Term 2 I The Way Newsletter I Friday 19 May 2023

Latest UpdatesBack to Top

From the Acting Principal/Director of Staff Services
Karen Easton

We have been blessed with beautiful autumn weather and the College trees are certainly showcasing the colours of the season at the moment. We have also continued to enjoy many special occasions that provide opportunities for the students to serve our community.

The Thomas Hassall Family Reunion was a great success. Some of our Year 11 students assisted on the day as part of their Duke of Edinburgh program. They were outstanding ambassadors for the College and their families. Thank you. 

We have also had students from both Junior and Senior school represent in debating, soccer, athletics carnival and leadership development. I am sure you will enjoy reading about some of these events in this edition of The Way.

Our annual Mother’s Day breakfast was spectacular. We served over 1000 mothers, grandmothers and students in two sittings. It was lovely to meet so many of you on this morning and I do hope that your families were able to have a memorable day last Sunday. Again, thank you to those who cooked, served and tidied for this event.

The term is in full swing and there are still quite a few events ahead. Whilst life is certainly busy, I would like to encourage everyone to also focus on learning and developing good habits in this area, especially as assessment season is upon us.

The second half of this term brings our creative arts nights to fruition. There is much preparation and rehearsals already occurring and we are looking forward to seeing these on stage in the coming weeks.

The events and transitions at this time of the year remind me of God’s goodness and promises in the ebbs and flows of life as we remember that, in Ecclesiastes 3:1, For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Mrs Karen Easton
Acting Principal
From the Deputy Principal - Senior School Learning
David Butler

As we head towards these colder months, there continues to be lots of rich activities for our students to participate in and plenty on the horizon in the teaching and learning space.

I wanted to particularly share with you about our recent Road Safety campaign with our Year 11 students. It is currently National Road Safety Week which is occurring nationwide from the 14th- 21st of May and the theme of this year is “Pledge to Drive so others Survive”. It was a really powerful session put together with the help of the PDHPE Department. I want to thank Miss Stewart for her courage and candour in speaking about her recent journey of recovery after a serious vehicle accident. Year 12 students Annika, Aleksandra, Eliana and Konstantina shared their personal experiences of road trauma also and what they have learned since being able to drive themselves. Sharing like this takes great courage and I commend them for their willingness to speak with Year 11 in this way. It was fantastic to have Harvey Weir; Mr Weir’s father join us. He has spent 21 Years in the NSW fire brigade and was able to talk about his experiences, the role of the Fire Brigade in road accidents and the impacts road fatalities have on first responders and the community. I am certain that our Year 11 students have learned a great deal through attending this session.

Next week, our Year 10 students will undertake their Mid-Course Examinations, and so preparation will have begun in earnest by now. This group heard from Mr Broadbent in a Study Skills seminar not too long ago and they will be busy putting all of those suggestions into place. Please assist them with their preparations by helping them find a time and a place to thoroughly revise the material that will be tested.

You will have heard through the media information about impending curriculum changes for several subjects across both Junior School and Senior School. Our staff in the Maths, English, Languages, Geography and Computing departments will be busily preparing for the changes being implemented in 2024. Thankfully many of the planned changes to other subjects have been slowed down to allow for greater consultation with teachers across the state before implementation occurs. It is another item that adds to the complexity of the role of our teachers and we are ever thankful for the professional and passionate teachers that we are blessed with at the College. Thank you for your continued support of them over these coming years of implementation!

Mr David Butler
Deputy Principal - Senior School Learning
From the Chaplain
Denis Oliver

Did you know that our School is named after a bloke called Thomas Hassall?

He was an ordinary Christian with some interesting adventures. Let me share two of those adventures.

Thomas Hassall was born in England in 1794 and his family came to Australia in 1798.  Thomas grew up in Parramatta as his dad was the minister there (yawn). But one Sunday, when he was 19, the following happened..

