12_PR_Results-Magazine_PrintLow_... - Newington College

February 2012
2 courses, 3 perfect scores
Our HSC and IB Diploma Programme results 2011
... and it’s 1 in 3 boys over 90, 1 in 5 boys over 95

2 | Results
The Newington College HSC and
IB Diploma Results for the Class of 2011
The Newington College community congratulates the Class of 2011 on their
outstanding results in the HSC and IB Diploma Programme and wish each of the
boys from Year 12, 2011 every success as they embark on the post Newington
stage of their lives.
Our Year 12 cohort was slightly larger than last year with 185 boys qualifying for
an ATAR via either the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC) or the International
Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Our comparison to previous years can only be
made after we combine the two systems. Hence it should be noted our Sydney Morning
Herald results are not truly reflective of our final overall results.
We know, for the families and teachers of the boys who graduate from Newington
College, the Year 12 results each year are about commitment to effort, support over
many years and dedication from the whole community.
To give you the inside story of the boys’ journey, we have pulled together the statistics
we have for the College, some remarkable individual performances and most
importantly some comments from the boys’ own stories of success.
They have shared with us how they came to make decisions about courses, cocurricular
involvement, study tips and study fallacies, and finally advice about
motivation and balance to keep it all in perspective. Here they also pay tribute to those
that made the Newington difference for them and their families who lived it every day.
We hope you enjoy their input.
Ms Julia Shea
Head of Curriculum
• 3 perfect scores of 99.95
Michael Rees and Bradley Smith for the IB Diploma Programme
Nathaniel Teng for the HSC
• 12 boys received an ATAR of 99+
Harrison Cox, Micheal Huynh, Daniel Jeong, James Kotsopoulos, Finlay McDonald,
Hugh Piper, Roderick Poon, Michael Rees, Nathan Roye, Victor Salman, Bradley
Smith and Nathaniel Teng
• 11 HSC Premier’s Awards for All Round Excellence, achieving
the highest band in 10 units of study
Harrison Cox, Micheal Huynh, Daniel Jeong, James Kotsopoulos, Billy Kovanis,
Finlay McDonald, Roderick Poon, Nathan Roye, Victor Salman, Jason Tanevski
and Nathaniel Teng
• 8 Top Achievers in an HSC Course
1st in Mathematics Edmond Cheng (Year 10)
4th in Ancient History and 17th in Modern History Finlay McDonald
4th in Latin Extension
Nathaniel Teng
8th in Business Studies
Victor Salman
6th in Drama
Nathan Roye
9th in PDHPE
Harrison Cox
10th in Modern History
Micheal Huynh
18th in Business Studies
Steven Liu
• 185 boys completed Year 12 in 2011. Of these:
12 boys achieved an ATAR over 99
28 boys achieved an ATAR over 95
21 boys achieved an ATAR over 90
• 191 mentions were recorded on the HSC Distinguished Achievers
List for achieving the highest band in a subject
• 3 HSC Showcase nominations
DesignTECH
Joshua McMartin
arteXPRESS
Daniel Hauptman
ENCORE A
antony Isaias
Roll of Top Achievers
IBDP ATAR
Michael Rees 45 99.95
Bradley Smith 45 99.95
Nathaniel Teng 99.95
Finlay McDonald 99.90
James Kotsopoulos 99.75
Roderick Poon 99.65
Daniel Jeong
Victor Salman
Harrison Cox 99.25
Micheal Huynh 99.25
Nathan Roye 99.25
Hugh Piper 99.20
Steven Liu 98.90
Jason Tanevski 98.75
Ellis Vakirtzis 98.75
Isaac Mok 41 98.70
Justin Ngo
William (Billy) Kovanis 98.10
Konrad Schultz
Nathan Rasiah 97.55
Lucien Gration
Harry Jordan 39 97.40
Antony Isaias 97.35
Andrew Hallard-Turner
Patrick Andrianakos 97.05
HSC and IBDP students in rank
and then alphabetical order.
atar printed only if supplied.

3 | Results
The 2011 ATAR/UAC Rank Range of Results
RANGE NO. OF BOys % IN range Cumulative % STATE %
99–99.95 12 6.5 6.5% 1%
95–98.95 28 15.1 21.6% 5%
90–94.95 21 11.4 33.0% 10%
85–89.95 24 12.5 45.5% 15%
80–84.95 24 12.5 58.0% 20%
75–79.95 15 8.1 66.1% 25%
70–74.95 13 7.5 73.1% 30%
60–69.95 20 10.8 83.9% 40%
50–59.95 13 7.5 91.4% 50%

