Term 1 I The Way Newsletter I Friday 18 March 2022

Firstly, thank you for the warm welcome I have received from the College Community.

I look forward to meeting and interacting with more families over the coming months.

Early on a parent said to me that above all she just wanted her child to be happy. I suspect this comment resonates with many families at College. As parents our job is to love, care and nurture our children. Of course, we want the best for them. We naturally try to protect our children from difficulties and do all we can to make our children feel good or happy.

However, is happiness really the goal we should be aspiring to for our children?

As we know life is full of adversity and disappointment. We know firsthand how much our lives have been disrupted over the past two years. Life for some over this time has been far from happy.

Teaching our children to bounce back when life doesn’t go to plan is key to coping with difficulties. Rather than simply creating happiness, it is more beneficial to allow our children to experience challenge in order for them to develop resilience.

My challenge to you is to find opportunities to let your child fail safely. Let them experience disappointments in order to assist them to develop healthy coping strategies and to build resilience.

When schools and home partner to intentionally nurture and model resilience, we shape and develop young minds with the necessary skills needed to navigate life well in the future.

And that’s the goal.

God is ‘Our Father in Heaven’. As our Father, he invests his time and effort into our circumstances to develop us as His children. 

Hebrews 12 is a great passage that gives us insights into God’s agenda. Let me share two insights.

God disciplines us because he loves us.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s training, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

As you can see, the Lord both trains us and rebukes us. Sometimes God gives us circumstances that trains our character – stretching us in new directions so we grow and become a different person.  At other times he gives us circumstances to rebuke us – correcting us when we are heading in the wrong direction.  He does these things because he loves us.

Mums and dads, love your children.  Tell them you love them. Also love your children by correcting them when you see their behaviour heads the wrong way.  Love your children by training them, giving them challenges that stretch their character.  Walk with them as they face challenges; don’t do the challenges for them, but rather coach them as God stretches them – share your mistakes.  Remember, our job as parents is not to make our children happy, but to partner with God in the making of a human being. 

11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Finally, parenting is hard, hard day in and day out, dealing with the same issues. But remember that you are not doing it alone.  We at Thomas Hassall are partnering with you in making a human being.  Also, God is there too and understands - he has been working on you for decades! 

Let us show our children there is a more excellent way!

Here are some important dates to mark in your diaries

Join us for Shrek the Musical!

We are thrilled to announce Shrek the Musical will be showcased at the College from 29 April to 7 May 2022.

Join Shrek, our unlikely hero, and his loyal steed Donkey as they set off on a quest to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona from her tower, guarded by a fire breathing love-sick dragon. Add the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad, a gang of fairytale misfits, and a biscuit with attitude, and you’ve got an irresistible mix of adventure, laughter and romance, guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages!

PREMIERE SHOW Friday 29 April 2022 | 7pm
MATINEE Saturday 30 April 2022 | 1.30pm
Saturday 30 April 2022 | 7pm
Thursday 5 May 2022 | 7pm
Friday 6 May 2022 | 7pm
FINAL SHOW Saturday 7 May | 7pm

Shrek and Fiona visited our Junior School this week and the students were all very excited!

Tickets are now on sale, so book in a session for the whole family to enjoy!

Buy tickets

We can't wait to see you there.

Thank you to our sponsors who help us to put on this production

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

At Thomas Hassall Anglican College, we love to work together with our families to create community. 

Our Parent Community Network is one of the most important ways we achieve community and we would love you to join in 2022!

The Parent Community Network provides support to the College through:

- Assist in the classrooms as part of reading groups (K-2) and on excursions 
- Assisting at events (sports carnivals, stalls, creative arts events, College community events)
- Representing the Parent Community at community events such as Open Day and South West Festival
- Organising get-togethers for grade groups outside of school hours

In order to become a part of the Parent Community Network, it is essential to have your Working with Children Check (which is free for volunteers) and participate in the online induction which includes Privacy and Child Protection Training. 

