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High Notes, Vol 14 No 16, May 31 2013
From the Principal
High Talent
Armidale Visit
Sorry Day Assembly “Today we pay our respects to Aboriginal people and their elders past and present. To reinforce that respect we commemorate Sorry Day. To say ‘sorry’ is not just symbolic but also a powerful gesture towards reconciliation. I would like to honour Sorry Day by saying ‘sorry’ on behalf of white bureaucrats who institutionalised racism in Australia. Such racism became an intergenerational response that led to the murder of many innocent aboriginal people. "Last year I recounted the events of the Myall Creek Massacre from the first half of the nineteenth century. To our collective shame, such atrocities continued until the first half of the twentieth century. The Coniston Massacre of August, 1928 was the last recorded incident of indiscriminate murders of Aboriginal people by government officials. During the 1920s in the Northern Territory outback a competition for land and water had developed between white settlers and traditional custodians of these resources. A dingo hunter, Fred Brooks, lived near Coniston Station in the middle of the Northern Territory, a place occupied by both white settlers and Aboriginal people of the Walpari tribe. After a dispute involving tribal women, Brooks was killed by an Aboriginal called ‘Bullfrog’. His body was found pushed into a rabbit hole. "When news reached Alice Springs the circumstances of the attack had been distorted and embellished. What happened next was the all too familiar pattern. Policemen are sent to arrest alleged perpetrators but instead, murder all those involved and any witnesses to their actions. Murray was sent to arrest Bullfrog and any other Aboriginals who had speared cattle belonging to white men. . On arriving at Coniston Murray did make two arrests, ironically of two Aborigines who were subsequently acquitted. During the following weeks Murray staged a series of punitive raids during which he and his men shot between 31 and 100 Aboriginal people, including innocent women and children. "Public outrage, led by missionaries and settlers in the area, forced an enquiry to be commissioned by Prime Minister Stanley Bruce, comprised of three officials, one of whom was responsible for sending Murray to Coniston. Murray and his accomplices gave evidence that they acted in self-defence. As was depressingly common, the enquiry found that the police party had indeed acted in self-defence and had been attacked by Aboriginals armed with spears, boomerangs, nulla-nullas and tomahawks. No guilty party was punished but the ensuing publicity fuelled national and international outrage at the handling of the case. Such pressure ensured that Coniston Station would be the final massacre of Indigenous Australians.
"Aboriginal people were denied natural justice and crimes against humanity were covered up by
one-sided ‘enquiries’ whitewashing events. Regrettably, inhumane and unjust treatment
of Aboriginal people by police has not ceased in Australia. Annual memorials such as Sorry Day
are important in the reconciliation process. Australians in each succeeding generation need to
know about our history, confront the dark side of our national story and resolve not to allow
such behaviour to recur. Let us say ‘sorry’ and mean it today.” 
From the CanteenIf you have ever wondered what people do as part of the Canteen Committee, then here’s your answer……
The Canteen Committee is a friendly easy going team to be part of and welcomes mums and dads and others able to help. 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 3.00- 4.00pm 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 let Karen or Tracey know or come along. Thank you to our volunteers last week.
MON: Lynn Chen, Cole Gu, Shannon Hickey
High Store June Sale1st Week 3rd – 7th June
50% OFF Sydney Boys High Number Plate Cover
50% OFF Rugby Cap
From the Office
Late Arrival & Absence Notes – Please ensure you include your son’s Full Name/ID number/Year & Roll Class when submitting absences, late arrivals or leave applications. Thank you for your cooperation. Applying for leave of absence To apply for a leave of absence for your son:
Please return this completed application form to the Principal giving at least four weeks’ notice of intended absence.