4 | Results
Individual Subject Highlights
At the HSC results barbecue the boys congratulated each other warmly, relaxed to finally have their
marks and well deserved results for months of commitment and hard work.
Computing
Software Design and Development
55.55% of boys achieved marks in Band 5 or
6 in comparison to 25.83% across the State.
Information Processes and Technology
18.18% of boys achieved Band 6 in
comparison to 10.04% Statewide.
Creative Arts
Drama 26.08% of boys achieved Band 6
in comparison to 11.41% Statewide.
Nathan Roye’s 6th placing in the State out
of a Statewide cohort of 4,783 students
was a highlight.
Music 1 The percentage of boys achieving
Band 6 was 33.33% in comparison to a
Statewide figure of 15.17%.
Economics
Economics The percentage of Newington
boys achieving a Band 6 was 19.23% in
comparison to 10.73% across the State—
the Newington figure almost twice that
achieved Statewide.
Business Studies 16.66% of boys
achieved a Band 6 in comparison to
7.06% Statewide. Out of a total cohort of
14,828 students, Victor Salman finished
8th in the State and Steven Liu finished
18th. That is, from our cohort of only 42
boys, 2 students achieved mentions on
the Top Achievers’ list.
Business Services is a VET Industry
Curriculum Framework course offered
at the College. All boys completed the
optional written examination with 33.33%
of boys achieving a mark in the top 2
bands in comparison to 19.81% across
the State.
English
English is the only mandatory subject in the
NSW HSC and thus results in this subject
are always heavily scrutinised. In 2011, 96
boys studied the Advanced course, 64 boys
studied the Standard course and a small
group of 7 boys completed the ESL course.
Advanced English 29.16% of boys achieved
Band 6 in comparison to a Statewide figure
of 13.3%. Yet again, the school based
figure is more than double that achieved
Statewide. In the Standard course a quarter
of the boys finished in the top two bands,
compared with 8.86% across the State. The
ESL results were outstanding with 28.57%
of boys achieving Band 6 in comparison to
5.67% Statewide.
English Extension 1 The statistics were
similarly impressive with 57.89% of boys
finishing in the top band compared to a
figure of 26.68% across the State.
English Extension 2 The highlight was
Hugh Piper’s major work that received the
perfect exam mark of 50/50.
geography
Geography 52.94% of boys achieved a
mark in Band 5 or Band 6 in comparison
to 37.72% across the State.
history
Once again the results in the History
department were very strong.
Ancient History 37.03% of boys achieved
Band 6 in comparison to 10.15%
Statewide – the College figure being
more than 3 times that recorded across
the State. In total, 12,212 students
completed the Ancient History course and
Finlay McDonald finished 4th.
history (continued)
Modern History 27.5% of boys achieved
Band 6 compared to 9.99% Statewide.
Out of a total cohort of 10,190 students,
Micheal Huynh finished 10th in the State
and Finlay McDonald finished 17th. From
our cohort of 40 boys, 2 students achieved
mentions on the Top Achievers’ list.
History Extension 46.67% of boys
achieved the top band in comparison to
25.59% across the State.
languages
The highlight from the Languages
department was Nathaniel Teng’s 4th
place in Latin Extension in the State out of
100 students.
Mathematics
The highlight from the Mathematics
department was undoubtedly Edmond
Cheng’s 1st place in the State. However,
the results were strong across all
subjects. The Statewide cohort in General
Mathematics continues to grow with
almost 32,000 students completing
the subject. 37.93% of Newington boys
achieved a mark in the two bands
compared to 24.26% across the State.
science
Biology 39.13% of boys achieved Band 5
or 6 in comparison to 30.96% Statewide.
Chemistry 54.29% of boys achieved Band
5 or 6 in comparison to 39.98% Statewide.
Earth and Environmental Science
68.75% of boys achieved Band 5 or 6 in
comparison to 40.89% across the State.
Physics 65.63% of boys achieved Band 5
or 6 in comparison to 36.22% Statewide.
The statistics for the top band were very
impressive with the College recording a
figure of 21.87% compared to just 8.92%
across the State.
pdhpe
PDHPE 18.86% of boys achieved Band
6 in comparison to 8.11% Statewide.
Harrison Cox finished 9th in the State out
of a total cohort of 14,361 students.
Technology
Construction The percentage of boys
achieving a Band 5 or Band 6 was more
than double the Statewide figure.
Design and Technology 62.50% of boys
achieved Band 5 or Band 6 in comparison
to 38.28% across the State.
Engineering Studies 64.29% of Newington
boys finished in the top two bands
compared to just 35.09% Statewide.

International Baccalaureate Diploma
Programme 2011
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme results were released on
Wednesday 4 January 2012.
Students must complete 6 subjects, 3 at High Level and 3 at Standard level. They are
awarded a grade ranging from 1 to 7 for each subject—7 being the highest possible
grade. A further 3 points are available for their performance on their extended essay
and Theory of Knowledge essay. Hence all students receive a final score out of 45 and
that is converted to a UAC rank.
Did you know?
In 2012, 350 IB Diploma Programmes
will be running in the Asia-Pacific region.
Australia is the 4th largest country
registering IBO World Schools behind
the United States, Canada and the
United Kingdom.
Growth in the IB Diploma Programme
in the last 12 months worldwide has
been 5.1%: in the last 5 years 9.2%.
Bradley Smith and Michael Rees
Bradley Smith and Michael Rees both achieved the perfect score of 45 equating to the
highest possible UAC rank of 99.95. There were only 60 students worldwide to gain a 45 point
Diploma in the November exam session. 23 of those were in Australia, with 10 coming from
NSW. Congratulations to both Brad and Michael on this remarkable achievement!
The average score achieved by the IBDP graduates was 36/45, a score that equates to
a UAC rank of 94.15—a phenomenal achievement.
The IBO releases statistics indicating the average grade across all subjects. The following
table indicates a sample of the exceptional results achieved by the 2011 cohort.
subject NEWINGTON AVERAGE world average
English HL 6.00 5.14
German SL 5.75 4.96
Latin SL 6.50 5.64
History HL 5.45 4.95
History SL 5.50 4.47
Biology HL 5.38 4.69
Biology SL 6.00 4.00
Chemistry SL 5.75 4.44
As mentioned the grades range from 1 to 7 only and hence a small difference does
equate to a sizeable percentage difference. For example, the average grade achieved
by the College in Mathematical Studies is 1.05 points above the world average. This
equates to a difference of 15%—an impressive result!
| Results
Results | 5

