RBHS 75th Anniversary Celebration
Dear RBHS community,
It is bittersweet that this is our final Randwick Boys' High School newsletter. Today we celebrate an exceptional year, but also farewell our school as we know it. Thank you for your part in our journey.
Celebrations this week
This has been a huge week to celebrate Randwick Boys' High School. On Tuesday, we celebrated with an ‘End of an Era’ event, with Old Boys and their families as far back as 1963 attending. It was an amazing night and a great opportunity to see Old Boys reconnect, hear from previous Principals, ex-students and witness some incredible performances from students past and present. I have included my address later in the newsletter, to share with everyone my final thoughts about our incredible school. A huge thank you to Ms Olsen, who led our team for the night, and for Ms Ford, Mr Johnstone, Ms Carle, Mr Benson, Ms Simon, Ms Betros and Mr Nguyen for your efforts, as well as our SRC and band who helped out and performed. It was a beautiful celebration.
Yesterday, we held our annual Sports Presentation Assembly to honour the achievements of our athletes and another tremendous year of sport at RBHS. Sport at Randwick Boys' High has always been much more than just competition. It has been a powerful force in building school spirit, fostering friendships, and teaching valuable life skills including teamwork, respect, and resilience—principles that extend far beyond the field. Well done to our House Champions, The Romans, and thank you to Mr Bester for your leadership of sport in 2024, who is always an advocate for providing an array of enriching opportunities for our boys.
Today we held our annual Presentation Day, our 75th year and final assembly. I could not help but be slightly emotional and feel an overwhelming sense of pride. The sheer amount of award recipients today reflects the calibre of student at our school, their personal commitment and dedication, but also the incredibly talented staff who have supported them. Collectively, we have achieved so much this year. It has not been without challenge and sacrifice. But today I can confidently say that we can celebrate not only our achievements academically, but also the amazing effort from our whole school community in ensuring that the legacy of Randwick Boys’ High School will be one of which we can be so proud. Congratulations to all award recipients- I am immensely proud of you all.
Week 10
A few administrative mentions for next week. School is open to students Monday to Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday, staff will participate in School Development Days. During Week 10, only Year 11 will attend regular classes. For Years 7-10, on Monday and Wednesday, students will participate in year-based enrichment activities with specific faculties. Ms Conway has sent information about Unity Day on Tuesday. For students attending, we expect full school uniform and excellent behaviour, as always.
Reports
Your child's final 2024 report will be available via the Sentral portal next week. We will email all parents and carers when these are ready to be viewed.
Final message
From our school family to yours, a very warm Happy Holidays. However you celebrate, I wish you all a very safe and happy festive season, and well-deserved break. We are excited to see you all Term 1 next year as we begin our new journey as Randwick High School.
Miss Payne's RBHS 75th Birthday/End of Era event address
A very warm welcome and thank you, everyone, for coming together today to celebrate what I believe is the best school in the world. My personal journey at Randwick Boys' High began 8 years ago, when Mr Lance Raskall appointed me as Head Teacher English. For any other school, that would be quite an impressive stint. However, my 8 years shies in comparison to some of our teachers, who have committed over 30 years to Randwick Boys' High. In fact, our current executive of 10 have collectively dedicated just over 200 years to our school. That, I believe, speaks volumes about the type of school we are—a school where dedication, passion, and a deep sense of pride have been passed down through generations. It is a school where teachers love what we do, we love our community, and it is incredibly difficult to leave, and I am humbled to be part of a community where commitment runs so deep.
It is bittersweet that Randwick Boys’ High School’s 75th birthday is also our last. Today you will hear about incredible Principals, teachers and Old Boys, who have excelled in every space. However, the legacy of this school is not measured solely by the awards we win, or the milestones we achieve, but by the values we uphold and the everyday actions that define us. At Randwick Boys' High, our legacy is reflected in how we live by the values of respect, responsibility, integrity, honour, and excellence. What I have always loved about Randwick Boys’ High School is that every student has a place to belong. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the sports field, in the gaming club, in the school show, with the larrikins in the quad, in the music rooms, the list goes on… Our school fosters a strong sense of community where each individual is valued and where difference is celebrated. We have always been committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and grow. The legacy of Randwick Boys' High is one of making a positive difference, standing up for what is right, and leaving a lasting impact through the strength of our character and our commitment to one another. Every act of kindness, every moment of perseverance, and every effort to support and include others contributes to the legacy we leave behind. That is what has made this school so special over the years, and it will continue to shape our future as Randwick High School.