SBHS DebatingThis has been our busiest debating week so far in 2013. Last Friday we hosted the Eastside Semi finals and, as I was unable to attend, I owe thanks to Ms Rigby, Ms Mack and Mr Higgins and all the student helpers on the night especially Oliver Long and Arthur Chau. By all accounts you did a marvellous job. Well done to Year 8 and Year 12 who both won their debates and are now facing SGHS in the finals. These debates will take place at 6.30 at High. It would be great to get big crowds to cheer the boys on. In the FED finals, also this Friday, we have Year 8, Year 9 and Year 11. Good luck to you boys. These debates will be held at Trinity at 6pm and 7pm. The Year 11 PDC team beat Endeavour High in their zone debate, but we already know that the Year 12 team have won the zone. However, it was a good experience for the Year 11s who were involved. Also last Friday the Year 9 and 10 began there PDC debates against Rose Bay. Good luck to those two teams as they move forward in the competition.
Finally, I am writing this from Armidale where some of the boys, who were up here for rugby and
other sports, took part in some debates. Thanks to everyone who took part in this and well done
to the winners. I was particularly proud of James, Sam, Damian and Nathan (Year 11 debaters) who
were willing to take part in the show Debate against Armidale Firsts. It was a really close
debate (which was awarded to Armidale on a split decision) which is testament to the high quality
of the debating program at High. Debating ReportThis week we had one of our most hectic days on the debating calendar with Sydney Boys playing host to the Eastside debating semi finals! With an intense night of debating both our Year 8 and Year 12 have qualified for this year’s Eastside final! Before we go into a full run down of Friday night, a huge thank you must go to Mr Higgins, Ms Mack and Ms Rigby for working so hard in Ms Powell’s absence to ensure everything ran smoothly. A big thank you must also go to Arthur Chau and Oliver Long whose organisational skills and helpfulness were unrivalled on Friday. Thanks a lot, guys! Both Year 8 and Year 12 will now face off against Sydney Girls in what should be a very entertaining grand final. This week the Year 8 boys debated the topic that “Vaccinations should be compulsory for children” and did an amazing job right down the bench to ensure they qualified deservingly for a chance to be crowned Eastside champions. All debaters, especially those who are not debating this Friday night are strongly encouraged to come and support the boys this Friday in what promises to be a cracker! Year 12 debated a very economical topic “That the RBA should limit the government’s spending capacity”. Negating the topic, the Year 12s were able to nail some extremely intuitive economic arguments to steal the debate from what was a very strong Sydney Grammar outfit. The boys will now debate Sydney Girls in the finals at the Great Hall Friday night beginning at 6:30pm. All those who are interested are welcome to attend; it will most certainly be well worth watching! In the Fed Competition Year 8, Year 9 and Year 11 have all qualified for the finals! Best of luck gentlemen and congratulations! With so many exciting grand finals taking place on Friday, it’d be great if the school community (along with the debaters) were there in numbers to support our school and hopefully see us win an array of silverware! (Touch wood.). A big congratulations to all debaters thus far. The fact we have qualified for so many grand finals is testament to High’s talent. Best of luck to all those in finals week!
Tip of the Week: Winning grand finals is lots of fun and it feels good. So
let’s win!
SBHS RugbyHigh Rugby = High SpiritPlease check out the updated Rugby website where all information on Rugby is located. High vs ArmidaleThe first GPS game was very competitive for most teams, with two wins, a draw and many other close games. The 1st grade team bounced back from last week to match the Armidale team throughout the game, going down in a close game 10-5. The 2nd and 3rd grade teams did very well and were both in the match until late in the game.