Results
| 6
Putting it on the ‘Table’: Schools’
Rankings missing the second course
IB Diploma
Grade 7 and
‘A’ rankings
Headmaster, Dr David Mulford, Head of Stanmore 7–12, Dr Andrew Hirst and Head of
Curriculum, Ms Julia Shea were delighted to welcome: back row L to R: James Kotsopoulos,
Nathan Roye, Harrison Cox, Roderick Poon. Front row L to R: Finlay McDonald, Jason Tanevski,
Billy Kovanis, Micheal Huyhn.
The perfect scores achieved by Nathaniel Teng, Michael Rees and Bradley Smith tell
a poignant story about the media’s interest in school rankings. Nathaniel, Michael
and Bradley were able to choose between 2 different pathways to tertiary study at
the 1 school because we, like 12 other NSW schools, offer the IB Diploma in Years
11 and 12, despite the impact on our school’s perceived success or reputation in the
annual league tables, which are constructed only from HSC performance.
There is much parent interest every year in school rankings; much talk about the
‘tallying’ of HSC Band 6 results as the only measure of any school or its students’
success. What is difficult to communicate is that the IB Diploma students’ highest
grades and scores cannot, and will never be, included on the media created merit
lists that calculate their annual school rankings.
It is Newington’s firm conviction that the offer of an alternative program of study of
this calibre is far more important to our students and their families than ephemeral
and variable positions on any media created HSC schools’ league table.
Nathaniel found it was the continuous assessment that worked for him in Year 12.
“In the HSC I had at least one assessment every 2 or 3 weeks. I found it much easier
to stay focused. Also I am glad that I chose subjects that I enjoyed and was good at,”
he explained.
Bradley on the other hand said, “The assessment structure of the IB Diploma, in
hindsight, was preferable to that of the HSC for me. I initially chose the HSC, and then
changed, thinking that the intense and continuous assessment tasks would keep me
going throughout Year 12. However, as it turned out, motivation was not a problem,
and the long term projects in each subject of the IB Diploma were better suited to
me, and actually very rewarding.”
Where the boys are of 1 mind is the role their teachers played.
“I had great teachers who supported me and were willing to do extra to help me and
offer me advice,” said Nathaniel.
Bradley’s decision was in part about confidence in his teachers. “I knew that I would
have small class sizes and some of the best teachers in the school.”
Not surprisingly their university destinations are diverse, Nathaniel to Medicine and
both Michael and Bradley to Arts/Law, but the opportunity to play to their strengths and
choose their course of study and discover what’s possible, is something they already
know a lot about.
Dr David Mulford
Headmaster
Following is a list of students who
achieved a Grade 7 (the highest Grade)
in an IB Diploma Course and those who
received an ‘A’ for Theory of Knowledge
and/or The Extended Essay.
BIOLOGY HIGHER
Michael Rees
BIOLOGY STANDARD
Bradley Smith
CHEMISTRY HIGHER
Rupert Crossley
ECONOMICS HIGHER
Isaac Mok
ENGLISH A1 HIGHER
Michael Rees
Bradley Smith
Oliver Wallace
GERMAN STANDARD
Michael Rees
Bradley Smith
HISTORY (EUROPE) HIGHER
Michael Rees
Bradley Smith
ITALIAN AB INITIO
Thomas Choi
Isaac Mok
Harry Jordan
LATIN HIGHER
Bradley Smith
LATIN STANDARD
Michael Rees
MATHEMATICS STUDIES STANDARD
Michael Rees
Bradley Smith
PHYSICS STANDARD
Thomas Choi
EXTENDED ESSAY GRADE A
Oliver Churcher*
Jonathan Collinge*
Isaac Mok*
Robert O’Brien-Venn*
Michael Rees*
Bradley Smith*
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE GRADE A
Jonathan Collinge
Rupert Crossley*
Harry Jordan
Giulio Mancuso
Michael Rees
Bradley Smith
Oliver Wallace*
*These students also received 3
bonus points.

Newington HSC Honour Roll
Newington’s HSC Honour Roll of students achieving in the top band within particular courses of study. These boys were mentioned in
the HSC Merit List. The student listed first is the highest Newington performer. The remainder are listed alphabetically.
ACCOUNTING
Matthew Lucas (92)*
ANCIENT HISTORY
Finlay McDonald (99)
Justyn Andrew
Patrick Andrianakos
Harrison Cox
Lucien Gration
Hugo Groom
Antony Isaias
Samuel McLean
Miles Reid
Nathan Roye
BIOLOGY
Justin Ngo (93)
Richard Lan
Oliver Thompson
Christopher Vlahos
BUSINESS SERVICES
Luke Iunius (90)
BUSINESS STUDIES
Victor Salman (98)
Andrew Hallard-Turner
William (Billy) Kovanis
Steven Liu
Roderick Poon
Jason Tanevski
Christopher Vlahos
John Voudouris
CHEMISTRY
Nathaniel Teng (95)
Daniel Jeong
James Kotsopoulos
Simon Ralph
Victor Salman
DRAMA
Nathan Roye (97)
Antony Isaias
William (Billy) Kovanis
Samuel Rabin
Oliver Smyth
Jordan Townsend
ECONOMICS
James Kotsopoulos (95)
Micheal Huynh
Roderick Poon
Victor Salman
Jason Tanevski
ENGLISH (ADVANCED)
Nathaniel Teng (96)
Justyn Andrew
Patrick Andrianakos
Theo Aspropotamitis
Harrison Cox
Eliot Eagle
Vincent Greco Schwartz
Hugo Groom
Andrew Hallard-Turner
Micheal Huynh
Daniel Jeong
James Kotsopoulos
William (Billy) Kovanis
Adam Lee
Steven Liu
Finlay McDonald
ENGLISH (ADVANCED) continued
Samuel McLean
Hugh Piper
Roderick Poon
Samuel Rabin
Nathan Rasiah
Lachlan Reid
Marcus Robinson
Nathan Roye
Victor Salman
Jason Tanevski
Ellis Vakirtzis
Christopher Vlahos
ENGLISH AS A
SECOND LANGUAGE
Daniel Seo (93)
Eric Choi
ENGLISH EXTENSION 1
Roderick Poon (49)
Harrison Cox
Micheal Huynh
Finlay McDonald
Hugh Piper
Samuel Rabin
Marcus Robinson
Nathan Roye
Nathaniel Teng
Ellis Vakirtzis
Christopher Vlahos
ENGLISH EXTENSION 2
Hugh Piper (49)
Harrison Cox
Finlay McDonald
ENGLISH (STANDARD)
Luke Iunius (90)
FRENCH BEGINNERS
William (Billy) Kovanis (93)*
FRENCH CONTINUERS
Nathaniel Teng (93)
GENERAL MATHEMATICS
Simon Capon (93)
Luke Iunius
GEOGRAPHY
Thomas Ross (93)
HISTORY EXTENSION
Lucien Gration (47)
Justyn Andrew
Theo Aspropotamitis
Harrison Cox
Eliot Eagle
Samuel McLean
Nathan Roye
INFORMATION PROCESSES
AND TECHNOLOGY
Simon Capon (92)
Marcus Robinson (92)
Alex Williamson (92)
Luke Iunius
ITALIAN CONTINUERS
Dylan Simoni (92)*
JAPANESE BEGINNERS
Michael Kim (97)*
LATIN CONTINUERS
Nathaniel Teng (97)
James Kotsopoulos
Finlay McDonald
LATIN EXTENSION
Nathaniel Teng (49)
Harrison Cox
Finlay McDonald
LEGAL STUDIES
Lucien Gration (91)
Antony Isaias (91)
William (Billy) Kovanis
MATHEMATICS
Edmond Cheng (100)
Theo Aspropotamitis
Stanton Contos
Jordan Garofali
Jack Gilfedder
Lucien Gration
Micheal Huynh
Michael Kim
James Palmer
Simon Ralph
Thomas Ross
Daniel Seo
Jason Tanevski
Eric Tran
Ellis Vakirtzis
Branden Zhang
MATHEMATICS EXTENSION 1
Edmond Cheng (49)
Patrick Andrianakos
Theo Aspropotamitis
Dawei Chen
Eric Choi
Jordan Garofali
Jack Gilfedder
Micheal Huynh
Abraham Jack
Daniel Jeong
David Kwak
Jong Min Lee
Steven Liu
Justin Ngo
James Palmer
Nathan Rasiah
Jun Rim
Konrad Schultz
Daniel Seo
Jason Tanevski
Eric Tran
Ellis Vakirtzis
MATHEMATICS EXTENSION 2
Daniel Jeong (93)
Dawei Chen
Jong Min Lee
Justin Ngo
Konrad Schultz
MODERN HISTORY
Micheal Huynh (97)
Justyn Andrew
Lucien Gration
Andrew Hallard-Turner
Finlay McDonald
Hugh Piper
Roderick Poon
MODERN HISTORY continued
Samuel Rabin
Miles Reid
Marcus Robinson
Victor Salman
MUSIC 1
Antony Isaias (93)
Michael Hassett
MUSIC 2
Alexander McNeil (91)
MUSIC EXTENSION
Alexander McNeil (46)
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT,
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL
EDUCATION
Harrison Cox (97)
Peter Gargoulakis
Daniel Hill
Marcus Rampe
Nicholas Ratcliffe
Lachlan Reid
Brogan Roods
Nathan Roye
Cameron Stewart
Christopher Vlahos
PHYSICS
James Kotsopoulos (96)
Mani Antonopoulos
Daniel Jeong
Jonathan Lay
Simon Ralph
Jason Tanevski
Ellis Vakirtzis
STUDIES OF RELIGION I
Samuel McLean (46)
Alistair Wilkie
STUDIES OF RELIGION II
Samuel Rabin (90)
VISUAL ARTS
Daniel Hauptman (91)
* Subject studied
externally
| Results
Results | 7

