TAS Talks Term 1 Week 4

After settling into Term 1, the pace of school life has increased over the past week. The swimming carnival last week was a spirited and hotly contested event across Junior, Middle and Senior Schools. I was particularly impressed with the high levels of participation at all year levels and the passion shown by all students to be a part of the event.

While many Junior School students are at Lake Keepit for their annual camp, a large number of our Senior School students have also attended a four-day Cadets Leaders Course under some additionally challenging weather conditions. Yesterday also saw the recognition of academic achievers in a themed assembly.

All of these activities epitomise what TAS stands for, personal growth through challenge; every student spending time outside of their comfort zone, be that by swimming fifty metres as a recreational swimmer to represent their House, by testing their navigation and personal management skills in the rain through the cadet program, or by persevering at difficult classroom subjects to achieve all-round academic excellence.

Following announcements regarding COVID-19 restrictions in schools this week, I will send a separate letter confirming arrangements for the coming weeks shortly.

I would, however, like to take this opportunity to reinforce the requirement for any student displaying symptoms to stay home and take a test. If a student with symptoms is still negative with a RAHT, a PCR test should be taken due to its increased sensitivity.

To finish with some good news for parents of Middle and Senior School day students; from next Monday they will again be able to have lunch in the TAS Dining Hall.

Dr Rachel Horton
Principal

Effort

As we rapidly approach the halfway point of Term 1, it is timely to pause and reflect on how each of us is individually approaching the start of 2022. It is important to know whether we are achieving what we had set out to accomplish at the start of the year. 

When setting goals, we often default to an outcome before factoring in the effort needed in the process to achieve. For example, going from a ‘C’ to a ‘B’ in English, making the Firsts or getting a 95+ ATAR are all great outcome goals but they are not going to happen by sheer luck. This week, I encourage all to reflect on what they are hoping to achieve and consider the effort required along the way to get there. 

Twenty years ago last week, Steven Bradbury won gold at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics when all other competitors crashed out on the final corner. While ‘doing a Bradbury’ has become a saying commonly linked to luck, Bradbury’s outcome had very little to do with luck. Steven Bradbury was a professional skater for 12 years prior, trained for countless hours, represented Australia in the four Winter Olympic Games and beat the four-time world champion in the quarter-final before claiming gold in the Olympic final. As Bruce Lee once said “You have to create your own luck. You have to be aware of the opportunities around you and take advantage of them.”

In my short time at the School, I have quickly come to realise that TAS offers opportunity. Opportunity is a stepping stone to success but it is up to the recipient to make the most of the situation. Regardless of what is achieved, it is the effort that will not only be the determining factor in the outcome but also the characteristic required for success in any pursuit. 

If outcome goals were the basis of whether 2022 would be a success or not for you, look to place effort in the process to maximise the chances of success. For our students, the formula is relatively simple: maximise learning during class time, train hard during sports practice, revise and get ahead during prep time. If we can get the effort and balance right, there will ultimately be more ‘free time’ for socialising and play. The trick is, you have got to put the work in before you get the opportunity to experience success. 

Mr Ray Pearson
Deputy Principal

TAS Regional Tour

The TAS Regional Tour attended by senior staff will be kicking off in a few weeks, meeting families across regional NSW to discuss a TAS education for their children.

During these visits, TAS will be hosting drinks for current and past parents and alumni from 5.30-7.00 pm in the following towns, with families to be sent an email invitation with RSVP details this week:

• Monday 7 March – Moree
• Tuesday 8 March – Narrabri
• Monday 14 March – Tamworth
• Tuesday 15 March – Gunnedah
• Thursday 24 March – Scone
• Wednesday 30 March – Inverell

We look forward to seeing you in your home town soon.

Mrs Jo Neilson
Enrolments Registrar

Liaison Parents

Year group liaison parents are undoubtedly your most important P&F contacts.

