It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this Speech Night, the culminating event of the School year in which we come together as a community to reflect, to recognise achievement, and to look ahead to the future.

I extend a warm welcome to all, Bishop George and Mrs Browning, our special guest Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, Chief of the Defence Force, and Mrs Houston, our Chairman, Mr Chris Chenoweth, and Mrs Chenoweth, Board members, ladies and gentlemen.

This is a time of year for celebration.
Tonight, our students and their families – indeed the whole School community – can justly celebrate another successful year.

Our students daily demonstrate success in the classroom, on the sporting field, and in the visual and performing arts.
Importantly, they demonstrate success also as well-rounded and mature young men: inquiring, caring, thoughtful members of both the School and wider communities.   

This is no accident. At Canberra Grammar we take very seriously our Educative Purpose: “To develop a cultured man, ready for today’s world and the future, balanced in intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical aspects, with a love of learning and a willingness to serve fellow students and the wider community.”

It is a noble purpose, the focus of all that we do at Canberra Grammar.  Do we succeed? Many of our students think so.
Ashley Day (Year 10, Blaxland) says we are “highly successful”; Johnsons Sangah (Year 7, Burgess) says we are doing “a great job”; William Tran (Year 10, Edwards) says we are doing a “fantastic job”; and Michael Jude (Year 10, Edwards) says we are doing a “marvellous job”.

It is clear, when we reflect on the achievements of our students and our former students – our Old Boys – that we have remarkable success in achieving our purpose, in helping boys develop into cultured, balanced, gentle ~ men.

Many of our students achieve wide recognition for their academic success. Results are not yet available from our 2006 HSC class, but 13 of last year’s class were in the top two per cent of their year group across New South Wales. Forty-two per cent of our HSC candidates last year were in the top 10 per cent of students. This is an outstanding result and amongst the very best of schools in New South Wales.  Canberra Grammar is a school prepared to stake its reputation on a much larger stage than is available in the Canberra.  Being part of the HSC means we are part of the largest education system in Australia.  The rigour behind the depth and quality of teaching and learning at Canberra Grammar School has prepared these students wonderfully well for tertiary studies, where examinations and continual assessment are the norm, just as they are with the HSC.

Our substantial record of success in the Higher School Certificate contributed to the Board’s decision this year that Canberra Grammar would continue to offer the HSC. That decision, based on the results of extensive analysis by the Australian Council for Educational Research and surveys of the views of staff, parents and students, was the culmination of a year-long review of which Year 12 certificate would best align with the School’s Purpose and Values and maximise opportunity for our students’ further learning.  The HSC has served the Canberra Grammar community well since being introduced in 1967, our School community prefers it over alternatives, our teachers have extensive experience in helping our students do their best in it, and our students have over many years excelled at the HSC.

Academic success is achieved across the School. Some of this year’s highlights include:

Victor Vuong, Year 8, won the secondary section of the ACT Science Fair this year.

Year 9 students Phillip La and Mark Raymond won medals in the University of New South Wales Science Competition this year, giving Canberra Grammar two of the five medals awarded to Year 9 students across the whole of New South Wales and the ACT.

Harry Slatyer, a Year 10 Canberra Grammar student, achieved a perfect score in the Australian Informatics Competition, one of only three students among the 3400 entrants across Australia to score perfectly.  Robert Albertson Kill was the top Year 9 student in Australia.

Richard Dear has been invited to join the Australian Physics Olympiad Scholar Program next year; Mathew Hall won the gold medal and Meraz Mostafa the silver in Geoscience Australia’s essay competition for Earth Science Week 2006; Year 10 student Thomas Cox won a medal for being among the top 0.01 per cent – that’s one in 10,000 – of competitors in the Australian Mathematics Competition. It goes without saying that he was the top student in the ACT. Christopher Naco (Year 7), Jesse Wu (Year 8), Hong An Le (Year 9) and Phil Jung (Year 10) won prizes in the same competition.

For the third time in four years Canberra Grammar students have won the Simpson Prize. Budding historians Adrian Power and Robert Ashman won first and second prize respectively in the ACT and Northern Territory division of the national essay writing competition. Adrian’s prize was a trip to the ANZAC Day service at Lone Pine and the opportunity to recite a poem to everyone gathered for the service – a very proud moment for any young man, and for his school.

