Term 2 I The Way Newsletter I Friday 5 May 2023

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From the Acting Principal
Karen Easton

I would like to extend a warm welcome back to College to all our students and families. I hope that you were able to have a restful and enjoyable break over the Easter period and that you are all ready for another Term of learning. 

We had two groups of students travel to Japan during the holidays. Our language students were able to learn more about Japanese culture, religion, and practise their speaking skills in an authentic environment. Our music students had the opportunity to polish their performance skills and meet with other like-minded students. Both groups visited our sister schools and had a great trip. You can read more about their experience in this Edition. Thank you to the teachers who facilitated the trip and took such great care of our students. 

We started last week with a commemoration service for ANZAC Day. This provided an opportunity for us to gather as a whole College on the oval to remember the sacrifice of those who have served our country. Special thanks to Mr Andrew Wilkinson, our guest speaker who shared with us his reflections about the significance of this time. It was also wonderful to have both Junior School and Senior School students participate in the service to continue the legacy of remembrance.

This weekend our College will host the Hassall Family reunion. Thomas Hassall, our namesake was one of the first chaplains in NSW and he was affectionately known as ‘the galloping parson’ as he visited and supported those who settled here. He travelled along Cowpasture Road on horseback when it was a simple track. He encouraged the teaching of reading and writing through Sunday School and I have recently learnt that he also served the first nations families (the Darug and Dharawal people) who lived in this area during this time. Yet another legacy that is important for us to be aware of and appreciate. 

We are also looking forward to several College events that are on the calendar for the next few weeks. Next week we will be recognising the contributions that our mother’s make in our lives. The celebrations will include an opportunity for our Junior School students to purchase gifts on Thursday and Senior School students at lunchtime – thank you to the volunteers from our Parent Community Network for supporting all our mums and families through the stall. The annual Mother’s Day breakfast promises to be a fantastic occasion on Friday. I am looking forward to meeting many of you over the two sessions.

Finally, let me remind you that we will be transitioning to winter uniforms - Monday 15 May. We have certainly enjoyed a late surge of sunshine for the start of the Term but the chill is in the air. Please check that your childrens’ uniforms are ready for the shift.

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. Hebrews 1: 1-2

Mrs Karen Easton
Acting Principal
From the Deputy Principal & Head of Junior School
Sandy Wheeler

A warm welcome back to all our Junior School families to Term 2 of this academic year.

The College is a buzz in anticipation for the upcoming events happening at the College which you can read about below.

Mother’s Day Stall and Breakfast
Our annual Mother’s Day stall is happening next Thursday as mentioned in our recent broadcast. Can I take this moment to extend a special thanks to our Parent Community Network for their continued act of service in the Junior School. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to plan and then facilitate this community event on a yearly basis. We are very appreciative of all they do.

Likewise, our Mother’s Day Breakfast will be held next Friday. Last year’s breakfast event had a beautiful tone of community spirit with so many of you taking the time from your busy schedules to be there. We anticipate that this year will be to the same tune. Read more about how to make a booking in this edition.

Athletics Carnival
Our Years 3 to 6 Athletics Carnival is fast approaching on 1 June. As a student myself, Athletics Carnival was my favourite sporting day and I recall looking forward to the variety of activities to be involved in on the day. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to excel in the many track and field events on offer. College parents and spectators are most welcome to attend the event. More details to come soon. We are praying for favourable weather!

Creative Arts Performances
Every second year Junior School students get up on stage as part of our Creative Arts performances in the College Auditorium. This term, we will see our Kindergarten and Stage 1 (Year 1 & 2) students take to the stage in song and dance. Year 3 – 6 will have their Creative Performances later in the year. We are privileged to have specialist staff, Mrs Elita Brown and Mrs Lianne Brown lead the Creative Arts Performances. These experiences early on in their learning journey can foster a spark into a flame for future years in the Creative and Performing Arts. The teachers have been so impressed by the enthusiasm and effort from the students and we are thrilled to see their confidence develop each week.

Parent Café
We continue to have our Parent Café open every Friday morning so please come along for a cup of coffee, great food and a chat.

I look forward to seeing you at the next Junior School event!

Mrs Sandy Wheeler
Deputy Principal & Head of Junior School
From the Director of Operations & Wellbeing - Junior School
Kylie

Earlier this year in The Way, I outlined the proactive wellbeing programs in the Junior School, namely House and Manners Matter.

Outlined below is the learning for Term 2: 

K-2: Social skills including negotiating, sharing, communicating and taking turns through a paired activity specifically designed to teach the aforementioned skills.

3-6: Students will be learning to positively interact with others so that relationships and human connections are positive, respectful, and healthy. In other words, we are learning to value consent, put simply, as permission for shared experiences, taught through a Christian world lens.

We encourage you to engage in meaningful conversations with your child about what they are learning about in House and Manners Matter.

Please feel free to contact me about Junior School wellbeing programs.

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

Every Mother’s Day I am reminded of the importance and the power of parenting. I would like to share with you a bible passage that refocused me and reminded me to keep the big picture in mind as I parent day by day, and hour by hour.

3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:3-7

This bible passage teaches us that Timothy’s faith had its roots in his grandmother! Lois, a sincere Christian woman, raised her daughter, Eunice, in the Word of God. She grew up, married, and repeated the process with her son Timothy. Both Lois and Eunice possessed the qualities of sincerity and a strong connection with the Holy Spirit.

When Timothy became the bishop of Ephesus, he had second thoughts about the job. Paul, the apostle, tells him to ‘man up’. The way Timothy was to ‘man up’ was by remembering his mother and grandmother and their faith. Timothy was to live in the same power of God’s Spirit that they did.

