Term 3: Thursday 21 September 2017

This will be a most significant occasion for them.  Parents and Grandparents will join with them for this special time celebrating and reflecting on many of the moments of their time at Thomas Hassall Anglican College.  We look forward to a lovely morning as we celebrate together.  Year 12 students have had some other significant events this week to mark the end of their schooling life.  The annual Staff vs Students sporting competitions; time together at the special Year 12 Prayer Breakfast,  and spending time visiting and reading with the Kindergarten students has made the last week a significant time. 

Yr 12 to Kindy 1.JPG

We wish the students well as they prepare for their HSC Examinations over the next month, starting with revision at the Study Camp during the first week of the school holidays.  Many of the Year 12 teachers will attend this camp during the vacation period to bring confidence, support and guidance to the students ahead of their exams.

As we say farewell to our 2017 Year 12 cohort we will also say farewell to Mr Richard Loane the Year 12 Advisor.  Richard who has been an outstanding teacher of Mathematics and Year Advisor will take up the position of Director of Studies at Meriden Anglican School for Girls at Strathfield and tomorrow will also be his last day with us.  We wish Mr Loane all the very best as he progresses to another stage in his career.  We have appreciated all that he has done here at the College particularly with our 2017 Year 12 students over the years. We will miss him greatly.

Kindy Photos.JPG

Yr 12 Reading to Kindy.JPG

Holidays are here for the next 2 weeks.  At the College our building works continue during the break, and the office will be open for any enquiries. Let me take this opportunity to wish you a restful time over the period. 

Thank you to all the staff and students for your hard work in Term 3 and we look forward to everyone returning safely for Term 4. 

Please enjoy the break.

Mr Ross Whelan

‘The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; ….he will rejoice over you with singing.’ Zephaniah 3:17

Throughout Term 3, every student in Years 1 and 2 chose and recited a poem in front of their class.  They were then chosen to go through to the next level which was speaking in front of their Year group.  The culmination was today where the students spoke in front of the entire group.

The judges were Mrs Wheeler (Deputy Head of Junior School) and Mrs Pettit (High School English teacher).  The judges were looking for oral expression, pace and rhythm and how well they engaged the audience.  They were very impressed with the way the children had learnt the poems, the range of poems chosen which certainly developed vocabulary understanding  and by the way they recited them.  

Year 1 Highly Commended: Lourdes Abdishou, April Morris, Syra Nazari Sobbi and Aleks Milanovic

Year 1 Winner: Vansh Maini

Year 2 Highly Commended: Sapphire Wanna, Gina Della-Camera, Sean Horrell and Stella Sayasith

Year 2 Winner: Pietro Sanfilippo

Congratulations to all of the children who entered today:

Year 1: Katarina Trifunovic, Max Panetta, Alana Vranjesevic, and Anastasia Bevitt

Year 2: Javiera Garrido, Odrina Shebu, Anton Harb, Evangelina Pellizzeri, Ella Flitton and Hannah Harb

Change - How do you help your child to cope with it? 

Most of us, and especially children, prefer some level of 'sameness' in our lives. However, we live in a constantly changing world. Consequently as responsible parents it is important to prepare our children to cope with change. Change is inevitable but it is also important for growth.

Change might include:

o            A friend moving 

o            New teacher or new friends

o            Moving house

o            Separation or divorce of parents

o            Joining school after holiday break

o            A new baby in the family

o            A parent taking a new job or losing a job

o            Adopting a different routine or schedule

Sometimes we cannot shelter our children from these changes, so how then can we help them cope?

•       Give them warning: Like adults, no child responds well to a sudden change. If you can talk through changes early, it will give them ample opportunity to absorb the information and process the change. However some changes can be unexpected, but this teaches your child to also practice skills in adapting themselves to a new and unpredictable situations.

•       Be prepared to answer their questions: You can create an environment for your child in which they feel safe to ask you about changes that they are facing. This will help them process change and receive answers from those they most trust, their primary caregivers.

•       Keep to routines as much as possible: You can try not to change everything at once because children respond really well to structure and this helps them feel secure. For example, if your family is moving house, it is ideal to keep daily routine as consistent as possible.

•       Let them grieve: When any of us experience a change such as a new job, new house or any kind of change in life, we leave something behind us. Let your children talk about what they miss and avoid pointing out all the positive things about the new change – instead, let them express their sadness or mourn.

•       Be prepared for struggle – Many children do not adjust to changes immediately, there might be tears and emotional meltdowns followed by some parental guilt. You can expect that it can take time for some children to cope with changes.

Although change can be anxiety-provoking, parent support can go a long way in helping and preparing your child to build tolerance and resilience when changes occur. 

If you would like to know what we do at THAC to support our Year 6 students with their transition to Senior School, watch this space.

Lydia Ghaly
Psychologist - Junior School

Year 5 meet every Thursday afternoon for their regular music lesson and enjoy singing as a whole year group with the Music teachers from the Senior College, but last Thursday, they became an audience for a very special concert.

Mr Humphries from Shire Christian School conducted his Senior Concert Band through several well known pieces. He had our Year 5 students clapping along, counting sections, and providing actions for the beautiful music. Year 5 were also able to sing for the visitors. 

We are very excited about our 2018 College Musical - Leader of the Pack - The Ellie Greenwich Musical.  
We encourage all students who may be interested in a role in this production to contact Mrs Hazell in the Creative Arts faculty on [email protected] to obtain a copy of the Information Booklet or to answer any questions you may have.

It was a fun day of athletic and skill-based activities that saw all students experience a variety of physical games. The students also practised their running in races before enjoying a shared lunch with our parents and friends.

A big thank you to Mrs Evans for organising our special sports day and to all the teachers who set up and supervised each activity. Thank you also to the parents who came along to support their children, some of whom participated in their very first sports carnival. 

Word of mouth is how most families find out about Thomas Hassall Anglican College.  

Mr Whelan has been conducting personal tours of the College and there are just two dates left for the year - 11 & 18 October.

If you have friends who are looking for a school for their children, please encourage them to book online http://www.thac.nsw.edu.au/college-tour-booking 

What better way to see the school than a personal tour with the Principal, during a normal school day.

Thank you for your support.