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High Notes, Vol 24 No 38, December 01 2023

From the Principal

High Talent

Nikhil Autar (SHS-2011) has been selected as Young Australian of the Year for NSW. His inspiring story can be accessed at:

High was successful in winning the Barberis Cup in cricket – a long standing trophy for a series of matches between 15 years teams at Melbourne High and Sydney High. Congratulations to our boys!  Compositions to be considered for Encore! Nomination were earned by Benjamin Pirom and Yianni Scarlis (SHS-2023). Great job, boys!

Collection of Reports

All boys should have collected their reports. Regrettably, there are still some students in each year group who have not fulfilled their commitments and completed their Clearance Forms and booked an appointment time to see me to discuss their progress at school. This is an important step in our feedback loop, and I insist on speaking to boys personally. Boys can come and get their reports before or after school and at lunch or recess on most days, unless I have appointments or have already set aside a time to chat with boys about their reports. There are also sheets provided for ‘Stragglers’ Reports’ for an hour or so on selected days. Boys just need to make an effort to comply with policy and come and see me. Once I have had a short feedback session with each boy, his report is loaded onto P drive and from there to the Student/Parent Portal. Appointments can be made up until  the end of the school year by filling in one of the sheets on the Waterhouse desk in the corridor or by just dropping by before school, recess and at lunch (except Tuesdays). The benefits of my interactions with boys lessen if the discussion is too far removed from the assessment events being discussed.

Interpreting Year 10 Reports - Semester 2

All Year 10 boys should now have their reports. 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’s pattern of offered courses and by the results of the mathematics selection process for extension 1. For Year 11, 2024 the permitted number will be - as is our custom – 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’s interests and abilities. Courses can be selected to underscore certain tertiary directions – eg chemistry for medicine, or economics for a commerce degree. Year 10 boys should all have had interviews with a member of staff to discuss their possible pathways and appropriate Year 11 course selections.

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, reducing their overall score and hence rank. 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 gained after research and discussion and by acting in their own self-interest.

Scams Awareness Week 27.11.- 01.12

There has been a huge increase in losses by Australian due to scamming by criminals. Impersonation scams – A voicemail message asking you to call back or download an app to fix your account. An unexpected email pretending to be HR or Payroll, asking you to reset your password or change your bank details. A text message referring to a fake or unpaid toll notice or issues with a delivery.

How to protect yourself from impersonation scams.
Check that the message and sender are real. Call the person or visit the organisation’s website to confirm the validity of the claim. Never click any links that you have been sent. Be careful of slight variations in contact details – dots, special characters, or numbers. Red flags - Is there a sense of urgency in the message? Does the request sound unusual? Are they unexpectedly asking for payment details? Is this really who you think it is? Does the link look suspicious?  We all need to work together – staff, parents, and students – to stop scammers.
Dr K A Jaggar
Principal