Message from the Headmaster

A Fond Farewell

Dear Parents and Carers

Congratulations and Best Wishes to Year 12, 2025

The examination season is already well underway as Year 12 commence their last week of formal schooling after 13 years of such engagement. HSC Language Orals have been conducted, the Visual Arts Major Works are ready for examination, and our Music and Drama students have performed for the external visiting examiners. Design and Technology and Industrial Technology students have completed their project work, which has been assessed by visiting examiners. History Extension Essays and Science Extension Major Projects were exhibited at American Tea. English Extension 2 Major Works, also exhibited at American Tea, are ready for assessment by external examiners. What remains now is for the written examinations to commence shortly after the beginning of Term 4, with the last exam early in November 2025. What follows then is the period of waiting until HSC results are available soon after dawn on Thursday 18 December 2025, with ATARs (Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks) available three hours later. It is a long haul for students who are eager to move into post-School adult life.

At this time, we have one set of results returned to the School. Of the 23 HSC Drama students at Shore, all 23 have been nominated for their group performances, identified as amongst the best in the state and hence shortlisted for the state-wide exhibition and performance night in early 2026. Additionally, 20 of our Drama students have also been nominated for their individual performances. This is the third consecutive year in which the Drama department has achieved these superlative results. Congratulations to all students, to Head of Drama, Mrs Crompton, teachers Mr Laurence, Mrs Clugston and Ms McDonald and Theatre Manager, Mr Grimshaw.

We eagerly await further results in the hope that they come in time to be celebrated by staff and students together.

Year 12 leaving is always a wrench for staff, who have become fond of them over the years. Nevertheless, graduation and independence are the ultimate goals. In the rhythm of schools, they are succeeded by a new Year 12 as another group of Year 7 enters the Senior School.

What then to say to Year 12 as they depart? Certainly this: “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” Jude 24 – 25 (NIV).

American Tea

The sun shone all day at American Tea! For most of us, the absence of rain on this day was a new experience. Everyone made the best of it, with a large attendance of parents and grandparents as well as the boys themselves. Many could be seen laden with purchases, in some cases, no doubt representing a large part of their Christmas shopping. Thank you very much to our American Tea Volunteer Coordinator, Mrs Amelia Curic, and to all of the SPA Executive and volunteers who staffed our various booths and activities and so made American Tea possible. Profit made from the day will go into the coffers of the Shore Parents’ Association (SPA), and enable them to consider what projects in the School they would like to enable with funding.

Perhaps the best aspect of all on American Tea day was the powerful sense of Shore community, embracing boys, staff, parents and grandparents.

Farewell to our Head of Admissions, Vickii Scott

There are certainly seasons in life, and Mrs Vickii Scott, after 10 years of sterling service at Shore, processing the enrolments of thousands of young people, is retiring today, and granting to herself the gift of time. Mrs Scott has had three consecutive positions variously called Registrar, Director of Enrolments, and Head of Admissions across nearly 30 years. We thank her very much for her wonderful service and wish her a very happy retirement.

Dr John Collier
Headmaster

Chaplain’s Chat

I remember as a young boy going to the movies with my parents. It was one of the first films I had ever watched, and they told me we were going to see Chariots of Fire. I had envisaged pyramids and Pharaoh and chariot races, so I was surprised when the first scene of the film involved a group of athletes running along the beach as they trained for the 1924 Paris Olympics. I must admit, I was hooked. It has become one of my favourite films and I have seen it many times. The two main characters are Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, who were both vying for the title of 100m Olympic Champion. Eric decided not to run the heats of the 100m, which were scheduled to be run on a Sunday. His Christian conviction and conscience were the basis of his decision. Instead, he eventually ran the 400m, won the gold medal and broke the world record in the process. Harold Abrahams ended up winning the 100m.

There is a marvellous scene as Eric is in church on the Sunday, reading from the book of Isaiah. As shots of the other competitors are played, the words of Isaiah 40:30-31 ring out: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Of course, these words are there for us as well, to remind us not only of our mortality but also of where our hope is to be found. We certainly get tired and weary at this time of the Term, but may we look to the Lord for our strength in all that we do.

