NEWINGTON TOPS BOTH HSC AND IB - Newington College

February 2013 

Lindfield K–6 | Stanmore K–12 

200 Stanmore Road 

Stanmore NSW 2048 

WEB 

Tel 02 9568 9333 

Fax 02 9568 9521 

www.newington.nsw.edu.au 

EMAIL contact@newington.nsw.edu.au 

newington tops both HSC and IB 

Our HSC and IB Diploma Programme results 2012 

... and it’s more than 1 in 3 boys over 90, 1 in 5 boys over 95

| Results 2012 

3 

The Newington College HSC and 

IB Diploma Results for the Class of 2012 

The Newington College community congratulates the Class of 2012 on their 

outstanding results in the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC) and IB Diploma 

Programme (IBDP) and wishes each of the boys from Year 12, 2012, every success for 

the future as they embark on their chosen paths of further education, travel or work. 

In 2012 179 Newington boys qualified for an ATAR via either the HSC or the IBDP. 

We know, for the families and teachers of the boys who graduate from Newington 

College, the Year 12 results are about commitment, effort and support over many 

years and dedication from the whole community. 

It should be noted that Newington’s result featured in the Sydney Morning Herald 

is not truly reflective of our final overall results. Our comparison to previous years 

and schools can be made after combining the two systems. In this magazine we 

have outlined those results pulling together the HSC and IBDP statistics we have for 

the College, some remarkable individual performances and most importantly some 

comments from the boys about their stories of success. 

To give you the inside story of their journey, the boys have shared with us how they 

came to make decisions about courses, Co-curricular involvement, study tips and 

study fallacies, and finally they offer advice about motivation and balance to keep it 

all in perspective. 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 

Deputy Head of Stanmore / Head of Learning and Teaching 

• TWO PERFECT SCORES OF 99.95 

Zubin Bilimoria, announced as Dux of HSC at Annual Prize Giving in December, 

achieved the highest possible ATAR of 99.95. In the IB Jonathan Ciofani was 

awarded the perfect mark of 45 (ATAR equivalent of 99.95), one of only five 

students in NSW to achieve this. 

• 6 BOYS ACHIEVED AN ATAR OF 99+ 

Zubin Bilimoria, Jonathan Ciofani, Daniel Han, Jordan Garofali, Adam Rasko and 

Anthony Yao achieved ATARs above 99 placing them in the top 1% of the state. 

• 5 HSC PREMIER’S AWARDS FOR ALL-ROUND EXCELLENCE, ACHIEVING 90 

OR ABOVE IN 10 OR MORE UNITS OF STUDY 

Spyridon Augoustinos, Zubin Bilimoria, Jordan Garofali, Adam Rasko and Anthony Yao. 

• 3 TOP ACHIEVERS IN AN HSC COURSE 

1st in Modern Greek Beginners 

Matthew Markakis 

5th in Mathematics 

Zubin Bilimoria 

5th in English Extension 1 


8th in Mathematics Joshua Yu (Year 11) 

• 183 BOYS COMPLETED YEAR 12 IN 2012. OF THESE: 

6 boys achieved an ATAR of 99 or above 



• 184 MENTIONS WERE RECORDED ON THE HSC DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVERS 

LIST FOR ACHIEVING 90 OR ABOVE IN A SUBJECT 

• 9 HSC SHOWCASE NOMINATIONS 

ARTEXPRESS Jordan Loy 

DesignTECH Jarrod Stilp 

ENCORE Alexander Chiu, Maximillian Miller Bock and Nicholas Xenos 

InTech 

Michael Drummond 

OnSTAGE Gregory Koumoukelis and Jackson Rickard 

• HSC SHOWCASE selection 

OnSTAGE Thomas Crotty 

• more than half of IB candidature rank over 95 

Our IB students achieved a total of 32 grade 7s from our total candidature of 17 

and an astounding 14 boys achieved an ATAR over 90. 

Roll of Top 

25 Achievers 

IBDP ATAR 

Zubin Bilimoria 99.95 

Jonathan Ciofani 45 99.95 

Anthony Yao 99.85 

Daniel Han 43 99.65 

Jordan Garofali 99.40 

Adam Rasko 99.15 

Ciaran Frame 41 98.80 

Lewis Jones 41 98.80 

Brandon Taylor 41 98.80 

Wayland Jian 98.30 

Spyridon Augoustinos 98.25 

Joseph Dorph 98.25 

Myles Turpin 98.25 

James Grogin 40 98.20 

Collin Liang 98.20 

Andrew See 40 98.20 

Matthew Shim 40 98.20 

Alexander Chiu 97.90 

Matthew Markakis 97.75 

Samuel Aravanis 97.65 

Giulio Mancuso 39 97.50 

Sebastian Pyne 39 97.50 

Thomas Williamson 97.50 

Sang Jin Yoon 97.35 

James Palmer 97.35 

HSC and IBDP students in rank and 

then alphabetical order. ATAR printed 

only if supplied. Results based on 

figures to hand as at 16 January 

2013. The University Admissions 

Centre (UAC) awards the Australian 

Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR). 

A UAC Rank is an equivalent award 

for IB Diploma students. 

The 2012 ATAR Range of Results 

RANGE NO. OF boys % IN range Cumulative % State % 

99-99.95 6 3.4 3.4% 1% 

95-98.95 28 15.6 19.0% 5% 

90-94.95 28 15.6 34.6% 10% 

85-89.95 26 14.5 49.1% 15% 

80-84.95 17 9.5 58.6% 20% 

75-79.95 17 9.5 68.1% 25% 

70-74.95 18 10.1 78.2% 30% 

60-69.95 18 10.1 88.3% 40% 

50-59.95 8 4.5 92.8% 50% 

Individual Subject Highlights in the HSC 

IB and HSC boys, L to R: Spyridon Augoustinos, Jordan Garofali, Ciaran Frame and Lewis Jones 

congratulate each other on their results. 

