Term 4 : Friday 14 December 2018

From the Principal
Principal Ross Whelan

Rebecca Lin has achieved the most outstanding result of 1st in the State for English Extension 2 and with her family and was presented a special award by the NSW Minister for Education. 

Rebecca and her teacher Mrs Julie Smythe have shared a photo for the local press.  Gemma Navarette has placed 6th in the State for Music, continuing the strong successes that we have had in Music in recent years.

We will send out a more detailed report as further information comes to hand.  However, we know with such substantial improvement in the HSC results that the individual Year 12 graduates will more than likely all achieve their desired courses and pathways.

On your behalf let me thank and acknowledge the teachers of Year 12 and the staff who have worked hard to build this result.

At our Celebration events last week we took on the theme of Generation to Generation.  There were special videos prepared to highlight the theme which will be available on the website soon.

We looked at the future plans for the College, including making mention of the Strategic Plan document sent to all families and the survey in relation to the College Review in Term 1.

2019 is an important year to continue to improve and innovate; continue to build for the future.  We celebrate 20 years of the College in 2020 and plans are afoot for the construction of a Learn to Swim Centre.  We will bring these plans to the College community early in 2019. 

What a wonderful, yet pressured time we have at Christmas.  Please take the time to reflect on the year and the joy of the Saviour Jesus born for us.

Thank you for your support of the College this year and best wishes for the vacation period. 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Mr Ross Whelan
Principal
From the College Chaplain

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is best known for writing the song, Joy to the World. He wrote it, despite disliking church music because he thought it was dull. It was his father who gave him a challenge to do something about it.

This set Watts on a lifelong pursuit to write songs that praised Jesus and reminded Christians of their hope in his saving work on the cross. This is how he came to write the popular song that we sing at this time of year.

One day he was reading Psalm 98, and verse 4 gripped him:

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music.

And this is exactly what Watts set out to do with Joy to the World.

But even though its sung at Christmas it is not about the story of Jesus birth. It's actually the story about Christ’s return—his second coming.

You can see it in the lyrics. Verse 1 says;

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing

The earth did not receive Jesus, but like sheep, we went astray. But, there will be a day when this will not be so.

Verse 3 talks about sins and sorrows being no more:

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make his blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

If you have lived on this earth for more than two minutes, you know that this is not our current experience. But there will be a fulfillment of all Christ’s work that is not fully expressed this side of eternity. So we have hope. And that brings joy despite our circumstances.

The final verse says:

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of his righteousness,

And wonders of his love

These final lines speak of how the nations will take an active role in revealing the glory of God. That certainly isn't today, but that day will be wonderful! 

It's a wonderful song that can be sung at any time of year, even Christmas!

I pray that you and your family experience something of the joy expressed in this song that is found in Jesus.

Have a very blessed Christmas.

Rev Stuart Tye
College Chaplain

Local Christmas Services

Hoxton Park Anglican Church

6pm - Community Carols - Sunday 16 December 2018 

Christmas Eve - 6pm 

Christmas Day - 9:30am 

St Luke's Liverpool

Christmas Eve Family Service - 5pm

Christmas Eve Late Service - 11pm

Christmas Morning Service - 9:30am

St Mark's Sadlier

Christmas Eve Communion Service -  11pm (communion)

Christmas Day Service – 9am

Hope Anglican Church, Leppington 

Christmas Eve - 5pm

Christmas Day - 9:30am

Cabramatta Anglican Church

Carols service: 16th 7pm with free BBQ starting at 6pm

Sunday Service 23rd - 11am

Christmas Day Service - 11am

St Alban's MBM Anglican ChurchSOUTH WEST SYDNEY Smithfield, NSW

Smithfield Public School

Christmas Service - Sunday 23 December 2018

Liverpool South Anglican Church

Carols in the Car-Park - Sunday 16th Dec from 5.30pm (BBQ & Carols)

Christmas Eve Service @ 11 pm

Christmas Day Service @ 9.30am 

New Years Eve Service (NYE) @ 11pm
(All Services are Communion & family oriented)

Harrington Park Anglican Church

9:00am Christmas Day - at Harrington Park Public School
(2 Sir Warwick Fairfax Drive, Harrington Park)

Gregory Hills Anglican Church

9:30am Christmas Day
1/10 Bluett Drive, Smeaton Grange

Night Church at the Hub  - 1/10 Bluett Drive, Smeaton Grange

7:00pm Christmas Eve

2020 Scholarships Years 7 and 11

We are very pleased to offer a limited number of Academic Scholarships for students entering Years 7 and 11 in 2020. To be considered for a Scholarship students must register and sit the ACER examination. Outlined below are the details regarding how to apply.
Applications close: midnight AEDT Monday 4 February 2019

Test Date: Saturday 23 February 2019

Application Fee: $100

Location: Thomas Hassall Anglican College

Steps in the Scholarship Process:

  1. Register online to sit the ACER Scholarship examination at http://www.thac.nsw.edu.au/scholarships 
  2.  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.
  3. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their scholarship applications in early April 2019.
  4. Online individual reports will be available to parents in April 2019.

