Term 2 I The Way Newsletter I Friday 07 June 2024

You are invited to come along to the Parent Café next week for our first ‘Café Chat’ topic: Understanding your Child’s Academic Report

 The Café Chat series offers a unique chance to engage in relaxed, informal discussions with our staff on a variety of topics across the year. We sent a broadcast out recently inviting you to attend our first Café Chat which will be with Ms Lisa Hansford – the Director of Teaching and Learning in Junior School about the Reporting process.

Understanding your child's report is not just about analysing grades. It is more than that. It is understanding your child’s engagement in learning, their effort and attitude. At the heart of it, it’s about considering your child’s progress, celebrating their positive learning behaviours and reflecting on how to support them on their educational journey. We want you to be equipped and empowered with the knowledge and understanding to read school reports effectively so we can create strong partnerships together. As we partner together we can focus on the path forward - it is about their future!

 Date: Friday 14 June

Time: 8.30 – 9.30am

 I encourage Prep and Kindergarten parents to come along, especially if this is your very first time reading through an academic school report. Café Chat offers you a chance to understand the process more fully and ask any questions you may have.  

We will meet at the Parent Café in MRK so come and enjoy a hot drink or food beforehand. Please register your interest in attending using this link

I look forward to seeing you there!

It is report writing time in Senior School and soon you will see the results. But how will you respond? What will you do with the information? What might Jesus say?

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7)

I love this teaching from Jesus because he uses humour to highlight the absurdity of being blind to our own faults while focusing on the flaws of others.

When we cannot see clearly, we need help from others who can. We need guidance from those who have experience in dealing with their own faults. This doesn't imply that we need to be perfect before we can make judgments, but it does suggest that we should address our own shortcomings first as we help others with theirs.

Our children have their own areas for growth. To help them become lifelong learners, we need to not only be aware of our own faults but actively work on improving them. Here’s an exercise to try:

1. Read your child's report and check out the learning behaviors listed.
2. Rate yourself on these behaviors.
3. Choose a common trait that both you and your child can work on.
4. Share with them one thing you are doing to improve in this area.

By doing this, your child will see that you, too, are on a journey of lifelong learning alongside them. This is especially true for Christians!

We are excitedly anticipating a visit from Takayama Junior High School, our sister school, who will be visiting the College. Hosting students will provide your family with an amazing intercultural experience. We have always had such positive feedback from families who have hosted and it is a vital part of our Japanese language program within the College community. The Japanese students are here to experience Australian Culture and our style of family life to improve their spoken English. 

If you are interested in hosting students, please click on this link and fill out the online form.

Thank you for considering this wonderful opportunity.

Mrs Fiona Byrne
Languages Coordinator

College photos are taking place in 2 weeks.

College Photos have been scheduled to take place from Monday 17 until Friday 21 June 2024. Don Wood Photography will be taking individual, cohort and sibling group photos at various times throughout the week. All students will have their photograph taken, however, the purchase of photographs is optional.

Monday 17 June - Prep White & Red, Kindergarten, Years 1, 2 and 12 individual and class photos will occur.

Tuesday 18 June – Years 3 - 6 individual and class photos will occur.

Wednesday 19 June - Years 7 - 11 individual and grade photos will occur.

Thursday 20 June - Prep Blue and Prep Purple individual and class photos will occur.

Sibling photos will occur on Thursday 20 June and Friday 21 June for most families, however, for families with children in Prep White & Red, sibling photos will be taken on Monday morning – 17 June.

If you wish to purchase a photograph package, this can be done via credit card by visiting www.donwoodphotography.com.au and entering the password emailed to you. 

If your child is absent on the day of their class photo, yet returns to school while Don Wood Photography are still at the College, then they may be able to have an individual photo taken if it can be arranged. Please ask them to report to the Student Reception to make arrangements.

The King Tut Roadshow semi-trailer is a multi-sensory experience allowing students to be fully immersed in the rediscovery of Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s Tomb and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Year 7 students attended a full day Incursion on Monday 27 May, where they experienced the development of Modern Archaeology in an interactive way. They participated in 6 different activities throughout the day, led by Thomas Hassall's dedicated History teachers, who dressed in theme for the day.

“Understanding Archaeology” was a hands-on experience where students handled a variety of artefacts, including 2000–4000-year-old pot shards and skulls, to learn about dating artefacts in the ancient world. Students examined full size replicas of Tutankhamun’s Tomb paintings, made their own personal seals from clay, handled parchment and papyrus and stamped their names in hieroglyphics to learn about communication in ancient societies. Students also participated in “Sand Hydraulics” and built an Ancient Roman arch to learn about the engineering behind ancient grand monuments. Year 7 students are congratulated for their good behaviour, interesting questions, and enthusiasm during the Incursion.

Mrs Michelle Pearson
History/Legal Studies Coordinator

Our Year 4 students recently delved into the fascinating study of food chains and food webs! They learned how energy is transferred through different levels of an ecosystem, starting from producers, and moving up to various consumers and decomposers. To bring these concepts to life, the students researched and created their own food webs. They used their findings to illustrate the complex interconnections between plants, animals, and insects in different habitats. This hands-on approach not only enhanced their understanding of ecological balance but also sparked their curiosity about the natural world. 

Many discovered surprising connections and developed a newfound appreciation for the delicate balance that sustains life in various ecosystems. We encourage you to discuss their projects with them and explore the amazing discoveries they made about the ecosystems around us. Their enthusiasm and hard work have been truly inspiring!

