BoS Annual Report - Cranbrook School

1. Messages from key School bodies
classroom kit. Teachers have engaged
in intense professional development to
investigate the most appropriate use of
laptops as media for engaging boys in
higher order thinking, the foundation
stone of our Teaching and Learning
Framework. The Student Representative
Council was, for the first time, involved
in substantial policy-making in the
field of acceptable use of ICT and also
advised upon the practical aspects of
having a laptop at School: this level
of participation by students was most
welcome, constructive and helpful.
Sporting achievements
Sporting successes are regularly shared
with the Cranbrook community through
The Chronicle and at fortnightly
assemblies. Sport is indeed strong with
successes in all categories – whether it
be in the CAS athletics with Nathan
Derriman’s wins in both the 800 and
1500 metres championships; the
consistency of large numbers and wins
in basketball, tennis and water polo,
representative selections in CAS and CIS
in cricket and football, CAS premiership
in cross country for the fourth year in
a row, and in sailing we won the NSW
Schools Team Sailing Championships for
the 9th time.
Rowing is going from strength to
strength with impressive results against
competitor schools. Rugby teams
performed extremely well with the 16As
and Bs clear CAS competition leaders,
CAS representative honours for Captain
Tom Fay, in the CAS 1st XV, and Hugh
Summerhayes and Anthony McDougall,
who represented NSW U16 at the
national championships.
We are seeking to strengthen and
broaden our sporting programme in
various ways – structural reforms and the
consideration of new activities – in order
to involve more boys and fuel yet higher
ambition.
Opening of Dangar/End of an Era
Last year also witnessed an extraordinary
and transformational chapter in the
history of the School in the form of
the opening of the new Junior School
buildings at Dangar. The quality of
the school environment created for
Junior School boys is remarkably high:
light, airy, spacious and designed in
accordance with tested educational
principles. All those involved deserve
our congratulations and gratitude
but the main maker of Dangar was
Jeremy Madin and it is absolutely
right to reflect, at this point, upon his
brilliant stewardship of Cranbrook. He
brought many admirable and powerful
initiatives to the School and inspired
huge academic progress. He reformed
structures and renewed ambition.
Above all, he and Sally gave the place
heart: unfailingly kind, extraordinarily
indefatigable, his leadership was based
upon belief in the goodness of others
and invincible optimism. His love of
the business of education, and of the
benefits great schooling can confer upon
young men, was, at all times, tangible.
Cranbrook has been extremely fortunate
to have flourished under the guidance of
this exceptional man and we wish him,
and Sally, joy and good health in their
new life in Victoria.
And the vivacity and creativity of the
Cranbrook community is further living
testimony to the educational vision of
the Madins. Examples of institutional
dynamism over the past months have
included:
−−
The Senior School moving into a
whole suite of refurbished classrooms,
brought to new life by a vibrant
and bold colour-scheme and
contemporary furniture;
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A set of intrepid young men who
have stepped forward to create a
new House – Harvey, which has
had a terrific spirit from day one,
came within a whisker of winning
their first Inter-House competition
(the Swimming Carnival) and have
christened themselves Harwegians …
−−
Cranbrook was one of four Sydney
schools selected to be part of the
National Philosothon in Brisbane,
having hosted the inaugural
Philosothon here in 2011;
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The entrenchment of the Ethics
programme into School life: lessons,
based upon discussion of important
ideas, allow boys to think and work
with their tutors in an entirely new
way. The initiative has been led by
Michael Parker, Head of Senior
School, whose excellent book on
ethics was published last year. It is
important work;
−−
Foundation service trips to the
remote desert in Australia and to
Nepal in July and a trip to Laos in
January where the boys were teaching,
working and performing in a school;
−−
The founding of the Jeremy Madin
School in Culchitt Village in Nepal.
This is to replace a derelict and
dreadful school for 150 children in an
area two hours from the nearest road
which is dependent upon subsistence
agriculture.
Staff and Council
I offer warmest thanks to my colleague
teachers and to the ever-helpful support
and administration staff, and I thank
and offer best wishes to those who left
the School at the end of the year or
during 2012. I am extremely grateful
to my colleagues within the Executive
Team. They have adjusted to change
with admirable generosity of spirit and
flexibility of thought: they are lending
their intellectual and professional weight
to the prelude of self-examination which
will fuel the drive to elevate the pursuit
of excellence which must be our shared
aim.
Members of Council give fully of their
time and expertise in order to strengthen
the School and safeguard its future. They
bring a rich variety of insights, skills and
experiences to bear upon discussion and
have been enormously welcoming and
helpful. They deserve our thanks.
The chief joy of the work has been to
come to know the boys of Cranbrook.
They offer great company and good
conversation. They support each other
and, collectively, sustain high standards
of courtesy and build community spirit.
They make space for the unorthodox
and they cherish difference.
Nicholas A Sampson
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