| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Monday 13 June | Queen's Birthday Public Holiday |
| Tuesday 14 June | CIS Open Secondary Football Cup Finals |
| Thursday 16 June | Junior Athletics Carnival Year 11 and 12 Parent Teacher Night |
|
Friday 17 June |
Years 7-9 NASSA Volleyball Gala Day |
| Wednesday 22 June | Year 9 Dukes Bronze Info 3-5pm Year 12 Music Performance Night |
| Thursday 23 June | Junior School Disco |
| Friday 24 June | Last Day of Term 2 |
Here are our Term Dates for 2023
| Term Summary | |
|---|---|
| Term 1 | 27 January* - 6 April 2023 |
| Term 2 | 26 April - 23 June 2023 |
| Term 3 | 17 July - 22 September 2023 |
|
Term 4 |
10 October - 6 December 2023 |
*Note: There are staggered start dates for specific years commencing from 27 January.
Regular Trading Hours
Monday 7.30am – 3.30pm
Wednesday 12.00pm – 6.00pm
Friday 7.30am – 3.30pm
Senior school students will be able to go to the shop before and after school, as well as during lunch and recess to make purchases.
The College uniform shop will close for school holidays on Friday 24 June at 3.30pm.
Holiday Trading Hours
Friday 15 July 9am - 4pm
The uniform shop will return to normal hours on Monday 18 July at 7.00am
What a great week it has been at the College as we hosted UNITE week.
Unite week is a student-led initiative to celebrate the cultural diversity of our College community.
Students participated in different activities throughout the week and today got to wear their cultural dress. Here are some of the highlights
Our Movie Night was held on Friday 27 May watching Shrek 2.
We had over 600 people attend the night enjoying the movie and the range of food trucks available.
The pre-movie entertainment involved dancing, trivia and lots of great prizes. A special thank you to Mr Schrack for being our wonderful MC for the night!
The night was a great success and could not have happened without the help our student volunteers and staff.
We hope you all enjoyed the night!
Just this week we have celebrated ‘Unite Week’ across the College.
This is a student-led initiative to celebrate the cultural diversity in our College. It’s always a special time to see students engaged in learning about other cultures while embracing their own. Thank you to our entire community for such a strong support of 'Unite' events during the week. Enjoy looking at some of the highlights later in this edition.
(From left to right: Mr Roger Young representing Maori heritage, Mr Ross Whelan representing Irish Heritage and Mr David Butler representing English heritage)
College sporting teams and talented individuals have been very active recently. Students have competed in a vast array of competitions and events. On Monday our football squads played in the Bill Turner Cup. The girls team played well against Casula High School, however unfortunately did not win their game. Our boys team also played well and demonstrated great teamwork, winning their game against Sefton High School 2-0. They will progress to the next round to play in the semi-finals for the South West Zone against Cecil Hills High School in the coming weeks.
Three students competed in the Christian Schools Sports Association (CSSA) State Gymnastics competition representing the College last week. McKenna, Faith and Elijah all did exceptionally well in their events and you can read the results of this later in The Way.
We were able to open Café MRK to parents last Friday and again this morning. I have enjoyed connecting with families over a cuppa. If you haven’t already, why not come along next Friday between 7.30-9.30am?
On Monday we celebrate the Queen’s Birthday with a holiday, and with only 2 weeks until the end of the Term, we pray that you and your families will stay healthy during the winter season. In the first 5 weeks of Term 3, I will be taking leave, and one of our 3 Deputy Principals, Mr David Butler will be the Acting Principal. Many of you already know Mr Butler and we are already thankful for his outstanding leadership and encouragement. If necessary, you are able to contract him through College Reception in the normal manner.
May the Lord bless and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26
The rain has finally stopped, the sun is shining and exams have largely been completed.
There is a sense of calm and optimism about the place, and we are grateful for the opportunities we have had across a range of activities.
This week we celebrate our version of Harmony Day; we call this ‘Unite Week’. It is an opportunity to celebrate our diversity, (with almost 100 different ethnicities represented) but also our unity (We are Aussies). We week started the week with a wonderful Assembly let by our College Captains and Prefects. It was wonderful for a number of reasons:
All week small activities and opportunities enabled students and staff to share something more of themselves. This week finished with a great celebration of food, dance and ethnic costume or part thereof. It was a great day!
One of the things I love about our community is not just the diversity, but the way in which our students and staff come together as a community. Parents will get a glimpse of what we had the privilege of witnessing today in the photos and the video below although maybe in the future Unite Week could extend into an international food and dance festival that continues into the evening. What is possible?
When the flags go up at College, I know Unite week is coming.
I love the colours the flags bring as they represent the variety that different nations bring to our College.
Yet amongst all this variety, what is it that unites us? Our modern society does not have the answer. We are told that diversity is good but we are not allowed to speak specifics aloud lest it be construed as racism, sexism, or any other -ism.
