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Home
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High Notes, Vol 9 No 10, April 04 2008
From the Principal
High Talent
Industrial Action Tuesday, April 8
Library Fundraising
Canteen Serving Policy
The Sydney Boys High School Council Public SpeakingIn general, public speaking at Sydney Boys provides you with an opportunity to express and communicate yourself in the public domain, developing confidence and articulation. It also allows you to convey and reveal your true personality, whether it is solemn or humorous. This year has seen the introduction of Kelvin Yu as public speaking coach at Sydney Boys. Kelvin's expertise and years of experience in Public Speaking and Debating have provided all of us with a new lexicon in the art of public speaking. His astute advice and recommendations go a long way to ensuring the ongoing accomplishments and success of public speaking in the future.
Recently, I attended the 2008 Rostrum Voice of Youth Competition. This was yet another wonderful
experience for me, as I stood up in front of a fairly large audience and began to converse about
'Man's greatest enemy; food'. In a narrowly fought out battle, I ended a runner-up. Nevertheless,
what I have discovered about public speaking over all these years is that, no matter how good you
are, it is all about giving it a shot and enjoying the moment. After all, 'It's only a
game!' Year 7 Parent GroupAn Invitation to Year 7 Parents to attend a meeting in the Staff Common Room, Thursday 10 April 2008 at 6:30pm Miss Lim will address the meeting, providing information about Half Yearly exams and Awards Parent Group meetings are an ideal opportunity to meet other parents in your son's Year, raise questions, make suggestions and discuss any concerns you may have. If you require any further information please feel free to contact the year 7 parent group at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it We look forward to seeing you there! Return to IndexSBHS: Foundation Years
The masters (continued)
William J Crompton Born on 12 April 1843, Crompton was a product of the famous Winchester College in England and a graduate of Oxford University, attending Balliol College. He is also said to have been a grandson of the inventor of the Crompton spinning mill. One old boy recalled of Crompton: Being himself an Old Boy of Winchester College (England), his admiration and esteem for his old school was so great that a certain poem extolling Winchester was invariably given to his class to learn as an aid to memory training. The "poetry", I believe, consisted of some hundred or so verses, but as I do not know of one pupil who was successful in learning the whole of it, I may be understating its length. It was of such great assistance in training the memory that I do not now even remember one line! He came first in the Indian Civil Service classical examination in 1870. However, he drifted to Brisbane where he spent 10 years at Brisbane Grammar School before coming to Sydney first to join the staff of Sydney Girls High School in December 1886 and then the staff of Sydney Boys in October 1887. A fellow master, G P Barbour had this to say about Crompton: Another interesting but more erratic personality was Crompton, with more ability than ballast. He came from England at middle age, [and] was first put up among the Gods or Goddesses of the top floor - the Girls High held the upper regions, the mere males the lower. Crompton was no mean Classic, but his forte was History. He had a marvellous store of historical facts and anecdotes, and he voiced them in a rich and often violent vocabulary. The boys loved to lead him on to some pet theme; listening is much easier than having to think. As I said, Crompton began at the top among the angels, but his reign in heaven was brief as Lucifer The old steam trams passed under the windows. Crompton had just embarked on one of his historical flights, where there squealed a blast from a tram whistle, and the orator consigned all trams to perdition in a blasting orgasm of eloquence, fiery enough to penetrate to the ears of the Headmistress. Crompton found his level; hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky, he brought up among us inferiors. If he could not claim to be a founder of High's future greatness, he at least beguiled many a tedious dinner hour for us with a rich fund of anecdotes, historical and others not found in text books. Indeed, one old boy recalled: I have better recollection and more memories of his teaching than of any other in the School. Teaching subjects in which he was a ripe scholar, he gave them life, with frequent relevant digression, based on his wide reading; his classes were never dull. Sometimes his digressions covered a wide field, seemingly far-removed from our subject matter; I recall discussion on mixed marriages, on religious differences, together with tales of his experiences, of his school days at Winchester, during the Crimean War, where his father served. I think he was a disappointed man, who had missed out in his career, through faults of his own, and he resented being passed over in the appointment of a successor to Coates. He provoked a storm of protest on one occasion when he took some of his senior students to the theatre. Indignant parents penned anonymous letters to the Department protesting against Australian schoolboys being exposed to such depravity. This was not the only occasion on which he was a cause of concern to the Department. Never free of financial trouble, he was declared a bankrupt in 1891. Professor Cable has summarised his later career from the Department's correspondence files: As the years went by, he was absent for longer and longer periods from his duties. If the weather was hot then Mr Crompton "begged to inform the Under-Secretary that nervous prostration had rendered him unable to attend the High School". If the winds blew and the rains came, then coughs and colds interrupted the teaching of classics at High. A public occasion, such as a funeral, might incapacitate the emotional Mr Crompton for days on end. The truth probably was that he was more attached to the bottle than to his teaching duties, a state not uncommon with brilliant, erratic and disappointed scholars. The following account, from an old boy of the 1890s, provides a brief description of the closing chapter of Crompton's life: He was frequently absent through illness, and a few years after I left, he had a complete breakdown. My last meeting with him was on a visit with another old boy, to a private hospital, in which he died, a few months later. In spite of the difficulties of his infirmity, he talked cheerfully about our progress, with no reference to his own sad condition.
