House System
Upon entry to the School, each student is allocated, according to age and gender, or family tradition, to one of the four houses:
- Hunter (green) – named after John Hunter
- Macquarie (red) – named after Lachlan Macquarie
- Shortland (yellow) – named after John Shortland
- Tyrrell (sky blue) – named after Bishop Tyrrell.
Houses form the basis for sporting and cultural competitions or interactions within the school, including:
- debating
- music festival
- cross country (years 2–12)
- swimming carnivals
- athletics carnivals.
The house system also facilitates the pastoral care programme of the senior school. Students in each house are placed in a single-sex, mixed age group led by one a mentor teacher, and they remain with this group throughout their senior school years. Mentor groups meet twice each week and also sit together in assembly and chapel service. The mentor teacher and house patron work together to encourage and support each student in the House, and the house patron and student leaders are responsible for organising sporting teams for inter-house competitions as well as fund-raising activities, and various inter-house events. Each house is responsible for organising one themed chapel service annually, and sponsoring an activity for the Spring Fair.
Read more about this topic: Newcastle Grammar School
Famous quotes containing the words house and/or system:
“The glance is natural magic. The mysterious communication established across a house between two entire strangers, moves all the springs of wonder. The communication by the glance is in the greatest part not subject to the control of the will. It is the bodily symbol of identity with nature. We look into the eyes to know if this other form is another self, and the eyes will not lie, but make a faithful confession what inhabitant is there.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The intellect is vagabond, and our system of education fosters restlessness. Our minds travel when our bodies are forced to stay at home. We imitate; and what is imitation but the travelling of the mind?”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)