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High Notes, Vol 13 No 24, August 10 2012
From the Principal
High Talent
Sports Policy Changes Forum During the last few years High has also come under increasing pressure to lift the standard of its competition within the GPS. Our competitors have certainly done so. To do this, we must build higher levels of skills in each sport as well as strength and fitness. It is time that we re-visited our arrangements to maximise access to activities while increasing the exposure of boys to training for sport. Three sessions per week are required to achieve our goals. To improve our depth, it is equally important for boys in C, D, E and F teams to train adequately. Some boys with ability are lost to various sports at the highest level because they take sports with less training time expected or choose to play at lower levels than their ability indicates. We need to change the culture and restore the former pride that High boys had to wear the jersey to represent the school at the highest level. We have some elite sportsmen who are training in and out of school to a demanding level. The proposed changes will have no effect on them. We are trying to regularise the conduct of sports training for the bulk of school participants. We have had an ‘Off-timetable timetable’ to regulate our activities for many years. For example, Tuesday afternoon is reserved for cadets, morning Mondays and Wednesdays for extension 2 mathematics, Tuesdays and Thursdays for Year 8 languages, and music ensembles spread out over the weekday mornings to accommodate senior and junior players. However, with more and more activities being scheduled, the certainty of these arrangements has broken down. More and more weekday morning training sessions are creeping in to suit coaches and teams. The school needs to set its own directions and have people service those needs. The Parent Portal has the details of the proposal. Come along to the Forum to hear more about the proposals and to have your say!
New timetable proposal The proposed period length is 60 minutes Monday to Thursday, and 55 minute periods on Friday with an early start for RE and meetings at 0850. The movement between periods is addressed by the concept of a ‘transition’ time of 5 minutes. Students will be expected to be ready to start at 0900, 1125 and 1410 on Mondays and Tuesdays on a 2:2:1 structure. From Wednesday to Friday, the arrangement will be 2:1:2 to accommodate sport and the RE early start on Friday. In order to maximise teaching time, 5 minutes will be allowed between periods 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 or 4 and 5, depending on the day. The day will end at 1510 except on Fridays at 1515. Lunch will be early on Wednesdays and Thursdays and late on Fridays. Essentially, the day will be 10 minutes shorter except on Friday but our expectations of punctuality will rise.
Some concerns have been raised about the frequency of face to face meetings over three weeks,
given the variations we have in such a busy school; and about the allocation issue of split
classes. The Senior Executive is working on possible solutions or strategies to ameliorate these
effects. If you have a view (staff, parent, student) please email me your thoughts. 
Careers NewsUNSW Taste of Electrical Engineering 2012
Do you love solving problems? The workshops will include:
What: A three day exploration of electrical engineering. When: 24 September – 26 September 2012 (Closing date for applications 15 August) Where: School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications, UNSW Cost: $90 Includes lunches and electronic components and excursions Online application form: See also: Careers News on the Parent and Student PortalIt is important that parents and students have access to the latest careers news and information. The Careers News section of the Student Portal and of the Parents Portal is updated daily with this latest information. Visit the Careers News section to read the latest information about:
Log into the Student or Parents Portal by clicking the Intranet Login link on the Sydney Boys High School website. Please see the Careers Adviser if you have any further questions.
From the OfficeLetters Re Absence/Lateness/ Early LeaveWhen your son returns to school from being absent he is required to provide a letter of explanation signed by a parent or guardian. If your son is going to be late for school a note is also required. Alternatively you may contact the school by phone on 9361 6910 and dial “4” for the absentee line. If your son has an early leave note he is required to have his note signed by either Mr Barris, Mr Dowdell or Mr Prorellis before 8:55 am and handed in to the Main Office immediately after. Each letter should be signed by a parent or guardian with the name, date and roll class of your son printed clearly. Your son needs to pick up a leave pass from the Main Office before he leaves the school. LeaveIf you require leave for your son please, apply in writing and address your application to the Principal, Dr Jaggar, stating the reason and length of time of the leave. Your son must then present this application to Dr Jaggar for permission for the leave. Please remember to apply before the leave and not after. The Principal must approve all leave applications.