LANGUAGES 

The highlight was French where the 

percentage of Newington boys achieving 

a Band 6 was 50% in comparison to 

28.18% across the state. 

MATHEMATICS 

The highlight from 

the Mathematics Department was 

undoubtedly Zubin Bilimoria and Joshua 

Yu placing in the top 10 of the state. 

However the results were strong across 

all subjects. The state-wide cohort in 

General Mathematics continues to grow 

with almost 32,000 students completing 

the subject. 17.14% of Newington 

boys achieved a mark in the top band 

compared to 5.56% across the state. As 

such the percentage of Newington boys 

achieving a Band 6 was over three times 

the state-wide figure. 

International Baccalaureate Diploma 

Programme (IBDP) 2012 

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme results were released on Friday 4 

January 2013. 

Students in the IB must complete six subjects; three at Higher Level and three 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 an Extended Essay (an in depth study of a question relating to one of the subjects 

they are studying), Theory of Knowledge (a course on critical thinking and knowledge) 

and for the completion of their CAS hours (students are expected to be involved in CAS 

activities in the areas of Creativity, physical Action and Service in the community for the 

equivalent of at least three hours each week during the two years of the programme, 

alongside their academic studies). All students receive a final score out of 45 and that is 

converted to an ATAR equivalent. 

Did you know? 

The IB works within 144 countries 

around the world to offer the three 

IB programmes to approximately 

1,065,000 students. 

The IB Asia-Pacific region supports 

more than 500 schools offering over 

700 programmes in 28 countries. 

There are 149 IB World Schools in 

Australia. 84 schools offer the Primary 

Years Programme, 42 schools offer 

the Middle Years Programme and 63 

schools offer the Diploma Programme. 

Growth in the IB Diploma Programme 

in the last 12 months worldwide has 

been 4.73% and in the last five years 

52.48%. 


5 

COMPUTING 

Software Design and Development 

23.07% of boys achieved marks in Band 6 

in comparison to 5.97% across the state – 

the College figure is almost four times that 

achieved state-wide. 

Information Processes and Technology 

66.67% of boys achieved marks in Band 5 

or 6 in comparison to 31.16% state-wide. 

CREATIVE ARTS 

Drama 70% of boys achieved Band 6 in 

comparison to 12.16% state-wide. 

Music 1 83.33% of boys achieved Band 6 

in comparison to a state-wide figure of 

13.77%. 

Music 2 66.66% of boys achieved the 

top band in comparison to 33.75% across 

the state. 

Music Extension The entire cohort 

finished in the top band. 

Visual Arts 41.17% of boys achieved 

Band 6 with only 11.14% of the state-wide 

cohort achieving that standard. 

ECONOMICS 

Economics The percentage of Newington 

boys achieving a Band 6 was 16.12% in 

comparison to 12.52% across the state. 

Business Studies 20% of boys achieved a 

Band 6 in comparison to 8.41% state-wide 

– the College figure again almost two and 

half times that recorded across the state. 

ENGLISH 

English is the only mandatory subject in the 

NSW HSC and thus results in this subject 

are always heavily scrutinized. In 2012, 106 

boys studied the Advanced course, 49 boys 

studied the Standard course and a small 

group of 13 boys completed the ESL course. 

Advanced English 20.75% of boys 

achieved Band 6 in comparison to a statewide 

figure of 12.58%. Over 80% of boys 

finished in the top two bands compared 

to 54% across the state. The ESL results 

were outstanding with 23.07% of boys 

achieving Band 6 in comparison to only 

3.15% state-wide. 

English Extension 1 The statistics were 

similarly impressive with 37.03% of boys 

finishing in the top band compared to a 

figure of 24.95% across the state. 

English Extension 2 The College figure 

was again almost double that recorded 

across the state with 42.85% of 

Newington boys finishing in the top band 

in comparison to 21.88% state-wide. 

HISTORY 

Ancient History The statistics were very 

impressive with 54.83% of boys achieving 

Band 5 or 6 in comparison to 26.78% 

state-wide. 

Modern History 20.58% of boys achieved 

Band 6 compared to a state-wide figure of 

11.57%. 

Legal Studies 66.67% of boys finished 

in the top two bands in comparison to 

40.24% across the state. 

SCIENCE 

Chemistry 24.24% of boys achieved Band 

6 in comparison to 13.05% state-wide. 

Earth and Environmental Science 

47.36% of boys achieved Band 5 or Band 

6 compared to the state figure of 39.03%. 

Physics 42.85% of boys achieved Band 

5 or Band 6 in comparison to 34.05% 

state-wide. 

PDHPE 

PDHPE 10% of boys achieved Band 6 in 

comparison to 6.99% state-wide. 

TECHNOLOGY 

Design and Technology 37.5% of boys 

achieved Band 6 in comparison to 9.89% 

across the state. 

Engineering Studies 35.29% of 

Newington boys finished in the top band 

compared to just 8.26% state-wide – the 

College figure more than four times that 

recorded across the state. 

Industrial Technology 13.33% of boys 

finished in Band 6 compared to 8.5% 

state-wide. 

A proud Mr Mark Chambers congratulates his Latin student, Jonathan Ciofani on his outstanding results. 

Jonathan Ciofani achieved the perfect score of 45 points, equating to the highest 

possible ATAR of 99.95. While European countries sit the IBDP exams in May each year, 

countries in Asia-Pacific sit the exams in November. In 2012 there were just 66 students 

in the Asia-Pacific region to gain a 45 point Diploma in the November exam session. 

Twenty four of these were in Australia, with five coming from NSW. Congratulations to 

Jonathan on his remarkable achievement! 

