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High Notes, Vol 11 No 16, May 28 2010

From the Principal

High Talent
Thank you to the ten staff members and four coaches who gave up their weekend to escort the 234 boys to Armidale for the annual TAS visit. The whole school community appreciates your efforts! Jasper Garay for his sportsmanship and concern for a spectator he hit while kicking for touch in the U15s rugby match at TAS. Congratulations to the Da Vinci Decathlon team from Year 10 (Christopher Chiam, Ming Chen, Abeer Khan, Patrick Krakosky, Edward Naoumov and Shuman Prusty) who won the bronze medal at the Da Vinci decathlon held at Knox Grammar.

OH & S – Moore Park West
A local Community Group recently wrote to me: “We write to alert you to increased public drug injecting in Moore Park, to the northeast & northwest of your northern fence with Moore Park playing fields. Residents have found recently numerous needle wrappers and discarded used needle syringes left on grassed areas of the park. We are concerned about increased public drug injecting, the risk of needle stick injuries, contaminated needles & harm of these to users of the park”. Students and spectators on Moore Park West should take care when walking near the fence line and be alert for any drug related paraphernalia.

Year 12 Reports
All boys should have been issued with their reports. Please ask to see your son’s report so that you can discuss its contents, the teachers’ comments and their recommendations.

Roadway upgrade
I have taken the opportunity of using the onsite contractor JC Excavations to lay asphalt on the area between gates 1 & 2. Despite the expensive nature of the work, involving excavation, laying a base then laying asphalt, the area has become a hazard riddled with potholes. The plan is to link the two driveways with a roadway capable of handling two lanes of traffic. Other smaller areas, such as that next to the garden where the buses park, will be asphalted too. Once the encapsulation works and road repairs are completed, the whole surrounds of the gym and tennis courts will be more accessible, functional and safer.

Boggabilla Visit
This week High welcomed Syriac, Lyndon, Yvonne and twenty-two Boggabilla Central School students for an interschool visit. Fifteen girls and seven boys made the trip and enjoyed a range of activities including a Boori Pryor performance, a visit to the Indigenous Centre For Excellence in Redfern and a yoga session. The highlight of the visit was attending the first State of Origin game with their billets. We really value this exchange as an opportunity

Protect your son’s Notebook
The school has purchased laptop cases to protect Year 10 student Notebooks. Avoid expensive repairs or downtime without a laptop. These TANC cases will be sold at cost ($56) to the first boys who go to the TSOs office. We have limited supply as a trial. If your son plays sport or is involved in many activities at school, then this insurance against damage would be a good investment.

Night Roadworks
The RTA has advised that culvert maintenance works will be carried out in Cleveland St. between City Road and South Dowling St. The dates are 31/5 -5/6 during the hours 8pm to 5am. Partial road closures will affect traffic. Some delays will be inevitable during those hours.
Dr K A Jaggar

From the Two Libraries

From the Andrews Library

BOOK FAIR THANK YOU
Both librarians would like to thank Dr Jaggar, Mr John Walker, Mrs Trompetter and the English Staff, our enthusiastic, supportive library Clerical Staff, all the Computer Managers and the new Laptop Technicians whom we have constantly asked for petty assistance, Borders Bondi Junction staff and the Children’s Bookshop owner, and especially the 50 fabulous student Book Fair volunteers and staff and boys who have had periods interrupted and their libraries closed for a day.

This has been a difficult task for everyone and we hope for full support for “boys reading” from every parent in the school to purchase one book their son would love to read. It is a pleasant little reward for the boys who have completed a semester’s work to get the opportunity to read a really popular book and then donate it to his school library for others to enjoy.

The Borders Online 20% off offer will apply with the inclusion of the Book Fair voucher code: BAE 3312 for only this week following the Book Fair so ordering will have to cease after next week. Please remember to put Delivery Address Sydney Boys High, Cleveland Street, Surry Hills so that staff can cover the books before your son reads them.

