Bulletin Edition - Senior School | Thomas Hassall Anglican College

Latest UpdatesBack to Top

Cross country events are upon us and I have really enjoyed watching our youngest students participate and put their best efforts into running the course this week. It is a joy to see them try their best regardless of their gifts in this area. Congratulations to everyone in Junior School and I am looking forward to the Senior School carnival next week.

Our Friday morning café continues to be a lovely occasion to meet other parents, enjoy breakfast and connect with the community. I have seen many parents taking the opportunity to also have a special morning with their children before the school day begins.

As we approach the Easter season I have been reflecting on the significance of this time for so many of us. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a central tenet of the Christian faith.Jesus' death and resurrection are understood as acts of unconditional love because they were motivated solely by love for humanity. Jesus' sacrifice was not based on any merit or worthiness on the part of humanity but was freely given out of love. By offering himself as a sacrifice, Jesus provided a way for humanity to be reconciled with God and experience forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life.

At Thomas Hassall, regardless of our backgrounds, beliefs or circumstances the love of God embraces our community. It reminds us to be kind, to actively forgive and to celebrate the triumphs of each individual journey. In classrooms we are seeking to respect the learning of every student and to guide young people academically and also socially.

I wish you and your families a very special Easter long weekend. May this be a time for family and celebration.

Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

Mrs Karen Easton

Principal

From the Deputy Principal - Senior School Development

Thomas Hassall encourages families to take holidays within the school holiday season. Missed school can have a negative impact upon student learning. Nevertheless, for many of our Thomas Hassall community overseas family connections are important. Often this means travel to attend special events or visits with extended family during Term time.

When parents need to take their child out of school during term time, it's important to support the child's learning to minimise the impact of their absence. Here are some tips to help parents support their child's education while on extended leave:

Communicate with the School: Inform the school about the planned absence in advance and discuss with teachers the work that will be missed. Ask for any resources or materials that can help your child stay on track. Teachers will not produce individual resources for absent students, however, much of the work done in class is also accessible on CANVAS.

Use Online Resources: Thomas Hassall provides online resources via the CANVAS learning platform. Encourage your child to use these resources regularly. However, ensure YOU;

Apply to Access CANVAS: To ensure you have access to CANVAS while overseas you will need to contact the College IT Department. They can provide you with special access while overseas. If you fail to do this, you will be blocked from this valuable resource.
Create a Learning Plan: Work with your child's teachers to create a learning plan for the time they will be away. This should include specific topics or assignments to focus on during the absence.
Set a Routine: Establish a daily routine for learning activities during the absence. This can help your child stay motivated and focused on their studies.
Review and Practice: Encourage your child to review and practice what they have learned before the absence. This can help reinforce their understanding of key concepts.
Stay in Touch with Teachers: Encourage your child to stay in touch with their teachers via email, asking questions and seeking clarification on upcoming assignments.
Encourage Reading: Reading can be a great way to continue learning while on holiday. Encourage your child to read books related to their school subjects or topics of interest.
Use Travel as an Educational Opportunity: If possible, incorporate educational activities into your travel plans. Visit museums, historical sites, or cultural attractions related to what your child is learning in school.
Keep a Journal: Encourage your child to keep a journal during the absence, documenting their experiences and reflections. This can help them stay engaged with their learning.
Review and Reflect: When your child returns to school, take some time to review any work they missed. Reflect on what they did learn when they were away. This can help reinforce their learning and identify any areas that may need further attention.

By taking these kind of steps, parents can help ensure that their child continues to learn and progress academically even during extended absences from school.

writing

Mr Roger Young

Deputy Principal - Senior School Student Development

From the Assistant Chaplain

Over the last few weeks, I’ve spent some time in my lessons with Kindergarten learning about how and why the best book to read is the Bible. We’ve been learning lots together about how God created the whole universe and made lots of promises to His people as well as how we can read God’s unfolding plan to send a forever king in Jesus.
However, only on Wednesday I had a student say to me, “Miss Beikoff, the Bible is so special because it tells us how we can talk to God.”

This made my heart melt. I love these golden moments. I love that even a comment from a five-year-old allows us teachers to humbly take a step back, reflect and be reminded of these great truths because I believe this Kindy student is exactly right.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

The Bible tells us that God desires to have a personal relationship with us. He loves us so much that he sent his one and only Son, Jesus to die upon that cross so that we might believe in Him.

I’m sure you are looking forward to the four-day weekend next week, and I’ll be praying that it will be a time of good rest with your family, but I wonder this year if it might be a time to think about why Easter is an occasion of reflection and celebration? I wonder if maybe it’s the time to talk to God, open-up the Bible and see for yourself what Jesus offers you at the cross this Easter?

