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Principal

PRINCIPAL REPORT

BY BRIAN FERGUSON

From The Principal

Welcome to the start of the 2025 school year! I hope you all had a wonderful and restful break with family and friends. As we begin this new year, we have exciting opportunities ahead, and I am eager to see all that we will achieve together at North Sydney Boys.

This year brings new beginnings, and I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Year 8-11 students, as well as our Year 7 cohort, the Class of 2030, who have just returned from their first camp. We are thrilled to have you join our school community.

I am pleased to announce some exciting developments around the school. Our long-awaited air conditioning installation has now been completed throughout the school, ensuring a more comfortable teaching and learning environment for both students and staff. We would like to sincerely thank our parent community for their generous financial contributions, which have made this important upgrade possible. In addition, a new display collection showcasing the school’s former principals has been installed in A-Block. This is a wonderful way for students and staff to learn more about the rich history of North Sydney Boys.

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Work to replace the slate tiles on the AF Henry Hall commenced last week, and we look forward to having a watertight roof that matches the B Block roof that was completed last year.

One of the highlights of the start of our year is our annual Vital Eyes initiative, which has already been a great success. This initiative allows us to showcase all the updates and improvements to the school, and it provides a platform for valuable feedback from parents. It’s a fantastic way to begin the year and ensure we are continually moving forward together. We deeply appreciate the support and suggestions, and we look forward to sharing the findings with the P&C and the broader school community.

As always, if parents have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Year Advisers, who are always available to support your child’s wellbeing.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

Class of 2024 HSC Results

For the second time in the school’s history, North Sydney Boys High School ranked 1st in the state. A total of 151 students sat their HSC exams in 2024, and the results were truly remarkable.

Of the 869 exams sat, our students achieved 564 Band 6s, resulting in a success rate of 64.9%. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and staff.

We are particularly proud of the following highlights:

• Five students achieved the top ATAR of 99.95.

• Nine students earned state ranks including one first.

• There were 56 All-round Achievers, students who achieved a Band 6 or Extension Band 4 in at least 10 units.

• 135 students achieved at least one Band 6 or E4 result, with three students achieving 7 Band 6/E4 results and one student an incredible 8 Band 6/E4 results.

• In addition to these individual successes, North Sydney Boys also excelled in subject rankings:

• 2nd in the state for English.

• 2nd in the state for Mathematics.

The Class of 2024’s success is a result of their collaboration and their willingness to support each other, both academically and personally. Together, they formed a strong, unified cohort that demonstrated exceptional teamwork and determination.

To celebrate these remarkable achievements, we held a Celebration Assembly on Friday, 7 February, where we acknowledged and honoured the success of our students.

We congratulate the Class of 2024 on their exceptional results and thank them for their contributions to the proud legacy of North Sydney Boys High School.

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Leadership & Enrichment Activity Program

LEAP provides students with an excellent opportunity to explore the wide variety of extracurricular activities available at North Sydney Boys. The Year 7 LEAP Club Day was held on Monday 17 February, and it was a fantastic success.

During the event, the various student-led committees and clubs showcased what they have to offer beyond the classroom. Students had the chance to learn about and join a range of groups, including musical and drama ensembles, debating, public speaking, chess, robotics, multimedia, Duke of Edinburgh, computing, history, economics, politics, and philosophy clubs, among many others.

We are thrilled to see so many students engaging with these opportunities and getting involved in the vibrant extracurricular life of our school. We encourage all students to explore these clubs and make the most of the enriching experiences they provide.

Year 7 Camp

Our new Year 7 students have recently had the exciting opportunity to bond with one another and get to know some of our staff during their inaugural camp at Attunga Southern Highlands.

The camp was filled with a range of outdoor activities that allowed the boys to develop new skills, from hiking through beautiful bushland to participating in team-building exercises. This was also a fantastic opportunity for the students to form new friendships in a supportive, hands-on environment away from the classroom. The boys had a lot of fun, and it was a joy to see them step out of their comfort zones and embrace the challenges of camp life.

This experience is just the beginning of a larger Outdoor Education journey that continues throughout their time at the school. Our program culminates in Year 11 with the ski camp, offering students a range of diverse activities that promote physical and personal growth. We are excited to watch these students progress through this program, as it plays an important role in fostering strong connections, leadership, and confidence.

Thank you to the staff who helped organise and supervise the camp, and to the parents for supporting this valuable experience. We look forward to seeing how the bonds formed at Attunga will continue to grow throughout the year and beyond.

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Crawford Shield

This year, our students will be travelling to Melbourne to stay with host families as part of our long-standing tradition of the Crawford Shield. Our teams have been training hard and are eager to take on the challenge in volleyball, water polo, basketball, chess, cricket, debating, futsal, music, table tennis, and tennis. This annual event is a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their skills, represent our school, and foster camaraderie with their peers from Melbourne High School.The enthusiasm is already building, and we know that our Falcons are ready to give their all. Fly, Falcons, fly! Thank you to all the coaches, staff, and parents who are supporting our students in their preparation for this exciting event.

