Resilience is one of the important skills that experts and experienced educators have identified as essential for successful living. This is one of the key characteristics that we are wanting to grow and nurture in the lives of all our students. Growing resilience extends into every aspect of life and can be expressed in sport, in playground relationships between friends and peers, but this also extends into the classroom and in particular, to learning.

All of us can find learning ‘new things’ difficult at times and when we experience ‘failure’ it takes a lot of courage not to give up or to find easier options. However, having a go and persisting when things are difficult is exactly what we need to do if we are to build resilience. Thomas Hassall Anglican College deliberately plans wellbeing programs that build resilience. These programs include experiences like our camp program that progress through challenges of increasing difficulty. In Year 7, we start with a camp that has a variety of team-focused activities designed to build student relationships and teamwork. By Year 9, we have adventure-style camps which introduce an opportunity to take part in the world respected Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. In the next holidays a small group of students will take on the Kokoda Challenge and this is a life-changing opportunity for each of the participants. Students coming through these courses have faced very real difficulties that will develop invaluable life skills for living in an increasingly complex world.

Developing resilience naturally translates into the classroom where there is a constant challenge in terms of learning new skills and increasingly difficult concepts. The greatest threat to developing resilience is giving into ‘fear’. Fear that I will fail, fear that I have to struggle, fear that I might be embarrassed or fear that I will be rejected. When we give into fear we do not build the capacity to find success in our learning. What we would love to see is courageous learners - students who are prepared to take risks even if it might mean failing along the way.  The difference between failure and success is often 'not giving up'.

I want to encourage parents to partner with the College in building resilience in our children. At Thomas Hassall we acknowledge that all children will face difficulty in their life (of varying magnitude and duration) and that it is critical for students to courageously cope with, and adapt to, change and difficulty.

 “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer” Albert Einstein

“Stand firm and you will win life” Luke 21:19

The mystery of the missing librarian has been solved!

Sarah Kanjanakorn (Year 11) has examined the evidence, followed the clues and has discovered what has happened to the Senior IRC's missing librarian. According to Sarah's detective report a mysterious library patron Mr X (a secret pirate impersonator) challenged the head librarian to a duel over a dispute to do with his overdue book fine. After an intense battle in the library the head librarian, who had spent time as a ninja in Japan, was able to chase him out of the library. She is currently still in pursuit of the wannabe pirate. Unfortunately in her haste to pursue this man she dropped her keepsake rubber duck that has been handed down in her family from generation to generation.

Congratulations Sarah! For her efforts Sarah has won a $20 QBD Book Voucher!

Thank you to all students who participated in this competition.

 

Change of date for Senior IRC's Book Swap

Swap old stories for new adventures!

The Book Swap date has changed. It will now be held in the Senior IRC during week nine. (Monday 11 September to Friday 15 September)

Bring in a book you don't want anymore to the library before 8 September to receive a Book Swap Ticket.

Students with a Book Swap Ticket will be able to select a book on their year group's selected day.

For more information please see Mrs Comiskey or Mr Smith.

 

Reader of the Month

The reader of the month for June and July is Gabriel Cruz (Year 7). Congratulations! Gabriel has won a book of his choice.

Each month a prize is given to the student who borrows and reads the most books. Open to all grades. Will you be August's winner? Only a few weeks remain. Borrow a book from the IRC, and start reading today!

 

What's new on the shelf?

A moving tale of friendship has arrived in the IRC.

A Tale of Two Besties - Sophia Rossi

"Harper and Sophie have been best friends for forever. They also couldn't be more different if they tried. It's the start of freshman year, and Harper's headed to Beverly Hills High, while Sophie's enrolled at Pathways, an experimental new private school. It's the first time they'll ever be apart, but they're not sweating it. It'll be like nothing ever changed!