Die Deutsche FrageDer Koenig von Wien? Wau, wau! Tipp zwei:
NB Es gibt auch einen Schokoriegel fuer den besten Spitznamen fuer meinen Kniescooter!
From the High StoreThe High Store will be closed the last two weeks of Term 3 from Monday 10th Sept through to last day of term. The shop will open for one day only on Friday 14th Sept. 10.30-1.30. No blazer orders, braiding & lines will be done on this day.
From the CanteenWe have a new item on the menu, a delicious homemade chicken pesto pasta that will be popping up now and then and good news for Pide lovers, they are returning on Mondays only for now.
Thank you to our volunteers last week: We are still in need of a mum or dad for the 1st Wednesday and 1st Thursday of the month if anyone can help please contact the canteen on 9360 4027. The canteen voucher winner for June for his son is Sam Guo. The canteen voucher winner for July for her son is Rachel Fowler.
Good luck to Year 12 with their trials this month
A Thank You to ParentsWe are so lucky at High to have fabulous support from our parents. A special thank you to Mr Baranwal (father of Shaleen inYear 9 and Shobhan in Year 10) and to Mr and Mrs Tran (parents of Joshua in Year 9) for their help in putting up the nets at football in Centennial Park last Saturday morning. We would have been running behind schedule if they hadn’t recognised that we had a problem and stepped forward to assist. Wonderful!
What’s Up in the McDonald Senior Library?HSC Trials have begun and the Senior Library is now an excellent environment in which to study and prepare for these exams. Although most Year 12 students are preparing for them at home some have wisely come to school to take advantage of the quiet study atmosphere and proximity to HSC resources etc.
NEW RESOURCES COMING
Library VIP winner The libraries support and promote The National Year of Reading in 2012 which emphasises and highlights the importance of Reading to success and achievement for everyone. We do our best to encourage our boys to read for all sorts of reasons including pleasure and leisure which all contribute to high achievement in school and in life generally. In an excellent article cited by the American Library Association “Independent reading and school achievement”, author Bernice E. Cullinan of New York University discusses the research on the effects and importance of voluntary reading and the programs in libraries and classrooms that support it. She summarizes as follows: “Independent reading is the kind students choose to do on their own; it is not assigned or assessed, but it has a positive effect on learning and school achievement. Research about the effects of independent reading on school achievement and programs planned to promote it demonstrates these common factors:
CULLINAN, Bernice E., “Independent Reading and School Achievement” (1998-2000) (accessed 08/08/12). As the Senior Library develops and increases the collection and reading choices available to students, we anticipate a gradual increase in the amount of reading and borrowing that senior students do.
SBHS DebatingA huge congratulations to Christopher, Robert, Julian and Nicky who won the prestigious Hume Barbour debating competition and brought the wonderful trophy to our school to take pride of place in the main entrance. These four Seniors are role models for all our younger debaters and I was pleased that so many of you took the opportunity to come and watch them debate in the grand surroundings of the Sydney University Great Hall. Thank you to Brian Webb who has done all the organising for the debates and has travelled to some far flung destinations with the team. Of course a special thanks is owed to Dominic Bowes who is an Old Boy and Year 12 coach. Recently Dom was ranked 12th best speaker (out of over 300) at the University Debating competition and I was very happy that he agreed to coach at High this year. On the mention of the Australs I wanted to mention how lucky we are to have so many fantastic debaters (who compete competitively at University) as coaches this year. Some of the High Boys may not realise just how skilled and experienced their coaches are. Did Year 7s know that Nakul ranked 19th and Angud 39th? Year 8s are lucky to be coached by Justin who ranked 45th, Chris 111 and Declan138th. Coaching Year 9 are Stephen who ranked 60th and Solange 76th. Year 10 coaches Antony ranked 39th and Felix proved himself to be such a good adjudicator that he was chosen to adjudicate the final debate. Finally Nina who is our Year 11 coach ranked 31. These are all great scores in themselves, but remember these guys have already had to go through rigorous trials to get onto their University teams because are a lot more debaters at Sydney University and UNSW than there are places on teams. If you continue with debating through Year 12 and into Uni you can have some amazing opportunities. I know that Stephen Garafano has been to Korea, New York and New Zealand through the UNSW DebSoc just in the last year.
