Term 1 I The Way Newsletter I Friday 18 March 2022

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From the Principal
Principal Ross Whelan

The weather has improved! 

What an eventful few weeks it has been at the College and in the community.  With COVID numbers increasing again as a result of a new variant, we too are conscious of encouraging safe practices. 

Could I ask that you communicate any positive case for your family so that we can assist others who may be close contacts? Please fill in the form via this link if necessary. Please take a conservative approach when symptoms occur.  If your child has any symptoms please have them stay at home, even if the RAHT Test indicates negative. We know that staying home will slow down the spread of COVID. 

The traffic plan continues to develop and one message is constant. If you are able to delay arrival in the afternoon until 2:40pm, please do so. The children are well supervised and the traffic will be less. Thanks for your observance of the road rules. Let’s continue to work at reducing the problems. 

Open Day is set down for next Saturday 26 March. You might let your friends and neighbours know about this day if they have interest in joining the Thomas Hassall community. You can find out more information and book in for a tour on our website.

Shrek the Musical is now in full rehearsal and opening night will be Friday 29 April in a 6 show season over the first two weeks of Term 2. As we approach the final weeks of term we have scheduled a Family Movie Night on Friday 1 April featuring Shrek the Movie, why not attend both?

Shrek

Parent-Teacher nights in Junior and Senior School are occurring via Zoom to allow a positive time between teachers and families.  Zoom has been a great technology tool, hasn’t it? 

Thanks again for every support and interest in the College program.

‘Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace… ‘ Colossians 4:5-6

Best regards at this time,

Mr Ross Whelan
Principal
From the Junior School Director of Welfare and Operations
Kylie

Firstly, thank you for the warm welcome I have received from the College Community.

I look forward to meeting and interacting with more families over the coming months.

Early on a parent said to me that above all she just wanted her child to be happy. I suspect this comment resonates with many families at College. As parents our job is to love, care and nurture our children. Of course, we want the best for them. We naturally try to protect our children from difficulties and do all we can to make our children feel good or happy.

However, is happiness really the goal we should be aspiring to for our children?

As we know life is full of adversity and disappointment. We know firsthand how much our lives have been disrupted over the past two years. Life for some over this time has been far from happy.

Teaching our children to bounce back when life doesn’t go to plan is key to coping with difficulties. Rather than simply creating happiness, it is more beneficial to allow our children to experience challenge in order for them to develop resilience.

My challenge to you is to find opportunities to let your child fail safely. Let them experience disappointments in order to assist them to develop healthy coping strategies and to build resilience.

When schools and home partner to intentionally nurture and model resilience, we shape and develop young minds with the necessary skills needed to navigate life well in the future.

And that’s the goal.

Mrs Kylie Singles
Director of Operations & Wellbeing – Junior School
From the Chaplain
Denis Oliver

God is ‘Our Father in Heaven’. As our Father, he invests his time and effort into our circumstances to develop us as His children. 

Hebrews 12 is a great passage that gives us insights into God’s agenda. Let me share two insights.

God disciplines us because he loves us.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s training, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

As you can see, the Lord both trains us and rebukes us. Sometimes God gives us circumstances that trains our character – stretching us in new directions so we grow and become a different person.  At other times he gives us circumstances to rebuke us – correcting us when we are heading in the wrong direction.  He does these things because he loves us.

Mums and dads, love your children.  Tell them you love them. Also love your children by correcting them when you see their behaviour heads the wrong way.  Love your children by training them, giving them challenges that stretch their character.  Walk with them as they face challenges; don’t do the challenges for them, but rather coach them as God stretches them – share your mistakes.  Remember, our job as parents is not to make our children happy, but to partner with God in the making of a human being. 

11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Finally, parenting is hard, hard day in and day out, dealing with the same issues. But remember that you are not doing it alone.  We at Thomas Hassall are partnering with you in making a human being.  Also, God is there too and understands - he has been working on you for decades! 

Let us show our children there is a more excellent way!

Reverend Denis Oliver
College Chaplain
Upcoming Important Dates

Here are some important dates to mark in your diaries

Term Dates

 

Movie Night

Join us for a movie night under the stars as we watch Shrek!

This is a free event and everyone is welcome. Gates open at 6pm with food trucks and entertainment. The movie will begin at 7pm.

Bring your picnic blanket and join us on the oval. In the event of wet weather, this event will be held indoors in the Rawdon Middleton VC Complex.

Shrek The Musical

Join us for Shrek the Musical!

We are thrilled to announce Shrek the Musical will be showcased at the College from 29 April to 7 May 2022.

