QUOTE: “IT IS GOOD TO HAVE AN END TO A JOURNEY FORWARD, BUT IT IS THE JOURNEY THAT MATTERS IN THE END!”
Dear Year 11 Parents,
The dorms sit quietly and dusty after the high energy of a long ten week term. Our boys go home tired but satisfied in rounding off this last week, where they received back exams and assignment marks, with much instruction concerning the process behind dropping a subject or picking up a one unit course to organizing their text books, all in readiness for the commencement of their HSC studies next term.
Last weekend was the GPS Track and Field Championships and our boys were magnificent in all their performances, the vast majority of them recording personal best efforts on the day and this resulted in an outstanding second place finish behind the Kings School. After a long winter sport season our boys worked intensely for three weeks before the championships and many of them scared the life out of competitors with State and National rankings, whom had the luxury of a winter’s preparation due to not playing Rugby or Football. I would like to congratulate Zac Guilfoyle, Tim Palmer, Joe Callaughan, Hugh McLean, Sam Barclay, James Harrison, James Goldie, Alex Beasley, Ben Rodgers, Tom Martin, Josh Wilde, Laurence Nelmes, Tom Cleary, Magnus Heywood, Andrew Hookey and Josh Schwager for their outstanding performances on the day. It was impossible for me to see all the boys compete so I cannot comment on them all, but I found the efforts of Ben Rodgers and Tom Martin to be absolutely inspiring and Alex Beasley’s efforts across the day were sustained and exceptional.
Our Division Meeting on Wednesday was dominated by the details concerning the boys’ patterns of study and Year 12 text books, which Darren outlined to the boys very comprehensively. Wednesday was also the day we announced our Year 11 Cheer Leaders, Callum Flitcroft, Max Hall, Charlie Landers, Eddie Browne, Tiger Parker, Brendon Follington, David Ryan, Dom Mullane, Kian Heffernan, Oliver Roberts and Michael Thompson revved up our Years 7 to 11 boys with a cheering practice in preparation to take on the mantle of leading the school for the first time on Thursday to send off our Class of 2011 at their Final College Assembly. The Farewell Assembly went extremely well and to quote many a Year 12 boy commenting about the cheering after the event, “Year 11 was awesome!” Fitting praise from their senior peers and a great start for our new Leading Year of the College.
Further to the wonderful examples our boys are setting in undertaking their leadership role in the school seriously, is that forty-three boys also nominated to take on the role of Dorm Seniors for 2011/12. Unfortunately only fourteen boys are chosen for the positions that leave the majority disappointed, but the generosity and commitment from all of the boys who did volunteer for this role, is greatly valued and appreciated. In a very difficult process to select the fourteen amongst so many worthy candidates, the following boys have been selected to commence as Dormitory Seniors next term.
In Year 7: Seth Turnbull, Jade Tubnor.
Year 8: James Quinn, Tom Murphy, Alex Newsome.
Year 9: Joe Callaughan, Ben Carolan, Alec Rainnie, Connor O’Gorman and Charlie Landers.
Year 10: Max Hall, Josh Kay, Josh Wilde and Anthony Baker.
One for the diary, the Semi-Formal will be held at the College on November 18th and I have been finalising details for the evening. We will need to have about 40 parents helping out on the night, so if you could keep that night free and volunteer some time it would help with the smooth running of the evening and make it a really special occasion for our boys. Once the semi-formal is underway, you can sit back and relax and enjoy an informal get-together with pizza and a glass of wine.
You will receive by early next week the very comprehensive Year 11 Academic Reports for the completion of the Year 11 Preliminary Course and an Interim Boarding (Pastoral) Report. There finally ends a busy term in the lives of our boys. In Term 4, Full Boarders and all Weekly Boarders return at 8pm on Monday evening, 10th October; Day Boys – 8am on Tuesday morning, 11th October our boys commence the first term of the HSC. Be rest assured your son is ready for it. They all have worked hard over this term and I do hope your son’s Report rewards his efforts this year.
I do hope all the boys have an enjoyable break as these holidays will be their last where they can feel totally free of any need to do school work as they return refreshed ready to take on the mantle of leadership in the many facets of College life at Joeys.