Miss Georgia Beikoff

Assistant Chaplain

From the Senior School Director of Teaching and Learning

One of the challenges of understanding our brains is that they remain hidden from view. We don’t see them grow and change the way other parts of our bodies grow and change. I have watched my children grow taller each year and they now are on the verge of overtaking me! Sometimes new clothes are barely worn a handful of times before they no longer fit! This all occurs in plain sight. Less obvious, and out of sight, is that their brains have also grown at an enormous rate.

Brain growth happens at a neurological level. Each brain on average has between 80 – 100 billion neurons. Racing through our neurons are electrochemical signals, carrying our thoughts and knowledge. It is essentially our intelligence.

Much of recent research of the brain has concluded that your intelligence can be changed. Brain capacity can grow much like weightlifting grows muscles. The process of struggling with new concepts and work leads to a growth of electrochemical signals and in turn neurons grow and develop. If the brain only deals with simple concepts, it does not grow. It needs to be challenged with challenging work. Heavier weights lead to more muscles.

Some conclusions from this research are:

• All students have the potential to increase their intelligence with hard work.

• More challenging subjects and concepts will lead to greater growth.

• When you get things wrong and really process why, your brain will grow the most.

Continuous effort — not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential.

(Liane Cordes)

Mr Jason Corbett-Jones

Director of Teaching & Learning - Senior School

NewsBack to Top

Upcoming dates

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Date	Event
Monday 25 March	15 & Open Girls Netball Gala Day
Tuesday 26 March	AICES U15s and Opens Boys and Girls Touch Football Gala Day
Wednesday 27 March	Junior School Easter Hat Parade and Eggshibition Senior School Cross Country
Thursday 28 March	CASA Touch Football Gala Day Prep 2 Day Easter Hat Parade
Friday 29 March	Good Friday (Public Holiday)
Sunday 31 March	Easter Sunday
Monday 1 April	Easter Monday (Public Holiday)
Thursday 4 April	Year 12 exams commence
Friday 5 April	VET Incursion Year 10 Vaccinations
Wednesday 10 April	France/Italy Trip Leave
Friday 12 April	Europe History Tour Leave Last Day of Term

Upcoming dates

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Date	Event
Monday 8 April	Bill Turner Cup
Wednesday 10 April	France/Italy Trip Leave Year 10 Work Experience Workshop
Friday 12 April	Europe History Tour Leave Last Day of Term
Tuesday 30 April	Term 2 Commences Anzac Service
Wednesday 1 May	VET Construction Training
Friday 3 May	The Little Mermaid Musical Opening Night

College Awards

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To receive an award is a recognition to your hard work, excellence and service in the College.

Congratulations to the following Junior School assembly merit award recipients:

Congratulations to the following Junior School Principal's and College award recipients:

Principal and College

Congratulations to the following Senior School Bronze & Silver SRS award recipients:

SRS

Tickets on Sale!

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Dive into the enchanting world beneath the sea with The Little Mermaid, a magical Disney musical that's making waves on Broadway is now on stage at Thomas Hassall Anglican College!

Based on the beloved Disney film and the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, this sparkling production tells the story of Ariel, a beautiful young mermaid who dreams of life above the waves. But to make her dreams a reality, Ariel must defy her father, the sea king, escape the clutches of an evil sea witch, and capture the heart of a prince.

Featuring unforgettable songs like "Part of Your World," "Kiss the Girl," and the Academy Award-winning "Under the Sea," composed by the legendary Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, The Little Mermaid promises an unforgettable journey filled with adventure for audiences of all ages.

For 2 weeks only - 6 shows:

Friday 3 May 2024 | 7pm

Saturday 4 May 2024 | 1.30pm & 7pm

Friday 10 May 2024 | 7pm

Saturday 11 May 2024 | 1.30pm & 7pm

Click here to purchase tickets

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Are you a business owner eager to give back to the community and support the next generation of professionals?

Here's your chance! We're seeking enthusiastic hosts for our upcoming work experience week in June.

Work experience programs provide a general introduction to the world of work and assist students to develop a more informed opinion about their career aspirations. Thomas Hassall Anglican College students undertake Work Experience in Year 10.