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

Shrek and Fiona visited our Junior School this week and the students were all very excited!

Shrek

Tickets are now on sale, so book in a session for the whole family to enjoy!

We can't wait to see you there.

Thank you to our sponsors who help us to put on this production

GOLD SPONSORS

Gowans And Son La Rumbla
Airfast Stanton Dahl

 

 

SILVER SPONSORS

SOS promotions Intelec Electrical and Security Good Az Gold

 

 

BRONZE SPONSORS

SE Paper Royal Touch

 

Flood Appeal Fundraiser

Today we held our mufti day to raise much-needed funds to donate to the Red Cross Flood Appeal, for those affected by the floods.

Unprecedented floods have forced their way through parts of Queensland and New South Wales, taking lives and shattering communities along the way.

Students also enjoyed a hot dog for lunch, as well as some music at the MRK run by our student leaders.

Thank you to all of our community for your support.

Mufti Day

Parent Community Network

At Thomas Hassall Anglican College, we love to work together with our families to create community. 

Our Parent Community Network is one of the most important ways we achieve community and we would love you to join in 2022!

The Parent Community Network provides support to the College through:

- Assist in the classrooms as part of reading groups (K-2) and on excursions 
- Assisting at events (sports carnivals, stalls, creative arts events, College community events)
- Representing the Parent Community at community events such as Open Day and South West Festival
- Organising get-togethers for grade groups outside of school hours

In order to become a part of the Parent Community Network, it is essential to have your Working with Children Check (which is free for volunteers) and participate in the online induction which includes Privacy and Child Protection Training. 

There will be 45 minute training sessions in Week 1 of Term 2. There are three times to choose from:

28 April 8.30am
28 April 5pm
29 April 2pm

If you would like to volunteer at the College please register your details using the following Application Form

Mrs Carmen Pasapera
Marketing & Community Relations Manager

WhatsApp Groups for Grades

Many parents would like to connect with each other during this time, a great way to do that is through parent led WhatsApp groups.

Parents of the younger year groups have created WhatsApp groups that they are apart of, many have stated how useful they have been.

Parent administrators have asked to extend the opportunity to parents who may not be aware of these groups. Please note that these groups are not run or administered by the College, rather are parent run. If you would like to be added to your child's grade WhatsApp group, please fill in the form and your details will be passed on to the admins.

If you are an administrator of any other groups and are interested in reaching your year groups parents, please email [email protected]

Mrs Carmen Pasapera
Marketing & Community Relations Manager

Help! I’m a Prep Parent

Prep is a significant and special year for each child beginning their journey at the College.

The development that occurs socially, emotionally and academically throughout the year is astounding. 

There are some key habits that Prep Parents can implement to support this development.

Firstly, getting lots of sleep! The bedtime routine for your Prep child may include getting dressed into their PJs, brushing their teeth and snuggling up on the couch or in bed to read some picture books together. A relaxing bedtime routine, which involves turning off all devices at least an hour earlier, will help to ensure your child gets their 10 to 13 hours of sleep. They will be bright eyed and ready to learn as they begin the College day. 

Next, setting up good eating habits. It is encouraging to hear the Prep children talking to the teachers about the nutritious breakfast they gobble up before making their way to College. In the morning, we also enjoy Crunch N Sip with our friends where we eat some fruit or vegetables and have a big drink of water. Supporting your child to eat well might include getting them involved in the lunch box preparation process. Your Prep child can help to select appropriate foods at the shop and bring them out to the bench from the fridge or cupboard. At College, the children unpack their own bags throughout the day. At home, they can help put their Recess and Lunch into their box and zip it into their College bag in the morning. 

A big part of Prep is implementing and guiding the children to follow routines. These routines include running a typical day, getting ready for Recess or Lunch, moving between different areas of the College and carrying out structured activities within the classroom. In just half a term of implementing predictable and consistent routines, the Prep children seem settled and more able to cope with challenges or new activities. Furthermore, they demonstrate a clear understanding of the expectations of the College. 

At home, you can use routines too! For example, you might stick up pictures on the fridge to remind your Prep child of how to get dressed for the day – undies on, shirt on, shorts on and then sandals. Or, at dinner time, we wash our hands and stay sitting at the table until we have finished eating. 

It can be challenging as a Prep Parent to watch your child walk into their classroom, ready to grow, learn and be independent. However, allowing and encouraging those independent skills is a significant part of helping your child to become a successful and resilient learner. At home, you can help your child to learn by allocating them some jobs such as packing up their toys after play, setting the table for dinner and making their bed. 

