Melbourne

MR KEN CONNORS melbourne housemaster

Iwant to start by saying how honoured and fortunate I am to be appointed as the Housemaster of this House. There are a number of thoughts and plenty of negative assumptions you could make when entering a House that has placed 12th on the House Shield the year before. You could assume you have a House full of disharmony, boys that are self-centred and have no interest or polarising personalities that overpower and force many back into their shells. I am very happy to say that that couldn’t be further from the truth. What I was greeted with was a group of boys who are compassionate, hardworking, polite, enthusiastic, take pride in their House and value their friendships.

I want to sincerely thank the boys for making me feel so welcome, particularly our Year 12 cohort that set such a positive tone to the House this year.

Going back to the beginning of the year, our first event was the House Swimming, before the Norovirus made its impact. As part of that there was going to be a competition for the best House warcry performance. So we got the 12s together and I said, “right boys next House meeting we are practicing our warcry” to which I received blank looks, “do we have a House warcry?” was the response. So I delved deep into a filing cabinet that is in my office, “surely we have a warcry” I thought. The filing cabinet was like a Housemaster time machine, I waded through the Mr Saw and Mr Thorpe zone, through the Mr Luxton era and for those that would remember him, ended up in the golden age of Mr Roberts. I found what I had been looking for, blew the dust off and made some copies.

We had a couple of practises but in the end the boys just did not warm to it. I’ll be the first to admit that it needed some updating.

HOUSEMASTER MR KEN CONNORS

HOUSE CAPTAIN PATRICK ANNING

HOUSE VICE-CAPTAIN SEAN MCMENAMIN

HOUSE SPORTS CAPTAINS RONAN KAPI CASEY MURPHY

HOUSE CULTURAL CAPTAIN JACOB SCULL

HOUSE SACRISTAN DEAN BURTON

MENTOR TEACHERS MR MARK LOCKETT MR SIMON LEES MR JOHN WALLACE MR GRAHAM HERLIHY

The first line reads, “Melbourne, Melbourne is the best, Melbourne, Melbourne beat the rest”

The first response to this was, “but sir we are not the best”.

I want to make this very clear to the young men of this House, that a House is not defined by it’s placing in a competition, its defined by your everyday actions, the effort you put in, the way you treat and the respect you give to other people, your parents and staff. The respect you give the School, its traditions, the people that have gone before you but, most of all, how you treat each other. The House is a space where everyone can share their opinions, free of prejudice. A space where we can rejoice in victory and support each other in defeat. Some of the bonds you will form in this House will last a lifetime and I’m sure that many of the fathers who are Old Boys will attest to that. From what I have seen from my short time in this House, those are the qualities demonstrated and on display just about every day.

So, that first line of the warcry isn’t just referring to your prowess in the sporting arena, it encompasses all those values that make a community. Values and qualities I have seen each and every one of you possess and something you should be very proud of.

Now in saying that though, we have enjoyed some success this year. We placed seventh in our first cluster, for which I seemed to be more excited than the boys until they quickly informed me that we placed seventh last year in that same cluster.

We had some strong individual performances in the cross country, particularly by our Year 7 cohort with the likes of Harry Sullivan and Massimo Abela, as well as Jack McAuley in Year 9. We were then catapulted towards the front of the pack with a first place finish in the House Drama. It has been 20 years since the House has seen victory in Drama. A win secured by our own member of the academic firsts, none other than Oliver Robb Gladwin, with a script with so much depth we were all forced to re-examine our understanding of the theme, which was that of the underdog. After about the fifth time Oliver tried to explain his interpretation, I realised I was the one being schooled and I ended up putting my trust in his judgement. I told him he may need to simplify this explanation for some of the younger boys so I made sure I listened intently whilst he did that. There were some amazing performances by many of the boys, particularly Jack Poidevin, Jacob Scull, Oscar Gallagher and Patrick Anning in those lead roles.

MELBOURNE HOUSE OFFICIALS

LEFT TO RIGHT: J. SCULL, S. MCMENAMIN, P. ANNING, MR K. CONNORS (HOUSEMASTER), R. KAPI, C. MURPHY, D. BURTON

From there we head into Declamations where we had Massimo Abela in Year 7 absolutely obliterate the competition in the junior division with a flawless performance, so impressive that Mr Wallace had him perform it to the whole school. Martin Dwyer represented us in the senior division, being the youngest finishing with a very respectable eigth place. Now Martin was disappointed in his efforts but let me tell you something about Mr Dwyer, he is new to the School this year but has completely immersed himself into just about everything the School has to offer. He is involved in six different GPS sports, for which he is in the A team for three of those, he is on the Dean’s List, he is heavily involved in music, he’s been involved in every House event, Year 10 Leadership team, the list goes on. He has amassed 438 points and he only needs 250 for Full House colours. So Martin there is no need to be disappointed, you’ve done yourself and the House proud.