The average score achieved by the IBDP graduates at Newington was 38/45 and the 

average ATAR was 95.35. 

Our comparison with the World Average 

The International Baccalaureate Organisation released statistics indicating the average 

grade across all subjects’ results in the November sitting of the IB. The following table 

highlights a sample of the exceptional results achieved by Newington’s 2012 cohort: 

SUBJECT 

NEWINGTON 

AVERAGE 

WORLD 

AVERAGE 

% above 

world average 

English HL 6.33 5.21 16.00 

Economics HL 6.20 5.31 12.71 

Biology HL 6.40 4.81 22.71 

Biology SL 5.00 4.10 12.86 

Chemistry HL 6.25 5.34 13.00 

Chemistry SL 6.00 4.69 18.71 

Maths Studies SL 6.38 4.58 25.71 

Maths SL 6.38 4.58 25.71 

Music HL 5.83 5.25 8.29 

HL: Higher Level, SL: Standard Level 


6


Results | 7 

Twice the value: Newington boys gain 

perfect scores across HSC and IB Diploma 

Deputy Head of Stanmore/Head of Learning and Teaching, Ms Julia Shea congratulates 

Anthony Lombardo who, after a very difficult year showed great courage and gained an ATAR of 

92.40. All of Year 12 would be delighted for Anthony. 

At Newington College each summer our celebrations are double. In December, Zubin 

Bilimoria, topped the HSC cohort with a perfect ATAR of 99.95, the maximum in the NSW 

Higher School Certificate results. On January 4 his classmate, Jonathan Ciofani, also 

took out a perfect score but in the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a score of 

45, awarded to only four other students in NSW, which converts to an ATAR of 99.95. 

Both boys are exceptional students, Dux of their courses studied under totally separate 

curriculums and will be our Hardy Medallists at The Annual Prize Giving in 2013. 

Zubin and Jonathan were able to choose between two different pathways to tertiary 

study at the one school because Newington College, like 14 other NSW schools, 

offers the IB Diploma in Years 11 and 12, despite the impact on the school’s 

perceived success in media league tables constructed only from HSC performance. 

At Newington we like to provide choice, both the HSC and IB Diploma are excellent 

pathways. Each one may suit a different type of learner and the provision of choice 

enhances motivation and engagement. 

What is difficult to communicate is that the IB Diploma students’ highest grades 

and scores cannot, and will never be, included in the media created merit lists that 

calculate ‘schools’ rankings’. In 2012, 17 Newington boys chose the IB Diploma. In 

2013, we have 41 Year 12 boys and 37 Year 11 boys in the IB Diploma Programme. 

After four years of offer and three years of graduates, 19% of Newington boys now 

elect to sit the IB. 

The IB Diploma has had a reputation for being the course for the “very academically 

able”. What we are witnessing at Newington is that the IB Diploma is suited to a much 

wider range of students. Boys who are committed to their studies, well organised and 

have a broad curriculum interest across the humanities and the sciences do very well 

in this programme. 

None of this is to suggest that the HSC does not serve our boys well as a choice 

for tertiary study. Jonathan and Zubin are proof that the highest standard can 

be achieved in either qualification. What we need to reinforce is that the boys at 

Newington have choices. We need to offer them all the information available and 

guidance to decide. So far we are getting that very right. One of the most common 

reflections from this year’s graduates was how pleased they were they had made the 

right choice for them. 

Not surprisingly our two top students have diverse university destinations. Zubin now 

heads to Commerce Law and Jonathan to study Medicine, but the opportunity to 

play to their strengths and choose from a menu of great courses is something that 

Newington has already helped them to experience. 

Dr David Mulford 

Headmaster 

IB Diploma 

Grade 7 and 

‘A’ rankings 

Following is a list of students who 

achieved a Grade 7 (the highest Grade) 

in an IB Diploma Course and those who 

achieved an ‘A’ for Theory of Knowledge 

and/or The Extended Essay. 

BIOLOGY HIGHER 

Ciaran Frame* James Grogin* 

CHEMISTRY HIGHER 

Jonathan Ciofani* Lewis Jones 

Sebastian Pyne* Giulio Mancuso* 

CLASSICAL GREEK AND 

ROMAN STUDIES STANDARD 

Jonathan Ciofani 

ECONOMICS HIGHER 

Daniel Han* Matthew Shim 

ENGLISH HIGHER 

Jonathan Ciofani Lewis Jones 

Andrew See Matthew Shim 

ENGLISH STANDARD 

Daniel Han Brandon Taylor* 

HISTORY (EUROPE) HIGHER 


LATIN STANDARD 

Jonathan Ciofani Lewis Jones 

Matthew Shim 

MATHEMATICS STANDARD 

Jonathan Ciofani Daniel Han 

Lewis Jones Andrew See 

MATHEMATICS STUDIES 

STANDARD 

James Grogin Devin Khatri* 

Sebastian Pyne Brandon Taylor 

Giulio Mancuso 

MUSIC HIGHER 

Ciaran Frame 

PHYSICS HIGHER 

Angus Bagby Daniel Han 

PHYSICS STANDARD 

Andrew See 

EXTENDED ESSAY GRADE A 

Jonathan Ciofani Ciaran Frame 

James Grogin Daniel Han 

Sebastian Pyne Shaun Towers 

Giulio Mancuso 

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE GRADE A 

Jonathan Ciofani James Grogin 

Daniel Han Devin Khatri 

Brandon Taylor Giulio Mancuso 

* These students also received 3 

bonus points. 

Newington’s HSC Honour Roll 

Newington’s HSC Honour Roll of students achieving Band 6 within particular courses of study. These boys were mentioned in the 

HSC Merit List. The student listed first is the highest Newington performer and the mark is listed in brackets. The remainder are listed 

alphabetically. 1 unit courses have a maximum mark of 50 and 2 unit courses have a maximum mark of 100. 