8 | Results
Advice from the Experts
Bradley Smith
• Years at Newington: 1999–2011
Wyvern House and Stanmore
• IBDP Score: 45
Contributing factors to my success
Joining Fisher Library at The University of
Sydney provided a huge number of books
and resources while also being an excellent
place to study most days during the holidays
as I found it difficult to study at home. I
would very strongly recommend that both
HSC and IBDP students in Year 12 take out
a membership of Sydney Uni Library or a
similar institution. Studying at the library
of the university you want to go to also
boosts your motivation.
The support of my parents was also
very important. They just let me get on
with things with a minimum of fuss, and
provided the best possible environment
for me to study and work.
Pleasing aspects of the IBDP
I liked the nature of many of the
exams in the IBDP, English paper 1 is
a commentary on an unseen piece of
prose or poetry, and there is no way to
memorise an essay for this exam. English
paper 2 requires 1 essay in 2 hours
from a number of choices. This allows
you the time to properly plan and write a
comprehensive and sophisticated essay.
I also found the nature of the IBDP suited
me. I found the long-term essays and
projects more enjoyable and less stressful.
I had the 2 year period to prepare and
focus for those final exams, rather than
having to study for continual smaller
assessments right throughout the year.
Expectation vs Results
My results are better than expected.
No-one can ever expect to get 45. I studied
very hard throughout both Year 11 and
Year 12, and really gave it my best shot, so
I felt that whatever I got, I could not have
done any better. I was hoping to get into my
first preference, so I am really pleased.
Important advice: for those still to
finish school and for their parents
Try not to nag your boy to study too much,
because I found that I could only study
when I was motivated to and in the right
mood for it. In my experience, when you are
forced to study when you don’t want to, you
end up doing something else anyway.
Most memorable Moment
Finding out that I had got 45 was
obviously my most memorable moment
in the IBDP. It was a great feeling knowing
that all my hard work had paid off.
Where to now
I plan to study Arts/Law at Sydney
University. My IBDP score has allowed
me to get into this course, and I doubt I
would have achieved a high enough ATAR
had I done the HSC, so the IBDP has been
an excellent choice for me.
nathaniel Teng
• Years at Newington: 2006–2011
Stanmore
• ATAR: 99.95
Contributing factors to my success
Great teachers who supported me and were
willing to do extra to help me and offer me
advice; supportive parents and twin sister;
organisation and time management skills
combined with self-discipline; clear goals
that enabled me to focus.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
I was pleased that I chose the HSC over
the IBDP. For me the most important
difference was that in the HSC I was
forced into doing regular study because
of the assessment schedule. I find it hard
to be motivated to study for an exam
that is more than 3 weeks away. In the
HSC I had at least 1 assessment every
2 or 3 weeks. I found it much easier to
stay focused. Also I am glad that I chose
subjects that I enjoyed and was good at.
Expectation vs Results
Yes, I worked extremely hard throughout
the year and I’m glad it paid off.
advice for those still to finish
school and their parents
If you are a very independent learner who
has high self-motivation, then you will
probably succeed in either the HSC or the
IBDP. But if you find it hard to be motivated
for assessments which seem far off and
always cram the night before because you
put off studying for so long, I would strongly
recommend the HSC. One other piece of
advice: have a clear, specific goal from the
start of the year which you can work towards.
Study tip
Don’t study with Facebook on or other
distractions. I found it helpful to walk
around when trying to study.
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had
I did Duke of Edinburgh (DoE) Bronze, Silver
and Gold in high school. I found that it
doesn’t require a lot of extra time because
most people already do the components
of the award as part of school life—sport,
skill (e.g. musical instrument or language),
community service and adventurous
journey (Cadets or Newington Challenge).
I would strongly recommend doing DoE
because it isn’t too hard and it gives a great
advantage for Year 12 students applying
for universities. I played 2 sports in Year 12,
tennis and football (soccer). Even though I
wasn’t very good at soccer I still enjoyed it.
Where to now
Combined Medicine at The University of
Sydney or undergraduate Medicine at UNSW.
It will be very hard to choose which uni to
go to. In January I am going to Melbourne to
watch the Australian Open tennis, which I am
really looking forward to as a tennis fan.

