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High Notes, Vol 27 No 13, May 15 2026

From the Principal

High Talent

Congratulations to Sharvil Pande (11S) who competed at the prestigious Rostrum State Quarter Final Public Speaking Competition. He was adjudicated as runner up – a great effort!

Staffing Changes

Thank you to everyone who is filling a higher position during my periods of extended leave, particularly George Barris, who is Relieving Principal. I hope these experiences will deepen the strength of leadership in our school. The success of any succession plan is measured by the quality of the continuity of programs, policies, processes and activities during the absence of the leader. Gaining leadership experience at the next level is also vital for professional growth as a potential leader. During the next few weeks, we plan to keep everyone in their current positions for the sake of continuity for the boys, who are always at the centre of our work. Mr Barris and I will work in parallel and share tasks.

Facilities News

There has been a great deal of work funded by DOE to upgrade our buildings – carpeting in blocks A + B and painting in the Junior Library – for which we are grateful. The P&C Association has assisted the Rifle Shooting Program with $20K to offset the rising expenses of consumables. It has also donated $78K to complete our 3-year laptop renewal program – a vital component of our blended ICT delivery system. We thank the P&C for getting behind important school projects. The ̽»¨ÊÓƵ Foundation Ltd has made significant investments in school facilities. The tennis courts’ surfaces have lasted well past their normal life and were re-painted during the holidays at a cost of $55K. The Foundation is also committed to our network modernisation program to be completed in the medium term (2026-2030) at a cost of $80K per year. The Foundation Board approved a donation of $455K to enable a tender to be chosen for the construction of a Multi-Purpose Sports Centre on The Flat. This is a major project expected to cost c $1,100,000. The Foundation previously donated $500K. There are always variations and overruns – e.g. the increase in the price of steel – so we are asking parents to get behind our special appeal to finish off the project by donating to The Sydney Boys High School Building Fund, suggested $250 (tax deductible), before June 30. This facility is of particular importance to the 80+ table tennis families, given that there are emerging problems regarding venues being available next year to accommodate our large program. We hope to have the building ready by June 2027.

At this week’s meetings of the P&C and SBHS School Council, Mr Barris outlined the school’s policy on bullying, for which we have zero tolerance. Once the boys had a better understanding of the definition of bullying used in DOE surveys, emphasizing the repeated use of a power imbalance to inflict psychological or physical harm to another, the school survey revealed a lower incidence of perceived bullying around 18% of boys. However, the obstacle is getting boys to report bullying incidents. Fear of revenge by the bully or social ostracizing for reporting, impacts on willingness to report. Another problem is a lack of confidence that the system can actually stop the bullying. We need to talk about our response, which should address both the victim and the bully focusing on identifying the social issue and addressing it to reach an acceptable solution. We need to raise our behavioural expectations and intervene earlier and more comprehensively, whenever bullying is observed or reported.

UNSW Co-op Applications

Students should be aware of what happens to UNSW Co-op applications, considering how popular they have been at High. I haven’t got the 2025 figures but Australia-wide in 2024, 1003 applications were submitted from 277 schools but another 1,596 remained in draft form and so were never officially submitted. At High in 2024 there were 31 applications in draft and 30 were properly submitted [Takeaway –that was our best ever conversion rate. Once you begin a project, finish it!]. There were 320 interviews held for just 280 applicants. More than forty scholarships were offered. From High, there were nine interviews, with five short listed and two students received offers - Fynn Hopkins (Data Science and Decisions) as well as Justin Nguyen (Electrical or Telecommunications Engineering) [Takeaway – if you are really interested in a course, research it and put significant effort into your application because nearly every year someone from High is successful]. I do not have to process these applications until the last week in September. You need to complete your application and notify the Principal as explained by UNSW by email. Once all the applications are in, I can begin to complete the Principal’s form and upload your individual reference, once it is finalised. Please deal directly with the University and submit your application on time. You can liaise with Mr Cotton, our Carers Adviser, if you are unsure of how to complete your form.
Dr K A Jaggar
Principal