|
|
Home
 Publications High Notes Older Volumes High Notes, Vol 7 No 31, September 29 2006
High Notes, Vol 7 No 31, September 29 2006
From the Principal
Values Convocation September 23 The discussions were enlightening and focussed. We now need a wider group to talk about the issues. All the governance bodies require opportunities to canvass broader and deeper opinions about our core values. I hope at some point to be able to table the agreed values we share, align them with our desired exit behaviours and then tag programs or processes to each of them. We hope to eventually create a more transparent connection between what we believe in, what we want and what we are doing to get it.
High Sailing Starts its Fleet
Year 12 Farewell Assembly My farewell address is reprinted below: "Good afternoon parents of Year 12, teachers, support staff, students and the class of 2006 we are honouring today. Welcome to you all. We take time to celebrate the achievements of Year 12 as a cohort of scholars, as teams of sportsmen, as role models for others, as leaders with initiative, as co-curricular groups, as organising committees and as parking or charity collectors. Your aggregated contributions to the educational experiences at High these last six years have been significant. Your combined efforts have raised the quality of your life at High and enriched its history. "2006 was the year that first grade Volleyball stamped its authority on the GPS and CHS scene by winning back to back titles in both competitions. This was a great effort from our boys and a credit to the coaching staff headed up by Mr Kay. We finally won a debating trophy after so much recent frustration in the state competitions. The co-premiership with Riverview in GPS first grade was a significant accomplishment. Romesh, Sriram and Faraz were a great team. Vinh Pham jagged a bronze medal at the Mathematics Olympiad. Sriram Srikumar was a member of the winning Australian team at the world schools debating competition. "I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the 50 boys who played competitive GPS sports for both seasons in their final year of school. Their commitment to the school and its causes is demonstrated by their actions. Romesh Abeysuriya, Blake Angell, Joe Banh, Eddy Blaxell, Stephen Burke, Douglas Chang, Long Chen, Ashley Cheng, Sandy Cunningham, Ed Curran, Lewis D’Avigdor, Henry Dang, Hieu Dang, Adam Farrow-Palmer, Holden Frisoli, Sam Gribble, Dinuka Gunasekera, Edward Hibbert, Raymond Huynh, Justin James, Joel Kamerman, Kevin Kim, Yo-Ha Kim, Joon Kwon, Samuel Lee, Ellis Louie, Jordan Luong, Anthony Ly, Gajaba Manamperi, Michael Masalehdani, Ting Mei, James Morgan, Nicholas Ng, Edward Pham, Malik Razeen, Thariq Razeen, Phillip Roser, Riet Rotherham, Mark Samarasinghe, Sriram Srikumar, Dale Sun, Attila Szabo, James Tiedgen, Andrew Trinh, Kaivan Vaidya, Ashan Wijeyaratne, Bennett Wong, Francis Wong, Quinton Yang and Gleb Zinger. We needed more of you to join them because the AAGPS has at its essence the mass participation of students in organised games. We appreciate the help of others who managed teams, coached or refereed as their second season contribution. "On your behalf I would like to thank the leadership team of Adam, Kevin and Phillip for all their efforts this year. I believe they have been very good in their jobs and fine role models for others. "I want to address the issue of free speech this afternoon. In May, 1994 retired General Colin Powell gave a commencement address at Howard University. He was speaking in the context of a campus where only weeks before an Anti-Semitic speech had sparked a controversy surrounding an institution allowing someone to speak, resulting in the resignation of the university President. Powell spoke about the American First Amendment to the Constitution on freedom of speech. He said it “is intended to protect the controversial and even outrageous word, and not just comforting platitudes, too mundane to need protection”. Adults can “make informed, educated judgements about what they hear.” Nevertheless, with freedom comes responsibility. Along with this freedom to hear comes a “burden to sort out