Being involved:

- Enables you to participate in the education, career development, and vocational training of young people in your community.
- Gives you the opportunity to talk to students about your industry and the career and job directions you anticipate.
- Provides you with input into developing an enthusiastic and skilled workforce with the attitudes you want, especially for your industry.
- Enables you to identify young people with potential who might be interested in joining your industry or your organization.
- Raises the profile of your enterprise and develops more links for you with the local community.
- Provides your staff with good opportunities to increase their supervisory skills, such as developing and delivering the company's induction for students and acting as a coach or mentor for students while they are on placement.
- Students are 'voluntary workers,' and host employers are not allowed to make any payment to them under the Federal or State award covering their industry, the NSW Annual Holidays Act, or the Workers.

work experience

If you are interested - submit your Expression of Interest today – it's a simple way to show your potential interest. Our Careers Advisor, Mrs Maha Ghabrial, will provide more details and you can decide whether to proceed.

Join us in shaping the future workforce!

Click Here to fill out the Expression of Interest - Workplace Provider

WellbeingBack to Top

Celebrating Harmony Week

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Harmony Week is celebrated annually during March to highlight our diverse cultures and help us better understand each other’s experiences and backgrounds.

Australia's multicultural background has been shaped by migration since 1945, which at times has culminated into situations that have been challenging and sometimes leading to conflict due to a lack of understanding. Harmony Week reminds us to appreciate everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Click the image below to watch a video

Mrs Jacoline Petersen
Director of Student Counselling

Harmony Day

Year 3 celebrated Harmony Day together by sharing about their Cultural Backgrounds

LearningBack to Top

Debating

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Debating at Thomas Hassall is well and truly underway for the term.

As the new co-ordinator for debating and public speaking in the Senior School, it has been a crazy start to the year. However, I have been so encouraged. While the large percentage of debaters on the Year 9 and 10 MISA teams this year have never debated before, every student has risen to the challenge and worked hard both during the prep time and at home.

Round 1: Thomas Hassall vs St Carmel Catholic College. Both teams lost, but did brilliantly for their first debates.
Round 2: Year 9 vs Oran Park Anglican College, with a win and Year 10 vs St Benedict’s Catholic College, with a forfeit from the other team (win by technicality).

Next week will be Round 3, with both teams competing against St Francis’ Catholic College, our Year 9s on the topic of sport, while Year 10 discusses the pros and cons of the ATAR system.

Our HISCES Competition also begins next week.

The competition provides a bit more pressure, with often harder or more complex topics, and no prep time for the Year 11 team. Students are given one hour on the day to write their speeches with no access to the internet or computers, testing their general knowledge, teamwork and persuasive writing skills.
Our Year 7 and 8 team will compete against Shire Christian School, while Year 11 debates All Saints Christian College. We wish them all the best!

Finally, the public speaking competitions have started for the year, headed by our Year 8’s. Congratulations to India Wheatley, the female representative for Thomas Hassall, and Luke Logozzo, our male representative.
Further updates to come next term, along with other competitions for the older grades.

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Mrs Patricia Guthrie
Senior School Teacher – English

Can you solve this?

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Since the beginning of term, the Mathematics students have been learning diligently in the classroom. They have been completing their assigned homework tasks which they have been receiving on a regular basis to practice in preparation for their upcoming assessment tasks.

Upcoming assessment tasks for Term 1

Year 7 – Week 9

Year 8 – Week 11

Year 9 – Week 10

Year 10 – Week 11

Year 11 (Standard, Advanced) – Week 9

Year 12 (Standard, Advanced) – Week 8

Year 12 (Extension 2) – Week 9

maths

Mr Andrew Lim
Senior School Teacher - Assistant Coordinator Mathematics

Dealing with Change

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As the Year 9 Advisors it has been wonderful to see our cohort embracing new challenges throughout Term 1. Back in Week 2, they enjoyed an outdoor camp experience, camping in tents, hiking and preparing for The Duke of Edinburgh Program, which they can sign up for this year. We were very impressed with Year 9’s positive attitude towards all activities on camp and their responsible and respectful behaviour throughout.

The students have just completed The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), over Weeks 8 and 7. NAPLAN is made up of tests in the 4 areas of: reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The results allow parents/carers and educators to see how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy over time; individually, as part of the College community, and against national standards. Well done on making it to the end of NAPLAN.

Year 9 are now eight weeks into their Stage 5 course and undertaking their new elective classes. We hope they are engaged and interested in the subject areas they chose and making the most of their new learning challenges. We encourage students to be active in their learning and study, to be aware of upcoming assessments and manage their time well to complete all necessary tasks and homework.

In our Wellbeing program, Year 9 is focusing on responding to challenges and dealing with change. They have undertaken two lessons during Pastoral Care, completing activities based on overcoming challenges using a strengths based approach and the importance of gratitude. They have also worked on goal setting for the year.

We are looking forward to Easter Chapel on Monday, and pray that you may have a time of peace and joy over the Easter period with loved ones.