The McDonald Library will be hosting seniors during the Book Fair and will be displaying many of the latest fiction and non-fiction titles. There will be a 15% discount on titles and we are hoping to add many of these books to our growing collection to benefit all senior students. If each student donates just one book this will ensure most of these fantastic books will be available for borrowing. We are also hopeful that students will make suggestions when they come to view the books of titles they think would be good to be in the library. There is a limited budget to purchase books so hopefully with combined resources we will be able to keep all books on display for the McDonald Library collection.

As in the Andrews library your orders will be received up until the end of next week. Order forms need to be filled out with credit card details or cheque attached. Please remember to ask your son to record book title/s even if not donating. Return the form to Ms Gordon in the McDonald library as soon as possible. Seniors can also choose books from the online catalogue for the Andrews (Junior) Library which has many titles suitable for older readers listed.

We thank everyone in the Sydney High community for helping to make this inaugural Book Fair a huge success!
Mrs Crothers and Ms Gordon
Teacher Librarians

NEW SENIOR FICTION
The Hammer of Eden, Ken Follett;
Coast Road, Barbara Delinsky;
Exclusion Zone, John Nichol;
The Sharp End, Gabrielle Lord;
Tripwire, Lee Child,
Thunderhead, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child,
Lake News, Barbara Delinsky;
Flight of Eagles, Jack Higgins;
Plum Island, Nelson De Mille;
Only Love, Erich Segal;
Guilt, John Lescroat;
The Starlite Drive In; Marjorie Reynolds;

From the MacDonald (Senior) Library

AT LAST BOOKS HAVE ARRIVED!
Books are making an appearance in the Library at last and as new books arrive the choice for borrowing will increase. We are busy setting up shelving to accommodate our new collection at present and hopefully as a result of the coming Book Fair we will be adding lots of brand new books! Suggestions can be made and given to Ms Gordon. So if you would like to have the latest, popular fiction or non-fiction title or next in a series or a title useful in your studies please don’t hesitate to get in now and make sure it is added. Soooo watch this space!

Keep an eye out for new magazines added recently including Cosmos, describing itself as being about “The Science of everything” and includes articles this month about “The Truth about Vitamins”, “Secrets of the Sphinx”, “Science and Certainty” and the climate science debate, and “Is Anyone Listening?...why the galaxy is likely to be buzzing with civilisations”.

For those who enjoy reading and books, a new magazine appropriately titled “Good Reading: the magazine for book lovers” is also being added to our magazine collection. It contains interesting articles on authors, reviews of latest fiction and non-fiction books, competitions, book club, author profiles, new book guide plus articles of interest about literature, and literary places and subjects. Great for readers of all ages, persuasions and interests!
Ms Gordon
Teacher Librarian – MacDonald Library

SRC

On Tuesday the 25th of May, Samir, Isnad and I attended the 2nd regional SRC meeting held at JJ Cahill Memorial High school. After attending an inspiring first meeting at Randwick Girls High School, we were all looking forward to this meeting and unsurprisingly it didn’t disappoint. A fine spread of food, and fellow SRC members from various schools greeted us as we entered the meeting room and after a bit of socialising, the meeting began. The emphasis of this meeting was to elect the 3 members that would represent the Sydney North East region at the State SRC conference. The conference consists of a 4 day camp with members from other SRC zones and is a highly regarded event. Carrying the traditions of our school, Samir Kinger was elected as one of the three members to attend this prestigious event.

I would like to wish Samir a big congratulations on behalf of the student body. It has been 3 years in a row that we have had a member of the Sydney High SRC elected at the regional meetings to attend this camp and we hope to continue this in the years to come.