But on the first day of school, effortlessly hip Harper makes zero friends and a ton of faux pas, while endearingly clueless Sophie has the best day ever, in fact she just might be the new queen bee of Pathways. Still, besties are forever! No obstacle is tricky enough to shake Harper and Sophie's bond...right? Then, the unthinkable happens: Sophie forgets Harper's birthday. Now for the first time ever, these BFFs are anything but. Can these two soul mates withstand their greatest test yet? Or will high school get the better of them after all?"

A Tale of Two Besties written by Sophia Rossi is a touching and moving story of two best friends whose friendship is put to the test by the challenges of high school and teenage life. Written in a duel perspective, this novel features two sweet, funny and relatable main characters who will have you laughing, giggling and crying as you follow their journey of starting high school apart from each other. Featuring an emotional and realistic story of the ups and downs of friendship, as well as the impacts of peer pressure and bullying, A Tale of Two Besties is a wonderful novel that will stay with you for a long time.

Will Harper and Sophie's friendship survive? Will things ever be the same again? Is the BFF friendship over?

Borrow A Tale of Two Besties from the IRC today and find out!

 

Check out the slideshow in this article to see other great new books in the Senior IRC! 

 

Book in the jar competition

Parts of five books have been placed in five jars in the Senior IRC.

Can you guess the name of the book in each of the jars?

Students who can guess all five books will win a great prize!

For more information please see Mrs Comiskey or Mr Smith.

 

Overdue books

Overdue notices will be sent out this week. Students who receive a notice need to return their books to the Senior IRC as soon as possible.

If any students still have outstanding textbooks from last year, please return them to the IRC or speak to Mrs Comiskey as soon as possible. You may be invoiced for the replacement cost for each outstanding book.

 

Mrs A Comiskey & Mr M Smith
Senior IRC Library Team

In case you’re wondering, that’s a quote from James 1:19 and it's really helpful when you're in a discussion with someone who disagrees with you. 

No matter where you stand on any issue, there’s a very good chance we are going to be in a discussion with someone who thinks the exact opposite to us. At some point, all of us are going to be tempted to say mean things to that person or about other people – whether they are from a different family, church, country of origin, or something else entirely. Social media is already full of people debating. All the people you interact with, and speak about, whether in broad generalisations or in very specific terms, are made in the image of God, they are loved by him, and Jesus died for them. Treat them for who they are. They are God’s and he will take your treatment of them personally.

What if our first response to someone who disagrees with us either online or in real life was “tell me more”, “I don’t know enough about this, help me understand”, or “Thank you, I hadn’t thought of things that way”.

Chances are whatever you want to say has already been said, so you probably don’t need to say it again, they’ve heard it before. But what if you were known as someone who listened, someone who was thoughtful, and someone who was not easily baited. That’s probably better than being known as someone who thinks they’re right, and tells everyone else why they’re right, and how everyone can be right like them.

Stuart Tye

This year commemorated 72 years since the signing of the treaty with Japan to end all conflict within the Pacific Region. Natalie (Year 11) and Jacob (Year 12) represented the College in the march and laying a wreath on behalf of the College.

Both Natalie and Jacob have previously undertaken the Kokoda Challenge where they walked in the footsteps of the soldiers who fought and paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Pacific conflict in Papua New Guinea.

We have had a long history with Cabra-vale Diggers and both Natalie and Jacob represented the College with pride and dignity on such a special occasion.

Yours in Christ.

Mr Phil Kaye
Director of Welfare (Senior Years),  Kokoda Trek Coordinator

Cheese pizza and spinach gozleme are the topic picks among students. Closely followed by the Hawaiian and meatlovers pizza. The gozleme uses spinach freshly picked from the school garden and the pizza base is a Greek pita bread.

The busiest day of the week for orders is a Friday and, when it comes to logistics in the kitchen, Friday and Monday are the staff's busiest days of the week.

This week, cook Maureen Jones made a spice mix from scratch in preparation for butter chicken on Tuesday. You've got to get in quick though! Orders can be made via MunchMonitor. If you don't order, only a limited number of servings of hot dishes are available on the day.

