Term 2 I The Way Newsletter I Friday 29 April 2022

Thomas Hassall Anglican College like many other educational institutions is regularly evaluating the culture that exists and the culture that is being cultivated.

There is regularly competing interests at play in the shaping of our young people to try to assist them to become the people that they, their family, the College and God would want them to be. These areas will be familiar to you as you partner with our staff.

In the senior years as students learn to drive to school or have designated Year 12 areas assigned, these opportunities are often accompanied by discussions with staff about the critical care that must be taken around the school when driving a vehicle and also more broadly when on the roads. We try to teach students about keeping their areas and the College clean with a mind to developing good citizenship, which is so important and relevant in a world which tends to have skewed towards the rights of the individual rather than the community. We like to provide opportunities for students to go on excursions, work placements, work experience and sporting competitions whilst balancing the need to maintain consistency in class hours so as not to impact the quality and continuity of learning. Learning is paramount at the College and our student community care about their academics and often strive to prepare as best as they are able. We host every Tuesday afternoon a supervised study session for Year 12 students to develop the habit of personal preparation which will be essential for a successful HSC. I recently visited the Easter Service at the end of Term 1 and quietly asked a few senior students to put their notes aside as they tried to get some last minute preparations in prior to their impending English Assessment. Some elements of both a quality and a questioning culture in that particular interaction I thought!

Large gatherings have been impacted greatly by the Covid years and we have been striving to model what it means to be a good audience as we once again come together. We have had Assemblies, Year Meetings, House Meetings, presentations from Paul Wade and the Police Liaison Officer recently and much has been learned and experienced through these presentations. It can be a source of difficulty for a young person to come to terms with not being able to share an opinion with the friends around them during a performance or talk from a guest or staff member and we will continue to help them realise their responsibility in such a setting with the mind to preparing them for future experiences where proper conduct will be essential. There are consequences if you were talking during an orientation event for a new job and so learning how to behave as an audience could be critical! Staff are always trying to build relationship with the students and have not only subject wisdom to impart but also life advice, spiritual guidance and lessons learned through experience that can assist a student who is keen to listen. Ask your children about something they might have learned at school from a teacher besides the importance of Pythagoras’ Theorem.

As the College embarks upon the next few building projects, we will once again try to navigate the balance between inspirational designs that incite the creativity of the community with essential features in place for efficient functions. Locker placement, bathroom access and areas for classes to line up are considered alongside captivating spaces and architecture which bring an aesthetic to lift the spirit.

Young people need to express their individuality and test the boundaries to determine their own identity and this often comes into conflict with the need to conform to College expectations. It is important for a young person to learn how to be who they are and it is also necessary to fit in with the guidelines of the College as they will have to do in the workforce and broader society. Having a chat with a young man about removing the moustache he is so proud to have grown or a young lady about her beautifully crafted and recently applied nail design is a constant and the staff really appreciate your partnership in this area as it can be difficult for a young person to understand.

I want to thank you for allowing College staff to guide your children in these areas of competing agendas and for supporting the College through these tensions which young people can find a challenge. We continue to want the best for all of the students at the College and love to work in partnership with families to help nurture excellence in Learning, Wisdom and Service with the students of Thomas Hassall. Let’s have a great term together and see you at the Musical!

Mothers and Guardians, you’re invited to come along and enjoy breakfast with your child at the S Block Hall to celebrate Mother’s Day.

There are three sessions available to choose from:
7 - 7.30am
7.45 - 8.15am
8.30 - 9am

You may choose any session to attend although Students from Years 7-12 are only permitted to attend the 7-7.30am Session. We also encourage Prep and Kindy parents to attend the later 8.30am session. Students may only attend if accompanied by a parent/guardian.

This is a free event for the College Community, however bookings are essential and places are limited.

Please RSVP by Wednesday 4 May online www.thac.nsw.edu.au/book

Join us for Shrek the Musical!

We are thrilled for our opening night of Shrek the Musical tonight! 

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

Tickets are now on sale, so book in a session for the whole family to enjoy! You can also use your NSW Discover voucher at the checkout.

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

The official changeover to Winter Uniform for all students is Monday 9 May 2022.

Junior School Students can choose to wear either full summer or full winter in Weeks One and Two depending on the weather.

The uniform shop is open for walk-ins or you can choose to order online and it will be delivered to your child (Junior) or available for pickup (Senior). Full details regarding the uniform and how to order is on the College website. 

In the holidays, two of our students Dakota J, Isaac E ANd Jonah represented their clubs in swimming at the NSW Championships in Olympic Park, Homebush.

We asked them about the event, the training they do and what they think about swimming. Here is what they had to say.