Team of the week – 13As – A win in only their second game
together. CHS RepresentativesCongratulations to Joshua Leo (Year 11) and Sam Musgrove (Year 10) who both made the CHS under 16 team. A great effort after two exhaustive rounds of trials. Press release from the GPSFor the upcoming 2013 GPS Rugby season, a pilot scheme in which players in the Under 14 age group who weigh 50kg or less, may be allowed to play down an age group. Players will have to register and weigh in on (June 14) and again on (July 20). This is an initiative to allow smaller boys to play and enjoy Rugby, an essential principle of GPS sport. Upcoming fixtures
1st of June – Grammar (A) - Trial
See you all at training
Football: The World GameNSW CHS FutsalAfter the success of our under 16s team, the Open’s squad were hoping to go one better in the regional qualifiers held last Friday. Unfortunately a couple of late withdrawals via injury to Arjun Punekar and Michael Cui left the squad bent but not broken. After a tough opening round loss, High hit its straps with a big comeback in game 2 before faltering again to Emanuel. Unfortunately this was not enough to progress beyond the group stage but the boys played with determination and spirit. The school was represented by Connor Robinson, Marcus James, Agnish Nayak, Jackson Lam, Jesse Cooper and Alex Pereira Weekend ResultsWith the closure of grounds for training and games this weekend, make no mistake: Winter is coming. All the home fixtures were washed out, leaving the 14s and 15s with the weekend off so it was up to the new Year 7s and the seniors to fly the flag for High. The 1st XI were narrowly beaten in a 7 goal thriller, dropping a 2 goal half time lead to lose 4-3, however there was enough evidence in the opening stanza to assure the supporters that this team will be a competitive force this season. The 16s had a topsy turvey afternoon, with the As going down by a handful, before the Bs and Cs restored some pride, both recording 8-0 victories. Bill Zhuang knocked in 3 for the Cs, but not to be outdone, James Chee thumped home 5 of his own to rocket to the top of the Golden Boot tally. Photography competitionEach week, The World Game will be looking to feature the best shots of High boys in action on the football field. If you (or mum or dad) have taken any photos of football in action, please send them in and the best shots of the week will be displayed in the newsletter. Please submit your photos to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Football CommitteeIf you would like to be involved in the football community, please email the Football Committee President Mr Ian Robinson This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Fixtures – 1st June
All players must arrive and be ready at least half an hour before the match’s scheduled kick off time. In the event of bad weather, please make sure you check the school’s website prior to leaving home. CompetitionThe first 5 students who correctly answer all 3 questions [available in the PDF version of this edition of High Notes] goes into the draw for the major prize to be drawn at the End of Season Dinner. Entries to Mr Mulroney in the PDHPE Staffroom.
Volleyball NotesGPS Volleyball ResultsDate: 25/05/13
First Grade ReportThe game against Scots this weekend proved a very important learning experience for the team. Watching the second grade match before us, we were very surprised to see the Scots team contest early on – a stark contrast to the Scots teams of the past years. Despite this, seconds pulled through in a strong finish promising further improvement through the season. As a team we were very surprised to see an apparently all new Scots outfit. Their new coaching staff had already had a marked improvement on basic skills such as serve reception and defence which allowed a few rallies to be played out. Noticeable was also the Scots determination to play well, which was surprising from a team that has historically not performed as well as they could have. As a result of this, after losing the first two sets, Scots came out in the third with far more intensity than we did, pushing to a two point lead half way through the set. It was only once our consistency returned that we were able to grind out the final points of the set, to win by five points.
