mrs Barnes and Mrs Mann, for designing such a comprehensive and exciting program of events. I also thank the Wyvern P and F for their financial support of the festival.

I wish to recognise the wonderful efforts of a number of our students who represented the school last term at a very high sporting level. Harry Halleen (Y6) and Mateja Wong (Y4) both won their age division at the IPSHA Cross-Country event and will now compete at CIS Cross-Country Championships this term. Luka Wong (Y6) was selected for the CIS Football team and will now compete at the NSWPSSA Football Championships. In swimming, Alexander Barlin (Y5), Joel Miller (Y4), Alex Nicholias (Y4) and Angus Baker Wood (Y4) were CIS representatives and were placed third in the 4x50m freestyle junior relay at the NSWPSSA Swimming Championships. Many congratulations to these students.

On Saturday we commence the Winter Sports season. There is an IPSHA Code of Conduct Guide for parents on Spaces, click here which I encourage you to read. It is important that adults set an appropriate and supportive tone for our sporting programs. Adults must lead by example, and as with all other areas of school life, we must set a tone where boys can enjoy themselves and participate without undue pressure. We should fully support all volunteer officials and regard sportsmanship as a high virtue. The Newington Directors of each sport are available to respond to any questions about their Wyvern programs. For rugby contact Lachlan Fear; lfear@newington.nsw.edu.au. For football contact Brain McCarthy; bmccarthy@newington.nsw.edu.au.

I respectfully remind parents that there is no pedestrian access via the Wyvern carpark. We place a high priority on student safety and the security of our campus and as such I request that parents only access the school via the front entrance on Cambridge Street.

I was delighted with the conduct of our Years 3-6 students who attended the College’s Anzac Ceremony on Tuesday. It was a most impressive occasion and an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice our service men and women, past and present, have made to secure our freedom. It was especially poignant to remember the 175 old Newingtonians who made the ultimate sacrifice in past conflicts. It was very evident that the significance of the occasion was not lost on our Wyvern students.

Ian Holden
Head of Wyvern House