TAS Talks Term 1 Week 11

Final Weekend of the Term

It was a busy final weekend in our longest term of the year for a good number of our students. While a number of our senior rugby players were taking on some big competition at the annual Scots College Rugby 7s tournament, Sam Jones was taking on some of the best athletes in the country at the Australian Athletics Championships. Jim Pennington has reported on Sam’s success in placing 11^th in the country in the 2000m steeplechase and I echo the congratulations to him.

On Sunday more than 100 TAS students, some of whom only arrived back in Armidale at 11:00pm the night before, left school bright and early for the 2km Coffs Ocean swim. This was the School’s biggest ever team and TAS students made up around a third of the total field for the event. As expected, there were some great performances and these are reported later in this edition of TAS Talks and I recommend that report to you.

I know that a good number of those swimmers are looking to back up the effort last weekend with the Tour de Rocks charity bike ride from Armidale to South West Rocks that leaves tomorrow and I wish all our riders well for the journey. This is the second leg of the ‘Triple Crown’ challenge and it is very encouraging that we will again have a record field taking part.

TAS Rugby Carnival

Work is carrying on frenetically this week in preparation to welcome around 1,000 rugby players to our TAS Rugby Carnival next weekend. Fifty-one teams will take part this year, making our 15^th carnival the biggest ever and a significant event for Armidale as thousands of parents and other family members join their children for the weekend. It is of course a great privilege to host the biggest rugby carnival for this junior age group in the country, but it is also a huge logistical task that involves scores of staff, parents and friends of the School and I offer our collective thanks to all those involved for what has already been done and for the weekend ahead.

ANZAC Day

As is most often the case, ANZAC Day will fall in the school holidays again this year. We will be represented at the services at Dangarsleigh, Saumarez and Central Park by the TAS Guard who will form the catafalque party in, this year, three locations. TAS will hold its own service at school in the first week of next term on Thursday 2 May at 7:00am and all are welcome to join us. Our special guest will be Captain Lewis Crothers (OA 2008) who is currently posted to the Royal Military College Duntroon as the Future Operations Battle Captain and Assistant Operations Officer and I am very grateful to him for taking time out to return to his old school.

Murray Guest

Australian Athletics Championships

Congratulations to Sam Jones (Year 11) who competed at last week’s Australian Athletics Championships, representing NSW. Sam raced in the u/18 2000m Steeplechase, having previously competing at the Australian Schools Championships in December.

In hot and humid conditions, the race commenced at a blistering pace, with the lead runners chasing a new record. This in turn, meant a fast pace for all. Sam stayed with the main pack throughout the early laps and as the steeples started to take their toll on the runners, Sam’s focus turned to holding his form. This he did indeed, recording a magnificent 11^th place in Australia. Well done Sam!

Mr James Pennington

Coffs Ocean Swim

Blue sky, blue water golden sand and 2km, what could be better! Over 100 TAS competitors ventured down the hill for the annual Coffs Ocean Swim. As the first component of the Triple Crown, the field was stacked with both enthusiasm and trepidation.

Leading the pack from TAS was the school’s captain of swimming Jesse Streeting who was the first competitor around the first buoy, eventually finishing fifth overall and the first male 16-19, in a time of 29.43. This was the second time in succession that Jesse was the first TAS competitor home and he now receives the Pacific Plate in recognition of this fine achievement.

Oliver Griffiths was next across the line for TAS in 33.34, fourth boy in the 12-15 male category. He was closely followed in by Toby Michel-Smith, Fergus Menzies and the evergreen Mr Tim Hughes. 12 year old Abbott White finished in a wonderful 120^th place.

The first TAS girl home was Isabella Gooch, who hit the sand in 71st place overall and eighth in her age group, in 37.10. Next female was Eliza Ward and then one of the youngest in the team, 12 year old Matilda Cullen, who completed the swim in 39:51.

Lucas Cotterell (Year 11) continued his streak, having now swum for the past five consecutive years. TAS students made up almost a third of all competitors in the event, having grown its contingent from a handful of students and one staff member 15 years ago.