9 | Results
Advice from the Experts
michael Rees
• Years at Newington: 2004–2011
Wyvern House and Stanmore
• IBDP Score: 45
Contributing factors to my success
The individual care and assistance provided
by each of our teachers towards all
members of the IBDP cohort undoubtedly
assisted our results. The attention which I
received allowed me to take advantage of
the individual style of learning facilitated
by the IBDP, enhancing my result and my
learning experience. Without the extra
lessons, time and attention from our
teachers, our achievements would not have
been possible.
Pleasing aspects of the IBDP
I found the internationally-focused World
literature component of the IBDP English
course to be highly stimulating. Not only
did I learn more about the structures,
themes and ideas presented in a wide
variety of very interesting works, but I was
also given an insight into new communities
and cultures. This provided me with a
better capacity to appreciate the qualities
of foreign people and places, whilst
emphasising the value of difference.
Expectation vs Results
I feel that the IBDP was able to gauge my
motivation and academic ability accurately
and I was not disappointed with my result. I
worked my hardest and I tried my best.
advice for those still to finish
school and their parents
Work really hard and you will get what
you deserve. That means: 1. some late
nights; 2. going to libraries and working
by yourself; 3. keeping in contact with
teachers; 4. always staying on top of
the work-load and 5. completing IBDP
assessments early and well.
Study tip
Remember, whether or not you fall in love
with Robert Lowell or begin to hate the
adjectival endings which you are learning,
you are still working towards something
bigger. You can always study something
which you love later in life but it’s very
difficult to make up for doing badly in
something which doesn’t appeal to you.
Most memorable Moment
1. Discovery of level 8 at Fisher Library
2. The worried phone calls to friends
and the support from other people
during exams
3. Latin with Mr Chambers
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had
Debating, Mooting, Senior Leadership,
Newington Challenge, Soccer, Tennis,
Public Speaking. Co-Curricular activities
kept me sane. They help you meet people
and provide reprieve from study.
Where to now
Arts/Law at Sydney University.
Finlay McDonald
• Years at Newington: 1999–2011
Wyvern House and Stanmore
• ATAR: 99.90
Contributing factors to my success
Supportive and committed teachers as
well as a family that was always there
for me through the good and bad; a
dedicated work ethic and a willingness to
succeed; ability to cope with obstacles/
failures and to learn from these.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
The ability to choose the subjects that I
enjoyed the most, such as History, English
and Latin.
Expectation vs Results
My results were definitely higher than I
expected and exceeded the goals that I set
out with at the beginning of the HSC course.
That being said, the HSC is all about the
effort you put in, and I can say now that I got
out of the HSC what I was willing to put in.
Important advice: for those still to
finish school and for their parents
Remember to always stay positive and
to ensure that you keep a balance
throughout the year. Don’t give up
activities that you enjoy, because it
is these that will provide you with the
necessary breaks to achieve your overall
academic goals.
Study tip
Don’t do what I did: study for ridiculously
long periods of time. This only leads
to frustration, mistakes, boredom and
ultimately becomes counter-productive.
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had: Any advice?
Sport and Music kept me sane throughout
the year. Without these positive
distractions, I would certainly have not
achieved what I did. These activities gave
perspective and provided something to
look forward to throughout the year.
Where to now
Psychology at The University of Sydney,
then hopefully postgraduate Medicine.
I am also planning 3 months volunteer
work at the end of 1st year university.

Advice from the Experts
James Kotsopoulos
• Years at Newington: 2006–2011
Stanmore
• ATAR: 99.75
Contributing factors to my success
Teachers were very helpful and were
always approachable if you had any
questions; the assessments throughout
the year were good preparation for the
end of year exams; classmates helped
encourage us to do better; a supportive
family made things a lot easier.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
The variety of subjects I could do was
the most pleasing aspect as it allowed
flexibility for me in terms of what to study
at university level.
Expectation vs Results
I aimed at giving a good account of myself
in each of my exams without particular
scores in mind. In the end I felt I did that
and was happy with the results.
Important advice: for those still to
finish school and for their parents
Try to stay up to date on homework as
much as you can throughout the year
(within reason) as it makes everything a
lot easier in the end.
Study tip
Do not spend a lot of time thinking too
much about ATARs—try not to focus on a
specific number and just take one step at
a time.
Most memorable Moment
Winning the 2nd XI GPS Football
Premiership and going into the trials
on a bit of a high—if that’s possible.
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had: Any advice?
I enjoyed all my co-curricular activities
during Year 12. I would encourage
everyone to not let the HSC year stop
them from participating in co-curricular
activities that interest them, as such
activities make the year more enjoyable.
Where to now
I plan on going to university this year,
I just have to decide what course and
which university now.
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Results | 10
Roderick Poon
• Years at Newington: 1999–2011
Wyvern House and Stanmore
• ATAR: 99.65
Contributing factors to my success
My involvement with a range of
co-curricular activities which took my mind
off studying and work. Further factors
include my mates, who assisted me in my
preparation for the HSC and the guidance
of my teachers. However, the most
influential factor to my success would
be my mentor Miss Iser. For the past few
years, she continued supporting me which
gave me confidence and allowed me to
become successful in my HSC.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
Completing the accelerated Mathematics
program was a pleasing aspect for me.
Fortunately, I was able to complete 3
units of Maths in Year 11 which reduced
my stress and work load for Year 12. It
allowed me to achieve better results in my
other subjects in Year 12.
Expectation vs Results
My results exceeded my expectations.
Setting high goals and working hard
allowed me to achieve my desired results.
advice for those still to finish
school and their parents
Definitely continue to enjoy both school and
life during Year 12. Furthermore, don’t leave
things to the last minute and make sure that
your notes are in order. Finally, set a goal
or aim to achieve by the end of the year. At
the beginning of Term 4 we wrote down our
desired ATARs on a piece of paper which we
could see every day. Having a goal allows
study to be more effective and purposeful.
Study tip
Definitely, do not rock up to an exam
half prepared, believing that it will not
contribute to your ATAR. In most cases,
that subject will be included in your final
10 units. Fortunately for me, I was able to
achieve a high mark in the subject which I
believed would not be included in my ATAR.
Most memorable Moment
My most memorable moment would
be the inter class economic quiz which
resulted in the superior class (Led by
H.O.D Karl Watson) comprehensively
defeating the inferior class in a one sided
contest (No bias here).
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had: Any advice?
I participated in a range of activities from
becoming a Sergeant in Cadets to playing
football and basketball. This allowed me
to relax and take my mind off studying.
Where to now
After enjoying the rest of my break, I hope
to study Combined Law at UNSW or USYD.

