Term 3 | The Way Newsletter | Monday 18 September 2023

With the end of term this week and Year 12 almost finished their face-to-face learning, it is good to take some time to reflect a little on the journey students take over their time at school. There has been a magnifying glass on the field of education over the past decade or more, talking about the purpose of education; our effectiveness to deliver the critical skills and knowledge that will train and equip students for the future; our relevance in a rapidly changing landscape etc… Despite all this background noise, not a lot has changed in education. Yes, we have introduced more technology and yes, there may be a different style of delivery, however, a classroom today will look and feel like the classroom a decade (or some would argue a century) ago. So, what is this journey all about? What is it that we are trying to do here for the community and for the students themselves?

I think the answer to this is not too complicated, it basically falls into 3 key areas:

Learning: there is a base knowledge that the community feels is foundational to the building blocks for success. At its simplest it includes mastery in Literacy, Numeracy, Technology and Communication. But complexity is built when we include specialist areas such as languages/ musicianship/ sporting specialties/ engineering prowess/ scientific thinking/ artistic skills etc. This is the most basic area we as a community expect a school to deliver.

Wisdom: we can call this ‘making good choices’, working through the complexities of successfully navigating adolescence, how to ‘live and thrive in a complex world’, ‘having the freedom to mature and grow up in a safe environment’, and doing all of this with a sense of honesty, integrity, and courage. The Bible helps to lay a foundation for our thinking across the College and Jesus calls us to establish and maintain good, loving relationships with one another including, teachers, students and parents. So, living in community has a reality that encourages us to walk with dignity, have robust relationships, make mistakes, and make corrections for the benefit of others and our own lives.

Service: This is an area that is not appreciated in our materialistic world. I grew up in a small country town and in my experience, the community were always doing things together. Town dances, working bees to develop community facilities, sporting competitions, support for others in a time of need. Old and young all in together. Our modern communities are far more independent with the focus on the individual. The focus on the individual is a message that is contrary to our core values. Thomas Hassall wants to empower young people to work together in teams, be that: sporting teams, debating, music ensembles, musicals, or special programs like Dukes etc. It is in these settings that we learn how to serve one another; we get into rhythm with God’s heart, and we grow and develop a mindset that will positively impact our community/communities wherever we go.

If our students graduating in Year 12 have a real sense of the simple plan above, then they will go out from Thomas Hassall with a foundation of a great education. I look forward to seeing what our 2023 Graduates achieve in the years ahead. I wonder if you can pray for our 2023 Year 12 students as they leave College and embark on the HSC Examinations that will take place in Term 4. Thank you for your ongoing support.

I am excited to have joined the College in 2023 and working with 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 [email protected] You can also visit the website.

Mrs Jane Wills
Speech Pathologist

Last Thursday, our college celebrated R U OK? Day, an event designed to encourage healthy conversations about mental health. The day began with a video created by our Student Team, which was shown during Pastoral Care sessions, emphasising the importance of mental health and what to do if you or a friend aren't 'ok.'

During recess, we hosted a bake sale as a precursor to our larger sausage sizzle, through which we were able to raise funds directly supporting the R U OK? organisation. We also distributed wristbands and conversation cards to raise awareness and engage in meaningful conversations, making this event a tremendous success.

After the lunch service, I asked a teacher, "How have you been?" His response was, "Never ask unless you're entirely ready to hear the answer." I became so engrossed in asking students if they were okay that I failed to realise how important it is to understand your own limits. We hope that every student was able to learn something that will help them better deal with their friends' or their own mental struggles. Psychologists often make the comparison that mental health is similar to physical health; mentally struggling and bottling it in is "like having a broken arm and not fixing it." We genuinely want to keep the conversation going, so talk to each other, your teachers, your parents, or even our counselors. "R U OK?" isn't limited to a day; it's about addressing a health concern that will persist throughout our lives.

Mehak U
Year 12 Social Justice Prefect

Hoxton Park Anglican Church presents

Super Mario Kids Club 

Wednesday 4 October - Friday 6 October from 9:30am - 3pm.

Sunday 8 October from 9:30am-12:30pm

Click here for more information and to register