Year 11 Report
People have always said that the only
things certain in life were death and taxes. To tell you
the truth, they are all wrong. Apart from being suffocated
by our English focus on Change (I never want to hear that
word again), this grade has experienced the effects of
change in every aspect of our lives. Since Year 7, people
have come and gone, but the essential fabric that defines
who we are remains. Change is always calling us, and in
the true Fort Street character, it will be our individual
desires and aspirations that will ultimately decide whether
we will answer the call. However, before we proceed through
the next four terms of HSC fun, it is undoubtedly worthwhile
to recap the events of the previous three.
As with all camps, the Year 11 Crossroads
Camp to the Jenolan Caves proved to be one of the highlights
of the year. The focus of the three-day camp was personal
development and health, and taking advantage of the pleasant
surroundings, bushwalks and cave tours provided welcome
breaks. As it was our last camp-complete with pink sausages
for breakfast, and a drama workshop where we were able
to flaunt our creativity with the English language-it will
be difficult to forget.
This year, our Japanese sister school's
visit was one of the most notable events of the year. Many
Year 11 students showed enormous generosity by offering
to accommodate the visiting students from Japan, as well
as those from Germany.
Year 11 has every right to be proud of
its academic excellence. In 2002, Terry Yuan, Enoch
Lau, William Wong and Shinuo Liu all
scored high distinction in the Science Competition, while Enoch
Lau achieved prizes in both the prestigious AMP Economics
Competition, and the UNSW Mathematics Competition, in which Viktor
Tanevski was awarded a certificate. Congratulations
also go out to Xiao Gui for obtaining the highest
score in the Australian Mathematics Competition for the
grade. Our strong adoption of technology has seen the running
of the Informatics Competition for the second year.
The sportspeople in our grade once again
exhibited their talents. Greg Waddington was an
age champion in the swimming carnival, while Wister
Wu, Alannah Schuman and Claire Cherrington were
age champions for the athletics carnival. In fencing, Jessica
Brooks had the privilege of representing Australia
in Turkey this year.
Extracurricular activities of all sorts
have always been popular with the people in our grade. Michael
Yu and Jack Wu checkmated their opponents to
come second in the One Day Chess Tournament, while the
year 2002 has been a great success to those who participated
in the Senior Drama Company. Kevin Ha and Eric
Cheung participated in the Young Achievement programme;
they were involved in a company from its conception to
the very end, manufacturing a marketable product for sale
(some gel candles even looked like a glass of beer!). Debating
has retained its prestige, with the Year 11 debating team,
which consisted of ------ (Webmaster's
Note: Following a personal request, a name has been
deleted from this article 2/8/2004), Anna
Lucewicz, Joshua Moriarty and Divija Paramatmuni,
shining in the inter-school competitions. The in-house
Senior Debating Club, coordinated by Enoch Lau,
held a Feature Debate at the end of Term 3. The student
newspaper, organised by Katherine Ngo, is causing
great interest, with the inaugural issue in production.
One facet of Fort Street students that
has endured the test of time is community contribution. Simon
Shiekh must be applauded for his letter published in
the Sydney Morning Herald, concerning the unjustified attack
on former student Justice Michael Kirby; in addition, after
attending the UN Model Assembly, Simon has been selected
to be part of the Australian team to compete at The Hague. Xi
Xiao was presented with a Department of Immigration
and Multicultural Affairs Art Award this year for her painting
depicting her views on multicultural Australia. Recently,
a group of Year 11 students gave up an entire Friday to
collect donations for the human rights organisation Amnesty
International.
Even within the school, the volunteer
spirit burns fierily. There were guides who took prospective
parents around the school on Open Evening, as well as assistants
who aided in the preparation for Year 12 2002's graduation
ceremony. Alex Parker must be commended for her
ongoing work in the SRC as President, and for her contribution
to the Fort Street Festival. Year 11 once again warmed
to the Peer Support programme, a school initiative to assist
Year 7 students to settle in.
I have tried to include all the wondrous
things Year 11 have been up to in 2002, but this is an
impossibility that cannot be achieved. However, a common
theme can be established in amongst the achievements of
The Best Grade: we are unique people with diverse skills
and interests. These virtues, I hope, will allow us to
reach the goals that we have set for the HSC and beyond.
Enoch Lau
(November 2002)
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