Advice from the Experts
Micheal Huynh
• Years at Newington: 1999–2011
Wyvern House and Stanmore
• ATAR: 99.25
Contributing factors to my success
Extra pressure from co-curricular activities.
Of course unintentional, co-curricular
activities took up time that could’ve
potentially been spent studying. The
pressure from that made me work harder.
My older brother helped me immensely
throughout the year. We did almost the exact
same subjects, so that definitely gave me a
lot of resources. Moreover he was someone
that I could lean on, both mentally and
academically. Mr Corcoran made a huge
difference for me in helping me develop my
essay writing skills. He allowed me to mature
and develop my own style of writing and I
think his non-hands on/gentle approach
really helped that. A brilliant teacher, who is
both extremely professional and a friend.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
I’m pleased that I had the chance to be
an accelerated student in maths. It gave
me the opportunity to do the HSC Maths
course twice, resulting in a score I am proud
of. I’m pleased that I completed the HSC
Economics and Modern History courses. I
think they provide me a good framework of
how the world has, does and might work.
Expectation vs Results
Even though I am involved in co-curricular
activities, I’ve never doubted my abilities
and determination to succeed. But I
never thought they would get me as far
as a State ranking and getting over 99!
Knowing my progressive ranks throughout
the year also helped. I know some other
schools don’t disclose information about
ranks, but I’m glad Newington does. It can
act as an indication of what you should
expect and also a motivation vehicle.
Study tip
Don’t memorise essays. It’s just bad for
your learning. Don’t avoid leisure time and
don’t devote all your time to studying.
Most memorable Moment
Ms Shea waking me up by calling the home
phone to tell me I placed 10th in the State
for Modern History. I had no idea!
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had: Any advice?
Pursue the Duke of Edinburgh (DoE) award
and get involved in the Cadet unit. Being
a Gold awardee, I know that DoE provides
some very memorable experiences, and
Cadets develops leadership and character.
It’s not as difficult as you think it is! A lot of
the components are provided e.g. Sports,
camps, Cadets (as a service), learning a
language (as a skill) etc and both reward
you with bonus points for some universities!
Where to now
Studying at the University of UNSW.
Currently shortlisted for a UNSW Co-op
scholarship for Commerce (Finance). If I
don’t get that, I will study Commerce/Law.
Harrison Cox
• Years at Newington: 2006–2011
Stanmore
• ATAR: 99.25
Contributing factors to my success
Continuing to participate in the activities that
I find enjoyable, particularly sport. Having
fun and not changing my life gave me the
balance to stay calm and focused. Making
subjects enjoyable e.g. writing essays on
video games/movies as legitimate related
texts, and because I liked them, I analysed
them better and received higher marks.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
Dropping all of the subjects that I was
uninterested in and very pleased with my
2 major works which were critical essays
centred around specific concepts in the
video games BioShock and Assassin’s
Creed. Also receiving a State ranking in
PDHPE was a nice touch to the final result.
Expectation vs Results
My expectations were high and as a
result so were my marks. I’m competitive
in everything I do from the sporting field
to the classroom and my personal goals
were always the benchmark for me. I was
very happy to see an ATAR over 99, which
was my academic goal for the year.
advice for those still to finish
school and their parents
Don’t freak out or change your life or habits!
Getting a bad result in 1 assessment is
unavoidable. How you bounce back and
ensure 1 bad result doesn’t become more is
what matters.
Also LISTEN AND CONCENTRATE IN
CLASS! When it comes to revision you’ll
know everything except for a few specifics
that can get you those higher marks.
Study tip
Don’t wing it. You’re just kidding yourself. And
don’t rely 100% on memorised responses as
a curve ball question can throw you. Plan for
a wide range of questions.
Most memorable Moment
Winning the premiership (2nd XI Football).
Cadets, where almost everything that
happens becomes a hilarious story.
Memories gained away from a desk are a
big part of this year.
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had: Any advice?
I played Cricket in summer, was part of
the premiership winning 2nd XI Football
side, A company CUO for Cadets, House
Captain of Moulton, obviously these things
take up a lot of time. Make the most of
Sundays, they are golden when it comes
to assignments and major works.
Where to now
Looking for a uni course somewhere in
media communications or law. But I am
holding onto my pipedreams that have
offered me happiness in tough times. I will
give them a try as I want the enjoyment
you get out of a career, not the money.
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11

