Term 4 | The Way Newsletter | Friday 4 November 2022

Every minute counts ….

At Thomas Hassall we value learning and love witnessing growth in students’ understanding. This growth can be stunted due to absence. We know children become sick and need time off College to rest and recover.

However, repeated lateness and unexplained days off school have an evidence-based impact on children’s education.

Many parents may not realise that when a child is late to College, he or she often feels behind right from the start of the day in terms of organisation and worried about catching up the missed learning. This may lead to children feeling anxious about the day ahead. Even though the teacher will most certainly repeat the instructions for the first lesson, children who are late miss the opportunity for class discussions where ideas and different strategies are tried and tested and where peer to peer learning takes place.

The curriculum is full and there is no time to waste. Learning begins at 8:20am. As a College, we urge parents to partner with us to maximise children’s learning opportunities and be committed to having students on time at the start of the day.

Simply put, if a child is ‘only’ 10 minutes late each day, this equates to 500 minutes per term which is approximately 6 days of lost learning over the year. Every minute certainly counts.

In my ‘vast’ experience as a handy man I have come across some insights of ladders that help me as a Christian.

- Ladders enable me to get to high places I normally can’t reach alone.
- The higher I go the more sensitive I become to my imbalances.
- I can go the highest when I have a trustworthy person stabilising the base.
- When climbing a ladder, it is best always to look up, not down.

Christianity is like a ladder, while we are saved by God's grace we still expected to strive for God - to climb higher for the sake of others.

continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13

When we climb the ladder of faith, we know Jesus is at the base holding us firm and ready to catch us. 

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:13

We climb looking up, one rung at a time focussing on our future, confessing sins, making changes, and learning from the past.

I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, Philippians 2:13

Though we should never compare ourselves with others, when we do, we must remember it's not what rung of the ladder we are on, but how we got there - did we climb or did we fall?

Why talk about ladders? College, like life, is full of opportunities for our children to step up into new places – whether it be at a Kindy Orientation Day or a Year 12 Dedication Service. Remember, we at Thomas Hassall are committed to equipping your child with faith so that they can reach new heights for God as they strive for a ‘higher’ education.

The Parent Community Network invites Prep to Year 6 parents and students to a special day out together at the park.

When: Monday 14 November
Time: 11am - 3pm
Where: Lizard Log, Western Sydney Parkland

We will be meeting at the playground near West Car Park. Please BYO picnic, bikes, scooters, or sport equipment.

If you have any questions, please contact the Parent Community Network via email [email protected]. 

We will be running  a sausage sizzle on the day, however preorders are required. Please book online

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Parent Community Network is run by parents of Thomas Hassall Anglican College. Please note no staff will be present at these events and parents need to supervise their own children.

You're invited to join us for the 2022 Academy Of Dance Concert.

Come along and see the talented students of our dance program in this evening concert.

VENUE: John Lambert Auditorium - Thomas Hassall Anglican College

TIME: Doors open at 5.30pm for a 6pm start

BOOKINGS: Please purchase tickets online. Adults $10 and children $5 https://www.thac.nsw.edu.au/book

We look forward to seeing you there!

Our end-of-year awards Celebration events are fast approaching.

Please mark the dates for your calendars. 

Tuesday 6 December
Years 3 to 6: 9.30am - 11.30am
Kindergarten to Year 2: 12.30pm

Wednesday 7 December
Senior School: 7pm

These events will have a limited capacity and will be available to watch via Livestream.  Award recipients families will receive an invitation to attend.

More details including students who will be receiving awards will be sent closer to the time.

Abide is back on for Term 4!

Senior school students – join us at lunchtime at the top of N-Block for games, food and to learn more about the Bible. This term we are looking at the names of Jesus. Hope to see you there!

For more information, please contact Mr Mills or Mr Roper.

This semester in 3G, we have been learning all about Science.

We have learnt about the Sun and its effects on earth, Heat energy and Forces. Students have had opportunities to test out scientific theories and discoveries by conducting experiments to test their predictions.

Our first scientific experiment to show our learning was our solar ovens.

Using our knowledge of color absorption and conductions students made solar ovens to melt a freddo frog.

In our next unit, we learnt about Forces and Friction. In this unit we tested if different surfaces had a different level of friction. We also tested the rate of gravity. 

In our final unit this semester we have spent time making videos that explain how the earth rotates both on its axis and around the sun.

