Academic Assembly

Today we had the annual Academic Assembly which recognises last year's Year 12 leavers. It's akin to Prizegiving (but focuses entirely on the HSC and IB results from 2009). The results broke all kinds of records and were outstanding for a school that is not academically selective. It is a tradition that the school is addressed by the highest ranked student at HSC level from 5 years previously - this year's speaker did a fantastic job (he has just graduated from Yale).


The assembly was quite simply like nothing I have ever experienced in a school. It was formal - senior staff, Chairman of Governors, etc in gowns on the stage, and the boys were smart and impeccably behaved - just like similar events I have been to at Trinity or RGS. Or so it seemed. I could not have anticapted the huge cultural shock I then witnessed. 


There were three spontaneous standing ovations from the boys for individual former students whose results were exceptional (including a perfect 45/45 IB score). Senior staff were fighting back tears. The boys stamped their feet and banged their chairs, making an almighty roar, and then spontaneouly broke in to the school song, which was like something you would only see in a football stadium. It involved all the boys raising their arms and some fast rhythmic clapping above their heads as they sang - it was enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. 


The climax of the assembly was the 'official' rendition of the school song with the backing of the organist and the words on the screen for all to see (though only newbies like me needed them). I can't remember the words, but there were three verses, and the chorus started with something like "Dear Newingtonia, dear Newingtonia - I will always love thee"; staff and guests processed out during the last verse. What was perhaps just as remarkable as all of this, was that, despite every single one of the 1000+ boys belting the song out twice, they sat down afterwards and were immediately quiet and well behaved, all looking immaculate in their uniforms of long grey shorts, white shirts, long white socks and school ties properly done up.


It was without doubt the most extraordinary experience I have ever witnessed in a school - and, perhaps being English, whilst I still don't quite know what to make of it (it was all very macho) it was wonderful to see the genuine pride both of the leavers who had returned for the day, and of the current boys for the leavers - who clapped and cheered and sang with such enthusiasm and pride.