Welcome to New Staff

We are pleased to welcome Jason Po to the HSIE department as a new staff member for 2025. Jason is teaching Economics, Commerce and Geography, replacing Vincy Lai who is on secondment this year.

Year Advisers

Our Year Advisers for 2025 are:

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Year 12

Daisy Du

Jacob Parker

Patrick Renford (Relieving)

Matthew Tran

Emma Dell

Stefania Ross

Head Teachers

English

Mathematics

Science

Loveday Recny

Aida Sarofim

Kylie Chan

CAPA Jenny Grimley

Languages

Deputy Principals

Each of our Deputy Principals is responsible for the following year groups:

Year 8 and 11

Kathy Coady

TAS Paul Kennedy

PDHPE Ana-Maria Dumitrescu (Relieving)

HSIE Stuart Madgwick

Teacher Administration

Teaching and Learning

Daisy Douglas

Ana-Maria Dumitrescu (Relieving)

Wellbeing Georgina Willma

Support Unit

Michael Iverach

Year 9 and 12 Adele Walker (Relieving)

Year 7 and 10 Yugen Pillay

Penny Carr

2025 Term 1 Key Dates

Year 12 Exam Block

Year 11 Exam Block Friday 4 April - Thursday 10 April

Last day of Term 1 Friday 11 April

First day of Term 2 Wednesday 30 April

YEAR 7 CAMP

BY Joo Sung & Leo Truong, Year 7

North Sydney Boys X ATTUNGA SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS

On the 19th of February, Year 7 went to Attunga Cabins in Canyonleigh for their annual camp.Accompanied by our great and compassionate Peer Support Leaders, everyone made some brotherhoods that may last a lifetime. As we were released from our urban lifestyles, we all breathed a fresh gulp of air.

All students took part in the activities, even if they were hesitant at first, taking in the sensation of the view from the flying fox and took a ride on the giant swing. No one missed out on any of the incredible experiences, because they were too remarkable to miss, and the amazing Year 10 group came to encourage their juniors to participate in all the exhilarating activities like the breathtaking scenery in the mountains as we swung across a valley on the flying fox and the terrific cliff edge view as we swung under from the giant swing.

We also went canoeing (and capsizing) and many team bonding activities. These included filling a pipe with water to get a table tennis ball out but there was a catch, the pipe was perforated! This may seem impossible but with each group’s wits, they all tried strategies, laughing as they failed miserably. “The trick is staring at you”, the Peer Support Leaders kept telling us. When we gradually figured that the Year 10’s could help us, we completed the task with ease. Another memorable activity was the canoe races and challenges and especially ice cream domination. This involved tagging other canoes with our paddles to convert them to our favourite ice cream flavour. They would then do the same until one flavour remains supreme. With the sun smiling on us, getting wet was a great addition to our day. All the activities showed us that some things can be done alone but most things need a friend or even an entire group!

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On the last day, we all went for a hike through the Mt Penang loop walk. Although we complained about our aching limbs as we walked up the uneven terrain, we all enjoyed the scenic view at the top. There we learnt skills like knot tying from our helpful instructors and even had a meditation session.

One of the best parts about the camp was all the memories made in the cabins and tents. In the cabins, we were talking amongst ourselves, venturing into each other’s personalities which allowed us to develop deeper bonds. One night was spent in the cabins but the other was spent with a friend in the tents. As we slept under the sky, the majestic stars glistening in the night, we appreciated the natural spectacles that we would normally overlook in the busy streets of the city.

If Year 7 did not go to camp, the sparks of long lasting friendships would not have kindled. Supporting each other throughout the hardships was achieved through camaraderie. Our fates were entwined from the moment we stepped foot into camp and even now, we reminisce on the moments of joy we shared together.

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EUROPE MUSIC TOUR

BY Rhys Lau & Joshua Zhu, Year 12

North Sydney Boys SYMPHONIC WINDS & ORCHESTRA x EUROPE

On the 14th of January, 2025, 60 excited students waved goodbye to their parents at the Sydney International Airport; they would spend the next two weeks touring across Europe, performing, exploring and learning in the birthplace of Western music. With four accompanying staff members Mr Liya Dai, Mr Vincent Fung, Ms Adele Walker, and Mrs Jennifer Grimley, as well as the school’s music director from the Conservatorium of Music Mr Scott Ryan, students would embark on a musical journey to learn about society and culture far exceeding anything they could ever experience within the classrooms of NSBHS.