Ms Michelle Raft and Mr Joel Garlato
Year 9 Advisors

SHAPE Excursion

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The Year 11 and 12 Design and Technology students had the opportunity to visit the HSC SHAPE exhibition in Walsh Bay. The exhibition showcased a selection of exemplary 2023 HSC major projects from Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and Textiles and Design.

This excursion undoubtedly provided valuable inspiration for their own upcoming major work over the coming years.

Miss Michala Georges
TAS Assistant Coordinator & Carmichael House Leader

Performing ArtsBack to Top

Encore

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On Monday 4 March, Year 11 and Year 12 Music attended Encore. Encore is a concert of excellence from the 2023 Higher School Certificate. Our senior Music students were privileged to see some incredible performances on a wide variety of instruments and from a broad range of genres. Our students represented the College beautifully in their behaviour and uniform, and they showed real appreciation for the opportunity to attend this concert. For some students, it was their first time inside the Opera House. Here are some student reflections:

Cara D - the flute/bassoon/clarinet … the way they interacted made the piece so intriguing … my eyes were glued to how they moved with the piece.

Stratos D - I really enjoyed the drum performance with the sound effect board - I thought it was very creative and unique, and was executed very well.

Petar O - My favourite item of today was ‘The Dance of Eternity’ by Dream Theater … Why? I love Dream Theater and progressive heavy metal as a genre… It makes me want to buy a 7 string guitar and learn it from start to finish, a truly inspiring item for me…

Matthew P - My favourite piece was the Gershwin clarinet. It was a very cool clarinet piece. The whole concert was great. I also enjoyed the choir that sang Psalm 6:2-4.

Ellaria R - my favourite piece was ‘Manhattan’… her range was so beautiful and her voice was so clear and smooth.

Mrs Ford and Mr Robinson
Music Teacher and Productions & Creative and Performing Arts Co-Ordinator

It's all happening in Creative Arts

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The Little Mermaid cast are busy rehearsing for their shows in early Term 2, songs and dances are being perfected and the set construction has begun. Many students got to try on their costumes for the first time this week and our tappers began piecing together their feature item. There is a buzz of energy around the place as students eagerly anticipate the curtain opening for that first show in May.

Tickets for the show are now on sale now so get in quick as they are sure to sell out.

Last Friday, our Senior Guitar Ensemble and The Aviators performed at the Camden Show. The Guitar Ensemble kicked of the show with a high energy performance that included major hits by bands like AC/DC, Metallica and Paramore. Petar O and Dylan L impressed with their high octane guitar solos and April Morris led the way with her powerhouse voice. The Aviators then took to the stage with their own brand of soul/funk/jazz highlighted by a powerful horn section and impressive solos by many of its members. Well done to both of these groups.

Our Senior Vocal Group, including members of The Little Mermaid Chorus, along with the Senior Stage Band and a selection of students from the Year 12 Music class and piano soloists, spent Thursday afternoon performing at Bunnings Hoxton Park as part of their annual Easter Celebrations. This was a wonderful opportunity to nurture these groups' performance experience and build stronger connections with our local community. They performed a variety of repertoire from the musical as well as hits from major artists including Dua Lipa, The Beatles, Jaco Pastorius and Miles Davis.

Bunnings

The Drama Club is back up and running for 2024. The Year 7 and 8 students in this group are busily preparing a performance to be showcased at assembly in Term 2 and we can't wait to see what they have come up with. If anyone in Year 7 or 8 would like to get involved with this group, please contact [email protected].

In the classroom, Drama students are working on developing their improvisational skills. They recently engaged in an improvisation workshop with a guest presenter who challenged the students to go beyond what they thought was creatively possible. The students were very positive about their experience and look forward to more opportunities like this. In Music, students are working diligently to develop their own performance skills and creativity. Students in Year 7 are learning to play the African drums, Year 8 are playing the blues, Year 9 are engaging with film repertoire whilst Year 10 are exploring the works of musical theatre.

Its an exciting time to be in CAPA and we look forward to seeing this creativity on display throughout the year.

Mr Luke Robinson
Productions & Creative and Performing Arts Coordinator

SportBack to Top

Upcoming Senior School Sporting Events

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Upcoming Sporting Events Term 1
Week 9	Monday 24 March	CASA U15s and Opens Netball Gala Day
Week 9	Wednesday 27 March	Senior School Cross Country Carnival
Week 10	Tuesday 2 April	MISA Sport Finals
Week 10	Friday 5 April	AICES Swimming Carnival
Week 11	Tuesday 9 April	MISA Sport Trials

Mrs Irene Focas
Senior School Sports Co-ordinator

CIS Soccer

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Our Open Boys Football Team faced off against last year's CIS Cup Champions, William Clarke College, in the second round of the CIS Football Cup. Putting their best foot forward in true Thomas Hassall style, they led with a 2-1 score at halftime, securing a final victory of 6-2.