The bible has a good idea for unity:
26 All of you are God's children because of your faith in Christ Jesus…28 Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. 29 So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham's family… (Galatians 3)
This passage shows what belonging is not about - nationality, money, or gender. It also shows us that equality has nothing to do with being the same. It is faith in Jesus that makes us family – this is not a metaphor but an eternal reality. To believe in Jesus is to become part of an international family.
What do we do with this? Let’s stop looking for people like us and get to know people unlike us. If it is faith that unites us, makes us equal, and give us true belonging then getting to know another culture can only add spice and colour to our life. Why not invite someone from the College Community over for a meal so they experience your culture? Spice up their life.
If you consider yourself a Christian, think about challenging your own culture. I am a Uruguayan Christian, and while I love my culture, I do question aspects of it. I will not let my Uruguayan-ness compromise my faith in Jesus. When I challenge my culture and make changes to how I live it, I am really sanctifying it for the next generation.
We have some great holiday programs available for the upcoming school holidays.
Students will be involved in activities that develop skills and promote understanding of the game. The daily training will be designed to improve the skill level of each individual.
Our Football Director, Mr Sonny Makko will be leading the program.
Bookings will open early next week - please keep an eye out on the book page. For any questions please contact [email protected]
The program will be running at the College from 4-6 July from 9am - 3.30pm.
Students aged 7-12
This program is also eligible for the Creative Kids $100 rebate.
To register, visit their website
MOTIV8sports - 4-5 July
Held at the College, Experience 2 huge days….10 Amazing sports, 10 individual events, 4 Olympic Face Offs, incredible coaching, non-stop motivation, unbelievable prizes and possibly an Olympic medal.
8:30am-3:30pm daily. For ages Kindy to Year 6
MOTIV8sports is a registered provider for the NSW Government Creative Kids Voucher.
To find or more or make a booking, please visit the MOTIV8sports website
Unfortunately, the mental health of young people has been significantly impacted by the pandemic.
The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression has risen dramatically amongst young people and remains higher than pre‑pandemic levels. It is not an exaggeration to say that the child and adolescent mental health system is currently in crisis with general practices inundated, emergency departments flooded with demand, and medical services becoming disconnected, dispersed and diluted.
Mrs Jacoline Petersen
Director of Student Counselling
Last week, our Year 10 students participated in Work Experience
Year 10 have spent several weeks organising themselves to spend a week in the workplace to learn what work is like and for many what it is like to work in industries they are interested in. Here are some quotes from the year 10 students when asked “What is a positive experience or story from your week?”:
“I got to design and produce my own jewellery line”
“I had so many fun experiences throughout the week.”
“I was able to bond with some of the lovely patients that were in the brain injury unit and at the end of the week me and my coworkers celebrated with some sushi”
“Had some great chats with the staff there and was an enjoyable experience”
“I managed to get a job out of the experience.”
“I got to feed baby animals”
“I had a little girl in year one make me a friendship bracelet and a drawing.”
“I learned to repair laptops and computers.”
“Every. Single. Aspect.”
The host employers were also very impressed with students from the College. Here are some excerpts from their feedback:
“Student was extremely respectful and I felt comfortable taking him into residential homes and meeting my customers and various other fellow tradesman and business owners.
He has also shown a keen interest to learn and be motivated and take initiative where possible in various plumbing tasks.”
“[She] did a fantastic job during the hours she worked. She worked well with the team and listened to all instructions and training well. She worked well autonomously also and was very trustworthy with all tasks assigned to her.”
“The student was keen to learn, punctual and was eager for a position at the coffee house.”
All employers who gave feedback indicated that they would be keen to have students in the future.
Feedback was sought from parents of their children’s experiences. Here are a few of their responses:
“Maturity - I have been impressed with the maturity that [my child] has shown with catching trains to the city and speaking to different people in the organisation. I do feel that this has been a massive eye-opener for him and definitely could be the pathway that he will take in the future. It’s now given him the confidence to understand what his future might look like past his secondary schooling years but more importantly what is achievable if he studies and works hard and the financial and monetary returns in this industry.”
“He has spent time observing experiments in their ‘clean lab’, spent lots of time in their ‘dirty lab’ - actually working with the soil and machines, and also completed a lot of archiving for them. Today he is out off-site, on locations with one of the geo-tech engineers, shadowing, and helping him. They have showed him the ropes and spent valuable time talking about their careers and the study path and experiences that brought them to their different positions within the firm.”
“Growing up I had the opportunity to experience work experience and it opened me up to tackle the workforce with confidence speaking from what I see in [my child] is of similar nature, she was a little nervous on the 1st Day but as soon as she entered that 1st class her nerves disappeared, she would come home with the biggest smile every day so far, stories about the kids and giggles when she talks about them, how she was made to feel like she was part of the staff at the school the list can go on.”