“He looked out the window of his home and noticed a number of boys playing in the paddock opposite. He thought it would be a good idea to gather them together and speak to them about the love of God. He invited them in and spoke to them, and after a while dismissed them. He thought that was the end of it, but on the following Sunday there was a knock on the door. When he opened it there stood before him the boys whom he had invited in the previous Sunday with other boys. They asked Mr Hassall to tell them more of his stories.”

Within 12 months this group would grow to 150 people – Thomas could have never foreseen that.

Four years later, at the age of 24, he decided to sail back to England to get some qualifications as a minister to serve in Australia. While on the ship he met a stowaway convict and he decided to share the love of God to this man. The convict gave his life to God that day. Ironically, the convict would not survive the journey to England - Thomas would have never foreseen that. Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; Point out errors, warn people, and encourage them. Be very patient when you teach. ( 2 Timothy 4:2)

Being a Christian is not about being a bible basher, but it is about sharing some good news for the benefit of the other - you can never foresee the effects the Love of God.

Reverend Denis Oliver
College Chaplain
From the Academic Dean of Students
Kelie Munro - Academic Dean of Students

Year 12 Update

Mr Roper and I had a wonderful time speaking with Year 12 this week in their extended Pastoral Care lesson. I gave a presentation on the steps involved when completing a university application with UAC (Universities Admissions Centre) Each year UAC process more than 70,000 applications. It’s an exciting time for our Year 12 students as they prepare to embark on a life after school. However, it can also be a stressful time for them with many decisions to be made. We also spoke about the early entry options that are available. Some universities already have their early entry applications open and many of our students have submitted applications. Mr Roper also presented information about the TAFE options that are available for students in 2024.

Mid Course Examinations

Next week, Year 10 students will sit for their Mid Course Examinations. Students are expected to be in attendance for all exams. If a student misses an exam for any reason, parents must email me to provide an explanation. I will then organise a catch-up time for you to complete the examination. Students should ensure that mobile phones and any other electronic devices are placed in their lockers and not brought into the examination room. I encourage all students to do their best. Remember, exams are a great way to identify areas and topics that you’re understanding as well as those areas that need more work. Best wishes Year 10.

AI/Chatbots/ChatGPT

I spoke at the Senior School Assembly this week with an update around the use of AI/Chatbots/ChatGPT in assessment tasks. This was a follow-up to the information that I sent to parents and students at the end of Term 1. At assembly, I detailed the importance of doing individual research and writing assessment tasks yourself. That it was the best way to build a deep understanding of course content and a way to meet NESA outcomes successfully. I also reminded students that if they choose to use these types of sites to write their tasks that they will be subject to mark penalties or may receive no marks for their task.

Study Centre

A reminder, the after school Study Centre is available for all students in Years 7-12. The expectation in relation to behaviour is that students will be respectful and cooperative. Students must attend Study Centre with work to do or a book to read. Parents, could you ensure you collect your child via the JBlock carpark pick-up area. The Study Centre operates Monday-Thursday from 2.40pm – 5.00pm.

Miss Kelie Munro
Academic Dean of Students
From the Director of Operations - Senior School
Justin

Our updated traffic management plan has now been in place for two weeks and we thank you for your patience during this time.

A reminder that the vehicle entry gates will open at 2.45pm. Queuing or parking in front of the gates is not permitted, so please arrive after 2.45pm to pickup your child.

The Year 10 cohort will be starting their Mid-Course examinations in week 5. It is a time when they have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of their courses. Some last minute revision is still valuable so please encourage your child across the next week.

Mr Justin Stoker
Director of Operations - Senior School

Upcoming Dates

Date Event
Monday 22 May Year 10 Exams Commence (Mon-Fri)
Tuesday 23 May

HICES Debating

Yr 12 Economics Excursion
Wednesday 24 May AICES Netball Gala Day
Thursday 25 May

NASSA Cross Country
Friday 26 May Year 12 Construction incursion
Monday 29 May Year 10 Work Placement (Mon-Fri)
Tuesday 30 May CIS Primary Girls Rugby 7s Trials
Wednesday 31 May  Year 7 Art Excursion
Thursday 1 June Junior School 3-6 Athletics Carnival
A Message from The College Nurse

Over the last 2 years our focus has been on COVID however as we begin to circulate more in the community again, the incidence of influenza and colds is increasing. So, whilst a child may test negative to COVID, if they have a sore throat, cough, runny nose, temperature, vomiting or diarrhoea they must stay home until the symptoms have resolved. In the instance of vomiting and diarrhoea, this requires the student to remain at home until they have been asymptomatic for 24 hrs. 