Again, solid performances in the track and field and volleyball, with many pushing themselves physically and giving 100%, leaving us sitting at eighth place overall. In Term Four chess, basketball, and swimming provided significant challenges for us. Even though we placed third in the basketball it wasn’t enough to maintain our placing and unfortunately we slipped to finish the year in 10th place overall. Still an improvement from last year. The results that are the most important, last year we were the top House in academics and diligence, this year we have actually improved our average GPA but ironically we are sitting at third place, but it is incredibly close at the top with only fractions separating the top three so we can be very happy with that result still. We are starting to develop a good balance.

In addition to the House events, we have boys from all grades participating at a national and state level for a range of sports, rugby, basketball, cricket, swimming and gymnastics. Culturally, we have many boys involved in three or more musical groups, with a lot of those sitting AMEB exams grade 5 and above. A remarkable effort indeed.

I know there are still some boys that know they could be involved in more GPS activities and contribute more to our House events, so for those boys I challenge them to try something new for 2019, push yourself out of your comfort zone and support your brothers.

There are a few people I would like to acknowledge and thank. On behalf of the entire Melbourne Community, a thank you to our House Mentors, Mr Lockett, Mr Lees, Mr Wallace and Mr Herlihy. Thank you for the guidance you have given the boys and support you have provided to

me throughout the year. I couldn’t do my job without your support.

Finally, but definitely not least, to the Mums, Dads and all carers. As staff we are honoured to be involved with such a fine group of people. Thank you for your unwavering support.

HOUSE CAPTAIN’S REPORT Patrick Anning I am always bewildered when I reflect back to Year 7 and I can’t help but remember what it was like for me. I was so lucky to be allocated a spot in Melbourne House and I became aware of this during my first two years of high school. I have never been welcomed by such a tight community until I met the boys of Melbourne in 2013. I look back to the previous House Captains like Nathan Black, Jack Tobiano and Will Layt, and remember looking up to them like superheroes addressing the House Supper. It is a very humbling feeling knowing that I get to address such a fine group of young men on a weekly basis.

When I envision TSS as a whole especially in regards to Melbourne House, I think of the aspects and characteristics that the boys of this school and this House portray. I have decided to narrow them down to just a few main points and I hope to offer some advice to the boys of Melbourne before I depart as House Captain.

When I think of this House, I automatically think of a community. We enter as individuals and emerge as one. Year 8 is one of the most daunting, however, exciting years in my eyes, as it is when you are no longer separated from the everyday House interactions and you have now secured a seat at the table. Exposing yourself to as many activities as possible is essential to making the most of your time in Melbourne and if there is one thing I do not regret doing in Year 8, it is that I signed up for just about every House event there is. So to the Year 7 boys down the back, the guys like Massimo, Finn, Charlie, Cian, Ned, Zeke, Mason, Lachie, Connor, Nicholas, Jadyn, Harry, Ben, Hayden and my brother Cormack, don’t be afraid to get involved because the earlier you start to realise that the more involved you are, the less regrets you will have when you are in my position about to depart as a Valedictorian.

Forget what everybody thinks about your extra-curricular choices, because what anybody thinks of you is none of your business. I have to acknowledge Mr Wallace for showing me the way to progressing my public speaking. I signed up in Year 8 to the Speech and Variety Club and have not regretted a single moment. Who knows how I would have ended up presenting like if I had listened to some of the petty comments that were made about me, and the guys that made fun of me actually ended up joining the club. If you really want to try something new and get involved with a spectacular club, sign up to Speech and Variety and I promise you will never look back. Years 9 and 10 were the years that really boosted my academic standards and how I went about my studies. It took me my whole schooling life up until then to realise that if you do your homework and listen to what your teacher has to say, then maybe you will pass your subjects, who would of thought. I had the pleasure of meeting a man that changed my attitude towards my least favourite subject which was maths. Mr Herlihy turned my way of looking at equations from not understanding them at all, to doing them with my eyes closed. I owe so much to this man as he helped me turn my academic future into something pretty bright. So a message to the lads entering Years 9 and 10; I cannot stress to you enough that if you are like I was, and you are struggling, seek assistance, listen to your teachers and do your homework because there is always going to be someone who wants to help out, you just have to find them.

Year 11, the preparation year for senior. The time you find out what OP you are predicted to receive, how good. This is one of the most important schooling years of your life boys so make sure you make the most of it. Have fun on the weekends and throw a bit of banter towards each other at school, but make sure you get your priorities straight because it will set you up nice and flush for your senior year of studies. It is also the time where the School gets to vote for the foundation wardens, prefects, school vice-captain and school captain as well as House officials. Do not let these titles intimidate the way you think, act or how you portray yourself. Titles are all they are boys, and sure it is an awesome achievement to be

granted such things, however, it isn’t the end of the universe if you miss out. You don’t need to be given a title to be remembered. Make your own mark in your own unique way and be strong in the way you make decisions.

