Term 2 I The Way Newsletter I Friday 27 May 2022

Everything has changed because of Covid!! 

To survive we closed more than our shops, we closed ourselves. We have become more cautious, less generous, more selfish. We have survived, but have we flourished?

It is time to go back to normal, it is time to get on with our lives. But the question is – what will normal look like? What can normal look like? This reminded me of what normal was for the church just after Jesus died.

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
- Acts 2

What a great picture of Christianity! Being Christian then was about having open homes that welcomed others. It was about having open hands sharing with those in need. Being Christian was about having open hearts devoted to Jesus’ teaching, to churching together, and praying together. The open generosity of the early church was fueled by the open generosity of God – God doesn’t simply give us our daily bread, but he gives us his Son too.

We have been closed for long enough because of COVID. It is time, as a community, to open up;  to open our doors, our hands, and our hearts. Let us devote ourselves to each other and indeed Christ. Let's get back to inviting people over, going to church, praying together, sharing of possessions.

We too at Thomas Hassall are excited to have been able to open up for events.

Remember that while closed hearts survive, only open hearts flourish.

Cafe MRK is reopening on Friday 3 June from 7.30 to 9.30am!

We are very excited to be welcoming parents to Cafe MRK to enjoy a cuppa and time together as a family. Come before school starts with your children, or drop them off and get together with parents afterwards.

Fresh barista made coffee for only $3.50.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Our Years 3 - 6 Students are enjoying getting involved in the lunchtime club.

Here are some of the recent things they have been up to!

The Junior String Orchestra is growing! 

Several new members have joined the Junior String Orchestra this Term and the students have been working hard at rehearsals in anticipation for their first public performance at Grandparents Day today.

They performed two pieces for the occasion, 'Big Ben Boogie' and 'The Music Box'.  For many, this was their first time performing with the group and they were excited to be participating in this event. Mr Ehab Ibrahim conducted the orchestra and it was a great performance.

Mr Byron Mark
Director of Ensembles

With the prevalence of technology, it is important that parents are aware of the key strategies for keeping their children safe online.

Helping children safely use technology and avoid harmful experiences is crucial in developing the next generation of digital citizens.

Many helpful resources are available online, most notably the resources designed for parents from the eSafety Commissioner. The safety website provides helpful information about online safety basics, how to develop a family technology agreement, strategies for developing good habits, information about determining the right age children should access certain technologies (for example, social media), implementing parental controls, suggestions for having difficult conversations, and guidelines to help protect your child’s privacy. These resources are available at https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice

If you have further questions about how you can help support your child’s technology use at home, please contact Megan Bennett via [email protected]

Mrs Megan Bennett
Director of ICT

After two years of Covid restrictions, we finally have the opportunity to host a Senior Music Camp in the beautiful Blue Mountains.  It is an initiative that allows students to extend their music learning in a new and fun environment. Students will have the opportunity to learn new repertoire and participate in different collaborations that will develop their music maturity and confidence. There are also a number of fun activities planned for students to provide some social time with friends, allowing for a well-balanced experience between music and recreation. A parent concert will be held at the end of the camp showcasing the students newly learnt music and skills gained over the weekend.

All Senior students that are involved in ensembles are invited to enroll in the camp.  More information can be provided by emailing [email protected] and the permission forms can be completed using the following link  online camp form.  All forms need to be completed by Thursday 2 June.

We look forward to running this long anticipated camp and providing students with this learning opportunity.

Mr Byron Mark
Director of Ensembles