Over the past weeks the P&F have been working with the LP team to help them settle in for 2022. Thank you to our returning LP-coordinator Soph Wright who has focused on the Middle and Senior School LPs, while Melanie Fillios has focused on the Junior School LPs.

A large thank you to LPs past and present for their energy and attention to continually build community at TAS. Here is a reminder of who the LPs are for your respective year groups:

Sub Committee Volunteers

As with every year, through 2022 the P&F will get involved alongside many school events to support the TAS community and raise funds to benefit the students.

The larger events on the calendar for this year are:

• TAS Rugby Carnival (APR) / SBHS Home Games (MAY)
• Golf Days (MAY, NOV)
• Family Day (NOV)
• Christmas Puddings (OCT)

We will form sub-committees around each of these events to make sure they are well organised and executed.

Calling for parent volunteers!!

Please respond back to the P&F Exec team on pandf@as.edu.au with your preferences if you can volunteer for any of the above events.

Contact the P&F Executive

If you have anything you would like to raise with the P&F Executive, please send us an email at pandf@as.edu.au

Mr Paul Gaddes
P&F President

Academic Assembly Tuesday 22 February

It was a great honour to be able to celebrate the achievements of students in Years 6-11 in 2021 in this week’s assembly. Many students received an Academic Medallion or Colours in recognition of their academic endeavours in 2021. As part of this assembly, a video of students and staff in all areas of the school was created to demonstrate the wide variety of dreams we have for careers When We Grow Up. The key message was for students to persevere, find things that they enjoy and/or excel at, but most importantly: keep the doors open – don’t limit our options as our dreams can change. I encourage you to speak to your child about the dreams that they may have but also to share yours.

Assessment Calendars Years 6-12

Having now been in class for a number of weeks, many students may be heading towards their first assessments of the year. Students will have been emailed a copy of their assessment calendar for the year and parents are able to access these through the TAS website Parent Portal ( https://www.as.edu.au/parents/ ). These calendars are provided to assist families with planning activities outside of school and for boarding parents to have a better idea of what is happening here at school – we know that some teenagers are not always the best communicators!

Year 11 Q&A via zoom – Monday 28 February at 5:30 pm

A reminder to Year 11 parents and carers that we are hosting the first Q&A session for parents this coming Monday at 5:30pm. An invitation has been sent out via email and we ask that you RSVP so that we can gauge numbers. Dr Horton, Mr Pearson, Ms Chick and myself will be present to update you on matters related to Year 11 as well as to answer your questions.

The Annual TAS Swimming Carnival is one of my highlights of the year and Friday’s edition didn’t disappoint. While the efforts of Mr Huon Barrett and Mrs Rachel Edmonds deserve special mention for coordinating such a large event separately across Middle and Senior School for the first time, I would particularly like to acknowledge all the boarders for their efforts in the pool across Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Friday. All three houses were well represented, across all events, and as a result I am confident a large number of individual age champion awards will be awarded to boarders. Special mention to the Abbott, Croft and Tyrrell House Leaders who tirelessly ensured all house cards were completed in a timely manner and all boarders were well informed of their responsibilities on the day. This was a huge commitment by the house leaders, to manage this along with their other school responsibilities, over the past two weeks. Refereeing 10 games of inter-house touch football, across Years 9 – 12, on Friday morning allowed me to witness first-hand the collegiality of our students across the six boarding and day houses. This has been a trademark of TAS during my nine years at the school and I was impressed to see it remaining alive and well.

The 2022 Coast Weekend dates have been confirmed, with all boarders from Years 8 – 12 departing TAS at approx 5pm on Friday 1 April and returning to TAS by midday on Sunday 3 April. The earlier arrival time back to TAS is to ensure the boarders have ample time for any final revision or preparation for assessments either due or to be sat during Week 10. Accommodation arrangements for the respective boarding houses will be communicated by Heads of House to their houses over the coming weeks.