Roasted vegetables with a Napoletana sauce are a great vegetarian option and brown rice with vegetables is gluten free.

Cafeteria Manager, Hanan Longbottom, said their day starts at 7.30am, prepping for recess and lunch.

Menu items are on a fortnightly rotating roster to mix it up for the College Community.

Every day fresh bread from a bakery arrives - a white slice and Turkish bread are the most popular in their ordering. They're both low in sugar.

"We're super conscious about what is being consumed," she said.

It's on the cusp of spring and Mrs Riitano's Kitchen staff are keen to introduce the summer menu next term.

"We can't wait for summer - expect salads, fruits, yoghurts and wraps."

Term 1
Friday 26 January	Australia Day Public Holiday
Monday 29 January	Term 1 commences - Years 1-7, 11 & 12, K Testing
Tuesday 30 January	Years 8-10 commence, K Testing
Wednesday 31 January	Kindergarten commence
Thursday 1 February	Prep Blue and Purple commence
Friday 2 February	Prep Red and White commence
Friday 30 March	Good Friday Public Holiday
Monday 2 April	Easter Monday Public Holiday
Friday 13 April	Term 1 concludes
Term 2
Tuesday 1 May	Term 2 commences
Monday 11 June	Queen's Birthday Public Holiday
Friday 29 June	Term 2 concludes
Term 3
Monday 23 July	Term 3 commences
Friday 28 September	Term 3 concludes Class of 2018 Graduation Assembly
Term 4
Tuesday 16 October	Term 4 commences
Monday 12 November	Mid Term Break for all students
Wednesday 5 December	Celebration - Junior School
Thursday 6 December	Celebration - Senior School
Friday 7 December	Term 4 concludes

Please Note:  South West Festival and Mid Term Break (August/September) to be confirmed

Term 3

Thursday 24 August	Grandparents' Morning Matinee Junior School Creative Arts Night (Years 3 & 4)
Monday 28 August	Mid Term Break - Staff & Students
Wednesday 30 August	Grandparents' Morning Matinee Junior School Creative Arts Night (Kindergarten, Years 1 & 2)
Thursday 14 September	'Your Child's Wellbeing Matters' - Parent Seminar
Friday 15 September	Prep Red, White & Kindy Tabloid Carnival
Thursday 21 September	Prep Blue, Purple & Year 1 & 2 Tabloid Carnival
Friday 22 September	Class of 2017 Graduation  End of Term 3

Term 4

Tuesday 10 October	Term 4 Commences
Monday 16 October	2017 HSC Commences
Wednesday 25 October	SMBC Hot Topics - Same Sex Marriage? Marriage Equality?
Wednesday 1 November	SMBC Hot Topics - Do we need the right to die?
Thursday 2 November	Year 11 Parent Teacher Night
Monday 13 November	Mid Term Break - Students Only
Friday 24 November	Volunteers' Thank You Breakfast & Term 4 Class Parent Meeting
Tuesday 5 December	Junior School Celebration
Wednesday 6 December	Senior School Celebration
Thursday 7 December	End of Term 4

The hardest part of the process is keeping it a secret until the special day.

Children are able to choose a present priced from $6 to $25 on:

Thursday 31 August - Prep Blue, Prep Purple, Years 7 to 12 (lunchtime)

Friday 1 September - Prep Red, Prep White, Kinder to Year 6, Years 7 to 12 (lunchtime)

The stall will be held in the S Block breezeway outside classroom S2.

Father's Day Stall Flyer

However, there are definite differences in their training and what they do. Psychologists often have a six year training period at a university, which includes two years of internship. A psychiatrist studied to be a medical doctor and then continues their studies in mental health. Consequently, a psychiatrist can diagnose mental illness and they prescribe medication as necessary.

Psychologists apply their expertise in mental health, learning and behaviour to help students succeed academically, socially, behaviourally and emotionally. We partner with families, teachers school administrators and other professionals to create a safe, healthy and supportive learning environment that enhances the bonds between home, school and the community.