There will be 45 minute training sessions in Week 1 of Term 2. There are three times to choose from:

28 April 8.30am
28 April 5pm
29 April 2pm

If you would like to volunteer at the College please register your details using the following Application Form

Mrs Carmen Pasapera
Marketing & Community Relations Manager

Prep is a significant and special year for each child beginning their journey at the College.

The development that occurs socially, emotionally and academically throughout the year is astounding. 

There are some key habits that Prep Parents can implement to support this development.

Firstly, getting lots of sleep! The bedtime routine for your Prep child may include getting dressed into their PJs, brushing their teeth and snuggling up on the couch or in bed to read some picture books together. A relaxing bedtime routine, which involves turning off all devices at least an hour earlier, will help to ensure your child gets their 10 to 13 hours of sleep. They will be bright eyed and ready to learn as they begin the College day. 

Next, setting up good eating habits. It is encouraging to hear the Prep children talking to the teachers about the nutritious breakfast they gobble up before making their way to College. In the morning, we also enjoy Crunch N Sip with our friends where we eat some fruit or vegetables and have a big drink of water. Supporting your child to eat well might include getting them involved in the lunch box preparation process. Your Prep child can help to select appropriate foods at the shop and bring them out to the bench from the fridge or cupboard. At College, the children unpack their own bags throughout the day. At home, they can help put their Recess and Lunch into their box and zip it into their College bag in the morning. 

A big part of Prep is implementing and guiding the children to follow routines. These routines include running a typical day, getting ready for Recess or Lunch, moving between different areas of the College and carrying out structured activities within the classroom. In just half a term of implementing predictable and consistent routines, the Prep children seem settled and more able to cope with challenges or new activities. Furthermore, they demonstrate a clear understanding of the expectations of the College. 

At home, you can use routines too! For example, you might stick up pictures on the fridge to remind your Prep child of how to get dressed for the day – undies on, shirt on, shorts on and then sandals. Or, at dinner time, we wash our hands and stay sitting at the table until we have finished eating. 

It can be challenging as a Prep Parent to watch your child walk into their classroom, ready to grow, learn and be independent. However, allowing and encouraging those independent skills is a significant part of helping your child to become a successful and resilient learner. At home, you can help your child to learn by allocating them some jobs such as packing up their toys after play, setting the table for dinner and making their bed. 

In the Prep classrooms, we begin encouraging these independence skills from day one. The children are expected to carry out their own toilet routines, pack up toys and activity stations, unpack and pack their bags, take care of their own belongings, open bananas, containers and packets of food, take off and put on their jumpers and find and put on their paint smocks. All these habits support your child’s development, slowly paving the way to a successful transition into Kindergarten the following year.  

It’s never too late to begin introducing these habits into your household.

Happy parenting!

Mrs Elise Hona 
Early Stage 1 Assistant Coordinator 

At Thomas Hassall, one of the ways we prepare students for their Senior School journey is by increasing a student’s familiarity with both processes and learning spaces in Senior School.

Students have the opportunity to meet several staff over the passage of Year 6, including members from the PDHPE, Mathematics, English, Languages, HSIE, CAPA, Visual Arts and Science faculties. By having a familiar face in the playground, students can begin Year 7 feeling like they know the teachers and the teachers know them.

Our Transition Program runs for three terms and involves students studying History, Science, Japanese and Visual Arts with Senior School teachers. This week marked the midpoint of our first Transition cycle with Year 6. Our Year 6 students have been learning greetings and introductions in Japanese, creating artworks inspired by Judy Watson Napangardi, learning about Australian human rights in History and how different types of energy function in Science. It has been a pleasure to welcome Year 6 into our learning spaces in Senior School and see them experience new things.

Mrs Millie Pettett
Coordinator of Learning Innovation - Middle Years and G & T

For the chemistry excursion, on Friday, we visited ANSTO at Lucas Heights. ANSTO stands for Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. 