ANCIENT HISTORY 

Alexander Chiu (93) 

Anthony Lombardo 

Nicholas Scaltrito 

BIOLOGY 

Adam Rasko (93) 

Ethan Eruini-Bennett 

Alastair Norman 

BUSINESS STUDIES 

Zubin Bilimoria (96) 

Robert Bromhead 

Taylor Gray 

Matthew Hood 


Oscar Pople 

Jack Van Der Vegt 

Ming Qian Yu 

CHEMISTRY 

Adam Rasko (94) 

Anthony Yao (94) 

Jordan Garofali 

Wayland Jian 

Haoran Liu 

Myles Turpin 

Thomas Williamson 

Ming Qian Yu 

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 

Jarrod Stilp (96) 

Jim Beard 

Leon Yu 

DRAMA 

Thomas Crotty (95) 

Michael Cameron 

Gregory Koumoukelis 

Andrew Pagonis 

Jack Scott 

Reuben Ward 

Edward Watson 

ECONOMICS 


Joshua Noore 

Adam Rasko 

Anthony Yao 

Ming Qian Yu 

ENGINEERING STUDIES 

Jordan Garofali (95) 

Nicholas Chapman 


Wayland Jian 

Bryce Moon 

Jarrod Stilp 

ENGLISH (ADVANCED) 


Samuel Aravanis 

Spyridon Augoustinos 

David Bretag 

Alexander Bui 



Alexander Chiu 

Thomas Crotty 

Ethan Eruini-Bennett 



Joshua Noore 



Oscar Pople 

Adam Rasko 

Reiji Sano 

Joseph Severino 

Thomas Stephenson 

Anthony Yao 

Qilong Zhang 

ENGLISH AS A 

SECOND LANGUAGE 

Collin Liang (92) 

Wayland Jian 

Leon Yu 

ENGLISH EXTENSION 1 


Jordan Garofali (49) 


David Bretag 

Thomas Crotty 


Joshua Noore 

James Snowden 


Qilong Zhang 

ENGLISH EXTENSION 2 


Phillip Alphonse 


Thomas Crotty 

James Palmer 

Qilong Zhang 

FRENCH CONTINUERS 

Joseph Dorph (93) 


GENERAL MATHEMATICS 

Christian Ferrao (94) 

Taylor Gray 

Jamie Grippi 

William Grundy 

Sacha Newell 

Rohan O’Regan 


Maclean Paton 

Dylan Poulton 

Angus Roby 

Shane Whitby 

Lachlan Yule 

HISTORY EXTENSION 

Thomas Crotty (47) 

Anthony Lombardo 

Joshua Noore 

industrial technology 

Michael Drummond (96) 

Julian Costas 

JAPANESE BEGINNERS 

Sano Reiji (93)* 

LATIN CONTINUERS 

Spyridon Augoustinos (92) 

LATIN EXTENSION 


LEGAL STUDIES 

David Bretag (92) 

James Palmer (92) 


MATHEMATICS 


Joshua Yu (100) 



Alexander Chiu 

Joseph Dorph 



Morgan McDonald 

Adam Rasko 

Min Kyu Song 

James Tran 

Myles Turpin 


Ming Qian Yu 

MATHEMATICS EXTENSION 1 

– 1 UNIT 

Joshua Yu (49) 


Joseph Dorph 

Morgan McDonald 

Adam Rasko 

Myles Turpin 



– 2 UNIT 


Alexander Bui 

Wayland Jian 

Collin Liang 

Haoran Liu 

Zi Ao Wang 

Sang Jin Yoon 



Zi Ao Wang 

Sang Jin Yoon 

MODERN GREEK BEGINNERS 

Matthew Markakis (99)* 

Evan Spiroglou* 

MODERN HISTORY 


David Bretag (92) 

Myles Turpin (92) 

Jackson Buckley 

Thomas Crotty 

Hugh Cunningham 


MUSIC 1 

Christian Ferrao (96) 


Jamie Grippi 

Michael Thomas-McGrath 

Nicholas Xenos 

MUSIC 2 


Maximillian Miller-Bock 

MUSIC EXTENSION 


Raditya Bramantyo 

Maximillian Miller-Bock 

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, 

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL 

EDUCATION 

Nicholas Chapman (94) 


Taylor Gray 

Matthew Hood 

Dylan Poulton 

Jack Van Der Vegt 

PHYSICS 


Joseph Dorph 


Myles Turpin 

SOFTWARE DESIGN AND 

DEVELOPMENT 

Kevin Arya (92) 

James Torres-Lynch (92) 

Christopher Kuburlis 

SPANISH BEGINNERS 

Joseph Dorph (97) 


STUDIES OF RELIGION I 



VISUAL ARTS 

Nicholas Scaltrito (91) 

Max Stanistreet (91) 

Edward Watson (91) 

Jordan Loy 

Sacha Newell 

Campbell Nugent 

Patrick Speyer 

* Course studied elsewhere. 


8

Advice from the Experts 


ZUBIN BILIMORIA 

• YEARS AT NEWINGTON: 2000–2012 

Lindfield and Stanmore 

• ATAR: 99.95 

• HSC 

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO MY SUCCESS 

There is no doubt that the school and 

my family facilitated my success. The 

school’s culture of self-belief and lessons 

on refusing to accept anything but your 

personal best from yourself were really 

important as well as the teaching staff who 

encouraged and believed in me and were 

incredibly generous with their time and 

expertise. My cohort, particularly my close 

friends, were amazing for positive energy 

and fun during a stressful year and my 

parents timely prodding, encouragement 

and support undoubtedly contributed. 