Many students, at some point in their school life, will benefit from psychological advice and care. A school psychologist assists students with a variety of situations and skill areas, including, but not limited to:

• Managing friendships
• Resolving conflict
• Self-harm
• Anxiety
• Cyber safety
• Study methods
• Developing their social skills
• Adolescents with shyness
• Responding to name calling or teasing
• Managing their emotions more effectively
• Increasing their self-awareness and how their behaviours impact on others
• Identifying learning difficulties and many other areas
• Managing their digital diet and digital nutrition

Attached find a link to a Youtube clip that discusses the differences and similarities between a psychologist and a psychiatrist really well. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNntgCwJyVU

Feel free to contact us and let us know if you have any questions that you wish for us to respond to in this section.

Jacoline Petersen
College Counsellor

By learning how to make various forms of pasta, Year 10 are able to refine their skills in order to develop their own personal range of ravioli fillings for their upcoming assessment task. This term, Year 10 Food Technology is looking at food product development and how to collect data when testing new food products.

They have learnt how to make pasta dough, fettucini and ravioli. With these skills, they will be able to develop their own new range of ravioli and sample their products to friends and family, in order to modify and perfect their new product range.

Mrs Helen Bull
TAS Teacher

In my first lesson with the College's History Extension Class of 2017, I placed a juicy apple on the table and explained that by examining it, the students would be able to come to a basic understanding of every school of historiographical interpretation from Herodotus to Hayden White.

With that, the unforgettable journey towards the submission of each individual student’s 2500-word Major Projects began, culminating in their presentation at the College's annual Illuminate celebration night. On the night, four students from the class (Sophia Kovac, Riya Mandri, Doohan Murphy, and Ellise Mustafa) took part in an interview with myself in which they discussed the joys and challenges of this rigorous process, as well as sharing unique insights into how they have grown as learners as a result of the History Extension course.

They also shared about their personal interest in their topics as well as some of their findings. The Major Projects drew on a wide array of contemporary historical debates, from the fall of the Bastille to the Kashmir Conflict, World War II atomic diplomacy to shifting perspectives on capital punishment. Contemporary controversies such as the ownership of Kosovo and revisionist histories on the Korean ‘comfort women’ are found next to feminist revisions of the legacy of Marie Antoinette and examinations of the legal and moral justifications for the Afghanistan War.

One student was bold enough to examine the plausibility and effectiveness of Richard Evans’ famous critiques of Richard Jenkins and postmodern approaches to historical inquiry more broadly, while another weighed up the implications of Harry S. Truman’s deployment of nuclear weapons against America’s 1945 geopolitical aims.

These projects are both educational and entertaining, a riveting set of investigations by the future historians of Australia. It has been a privilege and a joy to partner with the fantastic students of History Extension 2017, and I would consider it a success if I have imparted to them even a fraction of what I have learned from their fascinating insights into the past. I would like to congratulate each and every one of them for their hard work.

The History Extension class of 2017 are:

• Jade Dobrincic
• Demi Farah
• Sophia Kovac
• Izabella Liso
• Riya Mandri
• Tariro Mapika
• Doohan Murphy
• Ellise Mustafa
• Shweta Prakesh
• Jacob Smith

Mr Matthew Driscoll
HSIE Teacher

As a part of the Child Studies syllabus, students learn about the growth and development of children aged 0-8 years. This includes participating in activities that children would typically find themselves involved in like an excursion to the zoo.

Year 10 Child Studies students participated andd involve themselves in zoo activities through the eyes of a child. They were given the task of locating different animals in various parts of the zoo and ticking them off a list, as primary aged students would with their teacher.

They engaged in a Year 3 and 4 environment workshop where they learnt about the importance of habitat and got to touch a blue tongue lizard and a very cute ring tail possum. It was a fantastic day made even better by watching Samuel the Seal putting on a very entertaining show for us.