Rev Anthony Benn
Chaplain

Thank You for a Wonderful American Tea

What an incredible day it was for the Shore community at this year’s American Tea! Events like this don’t just happen; they are the fruit of countless hours of planning, creativity, and sheer hard work. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mrs Amelia Curic and her dedicated team, who poured so much time and energy into organising what is one of the marquee events on the Shore calendar.

It was wonderful to see the Shore community come together in such numbers, students, parents, staff, and friends all enjoying the blessing of beautiful weather, and a vibrant atmosphere with some amazing live student performances courtesy of the School bands and a couple of resident DJs.

From sharing conversations to seeing old friends and making new ones, the American Tea is a celebration of what makes our community so special. The day truly reflected the spirit of Shore.

A huge thank you also goes to the army of volunteers and stall holders whose efforts brought the event to life. From setting up, running stalls and packing down, to offering smiles and hospitality throughout the day, your contribution made the American Tea such a memorable success.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who played a part, large or small, in making the day what it was. Your generosity, energy, and enthusiasm are what continue to strengthen and enrich our Shore community.

View the Gallery on Lampada

Rev Dr Richard Wenden
Chair, Shore Parents’ Association

Sony Foundation Camp Cocktail Party

Join us for an evening of celebration and connection at our Annual Sony Camp Cocktail Party. This special night shines a light on what Sony Camp means to our campers, joy, independence, and friendship, and to their families, who receive the rare gift of respite. It is also an opportunity to honour the journey of our Year 11 students, who will walk away with compassion, empathy, resilience, and memories that last a lifetime. With delicious food, free-flowing drinks, music, and dancing, it’s a night not to be missed — all in support of this life-changing programme.

BOOK TICKETS!

Call for 2026 City Hosts

As part of our Pastoral Care programme in Boarding, every new full-time Shore Boarder is connected with a Day family who acts as a close link in Sydney to assist them in settling in. We are therefore seeking interest from current Shore families who would be willing to be a City Host Family for new Boarders in 2026 and beyond. To give these relationships the greatest chance of success, we aim to pair up the boys with families who have things in common. If you would like your family to get involved, please fill in the following questionnaire.

Mr Daniel Bradford
Director of Boarding

Student Withdrawal Notice Date

Withdrawal For End of Term 4 2025

The School understands that circumstances can change within families, and there may be a need to withdraw your child from the School.

If you do need to withdraw your child, a friendly reminder that Shore’s Conditions of Enrolment state that one full Term’s notice is required. The due date for that notice is the last day of the Term preceding the withdrawal.

This year, that date is Thursday 25 September 2025. As per our Conditions of Enrolment, late withdrawals will incur a penalty of one full Term’s fees in lieu of notice.

Notice should be addressed to the Headmaster, Dr John Collier, and sent to the Enrolments office email address: registrar@shore.nsw.edu.au

Dr John Collier’s Farewell Chapel Service

Parents, students and the wider Shore Community are warmly invited to attend Dr John Collier’s Farewell Chapel Service.

Date: Sunday 23 November 2025

Time: 9.00am

Venue: Shore Chapel

Speaker: Bishop Dr Glenn Davies, former Archbishop of Sydney and active member of the Old Boys’ Union.

Morning tea will follow the Service on the Chapel Lawn. 

Please click here to RSVP.

We hope you can join us to farewell Dr John Collier.

Music Calendar

All dates and events are subject to change, please confirm with the Music Department.

Term Dates 2025

Year 11 Gap Year Applications

Information for Year 11 students is available on Lampada. This is an opportunity that requires significant thought and reflection, as it is not for everyone. Please research schools seriously and consider the long hours and hard work involved. It can be incredibly challenging, but also rewarding and a wonderful opportunity to grow on many levels.

Lampada – 2027 UK Gap Year Information

Ms Vanessa Shirriff
Head of Careers Education

From the Music Department

Congratulations to…

… Year 11 Rock Band Clockwork, who performed at Barker College’s Battle of the Bands last Saturday evening. Ollie Bucktin, Noah Kordek, Liam O’Neill, Angus St Clair, Joe Stephens, and Rory Wenden performed Van Halen’s Jump. Thank you to their Rock Band Mentor, Mr Jacob Ho, for all the support and guidance he gave the students.