The trip involved an in-depth and detailed introduction and tour around some of ANSTO facilities and what they do. Throughout the day, we were able to explore nuclear science technology and information which relates to our current in-class module. We were able to watch practical investigations that solidified our understanding, giving us, in a sense, a visual learning experience that we wouldn't be able to have in school. It was a greatly beneficial experience, we learnt plenty of which we were able to apply to our studies and our current assessment. Hopefully, we can go on similar excursions in the future

- Eliana S and Amelia N

Inspirational Art Express

On Wednesday the 9th March, Years 10, 11 and 12 Visual Arts students went on an excursion to the Art Gallery of NSW. There were four different exhibitions, including "Art Express", "Matisse Live", the European & Australian Permanent Collection and "The Way We Eat" Exhibition in the Asian Gallery.

Art Express was a wonderful opportunity for students to see the Body of Works produced for the HSC in 2021. These works included those which had achieved a very high mark and used unique materials and concepts in their practice as artists. The excursion allowed our students to see the calibre of work required to achieve a Band 6 in the HSC in both technique and concept. It also represents what concerns young adults as they reflect their world views through their art.

"Matisse Alive" allowed us to see how other artists influence artists in their artmaking. The permanent collection is always excellent as students can see artworks that we are studying. It is always exciting to see a Van Gogh or Arthur Streeton up close and personal!

"The Way We Eat", in the Asian Gallery, was a collection of artworks and utensils that are part of everyday living in Asian countries. There were Post Modern works that were quirky, humorous and thought-provoking.

We all had a fantastic day and missed the rain on arrival and departure!

The students were exceptional in behaviour, interest and effort and it was lovely to give them the chance to think about art and be inspired to create.

This is what our students had to say about the day:

“We had the opportunity to look at Art Express which contained a range of Body of Works from 2021. It provided us year 12 with the ability to examine the conceptual and material practice of these students and reflect on our own work. It was a fun day filled with memories that we will remember forever! “  Amber G

“We had many opportunities to visit different exhibitions within the Gallery; ArtExpress being the main attraction. Being able to view the Bodies of Work of many students HSC 2021 enabled us to gain ideas and think more in depth about things such as display methods and concept statements for our own Bodies of Work. Along with this, we were able to view the Matisse Alive exhibition which allowed us to view the artworks of many artists closely inspired by Henri Matisse’s works. Overall, it was a fun day and an amazing opportunity to experience finished Bodies of Work as well as many other artworks within the Gallery.” Anon

“I liked Art Express, it gave me ideas as to what I might decide to do for my Body of  Work in Year 12”  Elliana C

"It was nice to see emotions that I've experienced be expressed do creatively and accurately"  Anon

“Today I found all the little things very interesting. The small details in each piece of work and how it brings it together as a whole. All the works here show a lot of inspiration and ideas for future tasks including for the HSC “  Emma D

“I found the difference in composition and variety of artworks interesting. Like, I had never heard of painting on copper until that one artwork and it was really good.” Leo G

“Visiting the Art Gallery of NSW really helped open up a range of possibilities as to what my Body of Work could look like at the end of the year. We were exposed to many variations of material and conceptual practices which has inspired me in developing and refining my own practice as an artist. “ Mia T

“I found the work to be very impressive and unique, it definitely helps me branch new ideas.” Sergio W

“All the works were really impressive.” Nicholas D

“All the artworks took up very impressive combinations of colours and mediums I was especially impressed with the varied materials and the symbolism many of the artworks contained” Sarah S

“I enjoyed observing and learning about the different techniques and styles each artist uses. Their concepts behind their artworks assisted in peaking my interest towards their work. Seeing their process let me admire the time, thought and effort they put into it” 
Kiera H

Mrs Genelle Griffin
Visual Arts Coordinator

On Wednesday 16 March, Year 9 students attended an Ecology excursion at Bonna Point Kurnell.