Big thanks must go to JJ Cahill Memorial High School for hosting this event, Lisa Keating, the SRC regional facilitator and Mrs Collignon for her support and for taking the time to accompany us to the event.
Michael Wong (Yr 11)
SRC Secretary

Student Lost Property

Please ensure all items of clothing and accessories are marked with your son’s full name. If an item is accidently lost this will allow students to identify their property. Thank you for your cooperation

The Lawrence Campbell Oratory

As The Scots College put it – “What do retired Chief Justice Hon Murray Gleeson, MP Malcolm Turnbull, former Premier Nick Greiner and his son Justin, journalist Mungo MacCallum, Mr Justice Waddy, broadcaster Adam Spencer and Chaser Charles Firth all have in Common?” The answer that mightn’t spring to mind is they “won the Lawrence Campbell” and though The Scots College hosted the event this year, they aren’t the only school to be proud of the competition and the high honour each school has to be a part of it.

Each year only one representative from each of the eight GPS and Five CHS schools come to battle it out against some of the most eloquent and certainly the most fast thinking students. The group of thirteen are locked away, waiting for their turn to speak. But there’s a twist. Up until you are called you have no speech to give. Given a mere fifteen minutes each speaker must choose one of the three topics given and present an eight minute speech accordingly.

The topic pool was particularly difficult. They were “That distance is temporal, only time is linear”, “Right as the world goes is only in question as between equals in power while the strong do as they will and the weak must suffer” (deep breath) and “The superfluous – a necessary thing”. Think it’s easy? Well few do. Grammar took the win at the end of the night but there’s always next year to talk our way into a win.

This year was special however as it was the 75th anniversary of the competition. One need only have observed the highly esteemed adjudicators including the Hon Murray Gleeson, Malcolm Turnbull and law partner Max Bonnell.

If one isn’t so fond of celebrities, there were certainly enough gripping and mentally stimulating speeches to leave the overflowing hall thoroughly engaged. The hungry guests then proceeded to cakes and refreshments where the adults were treated to champagne and wine.

On a personal note, having been privileged to compete twice myself, the speeches were of the finest quality as always, but the function as a whole was something special. Cohesive organisation, very special guest speakers, very friendly competitors and yes, food, all made the Lawrence Campbell Oratory of 2010 truly an experience to remember.
John Aclis
Year 12

SBHS Debating

Brilliant Work Boys!
Last week our Year 11 and 8 boys stormed through the FED semi final round to book their place in the FED Grand Final Excellent work!

This week sees Year 10 contesting their semi final debate at Trinity on the topic area of Social Policy. With luck and a whole lot of talent, hopefully our teams will have a clean sweep of the semis and a maximum showing at the FED Grand Final – Friday 4th June at Knox.

Coaching continues this week with no competition debate (except Year 10 obviously).

GPS Selections
All years are still in the grip of GPS Trials. Information specific to each Year group’s selections process is advised during coaching and on email where appropriate. For any and all questions please send me an email on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or discuss with your coach on Friday afternoon.

The GPS competition is a prestigious debating competition that runs in 3rd term. In order to select our teams we hold trial debates during term 2 in order to give any interested boys an opportunity to showcase their debating abilities.

Further selections information will be available in coaching and will be emailed out to parents for their reference.

In general, however, all Years will apply the following criteria in selecting teams:

• Performance in Trial Debate
• Performance in competition debates so far
• Performance in coaching (quizzes and coaching activities)
• Overall behaviour and demonstrated commitment to the coaching program

All parents should be advised that these teams are crafted based on the experience of the coaches with all the boys across the coaching Year groups. Year 7 parents should not be concerned that their son has not had many opportunities for competition debating – as we focus on giving each boy (in a large coaching group) at least 1 chance of debating. In turn the Trial performance AND their coaching performances are of special importance.

More information can be found at t and will be emailed to you on a weekly basis.
Please CHECK YOUR EMAIL regularly and ensure we have current contact details for both students and parents.
PARENTS: If you are not receiving weekly emails about debating please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and ask to be added to the parent group for your child’s year.

DER Laptop Damage – Processes

All students in Years 9 and 10 are assigned a laptop under the Digital Education Revolution (DER) NSW program. Sometimes these laptops stop working properly.

In some cases the problem is a software fault or a defect with the computer. In these circumstances a loan laptop is issued and the laptop is repaired free of charge.