 …ForeShore, for their beautiful singing at the Year 12 Family Service held in the Chapel last Sunday. It was a stunning day and a perfect way to celebrate the Year 12 students. A particular thank you to Year 12 choristers Alexander Beattie, James Thompson, Andrew Gilchrist and Joel Gilmour who sang with the choir during their special service. Thank you to Mr Massey for all his work with choir and to organist Mr Cunningham.

…Chapel and Prep Choir, Guitar Ensemble, Intermediate String Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Winds, Chamber Ensemble, ForeShore Choir, Intermediate Quartet, Senior String Ensemble, Senior Quartet and soloists Alexander Beattie, JJ Black and Ben Hocking for their wonderful performances at the Instrumental and Choral Concert last Tuesday 16 September, in the Smith Auditorium. A particular thank you to the Directors of the Ensembles and their assistants: Ms Alina Belshaw, Dr Luke Gilmour, Ms Lizzie Jones, Ms Biljana Mitrovic, Mr Warwick Payne, Ms Sandy Robertson, and Ms Alex Wentzel. Thank you to the Music Mentors who support the Directors and students, Ms Katherine Day for accompanying and Mr John Grimshaw for all of the technical support he and his team provided. A particular thanks to Ms Alex Wentzel for all her organisation and coordination behind the scenes. View the Gallery on Lampada

…Koji T, who travelled to the Netherlands to perform in the violin in masterclasses. Koji had several teachers from many different countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland, Australia) provide him with expert feedback, and he performed as a soloist, in a quartet and chamber ensembles.

Thank you to…

… Stage Band for entertaining us at the Music Function last Thursday 18 September in the Hawkins Foyer, and Mr Dorich for his support in enabling them to perform. It was great to have so many Year 12s at the event performing and celebrating their musical journey at Shore. Thank you to all of the Music staff for their dedication to the students and the support they have given. View the Gallery on Lampada.

…Alexander Beattie, Daniel Becker, JJ Black, Ollie Campbell, Connor Fung, Andrew Gilchrist, Joel Gilmour, Oliver Graham, Christopher Griffiths, Benjamin Hocking, Tom Hurt, Russell Jiang, Andy Lee, Aaron Li, Jonathan Lim, Saxon Mitchell, DJ Nagle, Kieran Old, Oliver Parrish, Jonnie Pridmore, Caleb Schmidt, Eddie Scougall, Harry Siebold, Ethan Spark and James Thompson for their continued contribution to Co-curricular Music. We wish you all the very best for the rest of your HSC journey at Shore, and thank you for all the leadership you provided to the Music programme.

Music Awards…

Ms Wentzel will contact those who have been selected to perform via teams before the end of Term.

Year 7 Exhibition – Tuesday 23 September

On Tuesday 23 September from 5.30pm – 6.30pm students will be presenting these compositions to the Shore community. All Year 7 students have been composing pieces in their classes as part of their Music coursework. The event will be in the War Memorial Hall and all Year 7 students are required from 4.40pm to begin setting up with their laptops charged. This is a compulsory event for all of Year 7, and all community members are welcome to attend. We will open the exhibition for guests at 5.30pm with a student detailing the compositional process. Guests are encouraged to ask questions to a range of students about their compositions and to listen to a variety of pieces.

Term 4 Ensembles – Tuesday 14 October

Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing break. Ensembles will commence in Term 4 on the first day back, Tuesday 14 October at 7.15am.

Key Dates Terms 3 and 4

Student Articles Available in Lampada

In keeping with tradition, printed copies of student articles are handed out at the Senior School gates every Friday. This allows us to honour the Shore Weekly Record’s mission, ‘by the boys, for the boys,’ while making the digital version more concise for parents. A PDF of the student articles is also available each week on Lampada in the publications page.

Athletics Report

Saturday 13 September

Invitational #4

Back to E S Marks Athletics Field (E S Marks) for the final Invitational Carnival before the 129th AAGPS Athletics Carnival, Saturday, 20 September. For the Shore squad, the majority of the team was locked away, with only a small number of spots remaining. This Invitational provided the opportunity for our athletes who were already selected to relax and freshen up before next weekend, and for those athletes still vying for a spot to focus on competing in the identified event. The most exciting contest was the second spot for the open Shot Put event. Hugh T-J had already secured his place as one of the competitors, so Charlie G and School Captain Angus L had to battle it out to see who was going to compete at their final AAGPS Athletics Carnival. All students requested an extra training session on Friday morning with Mr Massey, which they threw solid for 45 minutes. It came down to the final throw. Angus had posted a huge distance of over 12 metres when Charlie threw even further, but it was deemed a foul. Congratulations to Angus for gaining the second spot in Opens Shot Put; however, Charlie is still a reserve and is an integral part of the team’s success by pushing the others to further distances. This effort was evident throughout the final Invitational.