The Year 7 boarders will attend the Year 7 Camp from Friday 1 April – Sunday 3 April. Mr Luke Polson will provide more information regarding this camp over the coming weeks.

Mr David Drain
Director of Boarding

MS/SS Swimming Championships

The number of students competing at the MS and SS Swimming Championships was outstanding. A feature of TAS is the willingness of the students to ‘have a go’. This was clearly evident on each of the evening carnivals and on Friday at the main event. The revamped format of a half-day carnival and inter-house games was enthusiastically embraced, and I commend the staff on their adaptability and the way with which they sought to make this new format a positive experience for all students involved.

During the course of the day, a number of records were broken. I congratulate those students for their hard work and achievement.

Overall point score results, age champions and division champions will be awarded in the Week 5 Assembly.

Winter sport choices take place this week during Advisor. Students are expected to choose their winter sport by the end of the week. In the coming weeks, we will confirm numbers and training sessions (Winter Training Schedule). Students will be able to choose a second sport if they can meet the requirements of each sport (training sessions and games) and we are able to staff the demand for coaches and managers.

NCIS Hockey Trials notes have been circulated by Mrs Ball and Mrs Steddy. If you are interested in attending the trial please return the note to Mrs Ball by Friday 25 February.

NCIS Hockey Trial Day Initial Information 2022

NCIS Permission to trial CIS HockeyTeam 2022

Mr Huon Barrett
Director of Co-curricular

Rotary Public Speaking Inland Semi Final

Bridget Burnett (Year 12) represented TAS and the Armidale Rotary Club in the Rotary Public Speaking Inland Semi-Final in Moree on Sunday, against seven other students. Her prepared speech was a passionate advocacy to not only continuing to observe Anzac and Remembrance Day, but broadening the recognition to include the role of women and Indigenous soldiers who had been historically been sidelined in the conventional narrative. For her impromptu speech: "Tomorrow I am going to…" do sports!

Bridget narrowly missed out on placing in the finals but is to be congratulated on an outstanding effort. Thanks to Miss Hannah Lo for supporting and accompanying Bridget on the day.

Tim Hughes
MIC Public Speaking and Debating

Rotary Club of Armidale president Bernie Perkins and District Governor David Mayne

This Saturday 26 February is our big Working Bee for Rhinoceros. We’ll be working hard to complete the set and make huge gains on the 24-odd rhinoceros heads we need for the show. We’re calling on all members of the TAS community – students, parents and staff – to come along in some old clothes and sturdy shoes to help get things together. We’re starting at 9am and hope to wrap before lunch. You don’t need to bring anything with you but if you had an impact driver it might make the set come together that much faster!

Mornings in the Music Centre are sounding very melodic, with our ensembles hard at work and our choirs recommencing next week. Please chat with Ms Roobol, Mr Collett or Miss Low if you would like to know more about getting involved in those groups. We look forward to a Twilight Concert near the end of Term 1, which will also be a great performance opportunity for our students with peripatetic lessons to build their instrument and prepare for exams and the Eisteddfod.

The Technical Production Team is starting to gear up for Rhinoceros, but it is not too late for students to get involved with that group. That team learns how to use the technical equipment in the theatre, set up lights and sound and projection, program shows and operate events and performances. Swing down to the Hoskins office to find out more if that interests you.

Mr Andrew O’Connell
Head of Creative Arts

Lake Keepit

On day three here at Lake Keepit, the report is all good. As is usually the case each year, the excitement has given way to the realisation that we are here for a reason and the students are really getting into the swing of it. Learning to step out of the comfort zone (with a little less sleep than accustomed to) is a challenge and it is very satisfying seeing those that strive to be the best they can be. As always, we thank our dedicated staff for their efforts and we look forward to returning to catch up on the activities our younger students have completed while Year 2 to 5 have been at Lake Keepit.

Happy Birthday

Best wishes to Maya Slade and Raymond Wang who both celebrate birthdays this week.

Mr Ian Lloyd
Head of Junior School