The School’s da Vinci Decathlon team won gold for the second time in three years against the best selective high schools and independent schools in New South Wales.

Canberra Grammar was Top School in Australia in the 2006 National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition.  Our young geographers in years 8, 10 and 12 have been acknowledged as the best ACT school for each of the past 7 years.  We’re immensely proud of all of them. In this competition Alexander Gent came second in Australia, Jesse Wu came third, and Daniel Louden was equal fourth.

Year 12 Business Studies student Shane Thomson won the Australasian Plan Your Own Enterprise Competition.

Our boys excelled in languages with Darsha Kumar (Year 11) winning first prize in the George Vincent competition run by the Alliance Française. This outstanding achievement against older and bilingual students was complemented by Wystan Fisher and Derek Bayley winning the Years 10 and 9 categories.

Four of our Year 12 students, Timothy Wearne, James Cooper, Benjamin King and Christopher Court, were awarded ADFA Education Awards.  No other school in Australia had more than two award recipients.

These are terrific results but we are not resting there. To facilitate teaching and learning at greater depth, to do our utmost to ensure a Canberra Grammar education is firmly grounded in our Purpose and Values, and to allow individual boys to follow their passions, we are over the next two years introducing changes to the Years 7 to 10 curriculum. From next year we will slow the school day through a changed timetable structure that has longer periods and fewer periods each day. Boys in Years 7 and 8 will benefit from a core curriculum in all key-learning areas. In Years 9 and 10 a smaller core will be supported by a wide range of electives allowing for individual pathways.  

The whole of the Senior School will move to the new timetable structure next year, when the new curriculum will be introduced to Year 7. Years 8, 9 and 10 will continue with the existing curriculum next year, but will move to the new curriculum in 2008.

At Canberra Grammar we measure and celebrate success in many ways and achievement takes many forms – on the sports field, in the performing arts, caring for and helping others, and in our pastoral care system.  

Our games program is about being part of a team, sportsmanship, physical fitness, learning new skills and refining them. It is also about individuals and teams striving, always trying to do a little better. As Ryan Goodman (Year 8, Edwards) said, “I really like that fact you can win or lose a match and come back to school on Monday and chat with your friends about what you did right and wrong and what you can improve and at training actually improving your skills.” Participation is important; achieving at high levels and winning competitions are bonuses.   

A Canberra Grammar eight won the national Under-17 rowing championship this year; another Grammar team won the dragon boats national championship and qualified to represent Australia at the world championships in Canada. One of our hockey teams won the ACT premiership; our Years 9 and 10 water-polo team won the ACT championship; two of our squash teams won their divisions in the Autumn pennant grand finals and three teams were champions in the Spring finals; and our under-15 soccer team was undefeated all year. Nine of our 11 Rugby teams played in the semi-finals, three made it through to the grand finals, and two were 2006 premiers.

Our junior debaters won both the ACT Ford Debating for students in years seven and eight and the Australian Federal Police Crime Prevention Debating.

The combined Canberra Grammar Schools co-curricular music program participated in the prestigious International Aurora Music festival in New Zealand, and a judge in the Australian National Eisteddfod said our Symphonic Wind Band gave the most sensational performance he had heard by any band, adult or student, in the past three years.

Drama students have been fantastic ambassadors for the excellence of teaching and learning available at Canberra Grammar. Our HSC students again have reached the Onstage exhibition and performance of premier work from the 2006 year.

Let us celebrate the completion of the library at the Mae Salak village school in Thailand, a project brought to fruition by Canberra Grammar School.  Funds for building materials and to pay local workers were raised through the Community Care and Concern Committee, and a group of 13 students and eight adults from the School went to Thailand mid-year to complete work on the library. They took with them books for the library and clothes for the villagers.

Let us celebrate, too, our special relationship with the Ngukurr community in the Northern Territory. This relationship has developed over the past six years, with each year small groups of Canberra Grammar students travelling to the Territory to live with the Aboriginal community in Ngukurr, to have their western norms and experiences challenged by a week with a remote Aboriginal community, a community where traditional ceremonies and traditional ways of life are valued and have been maintained through strong leadership. Each year, the Ngukurr welcomes our boys as part of their community, immersing them in traditional ways of operating, learning and thinking, including them in the daily activities such as buffalo hunting and fishing for turtle. A unique experience for both hosts and guests, an experience which touches the emotional, physical and spiritual development of all involved.