Advice from the Experts
hugh piper
• Years at Newington: 1999–2011
Wyvern House and Stanmore
• ATAR: 99.20
Contributing factors to my success
“Ideal teachers are those who use
themselves as bridges over which they
invite their students to cross, then having
facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse,
encouraging them to create bridges of
their own.” Nikos Kazantzakis
A huge amount of credit must go to
Mr Sean Corcoran for the patience,
time and commitment he gave to all
the Advanced and Extension boys this
year. Newington’s greatest asset is
unquestionably its teaching staff. Their
impact on the 2011 HSC cohort’s results
must not be downplayed.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
“The philosophy of the school room in
one generation will be the philosophy of
government in the next.” Abraham Lincoln
The choice to do the HSC [for me] was
very easy and clear cut. The content
offered is superior in nature which makes
the subjects enjoyable. I thoroughly
recommend 4 Unit English and Modern
History. Doing all 4 units of English is
a unique experience; Modern History
provides an unparalleled lesson in the
origin of contemporary circumstances.
Expectation vs Results
“I have absolutely no plans and no
expectations of ever being a candidate
again.” Al Gore. No expectations. Just do it.
advice for those still to finish
school and their parents
For students: firstly, just chill. The destiny
of the universe does not depend on your
performance in written exams at the age
of 17/18. Trust your teachers, they are
among the best in the country, and seek
and listen to their advice. Secondly, don’t
over prepare. Pre-prepared essays, private
tutors and various other expensive study
techniques are useless. They will serve
only for a very marginal benefit, and that’s
only if you get the questions you want,
and indeed may be to your detriment. A
large part of exams is being dynamic and
responsive to the particular needs of the
question. Don’t go so far down one street
that you can’t change your destination.
Study tip
Leo McGarry: “We spent millions of dollars
developing a pen that could write in space.
Do you know what the Russians did?”
Josh Lyman: “Used a pencil?”
Leo McGarry: “Used a pencil.”
Don’t get Facebook and don’t get
interested in a high quality serialised
television show like The West Wing.
Where to now
Psychology at Sydney Uni
12 | Results
Steven Liu
• Years at Newington: 2002–2011
Wyvern House and Stanmore
• ATAR: 98.90
Contributing factors to my success
The fun I had at Newington in and outside
of classrooms made my final year at
high school a lot more enjoyable, and
the balance between social life and the
academic aspect of school really helped
me achieve both the marks I received in
the HSC and a memorable final year.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
The HSC course at Newington offers a
range of subject choices/levels: from
English to Maths to Science to Humanities
to Arts. This range gave me the opportunity
to open many doors in life by having access
to a scope of subjects and within those
subjects, all the levels possible.
Expectation vs Results
I actually thought my final results were way
better than I expected. This is because I
did not spread my study through the weeks
prior to assessment, but found I was trying
to cram everything in at the last minute. I
recommend future students don’t this—it’s
risky and mentally painful.
advice for those still to finish
school and their parents
Enjoy the final year of high school.
Concentrate on the academic aspect
of Year 12 but also create a balance
between study and fun. Year 12 is not
the “be all and end all” of life, but more a
learning curve, so make the most out of it.
Parents don’t need to stress too much or
tell their sons too much about ‘what you
have to do’.
Just offering small amounts of guidance
or tips along the way makes the final year
in high school a perfect one.
Study tip
Don’t create a study plan and leave it
stuck on the wall to look at and never
follow it.
Most memorable Moment
The fun I had in classes with teachers
trying to make the course more enjoyable
e.g. the occasional Economics quiz with
Mr Watson and the laughs I had with my
mates in classes.
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had: Any advice?
I played Basketball and Soccer which
gave me the opportunity to socialise
with friends and take my mind off the
academic aspect of school.
Where to now
University, most probably doing Commerce
or Economics at UNSW.

Advice from the Experts
Billy kovanis
• Years at Newington: 2006–2011
Stanmore
• ATAR: 98.1
Contributing factors to my success
Balance is key! If you study for extensive
periods of time procrastination sets in and
efficiency is minimised. You CAN go to that
party, you should do as much co-curricular
as you can and enjoy your sport, so long
as you tell yourself that you will sit down
and finish learning that syllabus point or
finish refining that English essay.
You must understand HOW to study for
every subject you do and WHAT gets
you marks. I cannot stress this enough,
learn HOW to study for all your subjects.
I learnt these important principles in all
my subjects pretty early on which meant I
didn’t study harder, but smarter.
Share notes with your friends, compete
in ranks, share goals, talk about topics,
challenge ideas and study methods
and push each other to do well—don’t
underestimate this point.
Get on a friendly basis with your teachers
they will guide you and tell you how to
achieve those results.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
I understood that in order to completely be
ready for exams, I needed to practice under
exam conditions. There was never any 3am
study cramming. I knew I was ready!
Expectation vs Results
Everyone has a blunder in their
assessments but that just motivated me
more. I gave myself a hard, but achievable
goal of over 95.5 for the ATAR. However,
success wasn’t just about the ATAR, I
wanted to leave Newington with no regrets.
advice for those still to finish
school and their parents
Find the motivation. For some people, it
is knowing that your family will be proud,
for others its overcoming adversity and
achieving. There will be times where you
question whether it’s worth the effort; but
you need to decide for yourself if 1 year of
hard work is worth success.
Study tip
Don’t keep Facebook on whilst you’re
studying! Don’t give yourself a time limit
for the night’s study but rather give
yourself a list of things to do.
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had: Any advice?
You may have less time but coming home
determined to finish the tasks you set for
the night and working consistently for 2
hours is effective. In a way, the less time
you have, the more efficient you are which
means you have to study less.
Where to now
The University of Sydney, Bachelor of
Commerce, Marketing Major. Improve my
French and do lots and lots of travelling in
Europe and North America during uni.
Antony Isaias
• Years at Newington: 1999–2011
Lindfield and Stanmore
• ATAR: 97.35
Contributing factors to my success
The most significant factor for me
was the support structures provided
both by my parents and my individual
subject teachers. My home environment
remained very positive and encouraging
throughout the year and nurtured a
sense of wanting to achieve my potential
especially regarding academics in Year
12. Many of my teachers created a similar
environment within classes, however, they
also would provide extra time and support
outside that of the normal school hours,
e.g. Ms Smith would often come in to
school on weekends so that we could use
the Old Chapel to rehearse.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
The most pleasing aspect of my HSC was
the variety of courses that I chose; the
balance between my artistic performance
subjects and my more academic
humanities subjects allowed me to spread
my interests and stay engaged with my
schooling throughout the year.
Expectation vs Results
My results were both very pleasing and
also quite surprising. I was lucky enough
to participate in many co-curricular
departments at school and still apply
myself diligently in my academic studies.
advice for those still to finish
school and their parents
Create a sense of balance between
academics and co-curricular within
the school, but also take that further
and balance school commitments with
broader life experiences.
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had: Any advice?
Water Polo 1sts, Captain of Swimming, a
lead role in Life of Galileo (school play),
played flute in the Symphonic Winds Band.
The impact of these activities was really
positive. Being involved in so much meant
I had to have good time management
skills which then helped the efficiency of
my study.
Where to now
Uni course, hopefully something in media
and communications.
13 | Results