In the course of years, I have met many Old Boys of the time before, and after, mine, and
heard varied opinions of Crompton; some in admiration of his learning and teaching, others
condemning him as a bad influence on schoolboys, because of coarseness, and freedom of speech on
topics not discussed with the young in those days. Undoubtedly he had faults, some grievous ones,
but it was a good thing to have had contact with him. I agree that it would have been bad, if all
the masters had like qualities. PDHPEAn addendum to the Year 8 get fit piece last week. Incidental physical activity has become an area of concern in terms of health and well being. We are not getting enough incidental physical activity these days as we have become more sedentary generally as a society. An accepted measure of appropriate incidental physical activity and general health is to walk 10,000 steps each day.
As part of the Year 11 PDHPE preliminary course, "Better health for individuals" each student
wore a pedometer for a week and recorded their daily totals. The results were interesting as the
average of steps for the class was 7700 steps/day. This compared to the average of 8300 steps/day
by the class in 2006. While these results were surprising they are not alarming as all these
students are actively engaged in extra-curricular sport and their total physical activity levels
would be appropriate for adolescents. If these totals are typical of our students, however, there
may be a cause for concern in the long term if students are not involved in any extra-curricular
or outside sport/physical activity. High Store
End of term sale Opening Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed & Fridays 10:30am to 1:30pm Return to IndexEnglishUnfortunately the 'Poetry in Action' performance of Wilfred Owen's poetry scheduled for Wednesday 2nd April was postponed due to the illness of actors involved in the performance. An alternative performance time has been re-scheduled for mid Term 2. Students will be given further information as we near the performance date.
Competition Reminders The 'SMH Young Writer of the Year' short story writing competition closes Friday, June 27.
The 'Taronga Foundation Poetry Prize 2008' is open to all students 19 and under. Junior,
intermediate and senior age groups share in prizes valued at over $31,000. Entries close
September 19. Details are available from the English Faculty.
Reading Torque Khaled Hosseini's father was an Afghan diplomat who fled to America in 1980 with his family after the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan. Hosseini, who was fifteen at the time, has now written his first novel, The Kite Runner, as a dedication to the country of his birth. The Kite Runner is about an Afghan Boy, Amir, who lives in an up-market area of pre-soviet Kabul with his wealthy father. His childhood days are spent playing and Kite running with his loyal and humble best friend Hassan who is the son of his father's servant. The term kite running describes the competitive running of kites through the streets. The kite strings are covered with glued on glass shards so as to cut through the opponent's line. Amir's father's admiration of his best friend's kindly traits and praise for his good deeds cause Amir to become jealous and so he sets about undermining Hassan's character. Eventually Hassan and his father leave the house in shame. Some time later Amir and his father are smuggled over the border into Pakistan and then migrate to America where they start a new life. Amir settles down, marries an Afghan woman, and becomes a writer but he remains haunted by his disloyalty to his best friend.
Later on at the request of an old friend he returns to Kabul where the Taliban now rule.