Interestingly, the same trends noticed last season have continued – namely the improvement
of the other GPS schools. Playing Riverview next week in the last match this term, we can expect
to see a strong outfit who will give us a significant challenge. The extra training sessions have
allowed for more time on much needed skills such as consistency with hitting and putting up a
strong block with good penetration all across the net. This should allow us to compete
professionally this week and it is good to see such improvement all round in the lead up to the
CHS finals in June. Second Grade Report
The match against Scots on the weekend was a success, with High 2nds winning in straight sets,
25-9, 25-15, 25-14. Initial play was dogged by balls from the junior courts rolling onto our own,
justifying replays, but this proved to be no problem for us. Being a home game, the net was once
again at a height we recognised (after the Newington match last week), which allowed us to play
with confidence. A combination of excellent serving from our side and poor serve reception from
the opposition meant we were quickly able to take the lead and keep it in each set. Niyaz and
George once again made up a fantastic pair in terms of attack and excellent passing and setting
all round meant our front-court hitters could dominate the field. Overall 2nd grade played really
well, and I hope to see us playing to the same level in next week’s match against Grammar,
who will be our toughest opponent to date. Junior GPS Competition
NSW All Schools Tournament
16 As Volleyball Report Our first match was against a strong Homebush team who we were able to beat with some good serving and passing, 2-0. Next was Rooty Hill 2, a regular competitor in the tournament with a tough team to show for it. Through a strong service game and great hitting by our team, we were able to win the match. After that we had a duty and a long break, and played Dungog as our third opponent. We started off shakily, maybe because of our long break, but we were able win a close first set. We steadied in the second and finished strong winning 2-0. In the semis we met a tough West Wyalong team and through great team play and communicating well, we pulled out the win. We had made it to the finals and we found our opponent to be Rooty Hill 1, a strong competitive team that we had played in the past. We made sure to communicate with each other and focus on our passing. It was a close set at first with Rooty Hill leading at the start, but we were able to swing things around and win the set in a close one. The second set was a battle at first, but we were able to take a dominant lead and win the second set comfortably. That marked the end of an exciting day of volleyball at Olympic Park from which we were able to come out with gold medals. A huge thanks to Balraj and Mr Kay for coaching us and Ms Trompetter for making sure the day went smoothly.
Also, great work by the team; Kevin Robinson (OH), Supan Arudselvan (OH), Ryan Seong (OH/M) Harry
Park (M), Thomas Nguyen (M), Jaiden Chin (Lib) , Ryan Sun (S) and Aidin Karahasan (Uni), for
winning the tournament.
Michael Kay
Rifle ShootingIn the week leading up to Friday the 24th of May, 14 members of the Sydney High Rifle Shooting Squad packed their shooting jackets, gloves and slings in preparation for the 2013 Armidale Sporting Exchange. Expectations were high as always, with many months of training at the Sydney International Shooting Centre boiling down to this event. One 7 hour trip later, we received a warm welcome from TAS, contrasting with the numbing cold of the countryside. After this welcome, we set off to camp around a rare power point in the gym, settling in for a good night’s rest before the competition on Saturday morning. As part of the tradition devised in 2009, a shooting match consisting of 10 deliberate shots and 8 5-second shots takes place. A grand aggregate of 1800 is then used to determine the winner of the 105mm tank shell trophy. The morning got off to a great start as all the shooters rose for breakfast on time before heading to the 50 yard smallbore range for an 8:30am start to the match. Once we arrived at the range, the rifles were set up, the shooters suited up, and the rules were explained. First shot went off at 8:35am. A solid 97 and 97.5 by Sam Phillis and John Huang were posted to start off the first deliberate round. Exceptional shooting came from Bill Deng in the second round, scoring 99.5 and 68, as well as Wen Tao Ruan, scoring 96.4 and 67. Minghao Wu also shot well, posting 99.3 and 70, taking 2nd place on the range. Well done to Nick Phillis, who scored 165.4 (97.4 and 67), Wilbert Wu 163.5 (98.5, 65), Timothy Tran 162.2 (95.2, 67), Dominic Tran 158.4 (95.4, 63), Jeremy Chan 157.3 (98.3, 59), and Evan Han 151.1 (86.1, 65), whose scores were also used to determine the grand aggregate. With a grand total of 1605 and 36 centres, we cleared Armidale’s score of 1477 with 15 centres by a whole 128 points! With this score, we were finally able to make our mark on the trophy, having never won the tank shell since the competition’s inception 5 years ago.
Many thanks go to the Armidale School for hosting such a great competition every year, as well as
for their incredible hospitality. Thanks to both The Armidale School and New England Girls School
for making such great competition. Thanks must especially go to Cathy Meaney, MIC of shooting, as
well as our Old Boy coaches Ishan Nadkarni (2008) and Sam Kremer (1992), because without their
organisation, we could never have achieved such great results. Such a great result shows promise
in the upcoming GPS Premiership this year!