This year has been the making of some of the best times of my schooling life. I’ve had the pleasure of leading such a terrific House with Vice-Captain Sean and Cultural Captain Jacob. I have had helping hands with everything I do, especially coming from the Sports Captains, Casey and Ronan. The seniors of Melbourne this year are a grand bunch of men that are capable of achieving so much and I have no doubt that you all are graduating with a sense of fulfilment knowing you left nothing in the tank. Through the creativity of Ollie, Sean and Jacob, the boys were able to produce a first place House Drama script, however, it could not have been done without all the involvement of every other boy, even if you were not on stage. I’d like to also take the opportunity to thank all of the mentors and especially Mr Connors for making this year the best it could have been. It is all the more reassuring to know that Melbourne has secured a very committed Housemaster who is here for the long run, so thank you Sir.

And to the leaders of Melbourne for 2019, I, along with the rest of this year’s House seniors, wish you the very best for next year as you take on the leadership of not only the House, but also TSS. Create a legacy for yourselves. I have complete faith that the House will fall into steady hands and a strong leadership team and I know that you will strive for the very best for everybody in the House. Just remember that everybody has something to offer to the Melbourne Mafia.

MELBOURNE HOUSE

SEATED ROW: P. HUANG, T. ZHU, T. KOPUA, C. MURPHY, J. SCULL, R. KAPI, S. MCMENAMIN, MR K. CONNORS, P. ANNING, C. MURPHY, O. GALLAGHER, L. KELLY, C. FOX MEULEMAN, O. ROBB GLADWIN, A. MAKHANYOK SECOND ROW: MR M. LOCKETT, R. DAINTREE, F. TAYLOR, J. DEVLIN, R. MURPHY, T. OXENFORD, B. DOUGLAS, K. NEWITT, P. LYNCH, J. FRIZELLE, D. PETIE, D. BURTON, C. HANRAHAN, C. LOCKETT THIRD ROW: J. HARDY, S. MORGAN, H. FAULKNER, B. LEVY, T. SCHWERKOLT, J. BURT, M. HATELEY, Z. NIXON, M. DWYER, B. COOK, C. FIELDING, J. YUN, S. GRAY, M. BUCKLEY, MR J. WALLACE FOURTH ROW: MR G. HERLIHY, C. WOOD, S. HUANG, B. TESTA, H. HONG, J. POPOV, J. POIDEVIN, H. TZANNES, B. BROWNLEE-SMITH, R. FIELDING, J. MCAULEY, J. JUST, J. RANSBY, J. HOPKINS, MR R. IBBOTT FIFTH ROW: F. ALLMAN, L. HARDY, C. BRADBURN, J. WEI, O. DUNN, Q. KHERN, K. FISHER, D. FAULKNER, J. LOMAX, Y. WHALA, L. BURT, J. REES, Z. CRAIN, J. MORRIS SIXTH ROW: C. MURAKAMI, E. KELLY, J. WATERS, C. ANNING, M. KING, N. PIERRON, L. MAIR, C. COMERFORD, B. TZANNES, H. WILSON, H. SULLIVAN, N. HANRAHAN, J. RYAN, M. ABELA ABSENT: C. CARLOS, M. CARLOS, L. DOUGLAS, J. SINFIELD, A. WEI, M. WOOD

MELBOURNE HOUSE AWARDS

The Layt Family Trophy .................................. Ned Hanrahan The A. and J. Harkin Prize ..............................Massimo Abela The Tobiano Family Trophy ................................ Finn Allman The Herbert Melbourne Memorial Award ......... Xavier Crain

The Brook’s Prize ..................................... Cameron Bradburn

The Lillyman Family Award........................ Dechlan Faulkner The Pilgrim Trophy ............................................... Cody Wood The Elek Trophy ................................................. Jack McAuley The A.E. Barnes Trophy ........................................Jack Sinfield The Giltrap Prize ............................................... Jackson Hardy The L.J. Crisp Award......................................... Martin Dwyer The Pegasus Prize ..................................................Max Carlos The Ian Beath Trophy.................................. Charlie Hanrahan The Whittaker Cup................................................... Ky Newitt The Fides Prize .................................................... Dean Burton The Barry Parsons Award...................... Oliver Robb Gladwin The Sixth Form 1983 Prize ................................................Tyrell Kopua The Steve Roberts Memorial Trophy ....... Sean McMenamin

Previously the Housemaster’s Award

J. A. Sprott Shield.............................................. Calum Lockett

For recognition of initiative and unselfish commitment to the Spirit and Ideals of Melbourne House

Melbourne House 1979 Captain’s Prize............. Dean Burton

House Spirit

The Wright Award for Drama ......Jack Poidevin & Jacob Scull S.D. Kakonikis Trophy........................................... Simon Gray

Junior Encouragement

The Libretto Family Trophy............................. Patrick Anning

Leadership