wisdom from foolishness. There is great wisdom in the message of self-reliance, of education, of hard work…[and]…utter foolishness, evil and danger in the message of hatred, however cleverly the message is packaged…” He reiterated the message of King and Mandela that racism is a disease of the racist. Powell’s speech adroitly defended the rights of the university to invite speakers onto its campus but simultaneously championed the capabilities of discerning students to appreciate the truth about the speaker’s meaning and intent. "Australian laws also protect free speech but only in so far as that speech does not defame individuals or incite others to rebellion. All rights have responsibilities. Schools have a responsibility to protect students, even from themselves. We have statutory obligations that make us different contexts from universities. Schools are populated by students of various ages and stages of maturity, many of whom are still building skills in reasoning, in assessing arguments, in debunking bias, in thinking through the rhetoric, in separating emotions from facts. School students are not yet adults with the powers of independent decision making and judgement. School administrations have the responsibility to act in loco parentis. All teachers have a 24/7 duty of care in respect of any student they encounter anywhere. Thus, freedom of speech is circumscribed by teachers’ responsibilities as carers and nurturers. Freedom of speech is limited by context too. We speak and act differently at home, in public, at parties or in night clubs. People who attend certain occasions have expectations of what might happen or be said at them. Formal assemblies carry with them certain rituals of ceremony and respect for persons. "Students, teachers, staff members and parents can take offence, be embarrassed or feel uncomfortable when confronted with utterances that may be designed to be humorous or witty and to sections of the audience they are. Nevertheless, the test Principals must apply is “is there anyone likely to be offended, humiliated, embarrassed or even uncomfortable as a result of what is said in front of them or about them”. "In conclusion, I have a short story for you. "A long, long time ago - in the jungles of what is now Tanzania, there lived a chimpanzee who loved eating termites. However, termites are relatively inaccessible, hidden in their nests or eating away small holes in fallen trees or branches. Consequently, the stubby fingers of this primate of unknown gender could not extract the tasty termites from their holes. No one knows how long this chimp wrestled with the problem of how to get the termites. At last, by trial and error or ape inspiration, a solution presented itself. Why not poke a stick down the entrance to the termite nest and see if they are attracted to it? Sure enough the termites swarmed over the intruding stick, the chimp pulled it out and licked the insects from the stick. Thus, the termite tool was born. Emboldened, the chimp started to use the stick to widen access to the termite nest. Other chimps quickly trained themselves in termite extraction. They taught their offspring. Over the millenia since that glorious day in the culinary history of the chimpanzee it is not recorded whether the initiative and leadership of that inventive chimp was ever appreciated fully. "In saying farewell to the class of 2006, I see there are many among you with the inspiration, energy, perseverance and self-discipline to make 21st century termite tools for the descendants of that pioneering chimpanzee. I wish you well in those endeavours. Farewell and the best of luck in your HSC and with your futures. You will only be limited by your imaginations. It has been my privilege to be your Principal."
The Louat Shield (GPS First Grade Debating) Prefect Executive
Captain: Moussa Farhat The Captain and Vice-Captain are elected by the Prefect body in a secret ballot. The Senior Prefect is then appointed by the Principal on the recommendation of the Captain and Vice-Captain. This is done to ensure a cohesive executive team that can provide leadership and motivation to the Prefect body and to the school.