The need for absence from College and the length of time a person needs to be away depends on how easily the infection can spread, how long the person is likely to be infectious and how severe the disease can be. It is also influenced by whether the student is able to focus in class and perform at a normal level and if the condition is disruptive to the Teacher and other Students in the classroom.  To protect the health of children and staff within the College, it is important that children and staff who are ill are kept away from the College for the recommended period. 

Asthmatics who have had a sleepless night or persistent cough or wheeze that requires Ventolin more often than every 4 hrs should be kept at home until their Asthma Flare up has resolved. 

Please also remind your Children that their best defence against becoming unwell, is to practise good hand hygiene. To wash their hands regularly and use the hand sanitisers. And to cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing and to dispose of used tissues immediately. 

Senior students who are absent on the day prior or on the day an assessment task is due, must visit a GP and get an Illness/Misadventure form completed. 

Thank you for partnering with us in the care of our child/ren. 

Mrs Karen Tindall 
College Nurse 

WellbeingBack to Top

Abide Christian Lunchtime Group

Abide is held every Friday lunchtime at the top of N-Block. All Senior School students are welcome. Join us every Friday lunchtime for games, snacks and to find out more about Jesus.

This term, we are hearing testimonies from teachers and students about what it means to follow Jesus.

Hope to see you there!

For more information, please contact Mr Mills or Mr Roper

LearningBack to Top

Visual Arts excursion

As our world returns to normality, Visual Arts braved a trip to the city centre and immersed ourselves in Sydney's art culture.

Year 9, 10, and 11 Elective Visual Arts students spent their day meandering through the halls of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Our day started with an adventure-filled trek down into the decommissioned fuel tank from the Second World War, that is hidden below the new North Building. This unique space housed Adrian Villar Rojas's The End of Imagination, which was an immersive, sculptural installation. We also visited the South Building, where we viewed the ARTEXPRESS 2022 HSC Body of Work exhibition. Seeing the outstanding bodies of work made by Year 12 students from across NSW, inspired us to think about our own artmaking journeys. The levels of talent and hard work made us think about the endless possibilities that are ahead of us in the HSC Visual Arts course. After this, we continued to explore the upper levels of the North Building, where we were greeted with the 20th-Century Permanent Collection, which contained artworks that dated from the 1900s to the 1960s. We also saw the Asian Lantern Collections, which housed both ancient and contemporary artworks. This excursion was a valuable learning experience, as we could analyse and learn about different ideas and techniques and think about how we might apply them to our own work. This trip will no doubt influence, shape and improve our future artworks - Year 9 Visual Arts students Eliana L and Emmeline M

The students bumped into the Australian Indigenous actress Shari Sebbens, most notably from the film ‘The Sapphires’. Shari’s mother was with her as they had come to see the work of her Uncle Cousin on display for the first time. Shari was so lovely to our students, and even suggested a group photograph. Interestingly, Year 9 Students are studying the film, ‘The Sapphires’ in their English Indigenous Film unit. The students were thrilled, a very special meeting for them.  

Mrs Genelle Griffin
Visual Arts Coordinator

 

art
Year 9 Seminar

Our Year 9 students attended a YourChoicez Seminar.  

The seminar was designed to empower students to make meaningful relationships by understanding the gravity of the decisions they make online and help them navigate the digital world, helping them understand how decisions can affect both their current and future relationships.

It assisted them to develop an understanding of terminologies such as image-based abuse, sexual harassment and coercion. They have gained an understanding of the concerns, dangers and legalities around the issue of sexting.

