Term 2 I The Way Newsletter I Friday 27 May 2022

It’s complicated – but there are ways to help crack the code.

It was wonderful to welcome so many parents and carers into the Junior School Library last Tuesday for our information session on InitiaLit in the Kindergarten to Year 2 classrooms. Over 70 people came to hear about this new program, and discover ways to support their children grow in confidence and skill.

Mrs Lawler reminded those who attended of the critical role home reading plays in developing successful reading habits. Talking to your children in the younger grades about sounds in words, and breaking words up into parts are some ways to support the learning happening in the classroom.

Older students have been working hard to develop their reading skills across many different types of texts. What types of texts would you find challenging to understand? What strategies do you use when you don’t understand what you are reading in those texts? Talking to your children about these strategies helps them crack the code of reading.

Reading is an incredibly complex task, yet it is so worthwhile to pursue. It will help with success in learning, as well as bring enjoyment and relaxation into life.

Ms Lisa Hansford
Junior School Director of Teaching and Learning

Everything has changed because of Covid!! 

To survive we closed more than our shops, we closed ourselves. We have become more cautious, less generous, more selfish. We have survived, but have we flourished?

It is time to go back to normal, it is time to get on with our lives. But the question is – what will normal look like? What can normal look like? This reminded me of what normal was for the church just after Jesus died.

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
- Acts 2

What a great picture of Christianity! Being Christian then was about having open homes that welcomed others. It was about having open hands sharing with those in need. Being Christian was about having open hearts devoted to Jesus’ teaching, to churching together, and praying together. The open generosity of the early church was fueled by the open generosity of God – God doesn’t simply give us our daily bread, but he gives us his Son too.

We have been closed for long enough because of COVID. It is time, as a community, to open up;  to open our doors, our hands, and our hearts. Let us devote ourselves to each other and indeed Christ. Let's get back to inviting people over, going to church, praying together, sharing of possessions.

We too at Thomas Hassall are excited to have been able to open up for events.

Remember that while closed hearts survive, only open hearts flourish.

Cafe MRK is reopening on Friday 3 June from 7.30 to 9.30am!

We are very excited to be welcoming parents to Cafe MRK to enjoy a cuppa and time together as a family. Come before school starts with your children, or drop them off and get together with parents afterwards.

Fresh barista made coffee for only $3.50.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Our Years 3 - 6 Students are enjoying getting involved in the lunchtime club.

Here are some of the recent things they have been up to!

The Junior String Orchestra is growing! 

Several new members have joined the Junior String Orchestra this Term and the students have been working hard at rehearsals in anticipation for their first public performance at Grandparents Day today.

They performed two pieces for the occasion, 'Big Ben Boogie' and 'The Music Box'.  For many, this was their first time performing with the group and they were excited to be participating in this event. Mr Ehab Ibrahim conducted the orchestra and it was a great performance.

Mr Byron Mark
Director of Ensembles

With the prevalence of technology, it is important that parents are aware of the key strategies for keeping their children safe online.

Helping children safely use technology and avoid harmful experiences is crucial in developing the next generation of digital citizens.

Many helpful resources are available online, most notably the resources designed for parents from the eSafety Commissioner. The safety website provides helpful information about online safety basics, how to develop a family technology agreement, strategies for developing good habits, information about determining the right age children should access certain technologies (for example, social media), implementing parental controls, suggestions for having difficult conversations, and guidelines to help protect your child’s privacy. These resources are available at https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice

If you have further questions about how you can help support your child’s technology use at home, please contact Megan Bennett via [email protected]

Mrs Megan Bennett
Director of ICT

Thursday the 19th of May, 42 students from Years 11 and 12 departed the College to complete the Silver Preliminary Adventurous Journey in the Royal National Park.

After arrival, the team were briefed and instructed by Mr Williams in front of the Pacific Ocean, overlooking Wollongong and the Sea Cliff Bridge at the beautiful Otford Lookout. Participants then completed the Palm Jungle Loop on the first day. This was a challenging 13.5km loop where students walked through a forest composed of some native Australian palm trees, across many coastal headlands before climbing a steep ridge.

Day two was a gruelling 28km of coastal exploration. Students were challenged by walking around Jibbon Head and past Wedding Cake Rock until they reached Wattamolla Beach for lunch before returning via the Coast Track to Bonne Vale Campground.

The final day saw us head to Bundeena Bus Stop, through lots of mud and rain, for departure.

Duke of Edinburgh is a fantastic opportunity for students to build new friendships, develop leadership skills and challenge themselves in unfamiliar environments. The journeys provide a time for students to build character too. Throughout the hike, students were willingly sacrificing their own comfort to assist their fellow hikers - they would check on and encourage each other, carry extra gear to relieve team members and even offer water when others had run out. All students displayed kindness, compassion perseverance and grit and this was a joy for teachers to witness.

