MR ALAN JONES
In a special assembly last Thursday our new student leaders were introduced and formally inducted and now they take up their new roles. In Week 1 we were very fortunate to be able to access Waterline Leadership for a full day of leadership training for these students which was a new initiative which will most certainly enhance their ongoing leadership training this term. The role of leader goes beyond recognition of performance and calls on those taking up these positions to set good examples, encourage other students and promote engagement in the life of the school. We are very fortunate to have such a talented and committed group taking up these responsibilities and I wish them well for the year ahead.
Senior Prefects | Rocco Louis | Hannah Neilson |
Deputy Senior Prefects | Tom Forsythe | Hattie Oates |
Prefects | Louis Cannington | |
Archie Chick | ||
Oliver Cook | ||
Georgie Donoghue | ||
April Draney | ||
Lily Etheridge | ||
Lachlan Galbraith | ||
Hudson McAllister | ||
Eliza Ward | ||
Tom Younghusband | ||
House Leaders | ||
Abbott Captains | Archie McDonald | Hattie Oates |
Vice Captain | Tom Forsythe | |
Broughton Captains | Rohan Lawrence | Piyumi Ekanayake |
Vice Captain | Alex Hall | Hannah Neilson |
Croft Captains | Sam Coombes | Keeley O’Connor |
Vice Captain | Isaiah Ruming | |
Girls Boarding Captains | Lily Etheridge | |
Vice Captain | Delta Hawkins-Richardson | |
Green Captains | Nick O’Neil | April Draney |
Vice Captain | Mehdi Ahsan | Isabella Gooch |
Ross Captains | Josiah Alcorn | Bronte Dagg |
Vice Captain | Archie Chick | Pippa Moss |
Tyrrell Captains | Tom Younghusband | Eliza Ward |
Vice Captain | Oliver Cook |
Last Saturday I was very pleased to be out at Malpas Dam to observe our flotilla of kayak paddlers to launch into their six hour endure paddle which was the final leg of a number of weekend paddles in place of the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic which, because of COVID we were unable to participate in this year. The very fact that we had such a significant number of students participating is testament to the approach of ‘challenge’ that our students embrace. The weather was delightful last Saturday but I do know that on previous weekends there have been some very trying conditions that confronted our paddlers in order for them to get their hours up to compensate for the time and distance of the Hawkesbury. Volunteering to tackle big challenges is something deeply embedded in our school culture and it is hugely encouraging to see that so many students across the year groups were willing to once again step outside their comfort zone. I would like to thank Jim Pennington and Alasdair Hey for facilitating the entire process and for providing this opportunity for our students.
Following up on this paddle will be the Year 8, 9, 10 ‘homeless sleepout’ which will take place at the school this coming Friday night (23 October). Staff and students will attempt to emulate the conditions of sleeping ‘rough’ in order to emphasise the plight of homeless people across Australia.
Alan Jones
Head of School
Term 4 | |
Tuesday 20 October | HSC Exams ( 20/10 – 11/11/20)
NCIS Tennis (Grafton) |
Wednesday 21 October | P&F Meeting (7pm) |
Thursday 22 October | Year 7 Vaccinations |
MR RICHARD NEWTON
Last week we spoke of faith, this week hope in the second of a trilogy that I trust will help us understand the often-spoken words at the end of the school reading.
Popole Misenga competed in judo for the Refugee Olympic Team, known as The Team of Hope. As a refugee, he lost so much when he fled The Congo. He said, “I lost my mother, I became a child without parents; without a family. I was separated from my brother.”
Makiba is also from The Congo. When asked what she thought about as she walked into the Stadium. She said: “First of all, I think about my family… I’m participating in this competition for us to be together. I have to compete for history; for the history of refugees, the Refugee Team, for all of us. When I’m here I represent all of the Congolese people all over the world.”
“I want to show the world that we are capable of performing as well as everyone. The Olympic Games gives me hope.”
It has been said, “In a sport as in life, we all need hope. Without it, we can’t go on.”
In sport, you hope your team can win! That they will be able to compete and do well. However, no matter how much you want it, victory is never guaranteed. How many athletes would have trained and worked so hard, with hopes of competing at the Olympics firmly in their minds, how many would have thrown everything into preparing for the 2020 games, yet due to the postponement of the games some will never compete, their competitiveness had a ‘used by’ date that reads 2020. Or there will be those who make it to the games next year, if they happen, then snap their leg on the gymnastics apparatus, or fail to compete at their usual best, or false start and get disqualified. However, none of those possibilities mean we don’t hope and dream, and work hard to see those dreams realised, and I hope you see many of your dreams met.