In other circumstances, when a student damages, has damaged, loses or has stolen his DER laptop and he goes to see a Technical Support Officer (TSO), he will be issued with a number of forms. These need to be completed before he can be supplied with a loan laptop.

At this time, loan laptops are being issued for damage and loss as well as for theft. The forms may include:

• Incident Form – on this form the student states how the loss or damage occurred. This must be signed by a parent/carer.
• Statutory Declaration – the Laptop User Charter requires a statutory declaration in certain circumstances. The TSO will indicate whether a statutory declaration is required. If one is then a blank statutory declaration form will be supplied along with an information sheet on how to complete a statutory declaration.
• Police Report – a copy of a police report may be required if the laptop is stolen. The TSO will indicate whether this is required.
• Laptop Service Exemption – students are required to carry this authority document to class when they do not have a laptop. This document aids teachers in determining who should be attending class without a laptop. Parents/carers do not have to complete anything on this form. Once the documents are completed satisfactorily and returned to the TSO, a loan laptop will be issued. Students and parents should be aware that they are liable for damage to this loan laptop in the same way they are for the original one.

For damaged laptops, during this time a quote is sought for the repair of the laptop. Once the quote is received, arrangements are made to fix the laptop. Where the cost to repair exceeds $350, the laptop is written off and instead a new laptop is obtained.

The Principal will send home, via mail, a letter advising parents/carers of what cost will be payable for the repair of the laptop. If you have any queries or concerns arising from this letter, you should contact the Principal.

Once the laptop has been repaired and payment has been received, the student’s allocated laptop can be returned to him.

Please remember that DER laptops are school property and their allocation to students is pursuant to the signed Laptop User Charter. Students can obtain a copy of the User Charter from the My Laptop section of the Student Intranet Portal.

Protecting the Laptop
Laptop repairs can be very expensive. Parents and students should consider obtaining a sturdy laptop case. Such a case can help prevent damage caused in bags or in the playground.

For parents of students in Year 10, the school sells a TANC laptop case for $56. (Note that this case does not fit the Year 9 laptop; a new model is expected from the manufacturer soon). This case can sustain up to 120kg force without damaging the laptop inside.

Students can see an image of the case in the My Laptop section of the Student Intranet Portal or they can see one in the flesh at the TSO desks in room 605 and the Junior Library.

To purchase a TANC case, students should first see a TSO to obtain a purchase form. Payment can be cash or credit card.

Laptop Accessories
Additional batteries and power supplies are also available. Students can express their interest to a TSO.

From the Canteen

As I’m sure you all know, volunteer help in our canteen is vital to ensure healthy food for our boys and an ongoing income stream to the P&C for allocation to worthy school projects.

We like to say thank you to our volunteers by rewarding them with the chance to win a $10 Canteen voucher for their sons.

All volunteers have to do is turn up for duty as usual and sign the duty roster book. A draw will be held each month for the lucky voucher winner. Remember, if you find you can’t make your shift, just call a fellow parent on the roster and arrange a swap.

And the lucky winner for the month of April is Sally Allingham. Congratulations!!

The following people who volunteered last week will go into this month’s draw.

Many thanks for your help to Dani Hillier, Anita Bezjak, Angela Pak, Jenny Dong. Huiya Jade Ni, Nina Liu, Doris Fong Stephen Saunders, Sally Allingham, Karen Schmidt, Alana Liang, Anna Goh, Linda Perris, David Mah, Stamatina Farrugia

If you have ever wondered what people do as part of the canteen committee, then here’s your answer…….

• Meet once a month with Dr Jaggar and the managers to discuss policy, menu, budget and other relevant issues to canteen.
• Sample tasty current or proposed menu items as needed at said meetings
• Help out in canteen as well as help with the stocktake count once a term.
• Be prepared to assist with any occasional jobs that may need to be done as decided at a meeting.