EXPECTATION VS RESULTS 

No one would have backed me to get 

the ATAR I did at the start of Year 7 

or even through middle school – but 

I lifted my game in Year 11 and it 

paid off. I remained involved in extracurricular 

commitments such as Music 

and Debating at levels that helped with 

my results. I was consistently focused 

and motivated right through Year 12 

but my final results still exceeded my 

expectations. 

ADVICE FOR THOSE STILL TO FINISH 

SCHOOL AND THEIR PARENTS 

It’s a marathon – maintain your focus 

by having fun along the way. You have to 

be consistent without burning out so I 

definitely think maintaining Co-curricular 

commitments helps. You are making a 

huge commitment in terms of time and 

effort so learn to be passionate about 

and enjoy your subjects. If your subjects 

interest and engage you, then you are 

more likely to put in the effort to excel. 

Finally - when the stress kicks in, trust 

yourself and those around you – at 

Newington you seriously are in the best 

possible hands. 

STUDY TIP 

Don’t obsess too much with the final 

result or it will overwhelm you – break the 

year up into parts so that you concentrate 

on each and every assessment. Don’t 

lose your sense of proportion and let 

the occasion get the better of you – it is 

important but other things matter as well. 

CO-CURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT AND THE 

IMPACT THIS HAD 

I participated in Sport, Music ensembles 

and Debating right across Years 11 and 12 

which provided opportunities to socialise 

and a well-deserved break from study. 

WHERE TO NOW 

Combined Bachelors of Commerce/ 

Bachelor of Laws at either The University 

of Sydney or University of NSW. 



Stanmore 

• ATAR: 99.95 

• IB Score 45 


Without doubt, the support given by my 

parents and the guidance from my teachers 

saw me achieve what I did. The Newington 

community supports each student in such a 

way that I was able to reach my potential 

while still maintaining involvement with 

Sport and Co-curricular activities. 


I began Year 11 with the belief that 

getting 45 points was achievable. While I 

certainly had much to improve upon over 

the two years, my work ethic was geared 

to achieving that score. Yet, despite how 

hard I worked, it was still exhilarating 

when I received the mark. 



Have self-belief and persevere because 

it’s never too late to start succeeding. 

I’ve always believed that the only way to 

truly succeed is to aim high and do what 

you enjoy – if you aim low, you will never 

realise how much you are capable of, and 

if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, your 

heart and soul won’t be in it. 

STUDY TIP 

Don’t under-estimate the amount of work 

that is required to succeed. If you want to 

succeed, be proactive and start early. Also, 

don’t be afraid to ask for guidance – your 

teachers want you to succeed as much as 

you do. Finally, I can’t stress enough the 

importance of being organised. 

MOST MEMORABLE IB MOMENT 

The moment I found out I had achieved 

45 points. 



While we all acknowledge that we’re 

primarily at school for academic pursuits, 

the stress associated with the senior 

years can be offset through Music, Sport, 

Debating, Drama and so forth. These are 

opportunities which Newington offers us 

and which we should seize. Personally, I 

know that my involvement with Debating 

helped drastically with my essay-writing 

subjects, while Sport offered a release 

from the stresses of the IB. 

WHERE TO NOW 

I hope to go straight into uni at USYD, 

studying Medicine. 


SPYRIDON 

AUGOUSTINOS 


Stanmore 

• ATAR: 98.25 



Quite simply… my faith, my home and my 

school. The moral support and excellent 

dinners from my parents were crucial in 

giving me the strength to face another 

day. I am also deeply indebted to my 

excellent teachers who encouraged me in 

my studies and who were always willing to 

help me out with any problems. 

PLEASING ASPECTS OF THE HSC 

I have absolutely no regrets in choosing 

the HSC because it enabled me to 

specialise in subjects I enjoyed and gifted 

me with a heap of free periods. This 

enabled me to maximise my marks and 

made each class a pleasure to attend. 

I am also very glad that I opted to do 

all four units of English as I believe this 

prepared me well for the stresses of 

university assignments and deadlines. 



I found that it was vitally important in my 

final year to have an outlet or activity outside 

of study where I could vent my excess 

rage and frustration. Giving up all your 

Co-curricular activities in your final year of 

school would be a big mistake as it deprives 

you of much needed enjoyment and 

satisfaction outside of the academic sphere. 

Being able to verbally explode in Debating 

on Friday night and then physically unleash 

in Rugby on Saturday mornings was a great 

stress reliever and gave me a much needed 

break from my studies. 

STUDY TIP 

Do not under any circumstances study 

with friends! This kind of study is rarely 

productive and destroys your sense of 

concentration on your work. Studying 

with friends inevitably leads to: increased 

procrastination, arm wrestling, pushup 

contests and the loss of valuable 

individual study time. Also, never study 

in front of a computer with Facebook 

minimised as this ensures you will get 

absolutely no work done. 

MOST MEMORABLE HSC MOMENT 

Breaking my left collarbone in three 

places in a Rugby game one week before 

trials was pretty memorable! I had to do 

all my exams in a sling whilst medicated 

under some strong painkillers! However, 

my teachers and the support staff were 

extremely helpful and ensured I completed 

my trials to the best of my abilities. 

WHERE TO NOW 

I plan on doing an Arts degree at The 

University of Sydney with the intention of 

transferring into Arts/Law after my first year. 

adam rasko 


Lindfield and Stanmore 

• ATAR: 99.15 



I believe that my peers and my teachers 

greatly helped me in achieving my academic 

goals this year. All my teachers took the 

time to arrange extra lessons and give me 

feedback on my work when I was having 

trouble with harder areas of my subject. 

I would encourage all boys to approach 

their teachers if they need any extra help. 


I was surprised with my results as they were 

better than I expected. I believe my success 

was a result of working steadily throughout 

the year which gave me confidence going 

into the major exam periods. 