All members of the school family, especially the parents of the Prefects Elect, are invited to
attend the Foundation Day Assembly and Prefect Induction in the Great Hall at 12.00pm on Tuesday
17 October 2006. An Open Letter to the SBHS CommunityEarlier this week, the class of 2006 received news that the traditional speech given by one of its members at the farewell assembly will not be going ahead this year. This has obviously caused concern as the speech usually gives the outgoing class a chance to (often, humorously) reflect on 6 years of High school and an opportunity to share our experiences with the rest of the school community. However, the cancellation has also drawn our attention to alarming trends in school policy regarding the censoring of student speeches. With the possibility of sports captains' speeches being replaced by MIC presentations at other assemblies, including the GPS Summer and Winter Sports assemblies, we are extremely concerned that the school has not defined suitable guidelines for student speeches, with the result that harmless content is being unfairly removed. It needs to be made clear that we do not in any way condone the actions of those students who have presented offensive or malicious content that has hurt members of our school community, harmed our school’s reputation, and undermined assemblies. Rather, we are questioning the position that the school is taking in regard to evaluating content, which at the moment effectively consists of a blanket ban of any questionable content without balanced evaluation. The question this entire issue comes down to is; what constitutes inappropriate content and what criteria are used to evaluate proposed speeches? Quite clearly there have been incidents in the past where plainly unsuitable speeches were made, for example the now infamous Fencing speech last year. But what about the traditional humour present in many speeches over the past years? Are they really inappropriate, or are they innocent jokes? This distinction between truly harmful content and between humour is a fine line, and we believe SBHS policy is unduly harsh in this area, effectively throwing the baby out with the bathwater. This is because the censorship process revolves around what constitutes inappropriate content, and the present definition of inappropriate content is far too broad, undermining the culture of Sydney High. This has resulted in a system where speeches have been censored for no clear reason, and where speeches that were legitimate in our view and legitimate to the wider school community have been prevented. We firmly believe that the problem is simple- the censors are not examining how people interpret humour at these assemblies and are therefore disconnected from the school community. The assumption is being made that the audience will take offence at even the slightest remark, despite experience over the past 6 years showing that far from being taken offensively, humorous comments are well-received. What this has resulted in is a system that is banning content with even the slightest possibility of causing offence, even if that content would be received as intended by all those present at the assembly. In order to rectify this situation, censorship needs to focus not on how comments may be perceived, but how comments will be perceived- instead of examining the worst possible reaction to a comment, censorship needs to examine the likely reaction to a comment. This system will prevent inappropriate content from being included in assemblies while ensuring that appropriate, non-malicious humour is retained. The culture of Sydney High, although heavily influenced by staff, parents and old boys, ultimately rests with the students, because the defining aspect of High culture is the camaraderie and loyalty students show towards each other and towards the school. It is also the students of Sydney High who carry on the traditions that make our school so unique, such as the ubiquitous “High clap”. One such tradition is the use of humour in school assemblies- another is a year 12 representative speaker at the farewell assembly. The present level of censorship implemented at SBHS is effectively forcing students to present what they’re told to. The censors require that there be no more traditional anecdotes in sports speeches- and if there are, then sports captains will not be permitted to present teams, replaced by the MIC for those sports. This would surely be sidelining the culture of Sydney Boys High. A line needs to be drawn between giving students control over their school culture, and preventing our school from being negatively represented. The current censorship protects Sydney High’s reputation by undermining its culture because this line is incorrectly placed.
In conclusion this is a request from the Class of 2006 in two areas. First and foremost, it is a
call to student speakers to be more careful in their use of humour in speeches, and to be more
responsible in their actions, and secondly it a request to the school that the guidelines for
approving speeches be re-evaluated to achieve a better balance between protecting the
school’s reputation and allowing legitimate expressions of student culture. Because
otherwise we will lose what makes Sydney High unique. Year 8 CampThe Year 8 visit to the Aussie Bush Camp was a great success. The facilities were of a high standard; the staff was very competent and had an excellent rapport with the boys. They maintained discipline, were strong on safety and knew just when to encourage anyone who was hesitating about achieving their personal best. The boys built on their skills and attempted all the tasks, many of which were as challenging as they were exciting, Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Vertical Challenge, Alpine Rescue and Commando come to mind. They also thoroughly enjoyed the toasted marshmallows around the camp fire. The staff at the camp commented on how well behaved the students were and I am pleased to say I agree with them. The camp would not have been nearly so pleasant without the whole hearted and cheerful support of all our teachers, Ms Howland, Mr Barris, Mr Stein, Mr Ryan, Mr Farrington and Ms Kaye. So from Year 8 and myself, thank you very much to all the teachers for making the camp so much fun.
