Term 1 I The Way Newsletter I Friday 3 February 2023

Latest UpdatesBack to Top

From the Principal
Principal Ross Whelan

Welcome to the new year at Thomas Hassall!

We are thrilled to have you with us and are looking forward to a fantastic and productive year ahead. This is a time for growth, discovery, and new opportunities. Whether your child is a returning student or is new to the College, we are eager to support all students in their learning journey and help them achieve their goals. Let's work together to make this a year filled with learning, friendship, and success.

We introduce our new staff in this edition of the Way, and you will see photos of the first few days. Students have been optimistic about the year ahead, and already at assemblies, we have had the opportunity to plan for significant events. Senior students in Years 8-11 will have their annual camps next week and the Swimming Carnivals for both Junior and Senior School will take place in the next fortnight. Building works are in progress, and Year 4 students are enjoying the newly renovated classrooms with a musical theme to highlight their year of compulsory band tuition. It’s a great space.

Please enjoy all the news contained in our first edition of the Way. It arrives each fortnight and you are able to gain a real understanding of life in the College for all our young people and staff.

Welcome again

‘May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all the nations’     - Psalm 67:1-2

Mr Ross Whelan
Principal
From the Deputy Principal - Head of Senior School Development
Roger Young

Welcome back to a new year! Not sure if you managed to have a break but I feel optimistic about this year and all that we might achieve and experience together on this journey.

The old proverb, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ is a metaphor for what happens at Thomas Hassall. It simply means that the entire community of people must provide for and interact positively with children so that each of them can experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment. There will be great opportunities and the accompanying challenges. There will be hurdles and obstacles to overcome but also rewards and great satisfaction when the outcomes are achieved.

We have so much on offer both in the classroom and across the College community that we can’t help to be excited by the possibilities; new opportunities, new challenges and exciting adventures. We have seen students arrive back with a tone of positivity and determination as they reengage with their learning. All good learning will take effort and at times students will take a fall. Regardless of what we each might have achieved in past years, 2023 will have a unique set of challenges. For Year 12 the HSC has become more competitive as places at university, are going to be harder to win with the markets increased demand for places from overseas students. Year 11 will discover that expectations have shifted; there is more expected of them in terms of assessment, amount of content covered and the high skill level needing to be mastered. The Year 10s should be settling more confidently into the rhythm of school life and should be looking to get involved as positive influencers across the community. I look forward to seeing the big group from Dukes continue to develop their hearts to serve others. Years 8 and 9 have a more demanding time as they work out where they fit in the community. Student relationships at this point are tested. Good friends find their relationships implode as student identity (am I cool enough) start to dominate their thinking. Finally, Year 7 in any school is a testing time; adjusting to High School, changing classes, numerous teachers, increased expectations in terms of homework etc while we are all trying to make new friends in an alien environment.

In all of this and more, our community is best working through the issues together. Listening to the children; acknowledging their fears and challenges and providing wisdom for the journey. It is not straightforward, and it is certainly not unique. Students worldwide have faced the same challenges. It does help when we are all connected and committed in the community. To this end, let me encourage you to stay in good communication with your child/ren, the teachers, the College executive and College staff. It is not a problem if you need support or assistance for a particular issue. We do want Thomas Hassall to be a place where you feel part of the community.

As the year goes on we hope to catch up with you at some of our numerous contact points: Parent Teacher Information evenings, Parent Cafes, Special events e.g. Mothers’ Day & Fathers’ Day, after school pick up etc…

Ensemble Evening
Our community gathering for one of our ensemble evenings.

 

Camps
Camps can be challenging but are amazing for building community and developing new friendships

As students prepare to go on camp, let me thank you in anticipation for your support. Finally, I say with confidence that our greatest example of authentic community is sharing life with Jesus. I am so pleased that it is not just down to a few flawed individuals like myself. Have a great Term ahead!

Romans 12:5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Mr Roger Young
Deputy Principal - Senior School Student Development
From the Chaplain
Denis Oliver

Jesus is in the construction business, or should I say, the restoration business. He takes shabby, broken people and works on them through his Word, the circumstances he allows, his Holy Spirit and Christian peers to rebuild people into their true humanity.  Every believer is a work in progress.

But the problem with construction sites is that they are ugly. We look at the unfinished project and wonder how long we have to wait for completion? How long do we put up with the noise and the mess? Parents, you know what I mean.