Here are some student reflections:

On Tuesday last week we had a seminar called Connections that Count run by YourChoicez. It involved talks about safety online, relationships and friendships, and setting healthy boundaries. I learned about the difference between being a “bystander” and an “upstander”. A community full of “bystanders” are people who tolerate the abuse of others and won't stand up for each other  and for the right thing; to be an upstander is to show positivity to one another and to show empathy, courage, and bravery in risk of losing friends and popularity. it was a great seminar that taught me a lot and one thing that will keep for it is to never involve yourself in the things that aren't about you - Daniel C

I found this seminar very interesting! It was very informative and I learned a lot of new information that i think is really applicable and helpful especially due to the impacts of social media on our lives. The seminar leader Bec was really nice and engaging and she allowed us to feel comfortable to lean the content, she was also very easy to get along with and allowed us to have a more fun and pleasurable experience! I recommend this seminar as it was very engaging while still making sure that students can be informed about important issues. I also heard from other students about how they felt about this seminar and they seemed to appreciate that the school went out of their way to provide this educational experience for us. Overall I think it was a valuable experience as it allowed us to learn a lot of new information in a really engaging way and it covered many topics that a lot of girls might not have known much about or personally experienced before and it was very informative - AnnaMae A

 

Mrs Germeen Matthews
Senior School Teacher - Science & Year 9 Advisor

seminar

 
Food Technology excursion to Novotel North Beach

On Wednesday 10th May, Year 10 Food Technology students travelled to North Wollongong to participate in a Hospitality program called the SHE program.

The Student Hospitality Experience (SHE) program provided a great opportunity for our students to gain some industry awareness, both as a guest and as an employee.

Our students were able to experience ‘a day in the life’ of different professions within the hotel. These experiences included a pastry lesson with a qualified pastry chef, a barista session with a trained member of the Food and Beverage team and a mocktail training course, also with a member of the Food and Beverage team. Year 10 were treated to a delicious buffet lunch and then a comprehensive tour of both front and back of house, including two kitchens, maintenance, the laundry, front reception and some of the rooms.

This excursion provided an excellent opportunity for our Food Technology students to see how their current unit of learning, Food Service and Catering, translates directly into careers in the hospitality industry.

Mrs Helen Bull
TAS Teacher - Year 10 Advisor & Assistant Coordinator TAS

food

Senior School Sports Update

Athletics Carnival

I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in our recent Senior School Athletics Carnival. It was an incredible day filled with sportsmanship, talent, and enthusiastic support from all involved.

The spirit of healthy competition was evident throughout the day as students cheered for their peers, offering words of encouragement and displaying outstanding sportsmanship.

The Athletics Carnival featured a wide range of track and field events that highlighted the diverse talents of our students. From thrilling sprints and nail-biting teacher races to impressive long jumps, high jumps, shot put, and discus throws, each event showcased the dedication and hard work of our athletes.

Not only did students compete individually, but they also represented their respective houses in the house competitions. A special mention goes to the Lewis House that emerged victorious at the end of the day, earning the coveted Athletics Carnival trophy.

I would like to congratulate all participants for their outstanding efforts. Whether you achieved a personal best, set a new record, or simply enjoyed the experience of being part of a team, your commitment and perseverance were truly inspiring.

Athletics

 

In particular, I would like to highlight the achievements of the below students:

Athletics Champion Of Champion Female: Emilija P

Athletics Champion Of Champion Male: Jonathan V

 

Athletics Age Champions

12 Years: Alana M, Christian M

13 Years: Sara E, Ryder W

14 Years: Liliana C, Silas T

15 Years: Hannah T, Matthew M

16 Years: Mia T, Daniel M

17 Years+: Zoe G, Jake H

 