These visits to unfamiliar places - Mae Salak village in Thailand, the Ngukurr community and other trips the School organises – become almost invariably significant personal journeys for the students involved, learning about themselves and others and returning to Canberra stronger, more resilient, more understanding, men.

Pastoral care is integral to all that we do, woven into the very fabric of the School. At Canberra Grammar it is not surprising that, when students are asked what they like about their teachers, words like “care”, “support”, “helpful”, and “sympathetic” are common responses. “Really, above all, they care about you,” said Robert Ringland (Year 9, Garnsey).  Ashley Day (Year 10, Blaxland) said, “They all care for students and are very sympathetic and interested in us.” Shane Thomson (Year 12, Garnsey) said, “I have become amazed at how willing the teachers are to take out of their own time and do extra outside school to help each and every individual.” For Matthew Peacock (Year 10, Garran) “At Grammar the relationship between students and teachers is key in the happiness of students and even staff.”     

Not only all members of staff, but our students, too, take key roles in our pastoral care, caring for each other in myriad ways.  Relationships, between staff and students, among students, within families, and with the wider community are important to our pastoral care, to our students’ physical, mental and spiritual health, and to their development as rounded contributing members of our society.

Pastoral care is a great strength of the School, but that does not mean that everything is always perfect.

We have successfully implemented a new drug policy over the past year. The policy does not tolerate the supply of illicit drugs. Implementation of the new policy has meant that we have been able to assist some boys to turn away from drugs. Where this has been accomplished it has been with the full involvement of parents or guardians, working in partnership with the School.

Some – very few, but even one is too many – some of our boys have been subjected to bullying. Our primary emphasis is on preventing bullying. When incidents do arise, we focus on stopping it. We have implemented new policies to formalise our handling of any bullying that arises, and have achieved significant success in stopping bullying that we become aware of.

Our greater focus is on enhancing relationships and helping students build inner resilience to cope with the inevitable downs – as well as the ups – of life. We seek to develop discerning young men, men able to make wise choices, with the strong sense of true north which helps them decide right from wrong, and the strength of character to follow the path of right even when it is not the easiest path, a strength of character which grows from years of gentle nurture at School and, importantly, at home.  Through our Pastoral Care program we hope to develop young men able to make wise choices, not only about illicit drugs and bullying, but in all aspects of their life: about risk-taking behaviour; alcohol; driving motor vehicles; and relationships.  

Parental and School relationships with teenagers always involve a balance of trust and responsibility, a balance that is sometimes very difficult to discern. Clearly, most of our students are worthy of the trust offered by their parents and the School. But instances of drunkenness in local parks late at night, use of illicit drugs and other risk-taking demonstrate that some boys breach that trust.

It is no longer adequate for the School to take the view that irresponsibility by its students out of School hours and away from School grounds is the responsibility of parents alone. Responsibility is shared. Only together can we maximise the likelihood that our students will make wise choices when with their peers. The School is trying – will try harder – to work with parents to minimise anti-social and risk-taking behaviour by students at any time or any place. I urge parents to get involved, to work with the School and each other, on ensuring that boys’ fun is harmless fun.

Recreational use of drugs will wire the brain of an adolescent differently and permanently. Any boy who experiments with drugs risks living with that changed brain for the rest of his life. Is that what we would want for our children ,,,a changed life because of drug use?

Better to immerse our boys and young men in the euphoria of team sport, academic success, dramatic production, and music. And, for the most part, we are very successful.

Asked what is special about Canberra Grammar, Tim Sanderson (Year 7, Burgess) said, “This school is special for me in the way that the Year 12s and Year 11s all get along with the younger boys.” Sam Rolfe (Year 12, Jones) said, “Pride, respect for each other.” For Nick Wadham (Year 8, Eddison) the special thing about Canberra Grammar is, “The atmosphere and the bond between all the boys, in all age groups and years.”  And for Matthew Peacock (Year 10, Garran) the special thing is “the relationship between the students and the teachers.”