The bible calls us, parents and teachers alike, to be prayerful and patient.

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1

I love this passage because it reminds me that God, unlike us, finishes what he starts. It reminds me, as God’s construction partner, to focus on progress and prayer rather than the mess that comes as a result of construction.

Pray for the children at the College that they may grow into the type of people God wants them to be. Pray for the staff at Thomas Hassall, that they keep remembering that they partner Jesus in His good work.

Reverend Denis Oliver
College Chaplain

Upcoming dates

Date Event
Monday 6 February Years 8-11 Camps
Thursday 9 February - Junior School Class Information Evenings
- Parent Volunteer Training and Induction
- NASSA Junior School Basketball Gala Day
Friday 10 February Kindergarten Parent Meetup Cafe MRK

Thursday 16 February

 Junior School Swimming Carnival
Open Week

Our Open Week is coming up at the College from the 19 - 25 March.

This is a great opportunity for prospective families to see the College in action, at a time that suits them. It is an ideal opportunity for future families to glimpse our culture, observe our staff and students, meet our Principal and key staff, tour our fantastic facilities and ask questions whilst enjoying morning tea.

Many families visit the College more than once when making the decision about the best school to meet the educational needs of their son or daughter.  

If you have friends or family who are interested in finding out about the College, we encourage you to invite them to come along and see what sets us apart. Registrations for Open Week are online on our website.

Thank you for your support.
Welcome back

It has been a great week introducing our new and existing families back to the College for the start of Term 1.

Students have enjoyed catching up with friends and making connections with new students in their grades and classes. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in the fun for our Virtual Photo Booth! Here are some of the photos.

 

We hope you all have a safe and enjoyable term.
Scholarships for 2024

Thomas Hassall Anglican College is able to offer partial academic scholarships to some students as they enter Year 7 and Year 11 in 2024.

Candidates must sit the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER) Scholarship examination in February of the preceding year to be considered for a scholarship. The College Scholarships provided are for a percentage of the College School Fee and is given to the student until the completion of Year 12 (subject to conditions).

Register online to sit the ACER Scholarship examination. The cost is $100 (inc GST). Registration is now open and closes at midnight AEDST Monday 6 February 2023. This registration fee is not refundable should you cancel.

The ACER Scholarship Examination will be held at Thomas Hassall Anglican College on Saturday 25 February 2023. An invitation to sit the examination will be sent prior to the examination date, including location at the College and requirements for the exam.  In the meantime, please advise the College if there are any changes to your contact details.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their scholarship applications in early April 2023

Please note, these tests are aimed at those who achieve high academic results, so make sure the test is suitable for your child before applying.

For more information visit https://www.thac.nsw.edu.au/scholarship.
Parent Community Network

Are you interested in joining our Parent Community Network in 2023?

Thomas Hassall Anglican College welcomes and encourages the involvement of our College Community in activities and programs. 
The Parent Community Network is supported by the College Community Relations staff. A termly meeting will be held at the College in order to get to know each other, discuss upcoming activities and plan ahead.

Parents, carers or grandparents of current students join our Parent Community Network with the key objective to work in teams to help foster friendships and provide support amongst our families. The Parent Community Network aim to: 

  • Welcome new parents to the College 
  • Encourage participation to parents of your Year Group 
  • Support the College with running events such as the Mother’s Day stall and Year 6 Dinner 
  • Give feedback and make suggestions on matters relating to the College 
  • Facilitate social gatherings

Training is mandatory for all Volunteers at the College and this will be held on Thursday 9 February.  There are two sessions to choose from 1.30pm and 6pm and it will be held at the Junior School library.  

If you are interested in joining the Parent Community Network and attending the training, please visit our website to fill in an application form: www.thac.nsw.edu.au

The safety of our students is a priority, so please note that it is a requirement that all volunteers complete the online Working with Children Check (WWCC) and submit their approval number to the College for verification, this is free for Volunteers.  If you do not have your WWCC number yet, you can still register and attend the training although you will not be able to volunteer until WWCC clearance is received.

We look forward to you joining us.
 

Carmen Pasapera
Marketing & Community Relations Manager
College App

All important College communication will be sent via push notification/broadcasts on the App ONLY.

We will no longer be sending an accompanying email and therefore it is essential that parents/carers have the App installed on their smart phone. Please contact reception if you require any assistance in this regard.

Visit our website to download the app and to find out more.
Parent Cafe

Cafe MRK is open to parents every Friday morning for breakfast with your children before College!