“This hike was a great experience in many different ways. The views were amazing as we hiked along the ocean for three days. We stopped many times to appreciate and photograph the landscape!

My favourite thing about Duke of Edinburgh is its ability to bring people together. It is where the most meaningful conversations take place - either by the campfire or throughout the hike. The journeys create strong relationships which last beyond the camp. The hikes provide me with the chance to mix with peers and teachers that I usually do not have the opportunity to spend time with. Through our three hikes, I have made new friendships and have seen that our grade has become closer together.

I have seen improvement in both myself and my peers as I utilise my skills learnt in training on each new and challenging hike. Overall, a good time with good vibes and good people, and memories made that I will take with me forever. Shout-out to the amazing teachers that give up their time to make this happen!”

Charlotte S - Year 11

“Duke of Edinburgh has been a wonderful experience and is something I'll remember for the rest of my life. It provides us with an opportunity to spend a couple of days with good mates which builds connections, strengthens friendships and reinforces the bonds you already have. Further to this, it creates new friendships and brings the grade closer together.

The purpose of the hike isn’t to be the quickest or strongest, because ultimately, no-one can begin to eat lunch or get on the bus until the entire team have arrived. This encourages us to support one another, builds teamwork as well as a strong sense of community.

This is only reinforced when we all sit down for a devotions and dinner together at the end of each day. Even though we're tired, spirits are high, laughter always echoes across camp as we hang out and enjoy each other's company, cracking jokes and making memories to last a lifetime.”

Joshua C - Year 11

It is clear that students valued the experience and thoroughly enjoyed their time together.

Thank you to Dr Gawthorne, Ms Oakley and Mr Williams for devoting their time to accompany us on the hike. I am grateful for the opportunity to hike with our Silver Duke of Edinburgh participants and I look forward to seeing them back for their Qualifying hike next term.

Mr Dany Yako
Senior School Teacher – HSIE & Coordinator of Duke of Edinburgh

During this fortnight our Year 9 MISA team had a narrow loss to Saint Francis Catholic College but presented their strongest case to date.

They head into the semi-finals in Week 8. Both our Middle Division HICES teams won their Round 4 debates last week and are busy preparing their arguments for Round 5 next Thursday. I am impressed with the dedication all teams are showing in developing their strategies and skills in debating.

Roslyn Rodriguez
Secondary Teacher - English

At the conclusion of the NASSA Football trials held on Wednesday 4 May, the NASSA Squad was selected, which comprised of 16 students, 10 of those who are from Thomas Hassall.

This squad went on to compete at the AICES Football Championships, which was held on Friday 13 May. At the championships, the NASSA squad went through undefeated and were named champions for the day. It was a long and challenging day for the students but they remained focused and they were rewarded for their dedication by being named the champions of the day.

At the conclusion of the AICES event, the squad was selected to compete at the NSW CIS Championships. The college had two students, Maksim N & Levi G selected in the AICES U/16’s squad. In the girls division, we had two students selected in the girls open squad, Zoe G & Emilija M.

The NSW CIS Championships were held this week on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 May. At the conclusion of the event, the college had two students selected in the NSW CIS U/16’s squad, Maksim N & Levi G. Both students represented the college professionally and respectfully.

In the girls division both Zoe and Emilija competed very strongly, however unfortunately did not progress further.

Thank you to our coaches Goran, Slaven and Adrian N.

The final event will be the NSW All Schools Championships to be held on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 June. We wish both Makism & Levi all the best.

Mr Sonny Makko

After two years of Covid restrictions, we finally have the opportunity to host a Senior Music Camp in the beautiful Blue Mountains.  It is an initiative that allows students to extend their music learning in a new and fun environment. Students will have the opportunity to learn new repertoire and participate in different collaborations that will develop their music maturity and confidence. There are also a number of fun activities planned for students to provide some social time with friends, allowing for a well-balanced experience between music and recreation. A parent concert will be held at the end of the camp showcasing the students newly learnt music and skills gained over the weekend.

All Senior students that are involved in ensembles are invited to enroll in the camp.  More information can be provided by emailing [email protected] and the permission forms can be completed using the following link  online camp form.  All forms need to be completed by Thursday 2 June.

We look forward to running this long anticipated camp and providing students with this learning opportunity.

Mr Byron Mark
Director of Ensembles

Our Boys Bill Turner Cup Team played Patrician Brothers' College Fairfield on Friday.

With a number of players absent due to illness and injury, all the players stood up and should be commended for their efforts, attitude, and professionalism. The team will be progressing to the next round after a comprehensive 7-0 win.