Athletics 2023 Record Breakers

Track Events

800 Meter Run

2:49.59 Christian Mi - Lewis

2:55.72 Ella W - Liddell

2:52.40 Joshua F- Lewis

1500 Meter Run

6:03.37 Zac F - Wilberforce

6:14.83 Ella W - Liddell

5:30.58  Charlie K - Lewis

6:08.06 Brodie V - Wilberforce

5:24.01  Levi G - Carmichael

8:54.68 Zoe G- Liddell

Field Events

High Jump 1.77m Alistair N - Liddell

Long Jump 5.91m Luke M- Wilberforce

Discus Throw 33.20m Matthew M - Wilberforce

Discus Throw 33.86m Jake H- Wilberforce

Javelin Throw 9.24m  Alana M - Lewis

Javelin Throw 21.62m  Sara E - Carmichael

Shot Put 8.40m Jonah I - Liddell

 

MISA Players of the Term

MISA has been a tough competition and we are proud of what we have achieved as a College. In particular we want to congratulate the following students who have been named the MISA Player of the Term.

Basketball Girls - Ashleigh K

Basketball Boys - Cody N

Volleyball Div 1 Girls - Seraphina T

Volleyball Div 1 Boys - Elijah W

Volleyball Div 2 Girls - Antonia A

Volleyball Div 2 Boys - Liam T

Softball Boys - Rylan M

Cricket Girls - Arya K

OzTag Girls - Jessica M

AICES Football Gala Day

Our football players have also been very busy in the Bill Turner Cup, CIS Cup and AICES Football Gala Days. They have had some highs and lows but impressively our U15s boys have made it to Round Three of the Bill Turner Cup, we are really looking forward to seeing how they shape up against Freeman College!

We want to congratulate Maksim N, Levi G, Connor G and Zoe G for all being selected into the AICES Team and will go on to compete at the CIS Football Gala Day.

Soccer

 

 

Upcoming Sporting Events
Week 5

Wednesday 24th May

AICES Opens Netball

Thursday 25th May

NASSA Cross Country Carnival
Week 6 Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th May

CIS Senior Football Gala Day

Thursday 1st June

CSSA Gymnastics
Week 8

Wednesday 14th June

U14s Boys and Girls Futsal Gala Day

Thursday 15th June

U16s Boys and Girls Futsal Gala Day

Friday 16th June

Opens Boys and Girls Futsal Gala Day

Mrs Irene Focas
Sports Coordinator - Senior School
Elijah represents Australia

Elijah W (Year 8) represented Australia in level 8 under 14's Australian Gymnastic Championship 2023. 

During the championship, Elijah's exceptional skills and performance earned him the title of Australian All-Round Champion. He also achieving remarkable results in:

High Bars: 1st place

Parallel Bars: 1st place

Pommel Horse: 1st place

Vault: 2nd place

Floor: 2nd place

Rings: 2nd place

His NSW team also won 1st place. 

Congratulations Elijah on outstanding results, we are very proud of you. 

medal
Student Spotlight

In the last issue of The Way, we learned of Alice's outstanding accomplishments in Hungary. In this issue, she tells us about her personal experience.

During the April school holidays, I traveled to Budapest, Hungary with the Australian U15 judo team. I started with 10 days of intense training before I competed in my first international competition.

The training in Hungary was very different to how I train here in Australia. For 10 straight days I trained every morning and afternoon. In the morning I would do an hour and a half of technical focused training with only the Australian team and in the afternoon I would go back to the training club and train with the Hungarian team for 2 hours. In between, I would stretch or continue fitness training. Usually after training I would be so sore but I knew I couldn’t give up!

I really loved the training. Some sessions I also had to do a lot of strength and conditioning. I would do about 15 minutes of running and sprinting and then I would do a circuit full of weights, push ups, sit ups and more sprinting! In my 2 hour training sessions we would start with stretching, then would move on to a 15-20 minute warm up followed by uchikomi. This is where we go down the mat practicing breaking balance, trying our favourite or main throws forward, backwards, sideways and combining 2 or more throws together. Then we would stay on one part of the mat and do speed uchikomi which is doing your main throws really quickly. Lastly we would do nagekomi which is full throwing, usually in sets of fives.