Mr Kieran Aggett
Junior School Teacher - Year 4 Year Leader

There are many wonderful writing competitions running in Australia. We have compiled a list of the ones we are aware of that are valid for us in NSW. If your child has a talent or passion for writing, they may want to enter some or all of the competitions below.

Please note, every competition has specific terms and conditions. Please make sure the guidelines are followed closely to make sure work is accepted. These could include age of child, length of submission or even things like size, font and spacing of the text. 

These competitions are run outside of Thomas Hassall Anglican College, but we would love to hear of any success stories. You could let the College know via asaville@thac.nsw.edu.au

Run Quarterly

Little Stories. Big Ideas Competition - Open to: Australian secondary school students

Due June

RD Walsh Memorial Writing for the Environment Prize Open to: up to 18

Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards Open to: K - 12

Due August

Best Australian Yarn - Open to: 12 years or older

Hilarie Lindsay Young Writers Poetry Competition - Open to: K – 12

Due September

Poem Forest: A native tree will be planted in The Australian Botanic Garden for every entry received

Due October

Positive words

Mrs Alex Saville
Gifted and Talented Liaison for the Junior School

It has been a wonderful week having our Year 10 students immerse themselves into careers. Throughout the week, students actively engaged with professionals, asking insightful questions and eagerly learning new skills in various industries. By the end of the week, many students expressed newfound confidence and clarity about their future careers.

Mrs Maha Ghabrial
Secondary Teacher - HSIE & Careers Advisor

This week, Year 8 Japanese students had the opportunity to experience an Undokai, a sport day all school students in Japan participate in once a year. Students from the College worked in teams, competing against each other in four challenges.

In the ‘Eye of the Storm’ or Taifu no me game, holding long poles length-ways, teams moved up the course, around a cone and back again. Each team member then completed an ‘Obstacle Course’ or Shougaibutsu kyousou, spinning a bat, playing hop-scotch and tossing rings. Next, with a time limit, the teams threw as many coloured balls into a basket as they could, in the ‘Bird’s Nest’ or Tamaire game. Finally, a giant dice in the ‘Dice Race’ or Saikororeesu determined which cone students had to race to before the next student could roll.

In the process of completing these games, students were able to employ the language they have learned so far in the Year 8 Japanese course. In particular, their number knowledge impressed the incursion operators. Well done Year 8 Japanese and thank you to AoYama Japanese Camp for a wonderful incursion.

Mrs Fiona Byrne
Languages Coordinator & Year 8 Advisor

Students competed in our annual House Volleyball comp on Monday 3 June. Each House had a Junior team which was Years 7, 8 & 9 and a Senior team which was Years 11 & 12. 

The semis played at lunch and in the senior comp, Lewis beat Carmichael and Liddell won over Wilberforce. For the juniors, Wilberforce beat Lewis and Carmichael won over Liddell. 

The finals took place during Period 5, with Years 7-12 coming to spectate and support the teams. The atmosphere was great with a lot encouragement from the crowd. 

The final results are as follows:

Junior House Volleyball:

1st - Wilberforce 

2nd - Carmichael 

3rd - Liddell

4th - Lewis

Senior House Volleyball:

1st - Liddell

2nd - Lewis

3rd - Carmichael 

4th - Wilberforce 

Congratulations to Wilberforce and Liddell and well done to all who played and contributed to their House teams. 

We look forward to House soccer in Term 3!

Mrs Michelle Raft
Languages Teacher - Head of House & Year 9 Advisor

On Wednesday 29 May Under 15s boys team played against Patrician Brothers Fairfield. Although they were not successful on the day, we are still proud of how far they have come in the competition and know that they have learnt from such a valuable opportunity. They will only be bigger and better in games to come! 

On Friday 31 May our under 15 girls team had a great game against Picton Girls High School in the Bill Turner Cup. They played together as a team, encouraged one another constantly and never gave up. As a result of this determination, they were victorious! Winning the game 2-1. We wish them all the best in their round three game next Tuesday against Cecil Hills. 

Congratulations to the students who attended the AICES Cross Country Championships. There was some fierce competition and we are so proud that our students were able to rise to the challenge and run all those kilometers! A special mention to Adrian T (who was our King of the Track at the Athletics Carnival and has also made the CIS Football team!) for placing in the top 10 in his race. He will now compete at the CIS Carnival against the best runners in all NSW independent schools. 

Mrs Irene Focas 
Senior School Sports Coordinator

The CASA Junior Cross Country was held on Thursday 23 May at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre.  Our Junior team were well prepared, after having a training run at the Secondary carnival last term.  Our team ran well throughout the day, doing their best while competing on a challenging course.

The Thomas Hassall Junior team placed 3rd overall at the carnival, which is an excellent result.

We had some fantastic individual performances, with Hanna E and Domenico B placing 1st in their age groups.

Congratulations to the following students who will compete at the NSW CIS Primary Championships in 2 weeks.

A’mia B – 8/9 years – 2km          

Jacob D – 8/9 years – 2km              

Levi M – 10 years – 2km             

Hanna E – 11 years – 3km             

Willow S – 11 years – 3km

Dante C – 11 years – 3km           

Thomas S – 11 years – 3km             

Domenico B – 12 years – 3km    

Blake F – 12 years – 3km

Well done to all students who represented the College at the CASA Cross Country carnival.

Mrs Sharon Evans
P-6 Sports Coordinator