Among those who have contributed so much to making Canberra Grammar special is Mr Ian Denman, Careers Advisor, who retires at the end of this year after eighteen years on staff. During this time Ian Denman has made an enormous contribution to the School teaching Chemistry & Science, as Director of Co-Curricular, Summer School coordinator, organiser of the Queens Trust Seminar, Year 12 Senior Tutor and since 1992 as Careers Advisor. Ian has provided invaluable advice to many boys and as such has played an enormous part in shaping their future careers. Ian was instrumental in setting up the new Careers Centre in 2003 which is located in the Student Services facility. We are grateful for all that Ian has done for Canberra Grammar and wish him a relaxing and well-earned retirement.

Others include Mr Tim Grabovski, Head of Mathematics, who leaves us to travel after seven years on staff; Mr Adam Croser, leaves to return to Tasmania after nine and a half years with us teaching history; and Ms Clair White, leaves after five years as a mathematics teacher. I thank you all for your significant contributions.    

I thank all our staff for their commitment to the education of all students across the School: teachers’ focus on individual student’s needs, the supportive relationships they form with students in the classroom, on the sporting field, through music and art, and on camps and trips; and our support staff without whom the great teaching and learning that happens at Canberra Grammar would not be possible.  Our continuing efforts to ensure always that we are the best school that we can possibly be places great strains on our staff and I thank them for the way they have responded to significant reviews of our operations and to change, while retaining their focus always on the education and development of our students.

I thank our students too, for their enthusiasm, their love of learning, their willingness to support their peers and the wider community.

A good school such as ours is much more than the staff and students.  Much of what we do is possible only through the voluntary efforts of so many across the School community.

The Parents and Friends Association has worked tirelessly through the year to refocus its efforts; the associations of parents and friends which give such wonderful support to sports and music – the Rugby, Rowing and Cricket associations and the John Barrett Music Scholarship Committee – have been very active this year, and new strong bonds have been forged between them. I thank you all.

Members of the Board have devoted much time and given deep consideration to a range of issues over the year, not least the review of our Year 12 Certification. I thank the Board for its leadership and support, and acknowledge particularly Mr Malcolm Hazell, who retired earlier this year after twelve years of outstanding service to Canberra Grammar. As Chair of the Education Committee and also as Deputy Chairman of the Board, Malcolm Hazell brought great wisdom and energy to the governance of this School.  I also thank Mrs Sue Scherman who retires from the Board.  I thank the Chairman, Mr Chris Chenoweth, for his leadership. We are fortunate indeed to have Chris Chenoweth as our Chairman.

Our Old Boys have shown great energy this year. It was wonderful to have their annual dinner back on campus this year.  Thanks to the Old Boys Union, particularly for donating significant funds for the air-conditioning and heating of our Dining hall.

Tim Butler (Year 7, Burgess) told me, “It is a privilege to come to such an awesome school.”  I could not express it better. It is indeed a privilege for me to be Headmaster of such an awesome school – made so by the whole school community.

I wish you all a happy, safe and holy Christmas.

AS Murray
December 2006

The Ian Powell Memorial Award

The Award was instituted in memory of Mr Ian Powell, Deputy Headmaster, who died in 1982.  It is funded from money derived from the investment of the proceeds of a memorial appeal.  

The Ian Powell Award recognises a special contribution to the life of the School from a member of the staff - not necessarily the teaching staff - of Canberra Grammar School.

Last year Mr Bill Maude received the Award. This year the recipient is Mr Ian Denman

On the Headmaster’s invitation Mr Andrew Shelley gave the following citation supporting Ian Denman:
My Lord Bishop, Air Chief Marshal Houston, Members of the Board, Headmaster, Guests, Staff, Ladies and Gentlemen and Boys. It is my privilege and pleasure to convey in some small way the impact that Mr Ian Denman has had on this School and so many students and staff over the past 18 years.

Ian Denman grew up in England and began his career as an industrial Chemist in Birmingham. He quickly realised that this was not the career for him and fortunately for countless students and colleagues he decided to complete a Diploma in Education.

His teaching career has literally taken him around the world. It began in Kenya and went on to include places as diverse as England, Papua New Guinea and Australia.