As I look around the room today, it is beautiful to see many familiar faces. I have learnt so much from many of you, teachers, students and parents alike; what it means to be a great teacher, a great leader, a great friend, and most recently, a great Mum. At Randwick Boys’ High, you are never just a number. We are a family. It is important to remember today that blood runs thicker than water, and while our name changes next year, we will always be family.
It has been an absolute honour and privilege to lead Randwick Boys' High School in our final term, but I in no way have done this alone. After farewelling Mr Raskall, our final farewell to our school has been a collective effort, driven by the entire Randwick Boys' High community. We’ve all contributed to the legacy of this great school, and together, we will continue to ensure and our history, traditions, and the strength of our community will never be forgotten.
Up the Wicks!
Annual Presentation Day
Year 9 Marine & Aquaculture Technology Boat Building
Year 9 Marine students have been busy this term learning about boat building techniques and building their boats in the science lab and the woodwork room. We were then able to test the boats, including its maximum load and capacity. Well done boys for your successful projects!
Holiday Cheer at Breakfast Club 2024
Monday 09 December 2024 was the last day of Breakfast Club at RBHS. To celebrate the end of the year, students had the opportunity to decorate Christmas cookies in addition to the usual spread of toast, cereal and fresh fruit. Thanks to the RBHS P&C Association for funding this program to provide delicious and nutritious breakfast for our students. Happy holidays everyone and keep an eye (and ear) out for news about Breakfast Club in 2025!
‘Thank You’ note from Lance Raskall
At today’s Presentation Day, our P&C handed our former Principal, Mr Lance Raskall, the card with the well-wishes from our community along with a gift and the monetary contributions we collected. Here is his ‘thank you’ note to all of you:
May I thank you for the amazing gift from the P & C today. I am absolutely overwhelmed and thank you all so dearly. The gift is so overly generous. The snacks and beverage will be enjoyed by Julie and I over the holiday period and the other part of the gift will be used for experiences which we will share with you. Thank you again and thanks for the amazing send off for all Randwick Boys!! X
Randwick High School Uniform Showroom Opening Times
Our uniform showroom for the RHS uniform will be open one more time this term on Tuesday, 17 December from 8 - 9am (right before the celebrations for “Fence or Unity Day” start (please see below!). We will reopen next year, potentially in the week before school starts. Please watch out for information that will be sent around during the holidays. We will continue to open the showroom every Tuesday and Friday during school term next year.
Please note that the facilities for uniform pick-up (of orders) and drop-off (of returns) are located at the RGHS Administration Office (Barker Street entrance)! There will NOT be another delivery to the school this year.
RHS P&C Facebook Page - please join us online!
Have you visited our new RHS P&C Facebook page yet? Please join our online community.
We also encourage you to become a member of the RHS P&C to receive our latest information, be informed about meetings and find out what’s going on at school. Our first meeting next year will be on Wednesday, 12 February and we look forward to seeing you there! Please sign up for information using this link:
‘Unity Day’ Tuesday, 17 December
As we are coming together next Tuesday to celebrate the removal of ‘The Fence’ and our two schools uniting into Randwick High School from next year, our P&C has organised a food and ice cream truck to provide the culinary background for the celebrations. Parents and students will be able to purchase their food from Wholly Schnit and Messina Ice Cream from midday (the school canteen will be open as usual), so please make sure you bring some money (digital payments accepted).
2025 Book Packs are back for years 7 & 8!
Have you ordered yours yet? Please check out the flyer below and make the start of the 2025 school year as easy as possible!
School Absence Notification System
Regular attendance at school is essential to assist students to maximise their potential. At Randwick Boys' High School, we must ensure our school has effective measures in place to monitor and follow up students absences. We are required under Section 22 of the Education Act (1990) to undertake all reasonable measures to contact parents promptly and within two school days of absence. We have implemented additional measures to ensure we are upholding the NSW Department of Education standards here at Randwick Boys' High School. Our school absence notification system consists of a text message, follow up email and Sentral notification in the parent portal, to minimise unexplained absences. An absence is unexplained if parents have failed to provide an explanation to the school within 7 days. Thank you for your understanding and assistance.