It's also a great way for you to get meet other parents, particularly after the bell.

It opens at 7.30am until 9.30am Friday at MRK (Canteen).

Next week we will have a Kindergarten Parent meet-up. Parents of Kindergarten are invited to come along and meet other parents, our Parent Community Network will be on hand to help make introductions to fellow parents so please come along.

Please note all other year groups are still welcome to attend every week even when a meet - up is taking place.

We look forward to seeing you there.
New service offering

I am excited to be joining the College in 2023 and working will students in speech pathology.

My core area of specialty is the assessment and therapy of children with a range of speech and language difficulties, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities and autism. I have over eight years of experience, as well as an additional five years of experience working in a school context.

I am also a mother to four children. I understand the busyness of family life and will aim to make therapy meaningful and achievable for you and your family.

Please note that this service does incur fees. If you have Extras cover with a private health fund, you may be able to claim for part of the cost of the service - contact your health fund for more details. Depending on your child’s diagnosis, Medicare may cover part of the cost of the service for a limited number of appointments (generally a maximum of five per year) - you will need a referral from your GP to claim from Medicare.

If you are interested in finding out more about my services or booking in an appointment, please contact me via email jane@janewillsspeechpathology.com.au You can also visit the website.

Mrs Jane Wills
Speech Pathologist

 
New staff for 2023

We would like to welcome our newest staff members who join the College in 2023.

New Staff
MunchMonitor

The MRK has already been cooking up a storm this week!

Just a reminder you need to update your child's year group in MunchMonitor to ensure it gets to the right place.

Once logged in to MunchMonitor, please go to 'settings' and click on your students profile.
Furniture Donation

With the recent upgrade of our buildings, we have had the opportunity to partner with schools in need overseas.

Today we were visited by Mr Randy Selvaratnam the General Manager of Swire Shipping. In a partnership with the College, a connection has been formed with Swire Shipping to facilitate the delivery of educational resources to schools in Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.

In our recent B and C blocks renovations at the College, the furniture received an upgrade and the old furniture was loaded onto shipping containers, and donated to Satapuala Primary School Samoa. In another project, 200 Chromebooks being replaced were also donated to schools in Papua New Guinea last year.

Our College Captains, Charlotte and Joshua, and Year 6 prefects, Caden, Rafael, Ava and Elizabeth, today had the opportunity to hear about the operation, learning that the furniture would be given to schools that currently have no tables or chairs, with students usually sit on the floor for the schooling day. 

We are very thankful for this partnership and look forward to continuing to be able to assist those schools in need. 

Donations

 

WellbeingBack to Top

Abide is back

Abide, our Senior School’s Christian Lunchtime group, is back for 2023!

We will begin on Friday 3rd February at the top of N-Block at the start of lunch, and continue for each Friday this term.

Join us for fun games, delicious snacks, discussion groups and to hear more about Jesus. This term we will be focusing on the Old Testament books of Jonah and Ruth.

All students in Years 7-12 are welcome- hope to see you there!

For more information about Abide, please contact Mr Mills or Mr Roper.

Performing ArtsBack to Top

Ensemble Rehearsals

We look forward to learning new songs and making music again this year with our ensembles, and look forward to many performance opportunities throughout the year. 

All music ensemble rehearsals will commence in WEEK 4 this term. 

Ensemble Timetable

 

OPEN REHEARSAL WEEK: In addition, we would like to invite all family members of current ensemble students and alumni with musical ability who play a band/string instrument, or sing, to join in and participate in our Open Rehearsal Week taking place in WEEK 9 this term by attending one of the rehearsals listed above. This is a wonderful opportunity for students and adults to be inspired and enjoy a new rehearsal environment together. I would also like to extend this invitation to all ex-students who used to participate and perform in our ensembles. 

You will need to register if you would like to participate in the open rehearsal week. More information about this will be announced in the near future, but please save the date for now.

If you require further information please email musicadmin@thac.nsw.edu.au

Mr Byron Mark
Director of Ensembles - Creative Arts
Faculty Concert

Save the Date: Wednesday 1 March 2023

Students and staff that are attending the music Cherry Blossom Tour have been fundraising in order to support the hire of music equipment needed while in Japan. 

To help with raising these funds you are invited to come along and let the talented staff of the Creative Arts team entertain you with a variety of musical genres and performance styles. Tickets will be on sale soon.

