探花视频

High Notes, Vol 23 No 39, December 09 2022

From the Principal

High Talent

Ethan Li (10F) and Joshua Li (8S) participated in VEX Robotics National Championships in the past weekends, which was held in Olympiad Park. The boys presented their team 58A to the High School VRC division with the result of National Skills Champion and Create Award.  Ethan was awarded 鈥淭he Year of Volunteer鈥�! The award goes to him for his contributions to the community by helping and supporting the primary teams. Well done boys!

Caught Doing the Right Thing

I received this email from a commuter this week. Well done to the boys who ride on buses from Rose Bay!

鈥業 would like to commend the good etiquette of your students, especially in the public. I often take buses from my home in the Rose Bay area and see many of your students throughout the week, giving up their own space on the bus for others. It is great to see such esteemed etiquette, especially from teenage schoolboys in our time. I once again thank you and hope you continue nurturing our bright young boys鈥�.

Interpreting Year 10 Reports - Semester 2

All Year 10 boys should have their reports by next Friday. Parents are advised to work with their sons in the process of choosing Year 11 courses to be sure they have made the right choices, aligning their abilities, interests, and possible post-secondary plans. Choosing courses for Year 11 study can be assisted by evaluations of Year 10 performances. English and Mathematics courses are determined by the school鈥檚 pattern of offered courses and by the results of the mathematics selection process for Extension 1. For Year 12, 2023 the permitted number will be as is our custom 鈥� seven classes only. Year 10 boys should have done their Career Voyage questionnaire during their Transition Education periods. These results should be discussed in the light of your son鈥檚 interests and abilities. Courses can be selected to underscore certain tertiary directions 鈥� eg chemistry for medicine, or economics for a commerce degree.

As for the Semester 1 report, ranks are varied by several factors. Students who have not performed well in PE will have a slightly reduced ATAR prediction because the calculation is made on 12.3 units (using a pro rata for PE based on time spent). Students who do the online elective receive the average of the other units so as to neither advantage nor disadvantage them, whereas they may have taken another elective and earned an above average score or a below average score. Students accelerating have a harder task than non-accelerants as they are assessed at Stage 6 standard. Consequently, their scaled marks may be lower. Students may also lose interest in electives they are not continuing and record weaker results. Electives done for enjoyment are in contrast to the serious efforts that will need to be made in their Stage 6 courses. I do not make a judgement on these outcomes. Stage 5 satisfactory completion is all that is required in Year 10. What matters is what happens next, in Stage 6. Therefore, students should choose their suite of courses for Year 11 carefully, with insight after research and acting in their own self-interest.

Scholarship Recipients

Thank you to all the boys who submitted applications for our two scholarships this year. There were many worthy applications and I found it hard to separate them. Older students with former applications are preferred when breaking ties. In any event, I exceeded the budget with extra encouragement awards this year to spread our appreciation around.

The following are the recipients of our 2023 scholarships:

Sir Roden & Lady Cutler Scholarship: Eric Scholten (10R) 鈥� winner of $1,500 and Tian Xing Yang (10E) 鈥� encouragement award of $250.

The Phillip Day Memorial Scholarship: Landrie Zuo (11F) 鈥� winner of $1,500; Daniel Su (10E) 鈥� encouragement award of $500; Xavier Perry (9M) 鈥� encouragement award of $500; Ric Hou (9R) 鈥� encouragement award of $250; Aayush Madan (11M) 鈥� encouragement award of $250 and Dylan Dutt (9F) 鈥� encouragement award of $250.

Mandatory Life Ready Course 鈥� Year 10

The Department of Education has a mandatory course that must be completed by all students in Stage 6.  In order to save the 25-hours of instruction from interrupting our Year 11 programs, we have been running it in the last week of Year 10 for several years.  Ms Chan, HT Wellbeing, designed a 3-day experience for our students. Mr Rich has taken over the management and delivery of this course. This year the program commences on Wednesday, December 14 with a Life Choices by Young Men session delivered by Brent Sanders followed by a You Choose 鈥� Youth Road Safety course, presented by Mellissa McGuinness.  On Thursday 15 December, students will experience Looking After Your Mates, presented by Tom Reynolds; followed by Wellbeing for Free presented by Kate Kendall.  After lunch the boys will hear from Trent Southworth on the subject of Drugs, Alcohol and Safe Partying. On Friday 16 December the boys will attend a 2-hour 鈥楤reaking the Man Code鈥� workshop, along with a 90-minute workshop by Batyr, entitled Resilience and Support Network: Smash the Stigma. After lunch the program concludes with Dealing with HSC Stress 鈥� a presentation by Jenn Hawken.

The school incurs expenses in hiring professionals to deliver modules of the course, necessitating a charge of $80 per student as a co-payment.  We see the course as a valuable opportunity for teenagers to be exposed to the issues, privileges and responsibilities of adulthood. Outside presenters are delivering several of these learning experiences. They cannot be repeated for absent students next year. Any student who misses this course will have to work through 25 hours of DoE materials in his own time. I am asking for the support of all Year 10 parents to deliver this compulsory part of the curriculum. Please make sure your son attends all three days of the course!
Dr K A Jaggar
Principal