In the Prep classrooms, we begin encouraging these independence skills from day one. The children are expected to carry out their own toilet routines, pack up toys and activity stations, unpack and pack their bags, take care of their own belongings, open bananas, containers and packets of food, take off and put on their jumpers and find and put on their paint smocks. All these habits support your child’s development, slowly paving the way to a successful transition into Kindergarten the following year.  

It’s never too late to begin introducing these habits into your household.

Happy parenting!

Prep

Mrs Elise Hona 
Early Stage 1 Assistant Coordinator 

Being Creative in Year 3

Year Three have been having a wonderful time of learning in Creative Arts groups.

3A and 3W have been focusing on the elements of drama and music while 3G and 3F have been learning to paint like a professional.  

Here are some students’ thoughts on their favourite aspects of learning in the Creative Arts groups:

“You can be creative and create your own designs” - Liam 3F

“Art because it’s just so colourful” -Anya 3F

“I like drama; acting and performing in front of people” – Sofia 3A

“In Music we get to use all different instruments” – Hannah 3W

“I like how you change your voice and move when you act” – Adrian 3W

“We get to do the beats in music” – Maxwell 3A

“I love my bird art because it’s really colourful” – Matija 3G

“I love my tree art because I put lots of effort in and I think it looks good” – William 3G

We look forward to swapping groups in a fortnights time.

Year 3

Mrs Ferguson, Mrs Wood, Mrs Glendinning and Miss Wotton
Year 3 Teachers 

Year 6 Transition

At Thomas Hassall, one of the ways we prepare students for their Senior School journey is by increasing a student’s familiarity with both processes and learning spaces in Senior School.

Students have the opportunity to meet several staff over the passage of Year 6, including members from the PDHPE, Mathematics, English, Languages, HSIE, CAPA, Visual Arts and Science faculties. By having a familiar face in the playground, students can begin Year 7 feeling like they know the teachers and the teachers know them.

Our Transition Program runs for three terms and involves students studying History, Science, Japanese and Visual Arts with Senior School teachers. This week marked the midpoint of our first Transition cycle with Year 6. Our Year 6 students have been learning greetings and introductions in Japanese, creating artworks inspired by Judy Watson Napangardi, learning about Australian human rights in History and how different types of energy function in Science. It has been a pleasure to welcome Year 6 into our learning spaces in Senior School and see them experience new things.

Mrs Millie Pettett
Coordinator of Learning Innovation - Middle Years and G & T

Premier's Ready Challenge

Reflections on the Premier’s Reading Challenge

I’ve grown up with my parents encouraging me to read from a young age, and I would often get into trouble for reading with a torch at night! I started to love reading because it inspired me to write, and it was a way for me to learn new words and new things about the world.

I have found that my reading has helped me in so many different ways, and has helped me gain a deeper understanding of the world around me. My favourite book would have to be To Kill a Mockingbird. I love the way it describes mature issues through a child's lense, and when studying it last year in English I was able to appreciate the literary techniques used by the author and to understand the purpose of the novel.

Because I have always read, I have always participated in the Premiers Reading Challenge. As I have grown older and life has gotten busier, the Premiers Reading Challenge has reminded me to make time to read and of the importance reading has had in my life. My primary school teacher initially encouraged me to participate, however I have grown to love participating in the challenge.

It is a great way to fuel a love of reading! 

Charlotte S, Year 11

Senior Concert Band

Senior Concert Band Rehearsals

It is fantastic to be able to make music again with our College ensembles after the recent restrictions. Our Senior Concert Band rehearses every Thursday after school, and are currently preparing to perform as part of the orchestra in our upcoming Shrek The Musical! This is a professional level score, and our students are doing very well at sight reading these parts and playing along with the music tutors.

I encourage the College community to support these students, and all involved in the musical, by purchasing a ticket to one of the six shows that are taking place at the beginning of Term 2. Well done student musicians!

Mr Byron Mark
Director of Ensembles

Art Express Excursion

Inspirational Art Express

On Wednesday the 9th March, Years 10, 11 and 12 Visual Arts students went on an excursion to the Art Gallery of NSW. There were four different exhibitions, including "Art Express", "Matisse Live", the European & Australian Permanent Collection and "The Way We Eat" Exhibition in the Asian Gallery.

Art Express was a wonderful opportunity for students to see the Body of Works produced for the HSC in 2021. These works included those which had achieved a very high mark and used unique materials and concepts in their practice as artists. The excursion allowed our students to see the calibre of work required to achieve a Band 6 in the HSC in both technique and concept. It also represents what concerns young adults as they reflect their world views through their art.