Middle Distance

Pleasingly, a week out from the ‘real deal’, we had a good number of Middle Distance lads compete at E S Marks last Saturday, most doing a reduced programme as they prepare for next week, hoping to be as fresh as possible.

Tom Gray and Jonty Jagger both ran well to start the day in the 3k. They both secured solid season’s bests, with Jonty having a little too much ‘kick’ for Tom in the dying stages and passed to be first home for Shore. Jonty finished in 9min 47secs and Tom, 9min 48secs. We are all keen to see them sneak under 9:30 tomorrow, hopefully the crowd will be in good voice and cheer them on to a blinder!

Henry ‘Ferg’ Ferguson must be an avid reader of the Shore Weekly Record, can’t blame him; such exquisite prose, as he set about demolishing his PB from last year in the 800m, I believe someone suggested it wasn’t far away last week… he rocketed around the track in 2min 17:93secs. We look forward to that PB only lasting a week! George Harvey didn’t look himself in his race as he tried to get back on track after being crook early in the week, we trust he’ll be dosed up on plenty of chicken soup and care in the lead up to next Saturday and will be firing on all cylinders once again. We had a plan in the next two races with Tom Armati being the carrot for the rabbit Archie Watson in the Under 15s and then Toby Ward for Ben Frantz in the Under 16s. Things pretty much went to plan with Archie gallantly hanging onto Tom as best he could and posted a solid time of 2min 13secs with Tom a couple of seconds ahead of him in 2min 11secs. Toby kicked early and looked lighter on his feet in his race, racing up in the 16s with Ben, who did his best to latch onto Toby. It was always going to be tough ask in athletics for Ben this year on the back of a nasty sprain to his ankle in the second last week of Cross Country. He fought hard, securing a solid 2min 13secs time, yet paid the price a bit with a shin splint flare-up! Poor fellow, we know he loves his running, and 2025 hasn’t been kind to him, though we are sure he’ll be back! Toby crossed the line in 2min 10secs and must surely be eyeing a good result in his race at GPS. Alas, for the second week in a row, James Bestic held off that young upstart Hugo Stewart in the Open 800. I was not so secretly hoping Hugo might be able to slide past our Vice Captain, hence giving me an opportunity to needle James, (it seems to be a good coaching technique for James, it brings out the best in him… so I reckon…) but James was having none of it and secured another solid time of 2min 2:79secs with Hugo not far behind in 2min 5secs. Would love to see them both under 2mins tomorrow; pin your ears back lads!

We only had five 1500m runners start at the end of the day, most opting to do their shorter races. Two young blokes, Henry Grieve and Zac Roberston, ran well in the Under 13s, Henry getting the better of Zac, who looked to be cruising, unlike Henry, who was pushing hard! Henry secured himself a very nice little PB of 4min 51secs, and Zac went sub 5min for the second week in a row in 4min 59secs. Nice! Jackson Sprott is as tough as nails and a fierce competitor. He’s been battling a foot niggle all season, yet he has pushed through the pain, the physio giving the ok to do so, as he went 4min 56secs. We expect he’ll give those around him a scare tomorrow! Toby Ward ran well in the same race as Jackson, as the Under 14s and Under 15s were thrown together, and he secured a solid 4min 34sec mark. James Warren waited until the last race to record Shore’s fastest 1500 of the day in 4min 33secs! We look forward to his racing tomorrow, and his not looking at his watch…

Sprints

Under ideal conditions at E S Marks on Saturday, athletes were treated to a “Goldilocks” day—neither too hot nor too cold—as they competed in the final lead-up to the 2025 AAGPS Athletics Carnival. With selection spots still on the line, performances were marked by intensity, precision, and a string of personal bests.