If you have any questions please contact Mrs Amanda Low, Enrolments Co-ordinator on 9608 0033.

2019 Term Dates

Term 1 

Monday  28 January Australia Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 29 January

Term 1 Commences 
Years 1-7, 11 & 12 commence 
K Testing 

Wednesday 30 January Years 8-10 Commence 
Thursday 31 January  Kindergarten Commence 
Monday 4 February Prep - Red/White Commence 
Tuesday  5 February  Prep - Blue/Purple Commence 
Friday  12 April  End of Term 1

Term 2

Tuesday 30 April  Term 2 Commences 
Friday  28 June

End of Term 2 

Term 3

Tuesday 22 July Term 3 Commences
Saturday 24 August 

South West Festival

Monday 26 August Mid Term Break - Staff & Students 
Friday  27 September End of Term 3

Term 4

Tuesday 14 October Term 4 Commences
Monday 11 November

Mid Term Break - Students Only 

Friday  6 December  End of Term 4
College Orientations

Throughout Term 4 we have hosted several College Orientations and have welcomed nearly 200 new students into the College for 2019. 

The Orientation days are designed for new students and their families and help them transition into College life.

Students have had the opportunity to experience time in the classrooms, get to know their fellow students and meet the teachers. 

It has been a wonderful experience for all and we are looking forward to welcoming these families to the College for  2019.

Mrs Marissa Poll
Junior School Enrolments Coordinator

Wedding Bells for 2 Staff Members

Congratulations to Micheal Smith from the Senior IRC who was married on Saturday 1st December.  The happy couple are enjoying a lovely honeymoon in the United States.

Congratulations also to Rachel Raj (Junior School Teacher) who will marry Joey Stockinger tomorrow.

We wish both these couples well as they begin their lives together!

Celebration Events 2018

It was great to see the number of students who were honoured at these events along with with all the performances showcasing the array of talent we have here at the College.  The theme of Generation to Generation was very special highlighting and celebrating the diversity and richness of our College community.  

Thank you to all the staff and students for their efforts to bring these events together.  It was also lovely to see all the family and friends who came along to support and enjoy these occasions.

A wonderful way to end the College year.

Gingerbread House Workshop

It’s certainly beginning to look a lot like Christmas….

We were thoroughly impressed with the standard of gingerbread houses that were created.  It was so lovely to see all the smiling faces with their houses nicely wrapped and ready for their families to enjoy sometime over the Christmas period.

Thank you to all the families who came along to join in all the fun and embracing the Christmas spirit. 

We wish all our College families a blessed Christmas.

Mrs Carmen Pasapera
Marketing & Community Relations Manager

 

EventsBack to Top

Kindy 2019 Family Outing

When : Thursday 17 January 2019

Where : Tabatinga

Please bring along siblings and family members.

Click the link for more detail. 

 

WellbeingBack to Top

Mindfulness

Over the last decade, mindfulness has been slowly rising in popularity with many individuals practising it on a regular basis. Evidence based research has found that there are many benefits to mindfulness which has prompted schools across the nation to implement this practice into their daily routines.

Mindfulness can be described as attention training for your brain, enabling you to focus on something without judgement and to stimulate curiosity. Mindfulness can be practised in a number of ways and is something that can be done by everyone - no matter what your age! It has been practised by many cultures around the world, but it is not exclusively affiliated to any particular philosophy or religion.

Mindfulness helps improve memory, engagement and performance. Its positive effect on the brain can improve immunity, mental wellbeing, learning ability, emotional health and even, time management. It is especially important in this era of information overload as our attention is constantly being pulled in many directions making us more distracted.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents can learn the best way to introduce mindfulness to their children, implementing it into their daily lives to have an overall positive impact on family relationships. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition and we always welcome your feedback.

If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information.

Here is the link to this month’s edition http://thac.nsw.schooltv.me/newsletter/mindfulness

Mrs Jacoline Peterson
Director of Student Counselling  

LearningBack to Top

The Final Results Are In

After a two terms of close competition and furious reading, we were locked in a draw. The girls won Term 2’s Reading Challenge and the boys took out Term 3’s re-match. It was clear that a decider was needed in Term 4 to declare the ultimate winners. Despite a last-ditch effort by the boys in the latter part of the term, the girls took out Term 4’s win, making them the overall Year 4 Reading Champions!

Over the last three terms, a whopping total of 178 549 pages were read by Year 4 students! Notable mentions go to Leona M and Lucas G, who each read more than 6000 pages, and were the highest contributors for the girls and boys respectively. What an amazing achievement!