3G have thoroughly enjoyed learning and growing their scientific knowledge.

Mrs Ruth Glendinning
Junior School Teacher - Stage 2 - Year 3G

5K have been writing poems as part of our English unit this term. Here is a selection of some of the excellent work the students have created:

God My Saviour!
You are my saviour,
You guide me through challenges
And hard times.
I seek for you when needed
Your love is as warm as a cosy fireplace
You forgive our sins

My saviour
You lead me through the darkness and into the light
You refresh my day like a cold bottle of water
You protect me like an army protecting its country
Your power shines on us
You listen to our prayers and thoughts.
- Lilianna T

There Once was a Dog from Rome
There once was a dog from Rome               
That dog had a Google Chrome,
The dog went to school,
He thought he was cool,
That smart little dog from Rome.
- Tahlia S

When Dining with a Polar Bear
When dining with a polar bear,
it might be freezing cold.
Say, ‘Is the food hot or chilled?
Is there something I can hold?’
If the polar bear puts fish in the dish,
it will be a sweet delight
But if he puts squid in the food
You might get quite a fright.
- Eddison C

Brianna Knattress
Junior School Teacher - Stage 3- Year 5K

In Christian Studies, 8BB have been learning about God’s presence in the Bible – how it was seen in the Old Testament through the Tabernacle, the Temple and the Ark of the Covenant, and how we see it ultimately in Jesus coming to earth.

While learning about the significance of the Ark of the Covenant, students recently built their own models.

Mr Samuel Mills
Year 12 Advisor, History and Christian Studies Teacher

Upcoming activities in the Library

Anime and Manga Club – Tuesday 15th November (Week 6), lunchtime in N2

Page Turners Book Club – Monday 28th November (Week 8), lunchtime in N2

Year 7 -10 Library Borrowing

Borrowing has now finished for students in Years 7 to 10. All students will need to have returned their Library loans no later than Friday 11th November. Any students who require a list of their loans need to speak to Mrs Comiskey or Mr Smith.

Year 12 Library Loans

Year 12 students will need to return all of their Library loans before they leave the College after the HSC exams. Students who have lost books will be invoiced for a replacement copy. Any students who require a list of their loans need to speak to Mrs Comiskey or Mr Smith.

Stocktake 2022

This year’s Library stocktake will be starting on Monday 14th November.  During this time the Library will be closed.

What’s new on the shelf?

A thrilling dystopia in a world not so different from our own…

‘The Snow Laundry’ – Mette Jakobsen

“Sixteen-year-old Ally is one of 400 homeless young people who have been promised new and better lives in exchange for their votes. The once homeless children and teenagers are now warm and fed. But they are forced to work for the new administration - and their new home is really a prison. When Ally's boyfriend Bon vanishes into thin air, her search for him leads her to discovering that the homeless kids are really lab rats intended for scientific testing. And as Ally delves deeper into her search for Bon, she learns the frightening truth behind his disappearance.”

Written by Australian/Danish author Mette Jakobsen, ‘The Snow Laundry’ is a tense and chilling tale of two teenagers trying to survive in a dangerous and oppressive world. Creating a unique setting in dystopian fiction is continuingly getting harder with the wealth of titles available, but author Mette Jakobsen has managed to do this here, creating a truly bleak and original environment that sucks the all hope out of her characters. With a fast-paced plot filled with lots of intrigue and suspense, and a cast of strong, believable and likeable characters, readers will be captivated right to the last thrilling page. A great novel that is bound to be enjoyed by fans of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and the ‘Divergent’ series.

Mrs Annette Comiskey & Mr Michael Smith

Senior IRC Library Team

Last Friday, our boys and girls under 15’s basketball teams competed in the NASSA competition.

Both teams worked well to play as a team considering this was for many of them, their first time together.  Our girls team was successful in their pool to go through to the semi-finals. After doing well in their semi’s they faced St Luke’s in the grand finale, who were an outstanding team and overall the Thomas Hassall girls placed second which is a great achievement. Our boys team represented themselves admirably however, came up against tough opposition, finishing third in their pool. Both teams and sets of players are to be commended for their positive attitudes and respectful manner throughout the day, with much potential for future opportunities in basketball. A big congratulations to Max V and Ana S who were selected in their respective NASSA team.

Mr Dean Zaccaria
Senior School Sport Coordinator