"Matisse Alive" allowed us to see how other artists influence artists in their artmaking. The permanent collection is always excellent as students can see artworks that we are studying. It is always exciting to see a Van Gogh or Arthur Streeton up close and personal!

"The Way We Eat", in the Asian Gallery, was a collection of artworks and utensils that are part of everyday living in Asian countries. There were Post Modern works that were quirky, humorous and thought-provoking.

We all had a fantastic day and missed the rain on arrival and departure!

The students were exceptional in behaviour, interest and effort and it was lovely to give them the chance to think about art and be inspired to create.

This is what our students had to say about the day:

“We had the opportunity to look at Art Express which contained a range of Body of Works from 2021. It provided us year 12 with the ability to examine the conceptual and material practice of these students and reflect on our own work. It was a fun day filled with memories that we will remember forever! “  Amber G

“We had many opportunities to visit different exhibitions within the Gallery; ArtExpress being the main attraction. Being able to view the Bodies of Work of many students HSC 2021 enabled us to gain ideas and think more in depth about things such as display methods and concept statements for our own Bodies of Work. Along with this, we were able to view the Matisse Alive exhibition which allowed us to view the artworks of many artists closely inspired by Henri Matisse’s works. Overall, it was a fun day and an amazing opportunity to experience finished Bodies of Work as well as many other artworks within the Gallery.” Anon

“I liked Art Express, it gave me ideas as to what I might decide to do for my Body of  Work in Year 12”  Elliana C

"It was nice to see emotions that I've experienced be expressed do creatively and accurately"  Anon

“Today I found all the little things very interesting. The small details in each piece of work and how it brings it together as a whole. All the works here show a lot of inspiration and ideas for future tasks including for the HSC “  Emma D

“I found the difference in composition and variety of artworks interesting. Like, I had never heard of painting on copper until that one artwork and it was really good.” Leo G

“Visiting the Art Gallery of NSW really helped open up a range of possibilities as to what my Body of Work could look like at the end of the year. We were exposed to many variations of material and conceptual practices which has inspired me in developing and refining my own practice as an artist. “ Mia T

“I found the work to be very impressive and unique, it definitely helps me branch new ideas.” Sergio W

“All the works were really impressive.” Nicholas D

“All the artworks took up very impressive combinations of colours and mediums I was especially impressed with the varied materials and the symbolism many of the artworks contained” Sarah S

“I enjoyed observing and learning about the different techniques and styles each artist uses. Their concepts behind their artworks assisted in peaking my interest towards their work. Seeing their process let me admire the time, thought and effort they put into it” 
Kiera H

Mrs Genelle Griffin
Visual Arts Coordinator

Code Camp

Code Camp is back in the April School Holidays.

The program will be running at the College from 11-13 April from 9am - 3.30pm. 

Ages 7-12 Program: Spark
New to Spark, code and create your own DC Super Hero game! Choose from DC favourites BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN and SUPERMAN, and build an adventure app using character themed backgrounds and collectibles to bring it to life.

Ages 8-13: YouTube Creators
YouTube Creators Camp is for the vloggers, gamers and budding content creators! Kids aged 8 - 13 are invited to harness their creativity and join us for days of planning, storytelling, shooting and video editing. While we can’t promise YouTube Stardom, we’re sure kids will leave with a new lens on-screen time… let’s get them producing and directing their own ideas instead of simply watching other peoples!

Ages 9-13: Drone Camp
Code Camp has exclusively licenced the brilliant US-based Drone Legends, the coolest intersection of STEM learning and fun. Kids get a taste of cutting-edge technology and learn about coding, problem-solving, engineering, design, and more!

Working in teams they will code their flight path and watch in wonder as their drone takes off, then navigate through an obstacle course designed by them.

Save $25 off the price if you book by the 20 March using the code THAC25. This program is also eligible for the Creative Kids $100 rebate.

To register, visit their website

View the flyer

Uniform Shop

Please note that the College Uniform shop has amended trading hours around the holiday period

April Holiday Trading Hours
Thursday 7 April 9.00-4.00pm
Friday 8 April 7.00am-3.30pm (Last day of Term 1)
(Closed from 9 April - 19 April)
Wednesday 20 April – 9.00-4.00pm
Thursday 21 April – 9.00-4.00pm
Friday 22 April – 9.00-4.00pm
Monday 25 April – 9.00-4.00pm
Tuesday 26 April – 9.00-4.00pm

You are able to make a booking or purchase online via our website.