Most importantly Year 8 and I want to thank Ms Kaye for making time in an extremely hectic
schedule to organise and share the camp with us. Years 9 and 10 Chinese ExcursionOn Friday the 8 September 2006, Years 9 and 10 Chinese students enjoyed a movie named “Balzac and the little Seamstress” after period two. This movie was bursting with information about the period of time when Mao Zedong conquered China with his communistic regime. “Students” who did not agree with his views on diplomacy were sent to re-education camps all around China. This movie centred on the lives of two adult males who were sent to a camp in Phoenix Mountain. There they learnt the ways of the villagers, struggling against countless hardships which they faced with a fierce determination. They were forced to do manual labour in the camp too which included farming and mining for coal. They encountered a new friend called the Little Seamstress who was a very firm believer in Mao and did not approve of the western ways. However, they soon managed to convince her to open up her mind and she became addicted to reading and writing. In the end she left Phoenix Mountain to broaden her knowledge of the world which was influenced by the books read to her by her two friends and the books that she read alone.
After this informative movie, we made a very organised route to Yum Cha in the Golden Harbour
Chinese Restaurant. We had a scrumptious meal consisting of various Chinese dishes before we were
questioned about the movie where the bright student Shorson Zhang won half a Toblerone and lost
the other half to a Year 10 student. After that we were set free at China Town and told to make
our own way home. Overall this was a very exciting experience and we were able to gather much
information from this excursion. On the 8 September Years 9 and 10 had a Chinese incursion and excursion which comprised of watching a Chinese film called “Balzac and The little Seamstress” and going to Chinatown to eat food at Yum Cha. After recess Years 9 and 10 went to the hall to watch the Chinese film. This film was about two men who were sent to a rural mountain village fro re-education. Here they met a girl, little seamstress, from a neighbouring village and both fell in love with her. In this time these three people came across “forbidden books” and after reading them, were enlightened about the world and eventually the girl left the mountain village.
After watching this movie we set off to Chinatown where our food was waiting. We caught public
buses which took us to Central which was unexpected as there were well over 90 people with us.
This meant we had to take three buses. After reaching Central we walked to Chinatown and entered
the Golden Harbour Restaurant. The food there was planned much to our dislike. Common dishes were
served and the food was quite satisfying. One of my friends even got an extra dish because he
wanted abalone. We then had a quiz on the film we just watched, the main prize being a huge
Toblerone. Overall this excursion was quite enjoyable and the film was very interesting to
watch. Sydney Boys High Canteen CommitteeInvites all parents or interested parties to the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING to be held on THURSDAY, 19 OCTOBER AT 2.30 PM IN THE BOARDROOM
All positions are declared vacant and are up for nomination and election School Athletics Program 2006 (Years 7 & 8)For five weeks during August/September students not in the GPS Athletics Team participated in a standards based competition. The students competed in six events – standing long jump, shot put, 800 metres, high jump, turbo javelin and 100 metres. Year 7 Results During week five the top 24 students [based on results of weeks 1 to 4] competed in a “mini decathlon” over the six events to determine the Year 7 champion.
1st Saif Haque [7F] 24 points
Event Results:
Class Results
Best results for each event:
7F
Best results for each event:
7M
Best results for each event:
7R
Best results for each event:
7S
Best results for each event:
7T
Best results for each event:
Year 8
Best results for each event:
8.2
Best results for each event:
8.3
Best results for each event:
8.4
Best results for each event:
8.5
Best results for each event:
8.6
Best results for each event: Sailing FamiliesPlease join us for our ANNUAL AGM and WELCOME TO THE NEW SEASON Snacks provided
Wednesday 18 October 2006 at 7.00 pm
Contact Ann Kurts to RSVP 0412 283 692 Basketball Spring Pre-Rep Trials Holiday Camps
Students:- What do you have planned to improve your basketball skills in the
holidays? This camp is open to all SBHS aspiring basketball representative players! Playing basketball against and with a better standard is the key to success. Norths is currently the strongest junior club in NSW. Involvement in the camp will prepare you for the trials by exposing you to elite skills, increased training tempo and higher expectations than you get at your domestic teams training. Elite Squad is a training program for aspiring representative players & current representative players during the off-season. The training sessions are aimed at improving and maintaining individuals skills/techniques & current fitness levels. Reps Trials at all clubs are not far away. Have you been practicing??
When: Monday 9 October-Wednesday 11 October.
Book your spot now! Visit From TennisWould you like to improve your game? On our new courts!!! Boot Camp run by our great coach Carl Neilson for all interested Tennis players during the holidays on School Courts. Cost $40/day per player.