The canteen committee is a friendly easy going team to be part of with a mix of mums and dads. It is a good opportunity for you to be actively involved in a part of your son’s school that makes a sizeable financial contribution each year towards his education.

The committee meets on the 2nd Friday of each month from 2.45 - 4pm approx.

If you feel you could help the school out by being on the canteen committee, we would love to see you...especially parents from the junior school. Just ring canteen and let Karen or Tracey know.
Thank you
The Canteen Team

From Careers

UNSW Network Schools Program

Mock Trial Workshop - Faculty of Law
In this workshop offered by the Faculty of Law, students will participate in a mock trial with the assistance of current students studying undergraduate law. Students will be split into groups of 3, each with a law student ambassador, and then given a fictitious case and appropriate roles within the trial. This workshop is an exciting introduction to trial advocacy and is appropriate for students keenly interested in pursuing law at university and for those students who may be unsure of whether or not law is the right program for them.

Date: Tuesday 29 June
Venue: UNSW Kensington Campus
Registration: Interested students or teachers should contact (02) 9385 8379 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to register. Places are limited.

Infectious Diseases and DNA Workshop - Faculty of Science
This engaging workshop provides two activities, one on Infectious Diseases and the other in DNA, and is designed to provide an insight into several exciting areas of modern science - including microbiology and molecular biology. Students participating in this workshop will investigate the spread of contagious diseases, explore the structure of DNA and use forensic techniques to solve a crime.

Date: Wednesday 7 July
Venue: UNSW Kensington Campus
Registration: Interested students or teachers should contact (02) 9385 8379 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to register

UTS Information Technology Evening

When: Thursday 3 June 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Where: UTS:IT 235 Jones St, Ultimo, Building 10, Room 10.6.430

UTS:IT are holding an Undergraduate Courses and Scholarships Information Evening to provide IT course and scholarship information to students and parents. The current format for application to the Bachelor of Information Technology Co-operative Scholarship (BIT) will continue with a two-round process.

Round 1 applications are due on 25 June 2010. Students are encouraged to apply for round 1 and attend the Information Evening. Applications are available inside the UTS:IT Undergraduate Course Guide and can also be downloaded at the BIT How To Apply page.

BIT Flyers will be mailed to all schools shortly, along with some extra application forms. For RSVP and further information please contact Jenny Donovan on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (02) 9514 4302.

For further information, contact the Careers Adviser.

Sports Donations

GPS sports competition is very demanding on people and resources. At High we have ongoing needs for facilities development, equipment and development through expert coaching. If you would like to help through a tax deductible donation for a particular sport, the appropriate form can be posted to you by calling 9361 6910. Alternatively, you can go to our website click on Sport /Sports Donations to download either Development Donation Form or Equipment and Facility Donation Form.

Surviving the Road Toll

Many parents this year will be looking forward to the opportunity to help their son complete 120 hours of supervised driving prior to them receiving a driver’s licence. Some of you may have already successfully completed or begun this task with your son. This task does provide an excellent opportunity for parents to share their years of driving experience and to discuss many of the potentially dangerous scenarios that present on the road.

“Surviving The Road Toll” is an excellent resource created by a past Sydney Boys High School student, Mr Christopher Lawrance. It can be used by all family members to help enjoy a safer time on our roads. There is a strong focus on developing a responsible driver attitude towards road safety as well as many important driving tips.

To order and purchase a copy of the book contact Chris Lawrance at : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ($9.90 plus $2.00 postage)

School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS)

School Student Code of Conduct – Students travelling on buses must:-

• Dip school bus pass or pay the fare when joining the bus. This is particularly important as the data collected from the on bus fare collection system may be used for service planning purposes
• Use school specials when provided
• Vacate seats for adults when requested
• Follow the driver’s instructions about safety on the bus
• Respect the needs and comfort of other passengers
• Behave appropriately at all times (e.g. no offensive language, no throwing things)
• Protect bus property (e.g. no vandalism)

Students are reminded to:-

• Only use the school bus pass for its intended purpose i.e. for travel between home and school (does not include travel to and from sporting activities)
• Maintain possession of the school bus pass at all times.

