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High Notes, Vol 23 No 23, August 05 2022

From the Principal

Firstly, I’d like to welcome two new members of staff who commenced this term – Ms Beth Hinton (Senior Librarian) & Mr Jake Rowlands (Social Sciences). Both teachers have been settling in well, getting to know the students and staff and we look forward to working with them in their new roles.

High Talent

Congratulations to Liam Fiene (11M), Kenton Liu (10R), Michael Alam (12S) and David Crainic (12M) for obtaining their silver Duke of Edinburgh awards. Such an achievement requires considerable effort over a significant period of time so it’s great to see their dedication to the program. Hopefully we’ll continue to see increasing levels of interest in the Duke of Edinburgh program in the years ahead due to the skills the boys develop.

In sport, last Saturday was the final fixture for the NSW Schools' Fencing League: Epee Team Premiership event. Both our U16 Epee Team of Tommy Xu (9E), Kelvin Chen (9F), Zhitian Mai (11F), Tian Yang (10E) and U14 Epee Team of Hudson Cai (8M), Benjamin Wu (8F), Xavier Perry (9M), Lucas Wang (8R) won gold medals in their respective age category events, with the overall Epee Team once again being season premiers. Well done to all the boys involved on a fantastic achievement!

Last weekend we also had the annual Back to High Day, where the Old Boys were able to watch our current students compete against Kings. It was great to see a large number of Old Boys gathering together to show their continued support for the school and pay tribute to the late Tony Hannon with a minute’s silence before the First XV match. Seeing the camaraderie remain amongst our alumni so many years after graduating shows the bonds that form amongst students here at Sydney High.

Careers

In other news our Careers Adviser, Mr Matt Cotton, has been interviewing all Year 12 students in recent weeks to discuss their future goals and help guide them in their plans to achieve these.

HSC Trials

With our HSC trials commencing next week, the boys have their first formal experience of examinations replicating the external HSC papers and take the next step in achieving their goals. Not only is this the chance to improve their overall performance in each course but it’s also a chance to gain valuable feedback and develop skills in preparation for the HSC itself. The completion of past papers is one of the most effective ways to improve in each course so all students are encouraged to complete a number of past papers in preparation for their tasks. By also gaining a better understanding of the marking criteria the boys will be more aware of how to structure their work and have the confidence to self-assess their own work or provide feedback to a peer on how to improve. I would like to wish all of Year 12 and our accelerating Year 11 students the best of luck for their final internal assessment in their HSC courses.

COVID-19 Caution

On a final note, with COVID safety a continued priority for the State and the school, I strongly encourage the wearing of masks in all indoor settings. It’s important we continue to support each other by minimising the spread of any illness. In addition to staying home when showing any symptoms, regular sanitisation throughout the day is vital to help us keep everyone safe. Your assistance with this is appreciated for the benefit of the whole school community.
Jamie Kay
Relieving Principal