Mr Michael Roper
Careers Advisor, HSC Plus Coordinator & Year 9 Advisor
With the Primary School Athletics Carnival next Thursday, The College Year 6 students will be more prepared than ever before. World Records are set to tumble!
This term our Year 12 Sport Coaching students have been running Athletics coaching sessions every Thursday for the Year 6 Students of the College. The students who take the Sports Coaching course work towards a nationally recognised qualification in Sports Coaching. This qualification provides a pathway to work in community coaching and organisations in the Australian sport industry.
Throughout the term students have Year 6 students have developed some wonderful relationships with our soon to depart Year 12 students. This has been a wonderful teaching and learning experience for all involved and certainly highlights the benefits of a Prep to Year 12 College.
Well done Year 6 Students and the following Year 12 Coaches:
Mason A, Talia A, Sarah C, Brendon De L, Jordan H, Nikoleta H, Javier H, Kate I, Makayla J, Carlos L, Nathan S and Brandon V.
Mr Kent Weir
PDHPE Coordinator
Senior Stage Band made the Grand Final in National Band Competition
Over the weekend, our Senior Stage Band participated in the grand finals of the national song writing competition! Each song entered into the competition had to be original music and lyrics of the students, and it was a fantastic achievement to make the finals out of many submissions across the country. The song our students entered was called “1995”, with lyrics composed by Keona H in Year 11. All the band members worked together to arrange the music, featuring Tinashe M (keys); Pierson F (bass); Tomas S (drums); Joshua C (guitar); Petar L (soprano saxophone); Tahlia K (tenor saxophone); Benjamin A (baritone saxophone); Tim W & Stratos D (trumpet); and Henry L (trombone).
It was a great afternoon where the students were able to meet the other finalists, and experience the buzz and excitement of performing to a new audience. The judges of the competition included a range of music industry icons; Kirk Pengilly (INXS), Paul Christie (Mondo Rock), and Tania Doko (Bachelor Girl). Our students didn’t win, however they were the highest ranked band in the competition. The fact that our students made the final was a win in itself, and definitely a great step forward in their musical development.
Congratulations to all musicians on this great achievement, and we look forward to more opportunities like this in the future! Thanks also to the many parents who came along to support the event, and a special shout out to our Principal Ross Whelan who also attended to cheer on the students.
This was an initiative put forward by Australian singer and vocal coach Rachael Berry, and was also setup to raise and support awareness of mental health amongst youth, donating many of the proceeds to Beyond Blue.
Byron Mark
Director of Ensembles - Creative Arts
On Friday the 3rd of June, students in Year 10-12 played in the NASSA volleyball tournament at Minto Indoor Sports Centre.
The boy’s team who was coached by Mr Shrack faced a very tough pool and although they played with a high level of skills and athleticism they unfortunately lost both their games, leaving them in 3rd place.
However, the girls team had a very successful day, they showed great teamwork and communication skills which resulted in them going undefeated in their own pool and then coming out on top and winning the grand finals for the second year in a row. This has been a great team for the last 3 years and have held their senior volleyball title for a while, we look forward to building our volleyball skills and entering into more tournaments.
Congratulations to the girls Talia A, Bianca C, Ally D, Annika G, Kate I, Stephanie J, Emilia M, Elianna P, Natasha S, Sofia T, Ashley V.
We wish the students in the 7-9 years volleyball team who will compete in their gala day on the 17th of June.
Miss Dayla Tikeri
Sports Administrator
Sports Administrator
Monday the 6th of June, students in Years 7-8 travelled to netball central to compete for the first time in the Volleyball All Schools Cup.
This was an exciting experience for the team and their coach Mr Wong since this was the first time Thomas Hassall entered a team to play in this competition.
The day started out with some early training and game strategy leading the team to their first victory, giving them the confidence for the rest of their games. The students then went on to successfully win against the rest of the competition and then placed 1st to play in the grand final against Tempe High School.
This was an extremely close game, but Thomas Hassall held their own composure and used the confidence they had gained all day to come out with a win, 2 sets to nil. Our volleyball players are so excited to continue their training throughout the year, work on their skills as a team and then enter into more competitions.
Congratulations to these students; Antonia A, Dante G, Melina L, Alex L, Dante M, Sotiris M, Vladimir M, Matias S, Seraphina T, Hannah T, Max V, Eric W.
Miss Dayla Tikeri
Sports Administrator
Recently three students competed at the Christian Schools Sports Association (CSSA) Gymnastics.
This is a one-off competition for students to participate in.