But do not equate Christian hope with dreams for the future. This is a different type of hope. This is hope that we can count on. The Bible says this hope is sure and certain, not wishful thinking. It’s not hope based on a sports person’s ability, or dreams, but on the historical person of Jesus Christ. It starts by looking back not forward.
You see this future hope rests on the past action of Jesus – his life, death and resurrection and that’s what guarantees our hope.
Mr Richard Newton
Chaplain
MRS RACHAEL NICOLL
Last weekend we baked and wrapped the famous P&F Christmas Puddings (COVID style of course!). My thanks to all the helpers, TAS catering staff and our Pudding Co-Ordinators Camilla Dubois and Melanie Fillios. We were a lean, mean pudding baking and wrapping machine!
We only have a limited number of puddings so if you wish to get one please order early!! They are already selling fast….
The P&F are only selling puddings online this year. They are still $25 each and can only be ordered and paid for on TryBooking https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=655022&.
They will also only be available for collection (after ordering) from Reception between Thursday 26 November and Thursday 3 December. Any puddings ordered but not collected or not sold by end of day on Thursday 3 December will be donated.
If for some reason you are unable to collect your pudding during the dates given above (especially parents of Year 12 students) please contact the P&F and I’m sure we can sort out a way to get your pudding to you so that you can enjoy it during the Christmas season.
We have a P&F meeting tonight Wednesday 21 October and would love for you to come. Normally we would have this in the Lower Maxwell Room but we are hosting a ZOOM ONLY meeting this week instead. The meeting will start at 7 pm and if you would like to Zoom with us please contact us on pandf@as.edu.au or use the link below
ID: 82104821004
Password: 717195
Obviously, it’s BYO wine but we would love to chat with you. Hope to digitally see you then!
Mrs Rachael Nicoll
P&F President
Japanese Video Matsuri Competition (2020)
The Japanese Stage 5 class submitted two Videos into the Japan Foundation’s ‘Video Matsuri’ competition last term. Videos were submitted by schools from around Australia and New Zealand and after winning one of the divisions last year, the students were to excited to participate again. The submitted videos demonstrated their film making skills and allowed the students to use their language skills in a practical manner. The rules of the competition state that each video must include a water bottle and be a maximum of three minutes.
I am pleased to announce that the Year 9 students’ film ‘A Thirsty Murder’ achieved a ‘Special Mention’ award in the Junior Secondary Division and the Year 10 students’ film ‘Kappa’ participated in the Senior Secondary Division. You can watch the two films below with English subtitles.
‘A Thirsty Murder’ tells the story of a murder investigation. A body is found and the murderer leaves a vital clue by leaving his DNA on a water bottle which he drank from at the murder scene. After a DNA check, the murderer is identified and the police arrive at the house of the suspect. Further evidence is found and the murderer is arrested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIfnyhTch1A&feature=youtu.be
‘Kappa’ is a short film about an ad selling ‘Sumo Water’, water that is able to give you energy to do anything, even turn you into a sumo wrestler! In the next scene we discover that the ‘Sumo Water’ comes from a dam in the middle of nowhere. A murder mystery begins as the previous Stall holder disappears and we then discover that a ‘Kappa’ may have been involved. A Kappa is a mythical creature in Japan that lives in rivers and ponds and can leave the water if it has water on their head. Detective Mojo uses his wits to trick the kappa into spilling the water on his head which stores the kappa’s life energy after a game of sumo wrestling, something Kappas are very fond of.
MR ANDREW O'CONNELL
It has been an incredibly challenging year for Round Square, a network built on international collaboration through exchanges, conferences, service projects and experience. But Round Square is more than those material elements, it is a philosophy built around the seven IDEALS – Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership and Service. And anyone familiar with TAS and all we’ve been doing this year knows that the IDEALS are still very much an integral part of the TAS ethos and community. Why, even the next few weeks will highlight this with activities ranging from the Youth Homeless Sleepout Service activity (with 74 students already involved at last count), to Environmental activities happening in Junior School, the undertaking of Leadership roles for our 2020/21 Year 12 cohort, and the incomparable Adventure experiences offered during Bivouac and Activities Week.
MR WILL CALDWELL
Mr Will Caldwell
Director of Co-curricular
A great showing of more than 40 TAS Triathletes ripped into the first Triathlon of the 2020/21 Summer season. Aged from 10 to 18, their performances and enthusiasm were sensational!
In the Novice division (100m swim/5km ride/1km run) Isaac Curtis hammered the course, finishing fourth in the blitzing time of 21:42. Annabelle Pennington was the first TAS female, coming in sixth amongst the young ladies. She was closely followed home by Eve Johnstone, Ali Nivison and Jenna Hattingh. Toby Hall was very strong in the Short Course Duathlon (1/10/2), winning in a fast 31:55.