Some loose ends in the story are tied up and Amir is finally able to make some peace within
himself. You will have to read it to find out how. The book is extremely descriptive,
moving and a real winner. Letters Re Absence/Lateness/ Early LeaveWhen your son returns to school from being absent he is required to provide a letter of explanation signed by a parent or guardian. If your son is going to be late for school a note is also required. If your son has an early leave note he is required to have his note signed by either Mr Beringer, Mr Dowdell or Mr Prorellis before 8:55 am and handed in to the Main Office immediately after. Each letter should be signed by a parent or guardian with the name, date and roll class of your son printed clearly. Your son needs to pick up a leave pass from the Main Office before he leaves the school.
Leave Music Notices
Annual Cabaret Night
Song Summit Sydney Conference
Marching Band rehearsals
ANZAC Day March
Annual Music Camp
Combined Selective School Music Festival Music Calender for Term 2, 2008
SBHS Debating
WANT TO DEBATE IN 2008? Any student who wishes to debate in 2008 MUST do the following things.
Boys MUST have done these 3 things by April 7 in order to be included in Debating in Term 2.
CHECK YOUR EMAIL REGULARLY- GET IN THE LOOP! COACHING
Any boy who wishes to Debate this year should be attending on Friday afternoon. All the juniors are required to have a workbook dedicated to debating this year and BRING it to coaching every week. I suggest getting a display book and using loose leaf pages to create your own unique file documenting your learning throughout the season. You will not get Award Scheme Points unless you submit a workbook at the end of the season
Results SBHS Basketball: Shootin' Hoops
Season Summary
Due to the great turnout at this year's basketball dinner, there were considerations of moving it to a bigger venue next year to cater for people. I strongly advise all basketball players to go and enjoy the great night out next year. (230+ people in the Great hall)
Off-season Basketball events
Friday Afternoon Games
House Basketball
Thank you...
The Editor's experience Yet 15s saw a change, we had 2 coaches instead. One managing As and Bs, the other Cs and Ds. In 15As we lost all our games in term 4 2004, and I tasted my first hard-earned victory on term 1 2005. My first win ever since I joined basketball. The wins continued to come in more frequently as we trained. In the 16s (3 coaches), my team won 50% of their games. It was also this year that I noticed the effort that was starting to go into the organisation of basketball. So by chance I took up this job of writing for shootin' hoops as my contribution back to basketball. I missed the term 4 2006 season due to sickness and lost much of my fitness from it. The remaining seasons I spent in 4th grade and definitely enjoyed my time greatly under the coaches David Li and Hughoce Feng. One thing that I noticed about the basketball sport is that you're only allowed 5 on at a time and have 10 on a team. The biggest problem that seems to put people off is the fact that they get no court time. My personal experience of that was my first season in 4ths (term 1, 2007), I barely had court time with my lack of fitness. I realised that if I was going to come and go home doing nothing than what am I here for? So in an attempt to change things, I changed my movements on court. I started to sprint on every opportunity and pushed myself into playing the tightest defense I could. After that first game I felt satisfied though I subbed myself off after 3 minutes. And guess what? Not only did I regain my fitness soon enough, my court time also increased as every game went on. So guys get out there and move if you want your time!
Perhaps my biggest regret was not making 2nds or 1sts basketball. There wasn't really anyone to
blame other than my slack self. I was procrastinating my training and was injured/sick often. So
guys get out there, take every opportunity you get, whether it be reps or junior firsts. It's all
there for you now, all set for you to maximise the enjoyment of High Basketball! So go, train
hard, play hard and most importantly HAVE FUN and it will be a proud a memory that you won't
forget! Rugby Committee meeting summaryThe second meeting of the SBHS Rugby Committee for 2008 was held on 26/3/08. The following is a summary of the meeting: Present: Serdar Bolen, Kel O'Keefe, Geoff Andrews, Peter Ambrose, Julie Blomberg, Katharine Deacon, Paul Koerber, Sanita Vezjak, Nicholas Lochner, Geoff Stein. Apologies: Christina Chow, Bruce Gordon Election of office bearers for 2008 - Vice President's position has been filled by Katharine Deacon. Thank you very much to Katharine for volunteering for this position. Treasurer's report - Current account balance is $3582 Player recruitment - After school touch football for Year 8 and 9 rugby players has been postponed until Term 2. Coach recruitment- Sydney University coaches began working with the Open teams on 26/3/08. Player leadership roles- Several proposals were put forward by Nicholas Lochner for discussion including new training jerseys for the 1st XV, a 125th Anniversary jersey for the 1st XV, spectator encouragement and pavilion balcony seating for High supporters, extra preseason scrimmages and a lunchtime House rugby competition. Rugby communication - The school's rugby website is still under construction. Future parking dates is 5/4/08 Waratahs v. The Blues. Volunteers are asked to contact K Deacon if they can help. State Junior Rugby Championships - A concerted effort will be made this year to familiarise ourselves with the organisation and running the championships in order to put in a bid to host an age group in 2009. This will be a great opportunity to raised funds for rugby, view prospective players and get our name out in the wider rugby community.