STUDY TIP 

My main study tip would be to do regular 

work throughout the year instead of 

cramming in the weeks and months 

leading up to the HSC. For example, in all 

of the Science and Economics subjects 

there is a ‘dot point’ syllabus which 

specifically covers everything that is 

allowed to be asked in all school and HSC 

exams. One night a week I would write 

notes for each ‘dot point’ of the syllabus, 

which was covered in class the previous 

week. By strictly following this process I 

consolidated what I had learnt each week 

and had a comprehensive set of notes 

when it came to exam time. This method 

greatly reduced stress during exam 

periods and allowed me time to focus on 

the difficult areas of subjects which I had 

trouble with. 

I also got a large range of past papers 

which were very helpful as they were 

good practice and exam questions are 

often repeated. My teachers gave me 

Newington past papers but past HSC and 

other schools papers can also be found 

on the internet. 



School Sport was enjoyable during Year 

12 as it gave me time to relax with mates 

outside the classroom. 



It is important to enjoy your last year of 

school so take time out to enjoy yourself. 

By doing regular work on schools nights I 

got time to relax on the weekends. 

WHERE TO NOW 

I haven’t totally decided yet but I was 

thinking of doing either an Advanced 

Science or an Engineering degree at 

The University of Sydney. 


9 

10



wayland jian 


Stanmore 

• ATAR: 98.30 



I think the support and help from the 

teachers and my parents, combined with 

the hard work and preparation I put in 

before exams and assessment tasks are 

what made the difference in my HSC year. 


Looking back now, I am very glad with the 

diversity of the subjects you can choose 

to do for your HSC. This allowed me to 

choose the subjects I was interested 

in, and in turn, I was more focused and 

willing to put more effort in studying for 

these subjects. 



Start preparing early for assessments 

and exams; procrastination will get you 

nowhere. 

STUDY TIP 

Study in a comfortable place where you 

can concentrate without distractions such 

as phones, the Internet and iPods. 


The parties we had in school celebrating 

the end of the HSC course. Mr McVicar 

threw the best party for the boys in his 

Physics class. He knows how to party! 



As a member of the Rifle Shooting team, 

training and practicing became something 

I looked forward to every week. Sport 

helped me to clear my mind and relieve 

the stress from studying during the week. 

WHERE TO NOW 

I will be studying Civil Engineering with 

Architecture next year at UNSW. 

andrew see 


Stanmore 

• ATAR: 98.20 



The support of many great teachers, family 

and hard work leading up to the exam. 

PLEASING ASPECTS OF THE IB 

I am very pleased with my choice of the IB 

because it allowed me to focus on a broad 

range on subjects, and also put emphasis 

on assisting the community. I was able 

to study a variety of interesting subjects 

and become involved with Surf Life Saving 

Australia as a part of my service for CAS. 


I was pleased with most of my results, 

especially with my high scores in Standard 

Level Maths and Japanese as this is 

where I invested the most time studying 

after trials. 



Start early! This is especially important 

for IB students, due to the multitude of 

Internal Assessments and the Extended 

Essay which are all due in a space of 

roughly two weeks. The last thing you want 

is to realise you have four or five things to 

be done that are due in the same week 

and end up rushing madly to complete 

everything, which usually results in a 

poorly done job for something that counts 

towards your final mark. 

Also, start compiling notes as soon as you 

can. I felt that writing up a set of detailed 

study notes straight after every topic was 

completed (and still fresh in your mind!) 

saved a lot of time in the lead up for the 

exams. It became much easier to refer 

back when I was revising and saved me 

countless hours relearning material. 

MOST MEMORABLE IB MOMENT 

The relief when it was all over! 

WHERE TO NOW 

Hopefully I will study Medical Science at 

USYD and from there, study post-graduate 

Medicine. 


Results | 11 

James Grogin 


Wyvern and Stanmore 

• ATAR: 98.20 



Hard work, communication and mates. 

The first factor is self-explanatory but what 

many IB students remember too late is 

that “prior preparation prevents pretty poor 

performance”. Effective note-taking and 

consolidation of topics and concepts are 

absolutely vital, as everything over the two 

years can, and most likely will, be assessed. 

The second factor for success is 

communication. Teachers are the best 

source of information and are more than 

willing (most of the time) to give you a free 

period or send emails to help understand 

things. Talk to them! Let them know what 

you’re having issues with and you can 

go from there. Don’t feel embarrassed. 

Communication is important, but not just 

with your teachers, also with your parents 

and mates. If there are issues, your parents 

will do everything in their power to help. In 

addition, talk to your friends. Not only does 

this help you not feel isolated, it keeps you 

sane. Go out every once in a while and 

spend time not talking about school. 


SCHOOL 

Respect your teachers and friends, but 

most of all, respect your parents. They want 

you to succeed, to get an education and for 

you to get what you want out of life. 

STUDY TIP 

Do not call it quits if there is more 

to be done especially when writing 

your Extended Essay or an Internal 

Assessment. When your flow of thinking is 

disrupted, it is clear in your writing, so do 

not go days in between writing sessions. 

Push on! A close friend stuck this up over 

her desk: “Five more minutes, one more 

question”. Finish that last paragraph, 

read another page, do another question 

and don’t lose faith! Everything you do 

now will help later. Not writing notes, not 

re-reading English texts, not doing the 

homework will only lead to a result you’re 

not happy with. 



I had three things that kept me going: 

Cadets, the College Choir and The Scarlet 

Pimpernel. They were so different to what 

I was doing in the classroom. My advice 

is keep up with Sport and do something 

creative – it helps immensely with CAS, 

and gives you an outlet for stress. That 

being said, don’t spread yourself too 

thinly. If you want a good result, don’t 

spend all of your time doing everything 

apart from study! 