Finally this week a massive thanks to all of you who brought food for supper on Friday and for
those of you who stayed to organise it so well. It was very gratifying to see such a sumptuous
feast. We only have two more home debates so keep up this excellent effort. Last Friday our Year 12 Premiers Debating Challenge Team won the state final for the Hume Barbour trophy! The team of Robert Sternhell, Julian Edgtton, Nicky Pinidiya and myself took on Manly NBSC, the team we beat in last year's final. Asked to negate the topic "that we should not broadcast messages made by perpetrators of terrorist attacks," we ended up winning a very close debate on a split decision. Thanks must go to our coach, Dom Bowes, and Mr Webb for organising us for each round of the competition, as well as Ms Powell for organising a superb crowd who supported us at the final.
The Class of 2012's PDC experience is over, and we were one of the most successful Year groups
ever, winning titles in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Now our attention turns to the GPS where we are
looking for more success!
More information can be found at and will be emailed to
you on a weekly basis.
Music NotesHSC Showcase Concert and Visual Arts DisplayThe HSC showcase will be held on Tuesday 28th of August in the GREAT HALL 5pm-8pm. This is an opportunity for you to come, hear and view the students work!!! PLEASE COME AND SUPPORT YOUR PEERS!!! Staff are also welcome to see an extraordinary showcase of amazing talent! HSC MusicWELL DONE to all the boys who performed their individual and ensemble pieces for the HSC Trial. The actual HSC exam will be held in the first week of SEPTEMBER, so start gearing up, keep practising, and prepare for the HSC performances and keep working on your compositions!!! REMEMBER THE RECORDING IS ON THE 24TH OF AUGUST!!! GOOD LUCK!!! Term 3 Ensemble Rehearsal TimetablesThere have been a couple of adjustments for ensemble rehearsal times in Term 3. Please check the timetable and arrive ON TIME! There are NO EXCUSES for not attending or arriving late to ensemble rehearsals. ALL ENSEMBLES START AT 7:45AM. Remember a ROLL is TAKEN, and 80% of ATTENDANCE is required. PLEASE REMEMBER to pack up after rehearsals (tidy up the room/and stands back on rack). EVERYONE needs to help and not left to one or two boys. THANK YOU boys for your co-operation! PLEASE REMEMBER FOR BOYS IN THE CHAMBER CHOIR, REHEARSALS ARE ON TUESDAY LUNCH TIME!!! The 2012 ensemble rehearsal timetable is provided below:
Proposed Changes to Sports Policy ImplementationInformation Forum for Parents and Students Proposed Changes to Implementation of the School Sports Policy6.00pm, Wednesday 15th August, Great Hall Dr Jaggar, Mr Pavone, the P&C and the School Council are hosting an Information Forum for parents and students to inform and gather opinion about proposed changes to the implementation of the school Sports Policy. Parents and students are urged to attend. The proposed changes seek to improve delivery of the sports program to all students and provide:
Proposed improvements include:
Full details of the proposed changes are available through the Parents Portal on the school website. Questions and comments are welcomed at the upcoming Information Forum – 6.00pm, Wednesday 15th August in the Great Hall, which will be attended by Dr Jaggar, Mr Pavone, Staff, School Council and P&C representatives. Parents and students who cannot attend this evening, are welcome to email questions they would like addressed at the Forum to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it A summary of questions and answers from the Forum will be posted in the Parents Portal following the meeting.