The Short Course (200m swim/10km ride/2km run) saw Fred Kearney smash out a 36:56 to claim second place overall. Not far off the ‘big man’ was Harrison Miller, Louis Ross, Harry Pennington and Josh Casey. Eryn Benham continued her fine form from last season, winning the ladies outright in 40:25, with Mia Short only 9 seconds behind and Isabella Crawford in the mix. Looks like there is some seriously solid competition from these girls in the future! It was great to see Alice Bourne and Jack Hoppe flying the Glen Innes flag, a home to some very good triathletes over the past 15 years. Ted Chick, more accustomed to the world of mountain biking made his Triathlon debut and showed that there is some serious talent about to be unleashed on the world! Round 2 is scheduled for Sunday 15/11.
Mr James Pennington
After four Sundays, incorporating all sorts of weather, 37 keen (or perhaps a little different) students and a few parents (also very special) gathered on the banks of Malpas Dam, ready to paddle six hours and complete the TAS Kayak Enduro.
In this crazy time, we’ve had to look well outside the box in order to create events applicable for the Triple Crown, hence the Kayak Enduro. The goal is to paddle 100km in total, across five sessions with the final push being the longest. It was terrific to see so many students willing to give up their weekends to chase their goals, ably supported by parents who were in a position to attend.
For Saturday’s final paddle, ‘Huey’ was kind and generous, providing the paddlers with wonderful conditions throughout the afternoon. With regular fuel (ie lollie stops) to provide motivation, the students kayaked into dusk, chasing time on the water. With a majestic procession, the boats glided across the dam ensuring that all were successful in the second stage of the Triple Crown for 2020.
Thanks to Mr and Mrs Hey for their enthusiasm, bus driving, organisation and boat maintenance, as well as to Mr Caldwell and Mr Currell for giving up their Saturday afternoon. My thanks also to Mrs Sheedy, Mrs Palfreyman, Mr and Mrs Campbell and Mrs Phelps for their assistance (and blankets, jackets and warm cars!) throughout the five weekends. Their support was invaluable.
Mr James Pennington
NCIS tennis was held again at Grafton on 20 October. We took seven students who played a number of games in a round-robin format. It was a great day with lots of high-quality tennis from our team. Congratulations to Joshua Miron who finished third in the opens and Joshua Casey who finished second in the 15s.
Mr Christian Nexo
MR ANDREW O'CONNELL
Mr Wheatley and his team of Middle School Theatresportstars met for the first time this week to get busy learning the improvisation rules and games ahead of next week’s first round of the Theatresports Schools Challenge. All the best for those students, I know they will represent the school (digitally) with great humour and enthusiasm.
Mr Andrew O’Connell
Creative Arts Coordinator
MR MARK HARRISON
I told you this one is speedy – almost a quarter done; the fourth term has never been one for the faint-hearted. Assemblies continue as do preparations for formal examinations for all our students. They’re only weeks away and already we’ve witnessed greater academic staff presence around Middle School because people want to assist your children – and this is a good thing, on the proviso that these young people avail themselves of such help. If they speak to you about what’s best for them, advise strongly that they should access these offers of assistance.
I mentioned uniforms last week and will again – only to tell you that, with Mrs Frost’s willing assistance to provide garters, new socks and general advice about earrings and other jewellery, that we’re ‘travelling’ quite well in this regard. When they have to be, these people are good, but since they belong (more) to you than to any one of us, you already know this, don’t you? ‘Touch wood’, we’ll be fine. Like all things Middle School-related, life here fashions itself on the ebb and flow method and this is exactly what early adolescence should be in order for it to be classified as ‘normal’. Per this method, we are very normal.
If you don’t live here, and can reasonably easily get to the New England, you should visit us at the moment. The place, as I wrote last week, is the perfect New England scene. Winters can be brutal, but spring smooths this ‘edge’ and boasts incredible vistas. Even I acknowledge this and I’ve been here for a long time. You can’t find this place boring ever – especially during the spring.
As you probably know, we’re gearing up for Activities. The bivouacs seem to be pretty well organised for the various Year groups. We’re working on venues for the Year 7 Activities later in the term, and we expect to be able to communicate with you further about this issue very soon. Before we know it, we’ll be wrapping gifts.
This is a brief one isn’t it?
Till next week, all the best
Mr Mark Harrison
Head of Middle School
MR IAN LLOYD
We would all like to congratulate the following students for competing and excelling in the recent ICAS Mathematics and Spelling Competitions. This is a competitive exercise for those who elect to be involved and we congratulate all of them for having the courage to have a go. The recent results are:
Mathematics
Spelling
Wonderful to see the summer sports up and running so smoothly this term, including many of our Year 5 cohort who have joined their Middle School counterparts in sports such as kayaking, swimming, tennis and basketball. This continues to be a very important part of our offering, especially during these trying circumstances and I thank all those involved. If you have any questions, please contact the school. Mrs Wright has included some photos with her sports’ section article.