The students had the opportunity to observe the characteristics of various ecosystems including beach and mangroves. Under the guidance of College staff and science educators they were able catch and observe various animals such as dumpling squid and tube fish.

There was also the opportunity to see a Koala in a gum tree that had been displaced from the recent floods.

The IRC needs you!

Are you in Year 7? Want to help out in the IRC? Want to see how a school library works? If yes then the IRC needs you! Library monitors are needed! Please speak to Mrs Comiskey or Mr Smith if you are interested in applying.

Library Clubs in 2022

During 2022 the Library will be hosting two exciting clubs, the Anime and Manga Club, as well as the Page Turners Book Club. Both clubs will be starting very soon. To ensure your spot make sure you sign up today! For more information please speak to Library staff.

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

‘I Must Betray You’ – Ruta Sepetys

“Cristian has lived his entire life in a country governed by fear. At 17, he dreams of being free, of studying philosophy and poetry, but everything he does, says or even thinks, is controlled by the State. In this climate of constant suspicion, can he trust his best friend, his girlfriend or even his family? When the secret police blackmail him, he is faced with an impossible choice. Will he betray those closest to him, or will he risk the lives of those he loves to resist? What price would you pay for freedom?”

Powerful, thrilling and haunting, ‘I Must Betray You’ provides an incredible insight into the everyday lives of a people living under a brutal regime, and what the cost of being faithful and true can be. A moving and emotional story you will not forget, and book you will not be able to put down.

‘The Hunt for Ned Kelly’ – Sophie Masson

“North-east Victoria, 1879. Jamie Ross and his older sister Ellen are alone in the world after the death of their father. Determined to make their fortune, they head to Beechworth and straight into the midst of the search for Ned Kelly, the most notorious bushranger of all time. Jamie is fascinated by Ned. Is he a hero wronged by the police, as some people say, or a cold-blooded murderer? A chance encounter will bring Jamie closer to the answer than he could ever have imagined.”

‘The Hunt for Ned Kelly’ is an exciting and thrilling adventure set in the heart of rural colonial Victoria. Filled with wonderful historical detail, a cast of well written and believable characters, as well as a suspenseful and engaging story, this is a novel that many will enjoy. The novel provides an in depth look into one of Australia’s most notorious bushrangers and how the legend behind the story can sometimes differ from the truth.

‘Sick Bay’ – Nova Weetman

“Two very different Grade 6 girls meet in their school sick bay. Meg is a loner. Grieving over the death of her father, and struggling with changes at home, she wears slippers to school and hides out in sick bay to avoid other kids. New girl Riley, is a Type 1 diabetic and already popular. She doesn't want to go to sick bay, but sometimes she has to if she's having a high or a low. As Meg and Riley are forced to spend more and more time together in the cramped sick bay room, they start to uncover each other's secrets and find the courage to be who they really are.”

‘Sick Bay’ is a beautiful story of kindness and friendship, of two girls finding a friend they need in the most unlikely of places. Covering real life topics of grief, anxiety, illness and bullying, author Nova Weetman has weaved a wonderful story that many readers will find relatable and encouraging. Beautifully written and memorable.

Mrs Annette Comiskey & Mr Michael Smith
Senior IRC Library Team

A big congratulations to all students who represented the College on Wednesday 16 March at the NASSA swimming carnival!

It was a fantastic night of swimming, and the entire squad showed fantastic application overall. The College came in fifth overall.

Congratulations to 13 of our students who will be attending AICES, which is a great achievement. The AICES swimming carnival will be held on Monday the 28th of March, 2022. 

We would also like to congratulate Brodie V, Evan B and Alexander A, who were crowned Age Champions in their age groups!

Other Important Dates to Remember:

21st March: NASSA Netball

24th March: Senior School Cross Country

30th March: CIS Round 2 – Boys and Girls(TBC)

31st March: NASSA Football Trials

5th April: AICES Touch Football

Mr Dean Zaccaria 
Senior School Sports Coordinator