Volleyball NewsOn Friday 3rd August SBHS competed in the NSW Volleyball All Schools Tournament at Olympic Park Sports Hall. The competition went very well. The boys all enjoyed the volleyball and there were no injuries. The 15As won the Under 15 division defeating Rooty Hills in the final. The Year 7 teams were very competitive winning sets against many of the teams. This was a great effort considering they were playing a division above their age. Despite playing well the Under 16 and Under 17 teams failed to qualify for the final. 15Bs ReportOn the 3rd of August, we played in a Volleyball All Schools Tournament at Olympic Park. My team, the 15Bs, was ready for an extremely competitive and fun day as we entered the Sports Hall at 8:30 in the morning. After a duty, we warmed up with volleyballs and got ready. At 9:40 we started our first game against Rooty Hill B. Since it was our first game and the fact that we had no coach to give us advice, we lost 1-2. This was also because of their fairly good spiking, which we could not block. We decided to plan for the next game during a break that followed. Forming a strong formation we went to the next game. Luckily, Terry, one of our coaches, was there and gave us a little talk about our opponent. We faced our opponent, Wycliffe Christian, knowing their weakness was their passing accuracy. With some excellent deep sets by both our setters, Kai and Vincent and a few digs by everyone, we managed to win the first set. We lost the second set. However, during the third set, time ran out in the middle of play and we drew 1-1 with them. Next, we were up against SBHS 15Cs, whom we defeated 2-0. After the match, we relaxed and got ready for the next game. The closest and toughest match of the day for us was against Kelso 2; defeating them would give us a place in the semi-final. We were literally neck and neck, with each of us winning points. Our great servers, especially Ben, Kai and Harry, got us quite a lot of points and we had good digs. We also had a lot of advice from a senior volleyball player on tactics. During the game, everyone was cheering each other on, shouting and giving their best when playing. After a lot of struggle, our efforts paid off and we won the first set 25-23. However, the second set was theirs 24-26. Eventually, time ran out again but this time we won the third set 8-5. In this match, our ability to work as a team, physical and mental endurance, and skills were tested to the max. That game got us into the semi-final against SBHS 15As who were much better than us. They served and spiked well; we lost 0-2.
I found the day extremely fun although it was definitely tough match-wise. I believe we all
improved and grew as a team together on that day. A huge thank you goes to Mr Kay for organising
the event, supervising, and coming to watch us play. And thanks to all coaches and seniors that
helped us with great tips and advice on the day and coaching us for many weeks. A personal thanks
to Ryan Seong (15As) for teaching me how to overarm serve properly. And of course everyone in the
team: Kevin Cai, Vincent Bui, Dylan Goh, Harry Huang, Kai Matsumoto, Chris Shi, Ben Wu, Felix
Xie, Marvin Yu, and for turning up and playing so well together. 15As ReportOn Friday the 3rd of August, the 15As played the NSW All Schools Tournament at Olympic Park. After a disappointing result in our last tournament, we came in more determined to win. Our pool had strong teams, so winning was going to be a tough battle. We played Rooty Hill As first. They arrived late so we only had 20 minutes of the allocated 40. We still played very effectively with minimal errors and took the first set. The second set was hard fought, High only narrowly in front before the time ran out, ending the game in our favour from point difference. Next, we played Kelso, who were very strong last year. However, they moved up an age division, allowing us to face a younger Kelso without a lot of experience. Good passing and spiking allowed us to take control of the game and win in straight sets. Our next game was against one of our own, the 13s. We played to our standard, executing plays to the best of our abilities. Great serving from all members of the team helped us increase the lead and eventually won both sets. That marked the end of our pool games, our confidence brimming as we hadn’t dropped a set. The Rooty Hill A team lost to their C team, which led us to play them in the semis. We started well with good serving and freeball passing. We took a dominant lead and ultimately won 2 – 0. After waiting for the winner of the other semi-final, Rooty Hill B, we started the game pumped up and played aggressively. We took an early lead but Rooty Hill had a good server, coming level with us. After a few smart plays and good service reception, we took the lead and ended up winning the first set. The second set was played with minimal errors by both teams, spiking being the main weapon. A couple of important kills and blocks later, we found ourselves taking the lead. The last few points were hard-fought, but we ultimately won the second set, and defeated Rooty Hill to win the tournament. A huge thank you must go to Mr Kay MIC of Volleyball who supervised all of our teams successfully, Mrs Trompetter who organized the event and all the coaches for their efforts. And finally congratulations to the 15s, Kevin Robinson, Jaiden Chin, Harry Park, Supan Arudselvan, Harry Seong Greg Kim, Aidin Karihasan. Without your dedication and persistence during training, we would have never achieved so much so far.