We hope to see many of you at this concert.

Mr Byron Mark
Director of Ensembles

Talented Athletes Program

Our Talented Athletes Program (TAP) for 2023 are commencing soon.

This year we have introduced some new offerings for students to join. You can choose from tennis, netball, dance, football (soccer) and basketball.

Our programs are run by coaches and trainers who are experts in their fields. They’ve had extensive experience and their knowledge in their specialised fields allows them to teach students to a very high standard. We would like to welcome our new coaches for netball, basketball and tennis.

Basketball
The Head Coach is Mr Richard Sagar “Wildfire” Basketball Association Coaching Director and former representative player. 

Tennis
This after school Development Program in Tennis will be under the guidance of Mr Stewart Wicker from the Marconi Tennis Centre. 

Netball
Our new Development Program in Netball will be under the guidance of our own Miss Dayla Tikeri, who has a wealth of experience to share having placed and coached at representative level. 

Find out more about our 2023 programs and register your interest via our website.

 

CommunityBack to Top

Staff Professional Development

Over the recent holiday period, our staff were busy preparing for the new year. One way we do this is through Professional Development sessions at the College which keep us up to date with the latest information and practices.

These days are a great opportunity for our staff to work in collaboration, strengthening skills and getting ready to provide the best opportunities for students and our community. Some of the topics we explored included first aid training and working through specific learning needs and strategies. We also enjoyed fellowship with one another, singing praise and hearing a biblical message to encourage us. Our staff had the privilege of having a visit from the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney the Most Reverend Kanishka Raffel. He delivered an inspiring talk to our staff as they prepared for the year ahead.

Archbishop Visit

 

Mrs Karen Easton 
Director of Staff Services
School Zones

Please remember to follow the road rules when driving to and from College. 

These are the current penalities in place by Liverpool Counci

School Zones
Senior Library Book Snap

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Great new books in the IRC!

Newbooks2.2.23#2.jpeg

Great new books in the IRC!

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Great new books in the IRC!

Anime and Manga Club2.jpg

Anime and Manga Club

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Page Turners Book Club

 

Library opening hours and borrowing guidelines

The Senior IRC is open from 7:15am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday.

The IRC is open at lunchtime and recess every day.

Students in Years 7 to 11 can borrow up to two fiction and two non-fiction resources at one time. Each resource has a loan time limit of two weeks.

Students can renew loans after these two weeks if required. Resources can also be reserved.

Students who don’t return their loans with the time period will receive an overdue notice.

 

Library loans of 2022

Students in Years 8 to 11 who still have library books from 2022 need to return them to the IRC as soon as possible. Students who do not return their books will receive an invoice for a replacement copy. Please speak to Mrs Comiskey or Mr Smith if you require a printed list of your loans.

 

Anime and Manga Club

Love watching Anime? Love reading Manga? Know your Dragon Ball Z from your Sailor Moon? Then the Anime and Manga Club is the place for you! Starting very soon is the Library club that celebrates Japanese pop culture. To join or for more information please speak to Library staff.

 

Page Turners Book Club returns in 2023

Love Books? Love Reading? Love Food? Join the Page Turners! The Page Turners book club is back again this year for students in Years 7 to 9. Numbers are strictly limited. Sign up today to ensure your spot. Meetings will be held Monday lunchtime every three weeks. For more information please speak to Mr Smith or Mr Vasington.

 

IRC on Canvas

The Senior IRC’s canvas page is the place to be for all Library information. As well as providing information on the latest Library news and competitions, students will also have access to HSC and career resources, Year 11 and 12 subject guides, recommended reading pages, a library catalogue guide as well as help with the Dewey Decimal System. Research hints and tips, footnoting and bibliography help guides are also available. Lots of great resources are to be found on the IRC Canvas page!

For more information please speak to Mr Smith.

 

Book Bites

Take a book bite to see if it is to your taste

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ – Jenny Han

“Every year Isabel spends a perfect summer at her favourite place in the world - the Fisher family's beach house. It has everything a girl could want- a swimming pool, a private stretch of sandy beach . . . and two boys. Unavailable, aloof Conrad - who she's been in love with forever - and friendly, relaxed Jeremiah, the only one who's ever really paid her any attention. But this year something is different. This year, the boys seem to really notice Isabel for the first time. It's going to be an amazing summer - and one she'll never forget . . .”