During 2010, authorised officers will be deployed to inspect Code of Conduct compliance on school bus services in the Eastern Region. Students who are found to have breached their obligations may lose their travel entitlement and possibly incur an infringement.

Volleyball Report

First Grade Report
This week, The Scots College first grade volleyball team faced a fully rested Sydney High squad. Coming off their first win in GPS against Newington last week and a championship in the Metropolitan Schools Volleyball Tournament, Sydney High came out firing in the first set.

Both Hugh Huang and team captain Merlin Li showed great consistency as they racked up several aces close to double digits each to secure the first set easily. The second set consisted of the same consistent serving this time by David Nguyen and strong defence plays from the baseline by Pat Li. This combination showed to be the key to securing the second set as High cruised through relatively unchallenged. The third set showed no deviation from the previous sets as High continued to dominate at the net and in the backfield, Chris Morrow took full advantage of playing condition at Scots’ home ground and as a reward shattered the Scots’ persistent block attempts with his overpowering spike.

Testimony to Sydney High’s dominance in Volleyball, High managed to keep their point losses to a minimum against Scots and finished the game 3-0.
John Gim

Second Grade Report
High gathered at the Scots’ gym eagerly anticipating a tough encounter against Scots. This was not to be. High dominated from the opening whistle with powerful serving from Jun “John Gim II” Park, Ennes Mehmedbasic and Daniel Smith-Light coupled with Scots’ inability to complete a pass. This allowed High to take the opening set 25-5. The second set was a closer affair with missed serves and bad passing from High allowing Scots' score to climb to double digits. High quickly regained control through great blocking from bigman Shiraz Biscevic and consistent hitting from “twins” Alan and Nathan, taking the second set 25-14. High then coasted through the rest of the match with solid hitting from captain Brendan Cheung and Justin “Baby J” Yang and perfect sets from Patrick, taking the final set, 25-15. High will be looking to continue its good form against Grammar this week. Thanks to Mr Kay and Dr Ganderton for coming out to coach us on a cold and wet Saturday morning.
Tony Wang

NSW All Schools Tournament
The NSW All Schools tournament was held at Olympic Park on the 15th of May. Sydney Boys 3rds team was placed in the ‘C’ division, matching up with other schools such as Menai and Baulkham Hills. The first game was played against a skilled opponent in Menai where we lost in 2 close sets despite playing with several new volleyball players in the team. The second game was played against the Baulkham Hills Gold team, and was won comfortably in 2 sets. With a win and a loss, the team finished 2nd with the ‘C’ division and proceeded to play the Sydney Boys 4 team. The game was close from the beginning with both teams evenly matched. However Sydney Boys 4 team took the first set and won the second by default. Overall Sydney Boys 3rds team had an exciting experience and would like to thank Mr Kay for his efforts in organising the teams.
Matthew Phung

Winter Sports Assembly

Parents and friends are invited to attend the Annual Winter Sports Assembly on Friday 4th June in the School’s Great Hall at 11:30am. The GPS teams for Rugby, Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country, Fencing and Rifle Shooting will be presented to the school.

Our guest speaker Mr Ewen McKenzie, a former Australian Wallaby Rugby player and current Queensland Reds rugby union coach will be attending the event and presenting awards to the students. After the formalities, parents are asked to join us for morning tea to celebrate this occasion.
Mark Pavone
Sportsmaster

Football Jerseys Sought

Attention all Football players - past and present!

Do you have a spare SBHS football jersey at home or know someone who does?

SBHS is currently switching to a new football uniform. Year 7 players are now wearing the smart new strip which features vertical stripes in the school colours. However all other Years must wear the old strip for school matches (the plain blue jersey). As these can no longer be supplied new, the Football Committee would like to collect as many as possible for players who need them.

Please bring in any old jerseys to the MIC Football Mr Gifford or contact Anne Wall on 0423172762.