Mr James Pennington

Easter Chapel Service

This Tuesday’s third lesson was one ‘with a difference’. The Middle and Senior Schools attended an Easter Chapel Service in the Memorial Hall. The choir music was as good as ever it has been, translating as it was amazingly good. Mr Newton in inimitable fashion spoke so appropriately: he was as engaging and relevant as he was thoroughly entertaining. I know that everyone is tired, but there’s no excuse for laziness or inattention in a service such as this one. Some of our boys and girls received this message pretty clearly immediately following the service and have been gainfully employed, assisting Mrs Edmonds with sporting trophies and doing some lunchtime emu parade duties. They’ll have an after-school commitment as well. Why am I writing this? You have the right to know that when things don’t go strictly to plan, then we need to work together from both ‘fronts’, being home and school because our collective brief is mutual support. If we don’t operate this way, we simply won’t get very far very quickly at all. It’s the end of term and everyone needs a break and to be honest, the sooner it comes, the better – I repeat, we all need to be away to recalibrate. Please enjoy your families, look after them and be sure that they look out for you.

Leave Provisions

Exceptional circumstances notwithstanding, students will be allowed to leave TAS this coming Thursday afternoon. All Armidale schools will finish term at the same time and TAS students will be able to leave school after the conclusion of the school day. I ask that any requests for early leave come directly to me so that we can discuss them and that any request is accompanied by the relevant paper work so that we can streamline activities.

Easter Break

I want to take this opportunity to wish all Middle School families a safe holiday break. It will be a time to regroup with wider family and, importantly, recharge for the shorter but no less busy new term. I look forward to seeing you at some of the sporting fixtures and parent sessions during Term 2 if not before – especially for those of you intrepid souls who I’ll see this coming weekend at the Rugby Carnival.

Mr Mark Harrison
Head of Middle School

Horse Sports

You will see a report in our sports section that speaks about the success of two of our students, Charlie Ward and Joshua Bourke. They both put a great deal of time and effort into their riding and it is fantastic to see their efforts paying off and that they are getting so much from this sport.

Uniform in Term 2

With the unpredictable nature of the weather at the beginning of Term 2, as with all seasonal change it is acceptable to wear either summer or winter uniform until week 3 of Term 2, if required. From Week 3, all students should wear the standard winter uniform.

Tezukayama Gakuin Elementary School  16 – 22 August

A reminder that we are looking for offers from families who are able to host students from Tezukayama.

The girls and boys range in age from 9 – 12 and while some prefer to be billeted in pairs, many do not. Either way, this is an opportunity to engage with some wonderful children from another country and an excellent way to reciprocate the generosity. Please contact the School at junior@as.edu.au so we can begin to organise billeting.

Vacation Care

We are very pleased with the response for our Vacation Care starting next week. Please contact Jacinta Coates (OSHC Coordinator – 6776 5818 or oshc@as.edu.au) or Reception (6776 5817 or junior@as.edu.au for further information as places are being taken up quickly. Program details can be found at the end of this Junior School section of TAS Talks or at https://www.as.edu.au/after-school-care/

To find out more….CLICK HERE

And finally….

We come to the end of a very long and busy term and I would like to congratulate our students for the application and enthusiasm they have shown throughout the term. I have received plenty of feedback after the recent Parent/Teacher interviews and while I know the break will be thoroughly enjoyed by all, it is certainly been well-deserved. I wish you all a safe and happy Easter Holiday.

Congratulations to the following students for receiving School Spirit Awards at last week’s assembly:

Hugh Blackwell, Liam Hoad, Maya Slade, Jock Taylor, Casper Cook, William Cooper-Fillios, Cameron Carruthers, Lucas van der Werf, Hugo Broun, Chloe Dennison, Ani Anderson, Mitchell Evans and Sophia White.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to the following students for your special days between now and next term: Norah Al-Qahtani, Ani Anderson, Simon Hu and Thomas McKern, Toby Whysall.

Mr Ian Lloyd
Head of Junior School

Basketball Wrap Up

The Junior School basketball team have had a wonderful season that ended in a game on Monday night. The team has come so far with their skills over the two terms and it has been exciting to see them enjoying the game so much. There have been a few players from other local schools and the players have been very open and accepting when joining teams together. The sportsmanship amongst all the players has been fantastic to witness and there have been many highlights of ensuring that all players had a chance to shoot baskets and not just the stronger ones. A huge congratulations to all team members on their attitude and improvement over Term 4, 2018 and Term 1, 2019.

Mrs Kirsty Brunsdon