Moving from Hamilton College in Victoria to Canberra Grammar School 18 years ago Ian quickly made his mark as a fine teacher who knew his students well and who could take them as far as they could go. His experience as a boarding housemaster and former headmaster was evident in the real rapport that he developed with his classes and colleagues. Indeed the only complaint that was received in regard to his teaching was from a parent who was concerned that their son was being disadvantaged by not being in Ian’s class.

15 years ago he also took on the role of careers advisor and his deep understanding of the tertiary system in Australia and calm approach to students and parents has always been admired and respected.

In addition for many years Ian was the Year 12 senior tutor, a role that meshed so well with his talents. His care and concern for the senior students in particular was recognised by the boys recently when he was presented with the Fred Mould Medal for service to the student body at their final assembly and was acknowledged with respect and affection by all.

His abilities and willingness to give of his talents has also seen him act as the Director of the Co-Curricular programme, Summer School co-ordinator and Queen’s Trust Seminar organiser.

In addition to his intellect and dedication, it is Ian Denman’s character that has allowed him to make such an impact on students and staff around the world. He is in every sense of the word a gentleman. He is even tempered, considerate of others and always driven by a sense of decency and fairness. As Chairman of the Common Room he displayed a genuine care and concern for his colleagues and was a source of wise counsel and support.

Ian has decided after giving so much to others for many years that it is time to spend more time with Linda and their family. We wish him many years of happiness as he moves onto the next chapter of his life and thank him sincerely for all that he has given us. This award is recognition for a life spent as a teacher, role model, friend and family man. As the beneficiaries of your kindness and dedication we salute you and wish all the best of good fortune for the years to come.

A very special welcome to Mr Mark Baker, Vice Chairman, and Mrs Baker, our guest of honour and Old Boy, Mr Anders Sorman-Nilsson, Board members, Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you all for making tonight special. These nights are very important and I know you will enjoy this evening. Our Chapel service, earlier this evening, touched the hearts of us all and as we sang and worshipped together I could not help but think that this was a moment to cherish and to remember with fondness. We were in community and that is always special.

I now have the privilege of thanking those who have influenced us the most, those who have made Grammar such an extraordinary place, and of course I refer to the young men here with us this evening.

Tonight we toast the Leavers, some 156 young men. Some have been with us for only a short period of time, others for all of their schooling, some 14 years in total.

There are four boys who started at Northside and three who started at Southside in 1994 thirteen years ago.

• Thomas Hughes (Northside)
• Oliver Paton (Northside)
• Robert Penm (Northside)
• Alexander Westcombe (Northside)
• Patrick Hislop (Southside)
• Angus Kenyon (Southside)
• Michael Laurie (Southside)

…. and there were seven who started in Pre-School some 14 years ago. It was 1993.

• Andrew Bailey
• Callum Cain
• Anthony Harrison
• Steven Hurwitz
• Richard Morewood
• Nicholas Symons
• William Yorke

Let us congratulate these young men and their parents as their Housemasters present them with an Oxford Dictionary in recognition of their support for Canberra Grammar.

I now ask these boys to stand:

• Andrew Fletcher
• George Gregory
• Shahid Khalfan
• Bobby Mu
• Mathew Ricketts

These young men are boarders who have been with us for all six of their senior school years. This school has been their home and I ask their parents to stand as their Housemasters make a presentation. We congratulate these boys and thank their families for their support and the trust they gave us to care for their boys.

Each year I like to single out a family where the involvement in the School has been significant and here I refer to the Still family. David is in Year 12 and has been with us for 10 years. His brother, Stephen 14 years, Michael 14 years and Peter 13 years. In all, 51 years at Canberra Grammar. I invite the Vice Chairman, Mr Mark Baker, to make a small presentation to the Still family and I ask David and his father Graham to stand as we thank them and David’s mother Carol for 51 years of wonderful support and faith in the School.

I want to make special mention of three young men who have gone to enormous lengths to help and support us over the past twelve months. I refer of course to the School Captain, Tom Lee, the School Vice-Captain, Adam Diprose and the Chairman of the Year 12 Committee, James Morris. All three have given much to the School striving hard to make their mark. They are servant leaders and have always been prepared to be amongst the twelves and the School. They have been busy helping others as they have gone about fulfilling their obligations as senior students at the School.