Senior Fencing
School Championships
Blood DonationsSave A Life – Donate Blood 14 June at SBHS Great HallThe Red Cross mobile unit will be visiting us again on Friday 14 June (the same day as Y10 Science excursion). This term they will be set up in the Great Hall. Family members, staff and students over 16 are encouraged to donate by making an appointment on the bulletin board outside Room 506.
The duration of your pre-donation screening process will be drastically reduced if you include your previous donor number when reserving your appointment time. All donors must complete a comprehensive questionnaire before eligibility to donate is determined. Red Cross medical staff will follow stringent screening procedures used in medical facilities. Permission notes are not required. Special thanks to Azam Malik, Jeramy Ma and Glanden Zheng (Y11) for coordinating this blood drive. From Australian Red Cross
The most common factors that will determine if you can or cannot give blood follow.* Before giving blood:
Most people are able to give blood if they:
You may be temporarily unable to give blood if you:
You will not be able to give blood if you have:
* Further eligibility criteria apply. For further information, or if you are unsure about your eligibility to give blood, call Australian Red Cross (131495) to speak to a medical professional, or visit . Jerry Phillipson
High FamilyThe Bulletin Board for Sydney Boys High P & C.If 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 Year 7 Information Evening Date ConfirmedThe date for the Year 7 information evening has been set for Wednesday 12 June at 6:00pm in the Great Hall. The Year 7 Advisers, Julie Eggleton, Annalise Mack and Mick Aldous will be presenting on a variety of issues related to your sons’ school life, as well as answering any questions you may have. Thank you to John Walker and our new Year 7 parent representatives, Minhua Zang, Connie Cheong, Peter McGregor and Ron Trent for organising the evening. Should you have any questions regarding the event, please contact the parent representatives at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Joint SGHS-SBHS P&C MeetingA reminder that the next P&C General meeting is the joint SGHS-SBHS P&C meeting which will be held Wednesday 19 June at 7:30pm in the Multi-Purpose Hall at Sydney Girls High School. The guest speaker at this year’s joint meeting is Dr Ramesh Manocha who is a practising medico and researcher at the University of New South Wales. Dr Manocha’s main area of research is meditation and its potential application for mental health and wellbeing in schools. Dr Manocha will be speaking on the topic Dealing with Teenage Stress and Enhancing Academic Performance which will deal with the rising tide of mental, social and emotional challenges affecting young people in our increasingly complex world. It will provide accurate information and reliable advice on how to deal with these unprecedented challenges. We look forward to seeing you there. Locally Selected Year 7 ClassIn recent days, there has been mention in the media of High’s proposal for a locally selected Year 7 class. As mentioned in a previous edition of High Notes, Dr Jaggar presented on the subject at the May P&C general meeting which formally supported the proposal. The P&C believes that the proposal allows for increased engagement with our local community which will bring significant benefits for the school, parents and students, while at the same time maintaining the school’s high academic standards we as a parent body expect. The proposal is available on the Parent Portal at Reference Documents>Locally Selected Class Proposal. Upcoming Parking EventsPlease make sure you check with the co-curricular parking co-ordinator to confirm the exact start and finish times for particular events.
Saturday 1 June 4:40pm–Swans v Essendon Bombers (Football Supporters
Group) Upcoming Meetings & Events
Football Committee Meeting: Room 901– 5:30pm, Monday 3 June (TBC). Ian Sweeting
Student Production: GreaseSydney Boys & Sydney Girls High Schools present GreaseBook, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Thursday 13 / Friday 14 / Saturday 15 Book Now - Seating is Limited - Don't Miss Out
Venue - Sydney Girls High School - Multipurpose Hall
Adults: $20
Cash payments and ticket collections via Sydney Girls High School office before school, recess or
lunch The SBHS and SGHS production of Grease booking form is available in the PDF version of this edition of High Notes
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Sydney Boys High School