Carl will need to know whether he has enough interested so please email him on
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
to tell him. High Cricket BulletinIt was disappointing to have to cancel last weekend’s Trial matches for the Years 7, 8 and 9 cricketers but we, like the other five cricket organizations utilizing the Centennial Park Trust grounds, are subject to a dysfunctional operations schedule for ground refurbishments by the Trust. Eight weeks after the final winter fixtures, football posts were still up on grounds (which included McKay), mowing and line marking had not been completed and the Trust advised fixture bookings could not commence until the 14th October 2006. Despite strong representations by all concerned at the time, the Trust has disregarded long standing paying customers in their pursuit of high paying special events which they state will take precedence over any seasonal bookings should it be approached. The end result is that in the future any organization’s seasonal booking can be disrupted by “one off” events on any of the Trust’s grounds. This not only affects summer sports but can also occur during winter sports and I can assure all that we at the school are in serious negotiations with the Trust in this matter.
McKAY No1 RETURFING
NEW CRICKET NETS
GENERAL MEETINGS
In advance for your diaries further Cricket Committee and General Meetings will be held on
YEAR 9 BARBERIS CUP REPRESENTATIVE TEAM
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – CHINA VISIT
GOOD LUCK TO SYDNEY SWANS Open Day 2006 Programme
Sydney Boys High School
Music NotesCongratulations to our HSC music student Alex Vertoudakis who will be senior prefect in 2007, well done to all our prefects.
An important change to the billing in the MUSIC PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
It has come to our notice that there are many outstanding fees and all outstanding fees
need to be paid by the beginning of term 4. Non-payment puts the program’s continuation in
jeopardy. The information evening for the Music tour to China was held on Monday. If you were unable to attend but are still interested in joining the tour, please contact one of the music staff at school for information (9361-6910 Ext. no. 109).
China Music Tour 2007 Expression of Interest As well as participating in the Grand Parade in Wang Fu Jing and the music show of Olympic Opening Music, students will visit renowned tourist sites around Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nan Jing. The anticipated cost of this tour will be approximately $2850 which includes airfare, all meals, accommodation, and entries. Students and parents interested in coming on the tour need to complete the form below and return to the music staff as soon as possible. 2007 MUSIC TOUR TO CHINA - EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST Student’s Name: _____________________________________ Roll Class: ________________ Parent/Guardian Name: _____________________________________________________________ Phone No. ____________________________ Mobile No. ________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________________________________________ Return to Index Fundraising: The Record
DO YOU OWN OR WORK FOR A BUSINESS? Here is a way you CAN HELP! Take tax deductible advertising in “The Record” our Annual school magazine.
(All prices include GST) Please supply art work in .pdf if possible. An invoice will be sent for payment once proof has been accepted.
Further enquiries contact Valda Roser
Thank you for supporting this important aspect of school life. Want to Keep The Record Straight?You can DONATE a page or more – There is a lot in store, as We look back – Over our track … “RECORD” Individual school families are invited to contribute towards production costs, at a rate of $50 per page, a special and last opportunity for Year 12 families. The family and sons name will be printed as a header at the top of a page. e.g. Sponsored by:- The Jones Family – Thomas Year 12 Please indicate your participation level by filling in and returning the tear off section below. YES! I/We would like to sponsor a page/s(____) of “The Record” printed as a header as indicated below.
Sponsored by:- ___________________________________________
(Please print Family Name, Sons name & Year)
Type of payment: ___ Cheque* ___ Cash ___ Credit Card
Card Type: ___ Bankcard ___Mastercard ___ Visa Total paid: $__________ Card Number: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Cardholder’s Name: ___________________________________________
[please print]
Cardholder’s Signature: _______________________________________
Bus. Phone: ______________ Expiry Date: ___ / ___
*Cheques should be made payable to Sydney Boys
Return to Index From the High StoreFor your school uniform needs, and much more…
Announcement to Parents Drop your son to school and then pop in to the High Store!
Opening Hours:
For more information call Michelle on 9331 7075 or email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The 探花视频 Foundation Inc. “working together for our school” |
Sydney Boys High School