MATTHEW SHIM 


Stanmore 

• ATAR: 98.20 



The last two years of high school were a 

huge roller coaster ride. They were the 

best and worst years of my life. When 

there are so many ups and downs, you 

need a firm foundation to stay positive 

and driven – for me, they were my friends, 

family and my faith. On top of this, all 

of my teachers had my best interests in 

mind, and were always willing to guide 

and help me with my studies. 

PLEASING ASPECTS OF THE IB 

I loved all the classes in the IB but mostly 

my Economics class. The atmosphere 

within the classroom was always great 

and we became like a family. 


I was happily swamped in Co-curricular 

activities during Year 12, but I feel that I 

also had a decent balance with studies and 

social life. My overall result was expected, 

although I did better in some subjects than 

I thought I would and poorer in others. 



Balance your time well between 

socialising, studying and doing whatever 

Co-curricular you do. Make sure you don’t 

“burn out” and supplement whatever hard 

work you do with a reward. For parents: 

Don’t burden your son with too much 

doom and gloom about the HSC/IB. His 

last year of high school should be enjoyed 

and balanced. 



I was a Co-curricular culprit… I was 

involved in Football, NewFit, Music, 

Cadets, Duke of Edinburgh, Debating 

and SRC. It did get hard at times with the 

workload expected from school and Cocurricular, 

but overall, I think I came out 

the better for having done things that I am 

passionate about than if I hadn’t. 

WHERE TO NOW 

I plan on taking a gap year to travel 

Asia, Africa, Europe and North America 

to volunteer and work before studying 

Commerce (Liberal Studies, hopefully) at 

The University of Sydney. 


12


matthew markakis 


Wyvern House and Stanmore 

• ATAR: 97.75 



Studying in groups really helped me with 

my HSC. The epic thing about studying in 

groups is you can surround yourself with 

all sorts of different peers and the whole 

cohort benefits. 

This really helped me as when I studied 

with someone who seemed to know more 

than me I was always absorbing new 

content and finding out innovative ways 

to do things. Studying with someone who 

perhaps seemed to know less than me 

meant that I could consolidate what I had 

learnt and find better ways to articulate 

and explain information I already knew. 

Engaging with different people over 

different subjects and topics always kept 

me interested and it motivated everyone 

to improve through healthy competition, so 

regardless of our internal ranks we would 

all benefit come our external exams. 



The most valuable piece of advice I can 

give is that there is absolutely no other 

time than the present. Make use of the 

lull periods in your assessment schedules 

so that when the busy moments come 

you are well prepared. Don’t procrastinate 

on take-home assignments as, given the 

right amount of effort and the correct 

understanding of the task, they should 

be easy marks. Never be afraid to ask 

questions as even the most seemingly 

intimidating of teachers can be the 

friendliest person with the advice that 

could lift your marks to the next level. 

STUDY TIP 

Don’t get lost in the depths of the internet 

wasting time. What often began for me 

as a small “planned” (cough, cough) 

study break to unwind after school could 

suddenly end up as a wasted night filled 

with Facebook, YouTube and the odd links 

your mates seem to always send you. If 

you want to get through some effective 

study, especially earlier in the HSC, 

there’s really nothing like powering down 

your computer and just going back to 

basics i.e. working through the textbook. 


The moment I rested my pen down in 

the last HSC exam. I reflected on the 

achievement I had just accomplished 

whilst being overwhelmed with joy at the 

thought of my newfound freedom. 

WHERE TO NOW 

I hope to study Commerce/Law next year 

at university. 

Newington boys credit top marks to top 

teachers and taking time out 

As Newington’s Class of 2012 boys gathered to celebrate their results at the Stanmore 

campus, they recognised two things as vital to not just their happiness during their 

senior years at school, but crucial to achieving the results they did. The first was their 

involvement in Co-curricular pursuits and the second was the unwavering support from 

their teachers. 

Education, particularly in creativity, 

has to walk a fine line between: 

1. teaching the grounding, the 

foundations, the core building 

blocks – without losing engagement 

from your student, and 

2. teaching the freedom to fly well 

past the norm, to question, to think 

outside the square, to discover, 

to think why not or why is it so? 

To intellectually push and prod 

rather than succumb to the boy 

demanding spoon-feeding and 

again without losing engagement 

from your student. 

These challenges require a wonderful 

teacher – we are so blessed at 

Newington having such teachers. 

Dr David Mulford 

Headmaster 

Design and Technology teacher, Mr Ross Yates, congratulates Jarrod Stilp on achieving 96 out of a 

possible 100 in Design and Technology and his HSC Showcase nomination for DesignTECH. 


13 

samuel aravanis 


Wyvern and Stanmore 

• ATAR: 97.65 



Going to the local library during my HSC 

period provided an ideal quiet study 

environment free from technological 

distractions and being among other 

students gave me motivation to continue 

working as I did not feel alone in my 

endeavors. Joining the library also gave 

me access to books and resources, 

helpful in my research. In addition, 

moral support from family and friends 

encouraged me to continue striving to 

achieve my goals when times got tough. 


The HSC allowed me to undertake a 

range of subjects which appealed to me 

such as Music, Chemistry and PDHPE. 

Doing subjects which interested me made 

studying more enjoyable. 


My results were higher than I was 

expecting and they far exceeded the goals 

I set for myself at the beginning of the HSC 

year. However they were reflective of the 

effort that I put in as I worked to the best of 

my ability throughout Years 11 and 12. 



Don’t procrastinate! My biggest problem 

was finding the motivation to begin 

studying. Once I began the time passed 

quickly, however it was the ability to get 

myself into a working mind-frame which 

took me a while and wasted a lot of 

time. Try and avoid this and stay alert in 

order to maximise your potential when 

studying. Maintaining a sense of humour 

throughout the HSC is imperative. My 

friends provided me with lots of laughs. 