High Society

The Bulletin Board for Sydney Boys High P & C

Julie Connolly P&C President. If you would like to have any parent community news or upcoming events included in High Society, please contact Julie Connolly, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; M: 0418 470 203.

ONLINE P&C Forum

The Online P&C forum is now open and many parents have requested and received their usernames and passwords. It seems that access to an Online P&C is a welcome initiative for parents that we can progressively improve and build upon. But we have not heard from many parents!

Could parents let us know through the P&C discussion page or the P&C Gmail, if you are having problems accessing the P&C Forum and if there are any technical hitches – or maybe we are asking the wrong questions! Some parents have offered suggestions on how to improve the P&C discussion pages – which we will work on – but we are relying on parent feedback so that we can get it right.

To access the Online P&C discussion you must have your Parent Portal Password that is specific to each Year Group. To obtain the Parent Portal Password for your Year group, please email the P&C This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your name and your son’s Year and we will forward you the password. Once you have the Parent Portal Password, go to sydneyboyshigh.com and login to the School Intranet using your username and password details and access P&C Discussions using the left hand menu. Any problems, please let us know through the P&C Gmail address This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Parents are welcome to post any comments not related to the nominated questions or indeed ask questions as would occur in regular face-to-face P&C meetings. If you require an immediate response to a specific question, it may be best to email the P&C committee directly This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Joint P&C SBHS and SGHS – 7.00pm, Wednesday 30th June, Great Hall

Please note the earlier start time of 7.00pm for our joint meeting with Sydney Girls High parents. This evening is not like a regular P&C meeting, but an opportunity for us to meet and mingle with parents from the girls school following a presentation from a speaker specifically arranged for the evening.

This year we are hosting and have arranged for Dr Michael Carr-Gregg to address us on The Five Greatest Challenges for Parents in 2010. Dr Michael Carr-Gregg is one of Australia's highest profile psychologists and is described by the Sunday Age, as one of the country's leading authorities on teenage behaviour. He specialises in the areas of parenting adolescents and adolescent mental health. This is a great opportunity for our parents to hear from an expert. Dr Carr-Gregg is an informed, entertaining and most inspiring speaker on some of the most critical issues for our adolescents today. Supper will be served following the presentation.

Upcoming Parent Meetings and Events

Wednesday 2nd June, 5.30pm – Cricket Committee Meeting, Staff Common Room
Wednesday 30th June, 7.00pm – Address by Dr Michael Carr- Gregg at joint SBHS and SGHS P&C Meeting, Great Hall

Hear Dr Michael Carr-Greg, 30 June 2010

Fantastic Opportunity to Hear One of Australia's Leading Voices on Teenagers

7.00pm, Wednesday 30th June, Great Hall
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg

The Five Greatest Challenges for Parents in 2010

The joint Sydney Boys and Sydney Girls P&C meeting for this year – 7.00pm, Wednesday 30th June, in the Great Hall – will feature Dr Michael Carr-Gregg speaking on The Five Greatest Challenges for Parents in 2010, including aspects of online safety, alcohol, sleep and other key issues. This is a fantastic opportunity to hear one of Australia’s leading voices on adolescents and we urge parents to attend this P&C presentation.

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg is one of Australia's highest profile psychologists and is described by the Sunday Age, as one of the country's leading authorities on teenage behaviour. He specialises in the areas of parenting adolescents and adolescent mental health. Michael is the Consultant Psychologist to the Victorian Secondary Schools Principals’ Association and is a founding member of the National Coalition Against Bullying. He is an official ambassador for beyondblue and Mindmatters - one of 16 youth suicide prevention programs run by the Federal Government - and has served on the advisory committee for the Federal Government's Boys' Education Lighthouse School Programme.