After almost 24 hours of flying - including a brief layover in Dubai at 1 in the morning - we finally touched down in Munich, Germany at around 12:30 pm. After the tussle to find our 60 suitcases, instruments and equipment crates in the baggage collection, we left the heated comfort of the airport and braced the chilly -1°C temperatures of a European winter - a far cry from the scorching Australian summer heat we’d experienced just the day before. Here we met our lovely tour guide Carolina, who was vital to ensuring the next two weeks went smoothly in terms of communication, planning and resolving any issues that might arise. We were also very lucky to have Enes, a skilled bus driver who took us all across Europe.

Introductions complete, we loaded our suitcases and equipment onto the bus and got on. For many, this would be their first time travelling without parents or guardians, which meant constant and unlimited access to Brawl Stars. But our teachers made sure the students kept their noses out of their phones to appreciate the sights and sounds. We wouldn’t be staying in Germany long - after a few hours of driving, we had crossed the border into Austria. A few more hours and we’d arrived at Salzburg, our first stop of the tour. We enjoyed a tour around the city with local guides, visiting places like Mozart’s birthplace, before heading to our first dinner in Europe - a 3 course meal with schnitzel as a main. When everything was said and done, we headed to the hotel for a much needed night of sleep.

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The next day began bright and early with a masterclass at the Kapitelplatz (capital square) with a very skilled conductor and musician. After 4 hours of rehearsals, by the end of which we were sounding great, we bade the maestro goodbye and headed out for some lunch and shopping, before enjoying a beautiful cruise all to ourselves on the stunning Lake Wolfgangsee (Scott told me it was quite expensive but it was definitely worth it).

However, our time in Salzburg was short, as we were headed for Prague the very next day. On the way, we stopped at a town called Cesky Krumlov to explore the food and souvenirs they had to offer (it seemed like every town in Europe had tall and magnificent spires and towers which looked like they came straight out of Harry Potter). In the evening, we enjoyed dinner on a private boat cruise on the river Vltava where jazz musicians performed live for us.

The next day and our first concert was fast approaching. We started with a tour around Prague, where we explored the Prague castle, St Vitus’ cathedral, the cobblestoned Old Town Square as well as the famous Astronomical clock, followed by a quick lunch and some time to buy gifts, before leaving for a town called Chlumec, where we had our first joint concert with the local choir. At the conclusion of our performance, we had the opportunity to meet the local students at dinner generously provided by the school canteen, where we exchanged gifts of koalas, kangaroos and socks. The following day, we explored Prague Castle District, performed at St. Nicholas Church and at night, attended the performance of the opera “Aida” at the State Opera Theatre.

Next, we stayed in Hodonin; a small town in the Czech Republic where we performed in their town hall. Despite the cold weather, we were pleasantly greeted with a large crowd from the town of Hodonin and we had a wonderful time sharing our music with them. Despite our language barriers, we were still able to connect with the people through our shared love for music - a special experience that the boys will remember for the rest of their lives.

After a night in Hodonin, we travelled to Hungary where we stayed in the middle of Budapest, before later travelling to the town Komarom in which we had one of our biggest performances. There we performed both our own repertoire and two pieces with the Komarom HS Wind Band - one Australian piece and one Hungarian piece. This was a special performance as we were playing for the Day of Hungarian Culture, where the city recognised the work of people who have made significant contributions to the cultural life and local community. We were all honoured to perform in such an important event for the city of Komarom in front of such a large audience. Later, we enjoyed some refreshments, socialising with the members of the Komarom Wind Ensemble and meeting the mayor of Komarom.

Following our enjoyable stay in Hungary, we transited to Vienna; our last destination before our flight home. During this time, we participated in a masterclass, improving both as individuals and as an ensemble and also enjoyed tours of St Stephen’s Cathedral and Mozart’s apartment in Vienna. On our final day, we took a tour of the House of Music and had our last performance in the beautiful Minoriten church in the heart of Vienna. There we enjoyed performing our repertoire for the very last time in front of a full capacity audience who showed great enthusiasm for our music. Additionally, our string ensemble premiered “Golden Wattle”, a competition-winning composition from one of our students, Andrew Dharma of Year 11.

The following morning, we departed for Vienna airport and travelled back home to Sydney. Whilst it was nice to return back to our families and homes, we were all sad that our surreal experience in Europe was over. There is no doubt that we will treasure all the memories we made on this trip for the rest of our lives; from the unique food and culture, musical performances and masterclasses, sightseeing, social exchanges and much more.

We would like to give a huge thank you to Mr Dai, Mr Fung and Ms Walker for sacrificing two weeks of their holidays to look after us from early morning till late, ensuring that none of us were left behind in Europe. Thanks to Mr Scott Ryan for rehearsing our ensembles in preparation for our tour, elevating our ensembles to a high standard , conducting our performances and giving us the opportunity to perform in amazing venues. Finally, thank you Mrs Grimley for the hard work and effort you put into organising everything to the finest detail and making this tour possible for us - we are truly grateful.