Meeting concluded: 7.25pm. Next meeting: Wed. 30th April 2008, 6pm in Room 901. School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS)School Student Code of Conduct Ð Students travelling on buses must:-
Students are reminded to:-
During 2008, authorised officers will be deployed to inspect Code of Conduct compliance on school bus services in the Eastern Region. Students who are found to have breached their obligations may lose their travel entitlement and possibly incur an infringement. Return to IndexAthletics Report 29/3This season's first invitational proved to be a very promising one. The organiser's at Joey's opted for some interesting distances on the track – 60m, 150m etc. Our athletes performed well regardless. High 13s to 15s age groups outnumbered the other schools considerably, with many heats being made up of High boys entirely. This depth in the juniors is a very encouraging sign for the future of High athletics. The turnout in the 16s was disappointing, with very few numbers on the track. Impressive times were put up by Dominic Mah (8.57 in 60m, 21.18 in the 150m), Tian Ling (7.9 in 60m), Josh Tassell (blistering 17.06 in the 150 to place 1st). In the longer distances, Jeremy Ireland, Samuel Lane and Harrison Lane all ran excellently, placing in many events. In shot put, Michael Wang (15s) threw well (11.32m), George Denny-Smith (16s) stupefied his competitors (10.88m) and Matthew Rusli (Opens) was a standout (11.90m). Special thanks must go to Rob Chen, High's sole Opens runner. All athletes are reminded that they need to go to Mr Devlin after their events so they can get their times/distances (and if possible, positions) marked down so we know you've attended.
A reminder that next Saturday is the SHS Invitation and parents are needed to help out on the
day. Please contact Mr. Devlin if you are available. High Store Price ListAutumn/Winter Price List - 2008
Clothing Pool
Payment OPENING TIMESMonday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 10:30am to 1:30pm Telephone 9331 7075 GOODS & SERVICES TAX ( G.S.T. )G.S.T. is included on all prices listed. Return to IndexNew Library & Performing Arts CentreTax Deductible 125th Anniversary Project Sydney Boys High School depends upon its community of parents, Old Boys and supporters to further the School’s ethos of the pursuit of all-round excellence. We have a bold vision for a two stage Library & Performing Arts Centre. With advances in information technology, there is a pressing need to create a facility which is able to adapt and keep pace with meeting the increasing needs of our students. The estimated cost of the combined project is $4m. Stage one requires $1.8m; we have $400k. A new tax deductible monthly giving program has been introduced to help fund our development goal. We have implemented an arrangement with ANZ Bank for automatic monthly deductions from a nominated credit card. You can elect to give $50, $40, $30 or $20 each month for a period of twelve months. Your nominated amount, along with your name and credit card details will be sent to the bank electronically. At the end of the financial year, the school will issue an annual statement as evidence of tax deductible donations. You can opt in or out of the scheme provided you notify the school in writing five working days before the fifteenth day of each month. Thank you for helping to make a difference for our boys SYDNEY BOYS HIGH SCHOOL - MONTHLY PAYMENT ADVICE Name: _________________ Daytime Phone Number: _______________ Address: _______________________________ Postcode: _ _ _ _ Email Address: _________________________ I authorise SBHS to make the following deductions from the credit card nominated below: Card Type: Bankcard __ Mastercard __ Visa __ Monthly deduction for 12 months: $50 __ $40 __ $30 __ $20 __ Card Number: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Expiry Date: ___/___
Cardholder’s Name: _________________________________
[please print]
Cardholder’s Signature: ____________________________ |
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Sydney Boys High School