Earlier this term I was fortunate to be on sabbatical and amongst the joys of being a student again at Cambridge, I had the opportunity to browse the shelves of bookshops. I came across this one …. “How to be a Gentleman” by John Bridges. There are many others like it but this book caught my eye. Lots of useful and sometimes not so useful information for us all in this little black book. For instance…

“A gentleman knows how to make others feel comfortable.”

“A gentleman stands up when he is introduced.”

“A gentleman never gets so big that he can feel free to say or do things that make other people feel small.”

“If a gentleman is lost he admits it and readily asks for directions”

A few others I thought should be of interest…….

“If a gentleman can afford it he has someone else to clean the house for him.”

“A gentleman considers it a wise investment to pay for dancing lessons.”

“A gentleman knows when it is alright to eat the garnish.”

Now some of these will have been contentious and even frivolous, but I am sure we can agree with this one .....

“A gentleman never makes himself the centre of attention. His goal is to make life easier, not just for himself, but for his friends, acquaintances, and the world at large.”

The gentlemen of Year 12 are, however, the centre of our attention tonight and later this evening we will acknowledge them all as they come up onto the stage. These are terrific young men and whilst their interests and achievements differ, the contribution that each has brought to Canberra Grammar is valued and appreciated. They have big hearts and it has been a delight to see them grow in stature, confidence and influence over these past years.

Not all will receive a book or a medal this evening but they all receive our thanks and praise for their influence and preparedness to serve this school. Most have gone about their business behind the scenes, quietly and without fuss, not seeking attention or acclamation. They have just been themselves and that in itself has been very special and not to ever be underestimated. For it is that gentle influence that makes them gentlemen… and we love them for that.

I have a special job and it is shared with many others at Canberra Grammar. Foremost we are schoolmasters, men and women, seeking to support your boys, and gaining much joy from doing so. Certainly there are moments, sometimes periods, of angst, as we strive to help your boys make sensible and wise decisions, ….. but our energy and commitment comes from the importance of our work. We are about shaping character, building generations, and encouraging the human spirit and that indeed is challenging but joyful work.

We like it when they grow up into such fine young men shaped by family and school. It’s encouraging and gives us the desire and drive to do this again and again.

I have, like other staff here tonight, had many treasured moments with these boys, many in these last few weeks as we all come to the realisation that it is not long before we set them free. As they get older and we get younger, the gap narrows and they are the young men of tomorrow. They are ready to take the next step in their lives and we send them out with our blessing and encouragement. They will be men of influence and gentlemen at that.

We do find it hard to say goodbye because we are fond of you. We know you well, some wonderfully well, and there are genuine friendships here based on mutual trust and respect. Housemasters, tutors, coaches and teachers have all enjoyed terrific times with you. Think back over the years and cherish these times, these moments. One of the joys of my role at Canberra Grammar is that I cover lots of territory and witness you in action on so many different fronts. As I watch you and share these experiences with you, I never cease to be amazed at your talent and your courage. I am humbled by what you do and never take it for granted. You are indeed a special group and each one of you has made a difference. Sometimes you are in the spotlight but often you work quietly behind the scenes. You see something that needs to be done and you do it, without fuss and without seeking recognition and praise. You do it because it needs doing and that’s to be treasured.

Yours will be a world that needs men of your calibre. Men with sensitivity, strength of character and the moral courage to make a difference. Men whose spirit has been shaped by a Canberra Grammar education where the academic, spiritual, cultural and physical intertwine to ensure a cultured man, balanced and ready to make his mark. I encourage you to be your own person, to stand by what you believe is right and to be generous throughout your lives. You are all good men and I judge you not by your HSC results or the UAI but rather by what you are as a person, by what is in your heart, your soul, your very being.

I know that these young men are mixed with emotion tonight. There is the excitement of leaving for new challenges and opportunities but there is the sadness of leaving a community in which they have felt safe and well cared for. Tomorrow as they march through the Quad to say goodbye they will have a tear in their eyes …. and so will I. We will miss you when you leave us, and I thank you for giving yourselves to Canberra Grammar. The legacy you leave behind is this school and you can be proud of that. Thank you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please charge your glasses and be upstanding as we prepare to toast the Year 12 Leavers, the Class of 2006. “The Class of 2006, we wish you well”

Simon Murray

Headmaster