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From the Principal
Principal

I hope you have enjoyed a wonderful break with your families and that you are looking forward to another term at the College. The grounds are quiet and empty without the students and it has been lovely to welcome them back this week.

This term is an important one for our Year 12 students who have HSC Trials in a few weeks, time to receive feedback and refinement in their learning before we farewell them at the end of the term. I would like to commend them to you. They are a great year group and they have been excellent role models and leaders of the Senior School this year. Please pray for them.

Like many, I have been enjoying the hype and excitement about the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Thank you for supporting our mufti-day fund raiser and helping our students to get into the spirit of supporting our young men and women as they represent our country. I have been inspired by the stories that are being shared about athletes. My reasoning? Because all of them have had to make sacrifices, they have had to be very intentional about their commitment and work effort. These are character traits that we can all aspire to even without the physical ability to compete at such levels.

As I reflect on the stories I also reflect on what this means for our students. How can we work together to promote positive interactions, healthy behaviours and self-respect in our young people today? I believe it starts with role models and consistent messaging about what is possible as well as good routines. I want to encourage you, at the start of a new semester, to have set times for homework, set times for exercise and set times for relaxation. Whilst we may not all reach the heights of those in the Olympics, we can all reach the heights of personal best results, following the same principles.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

Persistence in doing good, even when it is challenging, is a testament to our faith, for in due season we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Mrs Karen Easton
Principal
From the Deputy Principal & Head of Junior School
Sandy Wheeler

Welcome back for Term 3 and a special welcome to the new families who have started with us. As I visited classes and wandered through the playground I have sensed the students and staff have returned recharged and ready for the learning ahead.

We celebrate Green and Gold day on Friday in light of the Opening of the 2024 Olympic Games. The students will experience the buzz of this worldwide event twice in their journey through the Junior School and it is exciting to create these life-long memories at the College together.

Today during Morning Muster, Miss Beikoff spoke about her experiences at the London 2012 Paralympic Games where she came home with a bronze medal in Javelin! She also participated in the final 100m relay and spoke about persisting through challenges and focusing on positive growth when the outcome is unexpected or disappointing. Thank you to Miss Beikoff for sharing her experiences with us – what a privilege it is to have a positive Christian role model as our Junior School Chaplain. We also reflected on God’s purpose for our lives and how we can always rely on Jesus and His love for us. As Romans 8:38-39 says: “For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rules, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or dept, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

I am looking forward to an excellent term of learning ahead and we especially wish our Year 4 cohort the very best as they experience their first Thomas Hassall Camp at Wedderburn next week.

Mrs Sandy Wheeler
Deputy Principal & Head of Junior School
From the Chaplain
Denis Oliver

When I was young, I was a very messy writer (I still am). I used to love stencils to create fancy headings. Stencils gave shape to my words. Similarly, Jesus gave his followers a prayer stencil, words to learn and trace.

 

stencils

 

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’

Matthew 6:9-13

 

What I love about the Lord's Prayer is that Jesus insists his followers address the Creator of the universe as “Our Father in Heaven.” Faith in Jesus not only brings forgiveness of sins but also adoption into the family of God, and therefore we are told to call God "Father."

Calling God "Father" gives us permission to draw close to Him on a very personal level. I have always had a troubled relationship with my earthly father, so for me, the Lord's Prayer is a great blessing. I have a Father in heaven who is always there, a safe person I can speak to.

As a son of God, I am concerned for God's reputation — I want His name to be hallowed (kept holy). Keeping God's name holy is more than just refraining from swearing; it is about my own reputation. As a Christian man, my reputation reflects on God's reputation, and I want His will to be done in my life.

As a child of God, I need my Father to provide my daily bread, to offer His forgiveness, and to give me guidance. All these things I am told to ask for!

The second thing I love about the Lord's Prayer is that all the requests are plural. This means that the prayer is not merely for personal use but for public use — we can pray this prayer for other Christians.