Dakota: "In the Holidays, i went to Homebush Olympic Park and i competed in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle representing Mounties Swimming Club. 

Swimming is a very hard sport you have to get certain times and work really hard. If my coach Maddy wasn't coaching at the time, then I wouldn't be at stave today.

I train in the mornings just before school at 5am at least 2 or 3 times a week. I also train weekends and week days after school".

Isaac: "Swimming is a hard sport. You have to give up everything. When you make it to state and all the other meets, it is hard. The carnivals start bright and early and finish late at night. I train every day and even on the weekends".

Jonah: "Over the holidays I competed in a race representing Prairiewood Swimming Club. For me any race is always a thrilling experience no matter what. I actually remember standing on that block waiting for the whistle then the beep. Although it was not my first time racing in Homebush, it was still a stunning and exciting experience. I qualified for this race because of hard work and determination which is proving to everyone that no matter what, if you put your mind and the work into any sport, you will achieve your goal and succeed. My passion and love for the sport is what keeps me going".

The College is very proud of their dedication to training and competing to a high standard. Well done

During the Easter Hat Parade on the last day of Term 1, the Junior and Intermediate Concert Bands had the opportunity to perform for parents and all those involved in the event. This was an exciting day, as it was their first live performance in over a year. The students were meant to perform at the Camden Show earlier in the month, which was unfortunately cancelled due to the floods. Well done to all these students for a fantastic first performance, and we look forward to presenting other performances to the College community throughout the year.

Mr Byron Mark
Director of Ensembles

How parents talk about the exams can have a significant impact on the level of stress a student may experience.

It is term 2, which means some students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be doing NAPLAN and the other students will be writing exams. Exams can be a challenging period for both parents and students. Most students really want to do well and make their parents proud. Some of them apply so much pressure on themselves to achieve this outcome, that it impacts on their stress levels and impede their capacity to perform optimally. 

Parents also want to support their children to achieve the best possible outcomes. Parents play a key role in supporting their children to reduce their stress levels during this period. If you have a child in Senior School, it can be useful to initiate a conversation about the upcoming exams and determine:

Dates -  when their exams are occurring,

Plan – ask them what their plan is to be prepared for the exams

Support –ask them what you can do to support them during their preparation period.

How to Reduce Stress during the exam period?

Parents, if you are unsure about how to support your child to reduce their stress levels and developing a healthy approach to exams, please watch the interviews on SchoolTV on Exam Jitters. Parents you can learn how to assist your kids to maintain perspective and keep their sanity intact during exam time. Keeping stress levels to a minimum and reducing anxiety can be easily achieved through careful planning and having a supportive environment.
 

Here is the link to this

Source: School TV

Adjusted by Jacoline Petersen
Director of Student Counselling

The COVID Guidelines have been updated for Term Two and were sent to you.

Close Contacts 
Students who are household contacts and have NO symptoms may continue to attend school if they: 

• Notify the College that they are coming to College under the Household Contact provision. This notification can be done via the College App or using this link. 

• Complete a daily RAT test and return a negative result each morning before attending College for 5 school days 

• Wear a mask indoors (Years 7-12) except when eating or exercising. Junior Students are recommended to wear a mask indoors also. 

• Student identified as a close contact will not be permitted to participate in overnight camps, including Duke of Ed Hikes. 

NSW Health advice is that if a person has had confirmed COVID in the last 12 weeks, they do not need to comply with these Close Contact Guidelines if they become household/close contact within the 12 week period and remain symptom free. 

Positive Cases 
Students who return a positive COVID test result at anytime during the Term should: 

• Record the positive RAT result through the Service NSW 

• Notify the College via the College App or using this link. 

• Remain isolated for seven days as per the advice received from NSW Health 

• Wear a mask indoors for a further 3 days (days 8-10) if in Years 7-12 except when eating or exercising. Junior Students are also encouraged to wear a mask for a further 3 days. This is a NEW requirement by NSW Health. 

Rapid Antigen Testing Kits 

The College has been advised that Rapid Antigen Test kits will provided in the coming weeks to schools to distribute to families for use as surveillance or when a household contact. We do not have an arrival time for these kits and will notify you as soon as we receive them. 

Mask Wearing 
In addition to wearing a mask if you are a close contact or a returning student from a positive case for days 8-10, masks are required for all students over 12 years old when catching public transport. Please ensure you send your child with a mask for this purpose (which includes sport buses). 

Should you have any questions regarding the COVID Guidelines, please do not hesitate to contact the College Office on 9608 0033 or [email protected]. 

We thank you for your cooperation with these guidelines.