Thomas Hassall Anglican College like many other educational institutions is regularly evaluating the culture that exists and the culture that is being cultivated.
There is regularly competing interests at play in the shaping of our young people to try to assist them to become the people that they, their family, the College and God would want them to be. These areas will be familiar to you as you partner with our staff.
In the senior years as students learn to drive to school or have designated Year 12 areas assigned, these opportunities are often accompanied by discussions with staff about the critical care that must be taken around the school when driving a vehicle and also more broadly when on the roads. We try to teach students about keeping their areas and the College clean with a mind to developing good citizenship, which is so important and relevant in a world which tends to have skewed towards the rights of the individual rather than the community. We like to provide opportunities for students to go on excursions, work placements, work experience and sporting competitions whilst balancing the need to maintain consistency in class hours so as not to impact the quality and continuity of learning. Learning is paramount at the College and our student community care about their academics and often strive to prepare as best as they are able. We host every Tuesday afternoon a supervised study session for Year 12 students to develop the habit of personal preparation which will be essential for a successful HSC. I recently visited the Easter Service at the end of Term 1 and quietly asked a few senior students to put their notes aside as they tried to get some last minute preparations in prior to their impending English Assessment. Some elements of both a quality and a questioning culture in that particular interaction I thought!
Large gatherings have been impacted greatly by the Covid years and we have been striving to model what it means to be a good audience as we once again come together. We have had Assemblies, Year Meetings, House Meetings, presentations from Paul Wade and the Police Liaison Officer recently and much has been learned and experienced through these presentations. It can be a source of difficulty for a young person to come to terms with not being able to share an opinion with the friends around them during a performance or talk from a guest or staff member and we will continue to help them realise their responsibility in such a setting with the mind to preparing them for future experiences where proper conduct will be essential. There are consequences if you were talking during an orientation event for a new job and so learning how to behave as an audience could be critical! Staff are always trying to build relationship with the students and have not only subject wisdom to impart but also life advice, spiritual guidance and lessons learned through experience that can assist a student who is keen to listen. Ask your children about something they might have learned at school from a teacher besides the importance of Pythagoras’ Theorem.
As the College embarks upon the next few building projects, we will once again try to navigate the balance between inspirational designs that incite the creativity of the community with essential features in place for efficient functions. Locker placement, bathroom access and areas for classes to line up are considered alongside captivating spaces and architecture which bring an aesthetic to lift the spirit.
Young people need to express their individuality and test the boundaries to determine their own identity and this often comes into conflict with the need to conform to College expectations. It is important for a young person to learn how to be who they are and it is also necessary to fit in with the guidelines of the College as they will have to do in the workforce and broader society. Having a chat with a young man about removing the moustache he is so proud to have grown or a young lady about her beautifully crafted and recently applied nail design is a constant and the staff really appreciate your partnership in this area as it can be difficult for a young person to understand.
I want to thank you for allowing College staff to guide your children in these areas of competing agendas and for supporting the College through these tensions which young people can find a challenge. We continue to want the best for all of the students at the College and love to work in partnership with families to help nurture excellence in Learning, Wisdom and Service with the students of Thomas Hassall. Let’s have a great term together and see you at the Musical!