STUDY TIP 

Utilise your breaks. Don’t waste them 

by sitting in front of the TV or playing 

electronic games. Try and be active as 

this helps clear your mind and helps 

you relax. Secondly, make sure that your 

phone, computer and all distractions are 

not accessible as they will interfere with 

your concentration and ability to effectively 

study. Studying for shorter periods of time 

with no distractions is more beneficial. 


Receiving my ATAR was definitely a 

highlight for me as it showed I could 

achieve a lot if I put my mind to it. Also 

performing in my Music 1 class and 

joking with my teacher was a highlight 

throughout the year. I always looked 

forward to having Music as it provided 

me with relief from the written work, and 

gave us the opportunity to bond and have 

experiences I will always cherish. 

WHERE TO NOW 

Veterinary Science at The University of 

Sydney. 

The importance of supportive teachers 

The class of 2012 boys credited their success to their supportive teachers at Newington, 

who not only motivated them in class but also took the time out of class to offer advice, 

feedback on work and extra help when boys felt the pressure of revision and exams. 

Jonathan Ciofani, who achieved a perfect score in the IB, described his teachers’ 

instruction as “invaluable”. Speaking about his final years at Newington he said, “I was 

most pleased with the guidance and expertise that my teachers were able to provide. 

They were always generous with their time and offered assistance whenever it was 

asked for.” 

Matthew Markakis who achieved an ATAR of 97.75 recognised the style of teaching at 

Newington. He said “I found the teachers really knew when to be proactive and motivate 

students and when to leave the students to get through work and thrive through their 

own individual learning methods.” 

James Grogin told us about the vital support he was given following his disappointment 

at receiving a grade of 4 in the Higher Level Biology Trial Exam, usually thought to be 

a good indicator of the November exam results. He said, “I was devastated, shocked 

and completely pessimistic. I studied so much for those Trial exams and all I received 

was a 4? It didn’t make sense. All that effort for such little reward was so unsatisfying. 

Miss Bateren sat me down and told me to calm myself, get a grip and plan an attack on 

the Biology syllabus. She also told me that over the next months leading up to the final 

exams, she was there to answer any questions, repeat and consolidate knowledge and 

offer support, something that I desperately needed. It was good to know that there was 

someone close by who was willing to lend a hand and pull me out of my rut”. James took 

Miss Bateran’s advice and worked hard and focused on the task at hand and when he 

rang Dr Pride at 9.03am on 4 January, he found it had all paid off; James achieved a 

grade of 7 – the top grade – in his Biology exam. 


14

Co-curricular 

Spending time to save time 

A good balance between Academic and 

Co-curricular activities helps to provide a 

rounded education, but our 2012 leavers 

could not impress on us more the value 

of Co-curricular involvement at a time of 

stress, even though they felt they should 

be spending the time studying. Cocurricular 

activities can, they said, allow 

you to manage your time better, give you 

the chance to form lifelong friendships 

and importantly provide the relief needed 

from school work to make your studies 

far more productive. 

It is interesting to note that subject 

performance in the Performing Arts, 

Music and Drama, was particularly 

pleasing in 2012–a year in which The 

Scarlet Pimpernel was staged and the 

Theatre Sports team took out second at 

the state competition. The majority of 

students included in both Co-curricular 

activities were Year 12 boys. 

Ciaran Frame at the 2012 Founders Concert 

Spyridon Augoustinos who achieved an 

ATAR of 98.25 said, “In my final year, I was 

in the 1sts Debating, was involved in three 

Music ensembles and also played Tennis 

and Rugby. These activities helped me to 

maintain my sanity and ensured that I had 

an outlet outside of my studies.” Julian 

Costas who achieved an ATAR of 79.70 

seconded that point and also drew on the 

mates he made, “I did Cadets (CUO), Judo 

and Rifle Shooting. My advice is to do 

Cadets as I had the most fun leading my 

platoon and have a relationship with them 

that will never end”. Samuel Aravanis, 

with an ATAR of 97.65, said, “Sport in 

my final year was definitely an enjoyable 

outlet and good stress relief, as it took 

my mind off schoolwork, allowed me to 

socialise with friends and was a lot of fun. 

A good balance of work and relaxation 

is vital in being able to survive the HSC.” 

Finally, Ciaran Frame who achieved an 

ATAR of 98.80 through the IB said, “Cocurricular 

involvement for me was just as 

valuable as the curricular side of things. 

So many people decide to drop everything 

for hitting the books an extra hour or two 

longer, my advice is – don’t!” 

Newington staff work hard to provide 

boys with a wide range of Co-curricular 

opportunities which are inclusive and offer 

something for all interests and abilities. 

It is reassuring to hear from our Year 

12 leavers how important Co-curricular 

involvement has been in their senior years. 

Off to a great start! Newington’s 2012 graduates together at the College one more time to celebrate the HSC and IB Diploma results before heading 

off to tertiary options, travel or work. 

Thank you so much to the boys who came to the 

HSC and IB barbeques and took the 

time to give us their honest and candid 

thoughts on their senior years at 

Newington. Many people say they want to 

know this information because these last 

two years seem a great mystery, particularly to younger 

students. We hope boys will take our Year 12 leavers’ 

advice and be very interested to read their experiences. 


14 

Julian Costas returns his ceremonial cadet sword to his Commanding Officer CAPT (AAC) Rodney Wood at the final cadet parade for 2012. 

Clearly many boys have done exceptionally well in 2012. 

The aim of this magazine is not to just celebrate high 

achievers but to acknowlegde and congratulate all 

those boys who achieved a personal best of which 

they can be justifiably proud. 


Results | 16

NEWINGTON TOPS BOTH HSC AND IB - Newington College

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