We look forward to another positive performance in the next round.

Have you ever met the person who seems to think like you?

You might use the same style of music for a particular purpose or you might do the same type of research over a holiday destination or a style of running shoe. Or you might approach new hobbies with the same level of fervour. I met someone a few years ago who expressed ‘I finally have met someone like me’ after years of feeling like no one else thought like them and they were too different.

But have you ever considered what it means to be like-minded as a child and there are limits to who they can interact with based on school, community groups, and family?

In schools, we talk about grouping gifted students with like-minded peers. This might mean that a student who is highly perceptive with mathematics is grouped with similar students, but they may not remain with that group when it comes to other skills or domains. But there are some kids who find their like-mindedness with older students or adults. You might notice your child holding long and engaging conversations over very specific things with a surprising audience, yet the other person isn’t ‘faking’ their engagement, they are genuinely enjoying themselves.

Sometimes gifted children have specific interests that parents or siblings may not share. For a young person, finding another person who thinks like them is validating and helps them feel that they are not different; rather they are normal with a different group of people. As the adult, we sometimes need to become that like-minded peer. We need to continue to encourage our gifted students in their diverse passions because we cannot know what their future holds – only that we can help spur them on their path!

Further reading on supporting your gifted child: https://www.aaegt.net.au/supporting-your-gifted-child-an-information-sheet-for-parents
 

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

A Day at the Sydney Writers’ Festival

The Year 12 English Extension 2 course is all about giving students the freedom to explore their ideas, priorities and creative expression in a single, long-term project. The outcome is a polished piece of literary work – a short story, anthology of poetry, critical essay or other extended writing – that is assessed for their HSC. It is the pinnacle of secondary English study, bringing together everything students have learnt in their English Advanced and English Extension 1 studies, as well as drawing on their experiences of life and literature more broadly.

Our excursion to a Secondary School Day of the Sydney Writers’ Festival was therefore an important opportunity to further expand their literary horizons and gain some insights into the writing process from some established professionals. On Monday, 23 May, we attended The Concourse at Chatswood for the occasion.

Students heard from a novelist, Kay Kerr, who was diagnosed with autism during the writing of her first novel. She has since come to regard this as something of a niche perspective for her. The next speaker and writer, Dr Jared Thomas, came at fiction from an indigenous perspective. He was able to paint a vivid oral picture of the different experiences that motivated his writing. Thirdly, successful Australian sci-fi and fantasy writer, Amie Kaufman, provided some surprising examples of how to experiment with storytelling from within such well-known genres. The day then closed as we heard from a Lebanese Australian writer, Dr Sarah Ayoub. She focused on her motivation for writing, which originally revolved around feelings of being misunderstood and having to apologise for her background, in the 2000s.

In their different ways, each speaker provided valuable materials for our students’ compost. This was a fruitful metaphor offered by Kaufman. Everything a writer takes in is ultimately jumbled together and fermented in the layers of the mind, and it is from this compost that ideas and stories grow. Here are three students’ views on the value of the materials they gathered together on the day:-

The Sydney Writer’s Festival was a great opportunity for me to get into the minds of other writers and readers. Particularly as I am writing a critical response, rather than a strictly creative work, it was extremely helpful to get some insight from authors about their writing processes and creative inspiration. One thing I can definitely see myself using in my own work is Kay Kerr’s use of her characters to construct her unique writing voice. Instead of using her voice to dictate character tropes and actions, she lets her presuppositions of characters in her writing expose a dynamic voice. I was also reminded that as a writer, I need to undertake practical research when writing — as a writer, I still need to read. - Brielle

We listened and learnt about authors, the process of writing and how different authors utilise their personal contexts to craft engaging stories for young adults. Throughout the sessions, each author gave different insights into how they creatively express themselves through the craft of writing and how this can be seriously inspired by personal themes such as autism, racism or gender inclusion, or fantastically inspired by magical elements of space, dragons and sci-fi. This assisted my understanding and crafting of my own major work short story as I was able to take on techniques from each author to build complex characters, distinct narrative voices or adopt alternate forms, such as emails and advertisements, to enhance my creative writing skills. And we were told to simply start writing! To take images of the world and expand on minute details and layers of research, to share our own stories and inspire others through a fun, magical and literally otherworldly creative outlet. - Makayla                      

Our English Extension 2 class had the honour of attending the Sydney Writers Festival, an event both enjoyable and inspirational. Hearing from a diverse range of authors, their experiences that informed their writing and the processes leading to the publication of, for some, multiple novels, inspired me to dive back into writing. Although I am composing poetry for my major work, dedicating a day to fully immersing myself in the minds and ideas of real authors inspired me to go home and write myself. Truly an insightful and enjoyable experience! - Sofia