McKenna in Year 3 participated in Level 3:
- 2nd Bars
- 2nd Beam
- 4th Vault
- 4th Floor
- 4th overall in Level 3
Elijah in Year 10 participated in Level 7:
- 1st Vault
- 1st Parallel Bars
- 1st Rings
- 1st High Bar
- 2nd Pommel
- 2nd Floor
- 1st overall in Level 7
Faith in Year 10 participated in Level 7:
- 1st Vault
- 1st Floor
- 2nd Bars
- 3rd Beam
- 1st overall in Level 7
Well done to all students on their outstanding results!
A number of students travelled to the Sydney Equestrian Track to compete at the AICES Cross Country Carnival.
Despite freezing conditions and a ferocious wind, our students all competed well, with two of the boys getting top ten positions.
All students conducted themselves well and represented the College with distinction. Congratulations to everyone who competed.
Mr Robert Sheahan
Senior School PDHPE Staff
On Thursday 9 June, students braved the cold and windy conditions to compete at the NASSA athletics carnival.
All students represented the College, their families and themselves admirably. It was a pleasure to see our students compete in this arena, with many making it through to the AICES carnival. A big thank you to Miss Stewart, Mr Sheahan, Miss Tikeri, Miss Furley and Mr T. Makko for their assistance on the day. Once again, a big well done to all involved.
All the best to all of our MISA teams who have made their respective grand final next week. Our Girls Div. 1 Basketball, Mixed Frisbee, Boys and Girls Senior Football and Senior Girls Netball all playing for the big prize! Good luck to all players and coaches.
A few key dates as we finish up Term 2:
NASSA 7 to 9 Volleyball: Friday 17 June
MISA Dance Festival: Tuesday 21 June
MISA Term 3 Sport Trials: Tuesday 21 June and Tuesday 19 July (if required)
Mr Dean Zaccaria
Senior School Sport Coordinator
Anime and Manga Club
Think you know more about manga and anime than anyone else? Think you are the best and most loyal fan of them all? Come and prove your knowledge next Tuesday lunchtime at the Anime and Manga Club, which is having an ultimate Anime/Manga quiz battle! Lots of yummy Japanese themed prizes to be won!
Come celebrating all things Japanese pop culture. All are welcome! The Club will be held in N2.
Overdue notices
Library overdue notices will be emailed next week. Students who do not return their books after receiving their third email notice as well as an email to their parents will be invoiced for a replacement copy. All invoices will still stand if books are returned after this final date. If you have any problems or questions regarding overdue books please speak to Mrs Comiskey or Mr Smith who will be happy to help.
Super Series Starters
The first thrilling part of three epic stories…
‘The Eye of the Wold: The Wheel in Time’ – Robert Jordan
“When their village is attacked by terrifying creatures, Rand al'Thor and his friends are forced to flee for their lives. An ancient evil is stirring, and its servants are scouring the land for the Dragon Reborn - the prophesised hero who can deliver the world from darkness. In this Age of myth and legend, the Wheel of Time turns. What was, what may be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.”
Favourably compared to Tolkien’s epic ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, ‘The Wheel in Time’ is an incredible epic fantasy series filled with wonder, awe, excitement and action. With a deep and thrilling story, filled with lots of wonderful lore and detail that really brings the world alive, this is a novel that all fantasy fans should definitely read.
‘Scythe: Arc of a Scythe’ – Neal Shusterman
“In a world where disease, war and crime have been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed ("gleaned") by professional scythes. Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythes' apprentices, and despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation, they must learn the art of killing and understand the necessity of what they do. Only one of them will be chosen as a scythe's apprentice and as Citra and Rowan come up against a terrifyingly corrupt Scythedom, it becomes clear that the winning apprentice's first task will be to glean the loser.”
Dark, chilling and thought provoking, ‘Scythe’ is a wonderful new dystopian series that will pull in many readers with its unique take on the human quest for the ultimate power – the power over life and death. Well written, with a fast-paced plot filled with twists and turns, this is a novel that would be a great read for fans of ‘The Hunger Games’ and the ‘Divergent’ series. Due to its darker tone and content, this novel would be better suited for students in Year 9 and above.
‘Monstrous Devices’ – Damien Love
“On a winter’s day in a British town, twelve-year old Alex receives a package in the mail: an old tin robot from his grandfather. “This one is special,” says the enclosed note, and when strange events start occurring around him, Alex suspects this small toy is more than special; it might be deadly. Right as things get out of hand, Alex’s grandfather arrives, pulling him away from an attack—and his otherwise humdrum world of friends, bullies, and homework—and into the macabre magic of an ancient family feud. Together, the duo flees across snowy Europe, unravelling the riddle of the little robot while trying to outwit relentless assassins of the human and mechanical kind.”
‘Monstrous Devices’ is a wonderfully tense and spooky debut novel from author Damien Love. Filled with mystery and suspense, as well as a good dose of exciting action with lots deadly mechanical monsters and thrilling chases sequences, this is a novel that is bound to create many new fans.
Mrs Annette Comiskey & Mr Michael Smith
Senior IRC Library Team
