An Honour

As the schools of NSW opened doors on 6th Feb to commence the 2025 academic year, Normanhurst Boys High School invited the High Achievers of 2024 HSC pass-outs - fresh Year-12 graduates - who made the School, the teachers, and family proud of them. Their diligence, perseverance, and obdurate passion for perfection and excellence contributed immensely towards the strongest performance of the school in its history. The Principal, Asli Harman, put that beautifully in her address to the 700+ brilliant students that assembled in the cola while setting a high bar for the emerging and future graduates. Her speech underscored the relentless care and support, not only from the respectable teachers, but also from the ties of fellow students, alumni connections, and family who forged and fostered a healthy ecosystem of support for 2024 Year-12 to thrive. Little wonder, 41 out of the 120 conscientious cohort bagged 99+ ATAR with 83% scoring 90+ propelling the NBHS rank to 4th. 

I saw my son in each of the students squatting on the floor and retrospected on his journey from there to the bench of high achieveres where he sat during the event. He must have been as restive as the fledglings that just stepped into the High School - the Year-7s, freshly minted from their own little world of primary schools - none of the prestige making much sense in their heads and hence eager for the assembly to be over. It'll take them a couple of years to identify their proclivity for a subject/s, another year or so to realise what they are capable of, and finally fly full throttle by the culminating years before HSC. In my eyes, the environment was simply stimulating as I knew each of them wielded power and once the pin is pulled they'll put up an unforgettable show for the school, teachers, and their family. They'd pick up Olympiad medals, achieve state ranks, wiggle to ENCORE, march into ARTEXPRESS, lead and lend their experiences to the juniors to brace them up for life beyond school premises. Doctors, lawyers, economists, bankers, IT professionals have come back to ignite passion, guide, and reiterate how they benefited from the steadfast foundation the school has laid for them - and every time they referred school, they categorically mentioned the teachers, students, and family.

The 'All-rounders' marked in the Honour Roll of HSC Ninja for NBHS were invited in the 2024 HSC High Achievers Ceremony of the school. It gives us immense pleasure and unfathomable gratefulness to Almighty to be able to grace this occasion (and the inauguration of ARTEXPRESS 2025 featuring our son's BOW a day before). 

Here are some moments with remarkable teachers, fellow students, and juniors.

Principal's address

Year Advisor taking the stage

A doctor and an alumnus returns to his alma mater for a speech and handing over of medals to 99+ ATAR recipients 

A proud Deputy Principal handing certificate of All-rounder - highest band scorer in all HSC subjects

The bunch of boys that earned their place on bench

I see my son in each of them - they'll go through some toughest times of their lives to achieve some of the greatest moments 

A friend indeed!

Chemistry Miss

Year Advisor who saw them through their High School years

Career Advisor who prepared them for interviews for uni applications 

The English God - can't be more thankful Almighty sent him our way

The most caring Career Advisor, assisting students with subject selection, work experience, and all the stuff beyond school syllabus 

Friendship stands strong

The little gate by which a naive 10-year old and his mum stood by aspiring to walk through it some day and the rest is now a history 

The station that appeared dreadful during exams now look serene now that all is over - memories are always poetic!

Dona, Sydney, Feb-25