Sprint Highlights:

• Gilbert Cay demonstrated continued progression, delivering a solid 100m and achieving a personal best in the 200m with a time of 25.88.
• Hugo Huang maintained his consistent form, clocking a PB of 13.90 in the 100m.
• Alexander Mouracadeh and Archie Smith have shown commendable dedication throughout the season, each earning PBs in the 100m—13.56 and 14.69, respectively.
• A special commendation goes to Teddy Sharp, a Year 6 Prep athlete who competed up an age division in the Under 13s category. Despite the challenge, he delivered standout performances: 13.16 in the 100m and 26.81 in the 200m—remarkable efforts against older competitors.

Under 14s Division:

• Harry Cominakis posted a 14.29 in the 100m, ran a strong 200m, and stepped up to compete in the 400m.
• Jake Mears and Orlando Stewart both recorded their fastest 100m times to date—13.90 and 12.31, respectively.

Middle Age Groups:

• In the Under 15s, Toby Cay achieved a PB of 25.73 in the 200m.
• In the Under 16s, Toby Cochrane ran a 25.88, while Micah Michin and Scott Robson delivered impressive PBs of 24.79 and 24.20, respectively.

Under 17s Division:

• Andrew Milton ran a strong 100m and followed up with a PB of 24.50 in the 200m.
• Will Ward also impressed with a season-best 26.32 in the 200m.

Open Division:

The day’s standout performances came from Charlie Mott, Jai Callaghan, Digby Hockey, and Rex Bassingthwaighte, whose dominance in the 4 x 100m has set a high benchmark heading into the main event.

With the AAGPS Carnival just days away at Homebush, the athletes can approach the competition with confidence, knowing they’ve put in the hard work. Regardless of the outcome, their commitment and representation of Shore are a source of pride for the entire School community.

High Jump

The Under 13s once again displayed high rates of participation and effort, with Henry Ferguson and Billy Cossain achieving a high of 1.4m. The Under 14s struggled to overcome the personal bests they had achieved in prior weeks, with some minor technical errors limiting their overall performances. Some impressive jumps and consistency were seen in the Under 15s, however, with multiple athletes achieving a height of 1.6m. The excitement of the day peaked during a historical performance in the Under 16s. Lucas Wright was able to achieve a personal best of 1.97m and become the School record holder in the Under 16s division, besting the previous record of 1.96m! Congratulations to Lucas on his performance, validating the effort and preparation to achieve this feat. The Under 17s and Opens jumpers, Julian Harrison and Logan Crookshanks, also performed admirably and jumped 1.85m and 1.8m respectively. 

Shot Put

Saturday 13 September saw the Shore boys put in their last efforts before the GPS carnival. Some athletes have peaked right on schedule and saw season-best throws, a testament to the efforts put into training this Term. Stand out athletes pushing the distances this week were Angus Leslie in the opens with a 12.02m and Harry Fuzes in the Under 15s with 11.30m. A notable mention this week goes to Harrison Bunker, a School record breaker last season, who saw his first hit out after a niggling shoulder injury, to throw an impressive 13.81m. Excitement is building for the big dance this coming Saturday at Homebush.

Long Jump

The fourth and final invitational carnival saw continued success in the Long Jump event and boys improving their results over the previous weeks. Noah Quayle and Luke Maclennan started the day well, boasting competitive distances with each jump. Sam Holt hit a personal best in his final jump of the day, and Jai Callaghan improved on last week’s jump by 20 cm. In the Under 16s, Will Bestic has perfected his run-up and continues to be consistent in his take-off. The Long Jump squad is primed and ready to go for the AAGPS carnival this weekend. Best of luck to all the athletes. 

Hurdles

At E S Marks for the final invitational, the aim for the squad was to have one final practice run before the AAGPS Carnival. Hugo Rofe ran well in Under 13s for a PB, as did Sam Holt in Under 14s. Scott Robson continued to improve his PB – this time he was over a second faster than his previous best – and Michael Hocking confirmed his selection as the division Under 16 hurdler. Tom Kierse ran with strength in the Under 17 event, and our Opens Charlie Mott and Jack Riding both showed great technique in one of their final runs for the School.

Reports written by the Athletics Coaches 2025

Rugby 2025 Team of the Year