Parents of Thomas Hassall College, particularly mothers and grandmothers, please note that our actions hold significant weight. The manner in which we live our lives can create a ripple effect that extends into the future.

Let us show our children the Word of God in the Bible and in our life.

May the Lord bless you as you play your part in fashioning the adults of the future. 

Reverend Denis Oliver
College Chaplain

Upcoming dates

Date Event
Saturday 6 May - Hassall Family Reunion
Monday 8 May

- Senior Athletics Carnival
- NSW PSSA Tennis
- CIS Boys Rugby League Trials
- CIS Girls Hockey Trials
- CIS Basketball Trials
Tuesday 9 May - NASSA Boys and Girls Football Gala Day
Wednesday 10 May - Europe Tour Information Evening
- Year 10 Food Technology Excursion
Thursday 11 May - Mother's Day Stall
Friday 12 May - Mother's Day Breakfast
- AICES Open Boys and Girls Football Trials
Monday 15 May  - Year 7 Camp (Mon - Wed)
- Winter Uniform Changeover
Mother's Day Stall

The Mother’s Day Stall gives children the opportunity to shop for a special gift for their mothers, grandmothers and special women in their life.

They really enjoy choosing something themselves and trying to keep it secret until Mother’s Day. Children will be able to choose a gift priced at $5, $10, $15 and can buy more than one gift.

Please ensure children who would like to purchase a gift bring in their money on the day of the stall.

The stall will be held in the S Block Hall on Thursday 11 May. Prep Red and White will be able to purchase on Wednesday 10 May. Senior School students can purchase at lunchtime Thursday only.

Thank you to our Parent Community Network who will be running the stalls.
Mother's Day Breakfast

Mothers and Guardians, you’re invited to come along and enjoy breakfast with your child at the John Lambert Auditorium to celebrate Mother’s Day.
 

FRIDAY 12 MAY

There are two sessions available to choose from:

7.00 - 7.50am
8.00 - 8:50am

You may attend either session although Students from Years 7 - 12 are only permitted to attend the 7 - 7.50am session. Students may only attend if accompanied by a parent/guardian. Senior Students may purchase at lunch time. 

This is a free event for the College Community, but due to limited seating and catering, bookings are essential.

Please RSVP by Wednesday 10 May online www.thac.nsw.edu.au/book
Winter Uniform

The official changeover to the College Winter Uniform for all students is on Monday 15 May 2023.

Information about uniforms, shop trading hours and online purchasing can be found on the College website.

The Uniform shop is still accepting the back-to-school government vouchers both in-store and online.
 
Student Artwork in the MRK

Every fortnight, Students will have their art featured in the MRK. 

You'll get to see lots of different types of artworks like paintings and drawings displayed. 

It's a fantastic opportunity for students and parents to admire the creative abilities of their peers and children.

Come along to the Parent Cafe, which is open every week on Fridays from 7.30 to 9.30am in the MRK, to see all of the hard work that the students have put in.

artwork

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Literacy in Prep

Throughout Term 1, there was a vast range of exciting learning taking place within the Prep classrooms – understanding routines, respecting expectations, making friends, building independence, learning about God, exploring numbers and developing foundational early literacy skills.

Educators know that good readers have oral fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics knowledge, a growing vocabulary and solid comprehension skills. To support the development of these components of reading, the Prep teachers at the College have implemented a well-regarded program called PreLit, combining it with a variety of nursery rhymes. Each week, we focused on one particular nursery rhyme and explored it through a big book, books with similar themes, song and actions, visual clips, puppet play and various table top activities.

When learning to read, a child must first have the ability to hear and produce the basic sounds within the English language. We became experts at pulling words into their parts, called syllables. We learnt each nursery rhyme and even began to notice that, when the end of two words sound the same, like “dog” and “log”, they rhyme! These skills contribute to a child’s phonemic awareness.

During modelled reading, the children were introduced to an array of new vocabulary such as “bay” and “fleece”. To help us understand these new words, we acted them out, discussed them, said them in various ways, and even painted them on the board. Vocabulary is closely linked to comprehension and fluency in reading, so we want the children to be developing a flourishing vocabulary so that they understand what is happening in a story.

This term, the Prep children will begin to explore phonics where they will learn about the relationships between sounds and the letters that we write to represent them.

Reading is a complex business! Parents can help us in our all-important quest to develop good reading across the younger years. We encourage you to enjoy reading a picture book (or two!) with your child each night before bed. Not only is it a special time for you to snuggle up with your little one, but these reading opportunities, and the curious discussions that take place, allow your child to practise the five vital components of reading.

Prep Literacy

Mrs Elise Hona
Prep Purple Teacher

 

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Can you guess your teacher's favourite book?

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Can you guess your teachers favourite book? - Library Display

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Can you guess your teachers favourite book? - Library Display

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Can you guess your teachers favourite book? - Library Display

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Can you guess your teachers favourite book? - Library Display

This term the Junior Library is having a 'Can you guess your teacher's favourite book?' competition open to all students in Years 2 to 6.

Student's will need to use all their detective skills to try and discover which book is the favourite of each of the participating teachers. The competition will be running until the end of the term, so there will be lots of opportunities for students to discover the right answers. A small prize will be awarded to any student who gets 5 or more matches correct and students who get most/all of the matches correct will go into the draw to win a wonderful book prize!

Next time you are in the playground and you see a teacher, if you ask nicely, they might give you a hint as to what their favourite book is!

For more information please speak to Mrs Issa or Mr Smith.

Mrs Arabella Issa & Mr Michael Smith
Junior Library Team