Advice from the Experts
Justyn Andrew
• Years at Newington: 2006–2011
• ATAR: 93.65
Contributing factors to my success
Motivation allowed me to achieve the best
results that I could. My key motivators
were: my relationships with friends, in the
giving and receiving of encouragement,
with an element of competition, during
the HSC exams and assessments;
relationships with family also helped as
my parents continually supported me but
also cautioned me when I slacked off;
relationships with teachers as their efforts
and guidance allowed me to continually
improve my results. Holidays gave me time
to study and in some cases to catch up
before exams the following term.
Pleasing aspects of the HSC
I’m pleased that I chose subjects that
I enjoyed because that kept me going
throughout the year. The competition
factor throughout the HSC makes you
keen to gain that top spot in a subject
in school; in the actual HSC exams it’s
you versus the rest of the State. This
competitive aspect can be drawn on for
motivation. For me I was pleased that I
chose the subjects that I did due to their
interesting content and I was pleased with
my decision to drop Maths as a subject!
Expectation vs Results
For the amount of hard work I put into the
HSC I hoped that I would receive excellent
results. However, setbacks caused me to
doubt my efforts. The actual HSC exams
also felt like I hadn’t done well at all.
Setbacks sometimes made me believe I
wouldn’t achieve what I wanted to.
advice for those still to finish
school and their parents
Mind over matter. Throughout the HSC
at some point (or at many) you will lose
motivation to continue but this cannot stop
you. Your willpower and ability to overcome
numerous distractions and temptations is
what will determine your success.
Study tip
Don’t go for quantity over quality and
don’t study half-heartedly. Always put
in 100% effort and concentration to
maximise quality. This is also a means to
reduce time taken to study if there are
other commitments.
Most memorable Moment
Receiving 24/25 in a Modern History
assessment. That was the moment when I
realised I could achieve whatever I wanted.
Co-Curricular involvement and the
impact this had: Any advice?
Cricket and Rugby: made me study on a
Saturday night to make up for lost hours
in the day.
Where to now
I will hopefully study a course in exercise
physiology at Sydney University.
Year 10 student Edmond Cheng tops the State with 100%
in Mathematics
Coming 1st in an HSC subject with one of the highest candidatures in NSW is
impressive—but if you are only in Year 10 it’s awe-inspiring. Edmond Cheng was
in Year 10 when he completed a perfect paper in HSC Mathematics, a course sat
by more than 17,000 students in NSW in 2011. Eight Newington boys achieved
recognition for top place in an HSC course in the 2011 results.
With this result, Edmond capped a phenomenal year, including prestigious awards
and competition honours. He won equal 1st place in the Senior division of the
University of New South Wales Mathematics competition despite being eligible to
compete in the Intermediate division. He then went on to complete the Intermediate
paper in the Australian Maths Competition, where he also won a prize. In the
Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad examination, Edmond achieved a
perfect score and was 1 of only 7 students nationally to win a prize.
14 | Results
Edmond’s parents of course were thrilled with his achievements, and father Gerry
accepted the First Place in HSC Mathematics certificate at the awards ceremony
on his son’s behalf. At that time, Edmond was preoccupied participating in the
Australian Mathematics Olympiad School of Excellence in Melbourne, no doubt busy
solving the nation’s most complex mathematical problems!

Newington Boys Attribute Top Marks to
Motivating Teachers
We can all think back and describe
teachers who drilled, demanded and even
scared us into achieving our best. But the
class of 2011, who recently graduated
from Newington College, spoke of very
different qualities in the teachers who
helped them to discover what’s possible.
They gathered at the Stanmore campus
to celebrate the results of both the NSW
HSC and the International Baccalaureate
Diploma and repeatedly nominated
their teachers as being one of the most
significant motivators of their success.
Hugh Piper with an ATAR of 99.2
said, “Newington’s greatest asset is
unquestionably its teaching staff”. Many
of the boys agreed and spoke about the
extraordinary lengths their teachers went
to beyond daily classes. Bradley Smith,
who achieved a perfect score and ATAR of
99.95 for the IB Diploma, an alternative
to the HSC, said, “My teachers returned
numerous [essay] drafts very quickly and
with excellent feedback, which was crucial
to my doing well in each subject”.
Michael Rees, who also achieved a perfect score in the IB Diploma and an ATAR of
99.95 felt “…the individual care and assistance provided by each of our teachers
undoubtedly assisted our results. This also allowed me, personally, to take advantage of
the individual style of learning required in the IB Diploma”.
Ellis Vakirtzis who gained 98.75 in the HSC said, “In Years 11 and 12, my teachers
made an effort to get to know me even better, and therefore I was more inclined to
ask any questions I had regarding my studies and they were more inclined to take an
interest. This strong relationship, I believe, was a huge factor in my success”.
Billy Kovanis, on an ATAR of 98.1 for his HSC, believes it is in students’ interests to
build relationships with their teachers. “If you voice your goals to your teachers, for their
particular subject, they will guide you and tell you where you currently stand and how to
achieve those results in the end”.
Ellis concluded by offering this advice to boys in the years below, “At Newington,
teachers are your most important resource, so it’s silly to think that you don’t need to
use them. Pester them. They’ll love it, I’m sure”.
And finally ...
The Other Experts
While the responses from the boys
were a testament to the support they
received and captured the enduring
memories, parents too reflected on
what the years at Newington offered
their sons, now and for their future.
One mother summed it up with these
heartfelt words.
As a parent I can say my son had
many memorable moments in the 2
year HSC course. The one that was
most often communicated at home
was his amazement at the quality and
dedication of his teachers. We heard
funny stories and lots of wise advice,
via him, from them; from advice on
girls to very philosophical discussions
on growing up and life in general.
The HSC and the experience of a
school like Newington is so much
more than the topics studied
and exams. It is about learning
about yourself (and others) and
understanding how commitment
has many benefits to oneself and
the community in general ... and we
witnessed that it was the strength
in friendship that kept him going
through the inevitable tough times!
What more can we say!
Mrs Caroline McDonald
IB Diploma Programme graduates meet up for a BBQ on the morning after the results with their
proud Headmaster, Dr David Mulford (far left) and Head of the IB Diploma Programme, Dr Allan
Pride (far right). Back row L to R: Harry Jordan, Oliver Churcher, Bradley Smith, Michael Rees.
Front row L to R: William Rigney, James Mitchell, Oliver Wallace, Rupert Crossley
| Results
Results | 15

Lindfield K–6 | Stanmore K–12
200 Stanmore Road
Stanmore NSW 2048
WEB
Tel 02 9568 9333
Fax 02 9569 0133
www.newington.nsw.edu.au
EMAIL contact@newington.nsw.edu.au