Educated in Kenya, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Michael is married with two sons. For seven years he worked as an Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne, before going into private practice in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. Michael has worked in private practice as a family therapist, child psychologist and clinical psychologist, as an academic, researcher and spent four years working as a political lobbyist. He wrote his PhD on adolescents with cancer at the University of NSW which resulted in the formation of CanTeen - a support group for teenagers with cancer in 1984. Michael has a high media profile working on national TV on Channel 7's Sunrise and The Morning Show as well as Fairfax Radio 3AW. He is a columnist for Girlfriend and Australian Doctor and has written six books, including the best selling Princess Bitchface Syndrome - how to survive teenage girls for Penguin in 2007 and has just finished another book When to Really Worry which was released in 2010.

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg is an informed, entertaining and inspiring speaker addressing some of the most critical issues for our adolescents today. This is a great opportunity for High parents to hear his insights.

Supper will be served following the presentation. 

Wet Weather Information

Saturday Sport

For regular updates on Saturday sport during times of inclement weather, parents and students are asked to check the school’s website throughout the day. The information can be found by going to the school’s website at then by clicking on the fixture details under the heading of ‘Upcoming events’ i.e. Saturday, May 29 SGS v SHS. Cancellations can then be found by scrolling down the page to the specific sport and team. If there is no information specific to sport cancellations then assume by default that sport will go ahead. Please note that the current ‘Sports Wet Weather line’ is inoperable.

Changes to Sport Policy

Students and parents should read the changes to the School’s Sport Policy which is detailed on the school’s website and outlined below: :

Sport Policy
Sydney Boys High encourages participation in team sports for educational reasons. Team sports build a sense of belonging in boys, a connectedness with the school; teamwork skills are developed; individual self-confidence and self-esteem are enhanced through group endeavour; and socialisation at school is fostered through ready topics of conversation among team members. Teams help and protect their members.

Sydney Boys High is unique among NSW state secondary schools due to its membership since 1906 of the Athletic Association of Great Public Schools, formed in 1892 to order and regulate sporting fixtures for schools with senior students. The other eight members of this Association (commonly called the 'GPS') are private schools.

The school expects students to engage in at least one GPS sport per year. This commitment includes Saturday competition. We encourage boys to get involved in aerobic fitness activities (the athletics and cross country programs) to help them in their chosen sports. To help their strength in anaerobic activities we offer supervised weights training.

The policy of the school is that sport is compulsory all year for students in Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11 and up until the Trial HSC exams in Year 12. Those students who are unable to participate in Saturday sport are to address this in writing with complete details to the Head Teacher-Sport at the beginning of the year.

It is the policy of the school to support GPS sports in the season that they are contested by the members of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools.

This means that equipment costs, venue hire, travel to certain venues, particular coaching fees, competition entry fees, charges for referees or umpires, capitation fees and entry fees for knockout competitions, are paid for from school funds. Competition entry fees for representative teams for all sports are paid for from school funds. The school charges parents a global fee and in addition, a sports levy, to cover these costs.

Saturday Sport Absences
During the recent summer season it was noticed that a number of students were absent from sport on Saturdays with no explanation. These led to a number of embarrassing incidents, where teams were left short and apologies were made to the opposing school. For Sydney Boys High School to be recognised as a serious opponent in the AAGPS, then a number of changes have been made to rectify this problem for future Saturday fixtures.

Students and parents are asked to communicate known absences to the Master in Charge (MIC) and to their specific team coach in the week leading up the match. If a student is ill, it is expected the illness will be communicated directly to the coach and Master in Charge (MIC) on the day of the match. Students who do not communicate illnesses or absences will be given a warning ‘Yellow Card’. A further breach in terms of an unexplained absence will mean a red card in which the student will be suspended from the sport for 2 weeks. If a third unexplained absence occurs, then the student will be removed from the sport for the remainder of the season. For a student to receive credit towards their Half Yearly and Yearly Reports, 100% attendance or full communication of absences is expected.

In summary:
First unexplained absence = warning, Yellow Card

Second unexplained absence = Removed from the sport for two weeks, Red Card

Third unexplained absence = removed from the sport for the remainder of the season

100% attendance = credit given for participation on Half Yearly/Yearly Reports