 

This week we had another exciting array of performances from our students, with five different acts on show. To kick it off, we had Year 12 student Jacob Pallone surprise us all with his secret vocal talent, singing the famous pop song Let It Go by Passenger.

Other senior performers were: Lachlan Kerr (double bass), Liam Penklis (tenor saxophone), Samuel Aung (cajon), Daniel Matic (acoustic guitar), Miriam Leslie (ukulele) and Emily Cook (vocals). Evelyn Kilic from Year 8 also performed Harry Styles' Sign of the Times on solo piano, and this was a follow up from the last HUB, where the entire audience were singing the chorus along to her piano melody – another memorable moment for the HUB. Thanks again to all those student musicians who performed.

Mr Byron Mark
Ensembles Manager

At the end of last term 87 students entered the ICAS Science Competition. This is an extremely challenging competition that tests students ability to interpret and analyse scientific data.

Just under half of the students who entered the competition achieved an award with five students achieving exceptional results. Sreya Diddee (Year 8), James Richardson (Year 9) and Lachlan Shead (Year 10) achieved a Distinction that placed them in the top 10% of entrants. Miriam Leslie (Year 8) and Caleb Cruz (Year 10) achieved High Distinctions that placed them in the top 2% of entrants.

In addition to these results, 30 students were also able to achieve credits (top 30%) and seven students achieved Merits (top 40%). 

It is important to note that due to its difficult nature, only a select number of students enter this competition across the country, with most schools only entering their best and brightest students. To be placed in the top group of the top students shows that we have some amazing Science students here at the College.

Well done to all those students who entered!

Mr Michael Strong
Faculty Co-ordinator - Science

The College offers football development programs for students in Kinder to Year 9. The year-long program caters for both boys and girls and will be conducted by our Football Director Sonny Makko.

The one-hour sessions are designed to improve the skill level of each individual and suited for all abilities. Students will be involved in fun activities that develop skills and promote understanding of the game.

Students can enrol in more than one day if preferred. The program runs for 35 weeks. Details outlining cost and further information can be found on the flyer available at the College Office or contact Mrs Evans, P-6 Sports Coordinator and TAP Coordinator - [email protected]

 

Year 7 - 9 Secondary Program         Tuesday 3 - 4pm - spaces available

K - 6 Girls Only Program                  Friday 3 - 4pm - spaces available

Kinder - Year 2 Program                  Monday and Wednesday 3 - 4pm - full

Year 2 - Year 6 Program                  Thursday 3 - 4pm - full

Hi, my name is Christian Georgallis and I'm in Year 10 at Thomas Hassall Anglican College. I recently climbed Mt Kosciuszko to raise funds for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. The funds I raised went to the Alliance's gym and recognition program. Now I'm onto a new mission and I need your help.

I'm participating in an event called Steptember. The challenge is to take 10,000 steps a day for 28 days. You join up in teams of four and ask your family and friends to sponsor you for your efforts. All money raised goes towards helping children and adults living with Cerebral Palsy - many of whom will never be able to take a single step without assistance.

Apparently, the average office worker only takes 3000 steps a day. It might sound a lot but it's way below the recommended 10,000 steps we all need to take in order to lead healthy lives. But getting more physical activity into your day doens't just help your health - it actually makes you feel better too.

So, if you're feeling sluggish and constantly battling 3.30-itis, Steptember is the perfect opportunity to get out from behind the desk and make the change your body is screaming out for. It will be a great way to get some more movement into your day along with the added benefit of helping a good cause.

And, since so many of us at Thomas Hassall Anglican College are going to be participating, you'll have lots of people to keep you accountable and motivated to take the most steps and raise the most money.

Participating in an event like this will make a big difference to people like me and I'm sure with your help, we will reach new heights and be making a big difference in the lives of those living with cerebral palsy. Plus, don't forget registrations close this Friday at midnight.

Thanks

Christian . . . I look forward to climbing this mountain with you.