Michael Kay
SBHS RugbyHigh Rugby = High Spirit RugbyWebsite: First GPS game – High vs. St.IgnatiusThe second GPS game was very competitive for most teams, with many A teams going down by less than two tries. After a strong win in round 1 the 1st XV were overrun in the second half to go down by ten points to St Ignatius 3rd XV. Team reports – Each week one team/age group report will feature in the High Notes with the rest going on .
The team entered the field with strong sense of determination, after winning the previous
week’s match we had our hearts set on grabbing the win. However, from the kick off the
opposition scored a try and spirits weren’t very high for the team. We kept pushing on,
making some great plays and keeping our defence up while making great runs during our attack.
However, the sheer size of the opposition had got to us and we could not match our strength with
theirs. We persevered and managed to put a try in and, shortly after, a second, but after that
there wasn’t much hope left in the team and even though we kept pushing on, preventing as
many opposition tries as possible we failed to prevail in the end. This was a lesson to the team
that only more training can get us wins and improving on our strength would prove the road to
success. Upcoming games
11/8/12 vs Shore at McKay,
High FamilyThe Bulletin Board for Sydney Boys High P & CIf you would like to have any parent community news or upcoming events included in High Society, please contact Ian Sweeting P&C President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it URGENT REQUEST: Parent Volunteers NeededSydney Boys High Open Day
Thursday 6th September
Can you come and help the P & C to welcome prospective parents to the School? It’s a very enjoyable morning and all you need bring is your friendly smile.
Please contact Sachiyo James on Information Forum: Proposed Changes to Implementation of Sports PolicyAs noted elsewhere in this week’s High Notes, the next general meeting of the SBHS P&C has been set aside so as to allow for an information forum for parents and students regarding changes to the implementation of the school Sports Policy. The forum is to be held in the Great Hall at 6:00pm on Wednesday 15 August. A number of the school executive and staff including Dr Jaggar will be in attendance. The P&C would urge as many parents and students as able to attend and take part in the forum. Your understanding of the proposed changes, as well as your input and feedback, is vital in ensuring a successful outcome. Upcoming Parking EventsSaturday 11 August –Tigers v Dragons (Sailing Supporters Group) Upcoming Meetings & EventsSports Policy Information Forum for Parents and Students: Great Hall – Wednesday 15 August 6:00pm. Ian Sweeting
Rowing Committee AGM
Date: Tuesday 21 August 2012 Come and find out about new developments for the upcoming season. Rowing is a great sport that High provides for your boys. It also relies on parents to help facilitate the program. Every year we need new parents to become involved. All Office Bearer positions will be declared vacant and available for nomination and election. All parents of rowing students are encouraged to attend the annual general meeting.
Julie Blomberg
Debating Dinner 2012
Date: Saturday 8th September, 2012 Tickets available from Front Office Ticket sales close Wednesday 5th September 2012 Come and watch our coaches as they test out their debating skills in “The Great Debate’! The Sydney Boys High School Debating Dinner response form is available in the PDF version of edition of High Notes
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