Term 2 : Friday 25 May 2018

We are building a new Kindergarten Centre from July this year, anticipating that it will be ready for students next year; so the opening of that new Kindy classroom complex will begin the 20^th year celebrations with lots of colour, no doubt.  We are looking forward to a big year ahead.  I’d love to be able to announce a 20^th year project soon for the College community to join together in celebrating 20 years of the growth and development of this unique learning community.

The opening of the current project - our new Physical Education Centre and Oval will take place just ahead of the South West Festival in August this year.  To be named the ‘Rawdon Middleton VC Sports Complex’, after the WW2 flying hero and the namesake of our suburb, the new complex is nearing completion.  We will certainly be using the Physical Education Centre and classrooms in Term 3, and we are taking careful steps in the preparation of the Oval surface so that this magnificent facility will be at its very best for every student.

This week we have hosted the leadership teams of our 2 interstate Sister Schools – the Tyndale Christian School in South Australia and Nambour Christian College in Queensland.  Mr Young, Mrs Bessant and our Executive staff have hosted a conference around the theme ‘Building a Learning Culture’ and the interstate school teams have been very interested to understand the issues for our College in the journey to achieve high quality learning for every student.

Continued discussion around the future agenda in education is occurring at national, state and corporation level.  The Gonski 2.0 ‘Review to Achieve Excellence in Australian Schools’ report is underway and we highlighted this report in our last issue of the newsletter.  Significant change envisaged in this report will impact over the medium term.  At state level, Education Minister Stokes has prompted debate about the future of the NAPLAN testing regime, and has also suggested through the Accreditation arm, NESA, that NSW should undertake a major review of curriculum.  Teachers, already working through significant changes to their work in a professional accreditation scheme, will now and across the next few years, face additional work around the content of their subject area. It’s an interesting time of change.

NAPLAN exams are coming to a close for another year for students in Years 3,5,7 & 9.  Our students have been involved in the online testing this year, and while there has been a significant effort and training to achieve this platform, most reports are positive about the changes for the students.  Thanks to our organising teachers.  We await the outcomes.

 ‘I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ … may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,
so that you may know him better’  Ephesians 1:17

The Game VS Novel competition prize winners have been announced.

First prize went to Sarah Kanjanakorn. (Year 12) Sarah has won a $20 EB Games voucher and a book of her choice. Second prize went to Rohan Dhanvate. (Year 11) Rohan has won a book of his choice. Third prize went to James Vrtkovski. (Year 7) James has also won a book of his choice.

Congratulations to all prize winners and thank you to all students who participated in this competition.

Can you guess your teacher's favourite book?

What do your teachers like to read?

Could you guess their all-time favourite book?

How many teachers can you correctly match?

Great prizes to be won!

For more information please speak to Library Staff.

Reader of the Month - April / May

May has almost come to an end, the Reader for the Month for April and May will soon be discovered. Have you read enough books? Borrow a book from the IRC today to be in the running!

Every month the student who reads the most books will win a brand new book of their choice!

For more information please speak to Library staff.

What's new on the shelf?

The first novel in an epic SCI-FI series has arrived at the IRC!

The 100 - Kass Morgan

"No one has set foot on Earth in centuries -- until now.

Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth's radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents -- considered expandable by society -- are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life...or it could be a suicide mission.

CLARKE was arrested for treason, though she's haunted by the memory of what she really did. WELLS, the chancellor's son, came to Earth for the girl he loves -- but will she ever forgive him? Reckless BELLAMY fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And GLASS managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth.

Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind's last hope."

'The 100' written by Kass Morgan is the first installment in an exciting dystopian series that will have readers on the edge of their seat from first page to last. Set in the far future, author Kass Morgan has created a vivid picture of a high tech society struggling to survive with limited resources, and where people are divided and controlled by strict social standings. Told from the perspective of four unique and fascinating characters, this is a story filled with fast paced action, heart pounding suspense and a great cliffhanger ending that will have readers eagerly wanting to read the next installment.

Part  Hunger Games, part Lord of the Flies, 'The 100' is a great novel to start the series. Readers who enjoy dystopian or science fiction adventures with a touch of romance are certain to love this story and the wonderful characters that inhabit it. If you have watched the TV series make sure you try out the novels and see where the adventure first began.

All four novels in 'The 100' series are now available for borrowing from the IRC! Come in today for this and other exciting new books! 

Overdue Books

Many students still have outstanding books from 2017. Students need to return these resources to the IRC as soon as possible.

Overdue notices will be sent out this week. If any students require a printed list of their loans please speak to Mrs Comiskey or Mr Smith.

Students who do not return their books will be invoiced for a replacement copy.

Mrs A Comiskey & Mr M Smith
Senior IRC Library Team 

This  event was hosted by one of our teachers, Mrs Genelle Griffin and her husband, Wayne. The Fund Raiser Event raised over $3,800 for the Hope Centre in the slum area of Kayole, which is located in Nairobi, Kenya. The Hope Centre is facilitated through the incredible work and efforts of Bishop Evans & his wife Serah Mkala.

The Hope Centre supports woman who are in need due to severe poverty. The centre gives free training in jewellery making and some hairdressing techniques to equip woman for the workforce and in the hope of self-sufficiency.

Our Senior drummers opened up the event with a great interactive session of drumming where the audience were able to get involved and play along too. Even Mr Whelan got up and played a djembe for a bit!

It was an excellent event with delicious authentic Kenyan food, an African Choir performing and the chance to purchase jewellery produced by woman from the “Kayole Hope Centre”. Well done Mrs Griffin for organising the event, and to our drummers for entertaining the crowd at a fun event!

Byron Mark
Ensembles Manager

All the students had a great day and ran the course to the best of their abilities. Congratulations to Alexandra Denford, Adrian Neoklis, Cynthia Neoklis, Zoe Noble, Maksim Norton, Jackson Pidgeon, Michael Ruhs, Rachel Squire, Flynn Strudwick-Flanagan and Isabella Vander Reest on placing within the top 10 to progress onto the AICES Cross Country Carnival. This will be held on Tuesday 5 June 2018 at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre, Horsley Park.

We wish everyone the very best.  

Lisa Close
Senior School Sports Coordinator

We are seeking families who are interested in hosting students from these schools. Hosting students will provide your family with an amazing intercultural experience. We have always had such positive feedback from College families who have hosted and it is a vital part of our Japanese language program within the College community. The Japanese students are here to experience Australian culture and our style of family life, as well as expand their grasp of the English language.

Visit 1

The first visit will be Takayamamura Junior High School who will stay with us from Friday 3 August to Tuesday 7 August. As the students are of a younger age (Years 7 – 9), we are asking for two students to be hosted by each family.

Visit 2

The second visit will be Fukuroi Senior High School who will stay with us from Tuesday 21 August to Monday 27 August. As the students are of an older age (Years 10 – 12), we are asking for one student to be hosted by each family.

Anyone who is interested can come and pick up a form from Mrs Byrne or Miss Raft in the P Block Staffroom or from the front office and join in the fun. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Byrne at fbyrne@thac.nsw.edu.au