After this we would then move on to newaza which is ground fighting. The aim of ground fighting is to get your partner on their back or you can do strangles and arm bars. We would usually do these for 5 minutes each and do around 5 sets. We then have a 2 minute break to quickly get a drink of water. Then we moved on to randori. This is fighting like in competition. The aim is to throw your opponent and get your partner on their back. This is always the hardest part of training because you have to break balance, try out our throws and try to block their throws all at the same time! These fights would usually go for 5 minutes and I would do 7 rounds.

After training the Australian team come together on the mat and debrief about the session and talk about things we all need to work on while we stretch. One of the strength challenges was rope climbing so after we stretched we had to try this 3 times. In the beginning I struggled as I have never done it before but I practiced everyday and by the end of the trip I could climb to the top!

The competition was an amazing experience. Unfortunately I lost 2 fights against a Bulgarian and Hungarian competitor, they were both so strong and went on to medal overall. This meant that I was eliminated and I was really disappointed but my coach was happy with how I fought.

After my competition, I then had an International training camp. There were athletes from 24 countries. We had training morning and afternoon with a lot of uchikomi, nagekomi, newaza and randori. By the end of each day I had done 16 randoris which I was very proud of.

Overall, this was an amazing experience!! It really pushed me to my limits and showed me what I can do! I was very proud of myself and I definitely want to do this again! I can’t wait to implement everything I learned back into my training back in Sydney!

Alice C, Year 9

CommunityBack to Top

Senior Library Book Snap

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Dystopian Fiction Display

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Dystopian Fiction Display

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Great new books in the IRC!

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Great new books in the IRC!

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Great new books in the IRC!

Dystopian fiction: a survival guide

This term in the Senior Library we are showcasing one of the more popular genres, dystopian fiction. Although mostly set in dark, oppressive societies, dystopian novels often show humanity at its best, people standing up and fighting for truth, freedom, and justice.

To celebrate this great genre the library is running a competition. To go into the draw, you need to borrow a dystopian book and tell us how you would survive a zombie outbreak for the chance to win a $30 Ultimate Teens Gift Card! For more information, please speak to Library staff.

Upcoming activities in the Library

Page turners Book Club – Week 5, Monday lunchtime in N2

Anime and Manga Club – Week 6, Tuesday lunchtime 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.

Book Bites

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

 

‘Switchback’ – Danika Stone

“Vale loves to hike, but kind of hates her classmates. Ash is okay with his classmates, but kind of hates the outdoors. So, needless to say they are both fairly certain that the overnight nature hike with their PE class is going to be a hellish experience. But when they get separated from the group during a storm, they have worse things to worry about than bullies and blisters. Lost in the Canadian wilderness with limited supplies, caught in dangerous weather conditions, and surrounded by deadly wildlife, it's going to take every bit of strength, skill, and luck they can muster to survive.”

‘Switchback’ is an exciting and thrilling story of survival that will have all readers gripped to the very last page. Filled with exciting encounters with dangerous animals, as well as deadly natural obstacles that the characters must overcome, readers will find themselves cheering on Vale and Ash as they bravely fight their way to safety. This is also a story of friendship, of two friends relying on each other to help get them through a terrible experience. A great read for students in years 7 to 9.

 

‘The Outliers’ – Kimberly McCreight

“Isobel is a portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the immortal fair folk. Yet when she receives her first royal patron – Rook, the autumn prince – she makes a horrific mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life. Furious, Rook escorts Isobel to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime, but their journey is full of danger. Forced to depend on each other for survival, will their alliance blossom into something more? After all, their love would violate the fair folks’ ruthless laws…but are some matters worth the risk?”

‘The Outliers’ is a wonderful fantasy romance, filled with magic, awe and wonder. This novel has a traditional fairy tale story but takes it to the next level, with a large cast of likable and engaging characters and a fantasy world unique to others in the genre. Main protagonist Isobel is a wonderful character, brave, relatable, smart, her growing relationship with the Prince is beautiful story that readers will love. A great book for fans of Cassandra Clare, Alexandra Bracken, Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black. Suitable for readers in Years 9 to 12.

 

Mrs Annette Comiskey & Mr Michael Smith
Senior IRC Library Team