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ is a wonderful coming of age story that is a delight to read. Filled with loveable and relatable characters, a funny and romantic storyline, and set in a gorgeous beach house setting, there is a lot here that will engage and captivate readers. A light easy read that would be enjoyed by many.

 

‘Into the Dark: Star Wars The High Republic’ – Claudia Gray

"Padawan Reath Silas is being sent from the cosmopolitan galactic capital of Coruscant to the undeveloped frontier-and he couldn't be less happy about it. He'd rather stay at the Jedi Temple, studying the archives. But when the ship he's traveling on is knocked out of hyperspace in a galactic-wide disaster, Reath finds himself at the center of the action. The Jedi and their traveling companions find refuge on what appears to be an abandoned space station. But then strange things start happening, leading the Jedi to investigate the truth behind the mysterious station, a truth that could end in tragedy ...”

‘Into the Dark’ is an exciting new adventure set in a little-known time in the Star Wars universe. With a great new cast of unique characters, terrifying and deadly creatures, and lots of fast paced action, this is a fantastic story that is going to be enjoyed by fans and non-fans alike. The force is strong with this one!

 

Mrs Annette Comiskey & Mr Michael Smith

Senior IRC Library Team
Lost property

Please make sure all of your child’s belongings are clearly labelled with their name.

Any lost property that is not labelled will be placed in the lost property tubs.

Lost property for K-2 can be found outside A block.
Lost property for 3-6 can be found between C and B block.

Lost property for 7-12 can be found at the Senior Hub.

Students are welcome to look for their lost property anytime.
Parents are welcome to come look in the junior school tubs at morning drop off or afternoon pick up times
Uniform Policy Update

Our Uniform Policy has recently had some updates for 2023. Please read through the policy changes below which will be in implementation from Week 4 February 13 2023.

4.1 THE UNIFORM CODE

HATS

• For Senior School students, the Formal hat is compulsory with the summer uniform and optional with the winter uniform.

• The approved headwear for students doing PE, playing sports, or active play is the Sport Cap. The Cap, however, should not be worn at other times as a substitute for the appropriate College hat.

 

HAIR

• Hairstyle should be plain and respectable.

• Hairstyle should be tidy, maintaining your natural colour, not restricting one’s vision and not groomed in an extreme or exaggerated fashion.

• Boy’s hair must be above the collar, not tied up in a bun or ponytail, and not with an extreme undercut. Boys must be clean shaven.

• For Senior School girls in Science and TAS practical classes, hair below the collar should be tied back for safety reasons.

• Hair accessories for girls such as ribbons or bands, where needed, should be red for girls in P-6 and blue for girls in 7-12. No other hair accessories are permitted.

• Any students whose hairstyle causes undue comment will be referred to the relevant Head of School.

 

The complete Uniform Policy can be found in the Parent & Student Handbook which is available on the College App
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data

As a mandatory requirement, the College will participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data this year.

Information for Parents on the NCCD

As a mandatary requirement, the College will participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data this year. The NCCD is an annual collection of data that all schools in Australia participate in. Through this collection, data is collected about the number of school students with a disability and the level of reasonable adjustments with which they are provided. Under the Education Act schools are required to report this information required for NCCD to the Australian Government.

Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our students is important to us. We do not disclose any student names or any specific information about your student to any authority. If you have any questions, please access the public information notice at www.education.gov.au/notices or contact Mrs Lawler (Junior School) or Mrs Skene (Senior School).

A Message for All Parents and Carers in the College.

The Learning Support Team advises staff of any specific requirements that your student may need. Any information that you have forwarded to the College about your student is shared routinely with the relevant staff at the beginning of the year so that we can suggest appropriate teaching strategies to best help any students with specific needs. We also routinely complete some simple assessments on many of our students in each year group in order to provide up to date strategy information for teachers, government censuses, and in the Senior School, to gauge eligibility for Disability Provisions provided during examination periods.

We recognize the sensitivity of this information and assure you that it will be shared discretely with teachers. Any shared information will be kept securely and appropriately by teachers and stored according to legislative requirements.

Please recognize that sharing this information is essential if we are to address the learning needs of our students. We appreciate it when parents and caregivers regularly forward updated information regarding their son or daughter as it assists us to cater for each student’s requirements.

We thank you for your co-operation and please feel free to contact Learning Support at any time.

 

Mrs Lawler (Junior School Learning Support) and Mrs Skene (Senior School Learning Support).