You may have heard from your classroom teachers that this week, Junior School is celebrating Book Week. Each class is participating in a number of activities we are having a grand Book Week Parade on Friday October 23 with the theme: ‘Curious Creatures, Wild Minds’ in the Hoskins Theatre. We are encouraging everyone to come to school dressed as their favourite character from a book they have recently read. Again, we thank Mr Gordon Arndt for promoting this week and thank him for the wonderful visit we had last week from the Children’s Laureate, Ursula Dubosarsky.
We are working hard to live stream many of the events that are being held while the restrictions remain in place. On Wednesdays, our Junior School assemblies will be streamed and on Friday, we will be looking to do the same for our Book Week parade. These will be advertised in advance, with a link sent to parents which can then be viewed at the time, or later at your convenience. We hope to have the link to you before kick-off this afternoon with our combined Year 2 & 3 assembly.
Layla Abu Assab and George Drain have been in conversation for a number of weeks planning to take action to raise funds for the World Wildlife Fund. They have been keen to draw attention to the plight of endangered species around the world (but especially in Australia). In their own time, they made bags, bookmarks and decorated notepads with the intention of raising funds for the charity. Yesterday, they sold all their merchandise and raised over $50, setting up plans to expand their project and co-opt others to join the cause. Congratulations to both Layla and George for taking this initiative and to others that have decided to give them a hand.
Mrs Hawksford has passed on her wish to acknowledge the dedication, practice and resilience that both William Cooper Fillios and Andrian Zhang put to their AMEB (Australian Music Examination Board) exams, Grade 1 last week. Last term, we were delighted to see their level of skills in an in-house Assembly and these exam results are outstanding for both boys reflecting their perseverance, talent and hard work. Congratulations to both boys for your dedication and enjoyment with music.
Week 2 | |
Wednesday 21 October | Yr 2 & 3 Assembly – Hoskins Centre 2.45 (staff & students only – Live Streamed) |
Friday 23 October | Book Week Parade – (staff & students only – Live Streamed) |
Week 3 | |
Wednesday 28 October | Yr 1 & 4 Assembly – Hoskins Centre 2.45 (staff & students only) |
Week 4 | |
Wednesday 4 November | Yr 5 & K Assembly – Hoskins Centre 2.45 (staff & students only) |
Week 5 | |
Wednesday 11 November | Musical Assembly – Hoskins Centre 2.45 (staff & students only) |
Hunter Crane, Lucie Stephen and George Drain all celebrate their birthdays this coming week so many happy returns to you all.
Mr Ian Lloyd
Head of Junior School
PYP-What are our Transition and Kindergarten classes up to in Term 4?
What a joy it is to see many eager and engaged students as I visit our Junior School classrooms. Term 4 is a short term and there is much learning and teaching to occur.
Our Transition and Kindergarten classes all commenced their new units of inquiry at the start of this term.
Transdisciplinary Theme: Where we are in place and time
Central Idea: Journeys can lead to new experiences and opportunities
Lines of inquiry:
Some reflections from the students as to what they enjoyed in their previous unit: (How we express ourselves)
Scarlett: I loved the creativity unit because we got to do pottery with Mr Hatch. I made a face mask. I painted this with special paint used just for pottery.
George: I enjoyed the unit because I loved learning about all the famous artists and their paintings. I had an idea to make an art gallery with the blocks in our morning playtime. My favourite artists were Henri Matisse and Jackson Pollock.
Transdisciplinary Theme: How we express ourselves
Central Idea: Creativity allows for expression
Lines of inquiry:
Responses from Kindergarten students as to what they are enjoying about their new unit:
Mishkah: I love our new unit because there is a sword and we all get to pull it out of a stone. If you do pull it out you can become the true King or Queen of England.
Alexa: I love our new unit because we have a castle in our classroom and I love wearing the crown that I made. I also love the sword you get to pull out of the stone.
Raymond: I love the castle because it has a kitchen and I love to play in the castle with all my friends.
Mrs Veronica Waters
PYP Coordinator
The children didn’t let a little rain late in the afternoon dampen their spirits for the commencement of Term 4’s summer sports program. We had some very keen sportsmen and women out on the fields on Monday afternoon, while others travelled off campus to participate in Basketball games and Gymnastics sessions.
We apologise for the limited information on Cricket to date. The Cricket Association is still deciding the best way forward for the competitions this year and will meet again on this evening to decided which format to follow. We will get our information out to parents as soon as this is finalised this week.
Please remember to email Mrs Christine Wright cwright@as.edu.au with any concerns or questions this season.
Mrs Christine Wright
JS Sport Coordinator