Sometimes, praying for our children can be daunting. Why not use the Lord's Prayer as a stencil for praying for your children? While you are at it, use this stencil to pray for your children's friends and even their teachers!

Reverend Denis Oliver
College Chaplain
From the Junior School Director of Teaching and Learning
lisa

Let’s continue to build positive partnerships as a way to support every child reach their learning potential. 

It is always wonderful to come back to College after a break and hear the stories from the students about their experiences. Some mention amazing trips, some discuss the books they have read – always a winning conversation with me! – and others talk about visiting museums, galleries and sporting events. All of them talk about times spent with their parents and caregivers.

How treasured are these partnerships.

Lisa Hansford

At Thomas Hassall, we encourage parents to show interest in discovering the learning of the children. Thank you for attending Parent/Teacher interviews, information sessions about reports, InitiaLit and the upcoming one on the new Mathematics syllabus. We will continue to consider ways to foster this interest.

This term, the Junior School teachers are focused on helping parents with this goal. Please keep an eye on Seesaw to see the learning occurring in the classrooms. Look to see how your child is developing in their writing, reading, numeracy and the vast range of learning that occurs in a regular school day.

Focusing on your child’s learning growth is the true goal of successful partnerships.

Ms Lisa Hansford
Director of Teaching and Learning - Junior School

Principal Karen Easton Receives Honorary Fellowship

We are proud to announce that College Principal, Mrs Karen Easton was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Teachers' Guild of New South Wales at their annual Fellows and Members Dinner last night at The Concord Community Club. This prestigious fellowship recognises educators who have made significant contributions to teaching and learning throughout their careers.

Mrs Karen Easton's long-standing dedication to educational excellence and innovation has earned her this distinguished honour. Her efforts have consistently focused on enhancing student outcomes and fostering an environment conducive to learning.

Award

Congratulations to Mrs Karen Easton on this significant achievement. Her wealth of experience and commitment continue to enrich our community.

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UNITE in Junior School

We celebrated the cultural diversity of our College in the last week of term with our UNITE celebrations. Our Junior School students immersed themselves in the spirit of unity by wearing their cultural dress.

Over the week we enjoyed performances from our Chapel band and Drum Circle during break times. 

unite 1

unite 2

unite
Celebrating the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

Friday was a fantastic day as our College community celebrated the start of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The Green and Gold mufti-day fundraiser brought everyone together, with students and staff showing their support for our athletes by wearing our supporter colours. 

Green And Gold

Green and Gold

green and gold

The fundraiser was a success, with all funds going to our Compassion children. 

We encourage everyone in our College community to watch and support our athletes. Let's cheer them on throughout the coming weeks and celebrate their achievements on the world stage. 

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Junior School Learn About Olympic Mascots

The Olympic Games have a significant historical and contemporary connection with France.

The modern Olympic Games were founded by Pierre de Coubertin, a French teacher. He played a pivotal role in reviving the ancient Olympic tradition and establishing the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and designing the Olympic Flag. This is the reason why French is one of the official languages of the Olympic Games. 

In our Kindy and French classes, the Paris 2024 emblem and mascots have served as focal points for discussions about French culture, history and values, and to further develop cross-cultural understanding. 

The emblem for Paris 2024 is a powerful symbol that combines three iconic elements:

The Gold Medal: The circular shape represents a gold medal, embodying the pursuit of excellence and the athletes' dreams of victory. 

The Flame: At the centre of the emblem is a stylized flame, symbolizing the Olympic flame that has been a beacon of hope and unity since ancient times. 

Marianne: The face within the emblem is that of Marianne, a national symbol of the French Republic, which  represents liberty, equality, and fraternity, the core values of France. 

The mascots for Paris 2024 are the Phryges, named after the Phrygian cap, a symbol of freedom and the French Revolution.

I encourage you to explore these symbols with your children at home, discussing their meanings and what they represent. This will not only reinforce their learning but also help them connect with the global community and the Paris 2024 Games.

Mrs Viviana Morris
Junior School Languages Teacher