They now advance to Round 3 - congratulations to all of the boys in the team! Goodluck in the next round.

Mrs Irene Focas
Senior School Sports Co-ordinator

MISA Sport Trials

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MISA trials for Term 2! If you are interested in signing up to trial for any of the following sports, please do so via the link: https://forms.gle/wnkSCsWyia872zys9

Term 2 MISA Sports are:

7-9 Girls Basketball
7-9 Boys Basketball
7-9 Mixed Frisbee
10-12 Girls Soccer
11-12 Boys Soccer
10-12 Boys Softball
11-12 Girls Netball
U15s Girls Rugby League
Debating

We are looking forward to seeing you there.

Mrs Irene Focas
Senior School Sports Co-ordinator

AICES, CIS and CASA Teams

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AICES and CIS Basketball

We are so proud of Max V, Ana S and Liana M who represented Thomas Hassall and CASA at the AICES Basketball Tournament. They achieved some great results, finishing in first place in both the girls and boys divisions and to top it off, our very own Max V caught the eyes of the selectors once again and is now a part of the AICES Open’s Basketball Team - we wish all the best as he comes up against the best basketballers in all NSW independent schools at the CIS Basketball Championships in May.

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Congratulations to our representative students for making the CASA Squads!

U16s Boys Football

Matias S
Ryder W
Stefann B
Jonathan V
Dusan C
Jonathan F
Adrian T

Open Boys Football

Diego B
Julian J
Jy K
Luke M
Maksim P
Angelo P
Stefan R
Matais S
Oliver V

Open Girls Football

Jessica M
Zoe G
Sara E
Abbie F

U16 Girls Football

Sara E
Ayla S

CASA Touch Football Squad (Boys)

Jewlius C
Matias S
Daniel H
Matt M

CASA Touch Football Squad (Girls)

Laura M

Mrs Irene Focas
Senior School Sports Co-ordinator

CommunityBack to Top

Easter Services

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Hope Anglican Church
Good Friday - 9:00am & 10:30am
Easter Sunday - 9:00am & 6pm

30 Heath Rd, Leppington NSW 2179 | Website

Hoxton Park Anglican Church
Good Friday – 9:30 am
Easter Sunday – 9:30 am and 6:00 pm

1 Latrobe Rd, West Hoxton NSW 2171 | Website

St Luke's Liverpool Anglican Church
Good Friday - 9:30am
Easter Sunday - 8:30am & 6:00pm

156 Northumberland Street Liverpool NSW 2170 | Website

St Mark's Anglican Church Sadlier
Good Friday - 9:30am
Easter Sunday - 9:30am & 4pm

1 Spica Street Sadleir | Website

New Life Anglican Church Oran Park
Maundy Thursday - 7pm
Good Friday - 9.30am
Easter Sunday - 8am & 6:00pm

Central Ave & Marcus Loane Way, Oran Park NSW 2570 | Website

St Barnabas Anglican Fairfield Church

Good Friday- 8:15am | 10:30am
Easter Sunday- 8:15am I 10:30am I 6pm

Cnr Frederick and Lackey St. Fairfield | Website

St Barnabas Anglican Bossley Park Church

Good Friday - 10:30am
Easter Sunday – 10:30am

80 Quarry Rd Bossley Park | Website

Holiday Programs

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Football Holiday Program

Running from 22 - 24 and 26 of April from 8.30 - 2.30pm, this is an all-weather program that will take place at the College.

*Program will not run on ANZAC Day - Thursday 25 April

It is open to boys and girls aged 5-13 of all skill levels.

Students will participate in fun activities, game development and learn soccer skills from accredited coaches.

$65 per day or $240 for the week.

Book online now

CodeCamp

Join CodeCamp these School holidays where kids design, code, problem solve and become storytellers and creators of technology, by creating games, websites, music and videos or flying drones - in just 2-3 days!

Tuesday 16 - Thursday 18 April.

Book now

Motiv8 Sports

Held only once each year Super Camp is a sports festival designed just for kids. Way more than a sports dreamland, Super Camp is an energetic mix of sport, music, street culture, art and dance mashed up to create the ultimate atmosphere for kids who love having fun. Campers will be treated to an incredible array of our trademark team sports in an environment full of energy, motiv8tion and unbelievable guidance from our professional team of coaches.

8:30am-3:30pm daily - 15 & 16 April

For ages Kindy to Year 6
Book online

Cricket NSW

Cricket NSW