 

Miss Claire Donaldson 
Assistant Stage 2 Coordinator 

Performing ArtsBack to Top

Junior School STEM Club

Earlier this term we launched the Junior School STEM Club for Years 4-6, with a regular group of students faithfully attending each week. Throughout the term, students were challenged to use the coding program, Scratch, to create their very own game.

Our last week of STEM Club was spent sharing and playing each other’s games. There was a wide range of games, with one encouraging healthy eating, another delving into the world of Harry Potter, and yet another with a football goal scoring challenge. What a talented group of students!

 

Some of the students reflected on what they most enjoyed about STEM Club:

I like that we get to create games and show other people what we can do. – Kendra S

I enjoyed doing the coding and coming back every week to improve on my game and make it better. In the last week I enjoyed seeing all the other games and how good they were. – Aaron D

I liked creating my own game. – Adrian Z

It was fun playing other people’s games and we got to be with our friends. – Davina I

I like that we got to be creative and could make anything up. We could see what other people enjoyed doing and what they made. – Annabel C

AMEB Exam Results

Congratulations to the following students for their hard work and efforts throughout the year.

Olivia S, Singing for Leisure, 1st Grade B+, Arjun Nair, Flute, A+, Lucas Lotorto, Piano Grade 2,  B+, 

Alex L, Piano Grade 1, B+, Michael M, Piano Grade 5, B,  Scarlet A, P played Piano, Level 2 and 3 completed.

TAP Program 2019

A BASKETBALL Development program will occur on Tuesday – Friday afternoons for students in Kinder – Year 9.  Sessions will be run by coaches from Camden ‘Wildfire’ Basketball Association and be run in the new sports complex.

An ACADEMY OF DANCE will be introduced to students Kinder – Year 6 and will run on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.  The sessions will be run by one of our qualified Dance teacher, Mrs Rebecca Ellerman and will be run in the new sports complex.

Attached are the information flyers and application forms for each of these exciting new programs. 

Limited numbers are available for each program and places will be given on a first-served basis. 

Application forms can be returned via email or at the College Office.

Mrs Sharon Evans
Junior School Teacher - P-6 Sports & TAP Co-ordinator

2019 Football Programs - Junior School

2019 Advanced Pathway Programs - Years 3 - 6 Football representative teams

Students wishing to represent Thomas Hassall in Junior school football teams in 2019 must be in the Advanced Pathway Program for football.

Trials will occur in Week 1 in 2019 and there will be 4 teams selected:

  • APP Football Junior Primary Boys (Years 3 & 4)
  • APP Football Junior Primary Girls (Years 3 & 4)
  • APP Football Senior Primary Boys (Years 5 & 6)
  • APP Football Senior Primary Girls (Years 5 & 6)

Students selected in the Advanced Pathway Program will be coached by our Football Director, Sonny Makko. Teams will train weekly and play in the the IPSSO competition.

Year 3 - 6 Girls - Summer IPSSO - Terms 1 and 4 - training once a week throughout the entire year

Year 3 - 6 Boys – Winter IPSSO - Terms 2 and 3 - training twice a week throughout the entire year

The year-long program runs for 35 weeks, commencing in Week 3 of Term 1 2019. Once selected in the program, students remain in the program for the entire year. 

2019 Football Development Programs - Kindergarten - Year 8 (afternoon programs)

The College offers Football Development Programs for students in Kinder to Year 9. The year-long program caters for both boys and girls and will be conducted by our Football Director Sonny Makko.

The one-hour sessions are designed to improve the skill level of each individual and suited for all abilities. Students will be involved in fun activities that develop skills and promote understanding of the game.

Students can enrol in more than one day if preferred. The program runs for 35 weeks.

Information flyers and application forms for the 2019 Football Development Programs have been emailed to all College families.  

Copies are available at the College Office.

Program details:

Kinder - Year 2 Program                  Monday  3 - 4pm

Year 3 - Year 8 Program                  Tuesday 3 - 4pm

Kinder - Year 2 Program                  Wednesday  3 - 4pm

Year 2 - Year 6 Program                  Thursday 3 - 4pm

K - 6 Girls Only Program                 Friday 3 - 4pm

 

For further information, please contact Mrs Evans, P-6 Sports Coordinator and TAP Coordinator - [email protected]

 

Junior School Football Program Flyer - 

Junior School Football Application Form - 

 

CommunityBack to Top

Parenting Courses in 2019

They help to  to review and enhance their interaction and connection with their children.

Through the program parents of children aged up to 10 years will explore:

* Their parenting style
* Brain development in children and its influence on their thoughts, feelings and behaviour
* Important messages that children communicate to their parents and how they do this
* The importance of building self-esteem in children
* Ways for carers/parents to take care of themselves and to find support when they need it

FREE INFORMATION SESSION

Bankstown City YMCA in partnership with Families Together invites fathers, male carers and grandfathers with
children up to the age of 6 to this information session presented by:

Mr Bruce Chan
Centre Manager
BaptistCare Counselling and Family Services

Click the link for more information