TAS Talks Term 3 Week 4

Year 9/10 Revolution and Innovation in Music

Year 9/10 Revolution and Innovation in Music is a Stage 5 elective music subject which is investigating the role of music in social and cultural change. So far this term we have been looking at Music and Race and have looked at music in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, where protest songs adapted early gospel and church music and the sentiments of the Old Testament in order to protest racial inequality and injustice. We then moved to the revolutionary songs of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. We have conceptually analysed the melodic and harmonic evolution of protest songs and performed and composed protest songs. On Wednesday 12 August we were extremely privileged to have a live chat with Nita Mungandjera, the daughter of a revolutionary in Namibia, Africa, and the class discussed the impact of music in freedom fighting and Independence as well as hear some of the revolutionary songs from that region. It was a particularly significant privilege given the unfriendly time difference between Armidale and Namibia (being 1am!). We look forward to ongoing relationship with our Namibian friends and TAS in the future.

Dr Inga Brasche

Dr Brasche and her Year 9/10 elective class engage with Nita Mungandjera in Namibia

Year 12 Trial Exams

We wish all of our Year 12 students all the very best as they commence their trial exams next week. I spoke with all of Year 12 about these exams and the processes involved and I attach here a copy of the Student Expectations and Trials Timetable. Normal class will resume for all of Year 12 from Monday of Week 7.

Student Expectations
 

MYP Authorisation Visit

Today and tomorrow, TAS is hosting, through a Virtual Visit, staff from the International Baccalaureate who are looking through our progress to date with the implementation of the Middle Years Program. This visit involves a number of meetings with School Leadership, Coordinators, staff, students and parents. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved with this and particularly, Rachel Piddington and Rachel Holford for their leadership of this program.
 

Year 12 Resources

This week, Year 12 are beginning to receive a resource pack of books and resources to help with their revision in the lead up to the HSC. These resources include study guides and past paper books and will be a useful resource for them. These books are being provided to Year 12 through some Drought Relief Funding and as a result, parents will see a charge on their account for these resources, but this will be immediately reimbursed as a credit from this funding.
 

ICAS Exams

Thank you to those parents who have registered their students for upcoming ICAS Exams. The registrations for these have now closed and students will be informed over the next few weeks when these exams will be.
-ICAS Science will be completed in the week beginning 17th August
-ICAS English will be completed in the week beginning 24th August
-ICAS Maths and Spelling will be completed in the week beginning 31st August

Mr Luke Polson
Director of Studies

Activities Day 1 - Friday 14 August

The Armidale School Cadet Unit (TASCU) – Activities Day 1 (14 August 2020)

Activities Day 1 will be conducted on Friday 14 August. Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, ADF cadet activities have not returned to normal across Australia at this stage. In this environment, TAS cadet activities will consequently be conducted as TAS school-organised activities, though with a similar internal leadership structure.  Students have received specific briefings on necessary equipment, and should consult their platoon leaders in the first instance if they are unsure.

Rather than DPCU Camouflage uniform, those students participating in TASCU activities should instead wear ‘civvies’ on Activities Day 1 (long trousers/jeans, collared shirt, hat and jumper, sturdy footwear).

These activities remain compulsory events for all students as part of the TAS activities program.

Weather for this Friday includes the forecast of rain. Students should ensure they bring a rain jacket and jumper. If weather conditions are such that these activities cannot be safely conducted, they will be amended, which may include conducting altered activities on TAS grounds.

Passing Out Parade is scheduled for Friday 11 September. The schedule for rehearsals for this event is included here.

A Company (Year 10 & leaders)

A Company will need to bring their DPCU camouflage uniform on Activities Day 1 to be collected by the TAS laundry. The uniforms will be washed and prepared for Passing Out Parade scheduled for Friday 11 September.

B Company (Year 9 & leaders)

A reminder of the email sent to B Company cadets by Mr Lawrence requiring the return of a P650 form allowing them to take part in a TAS Rifle Club activity. These forms (or a current minors permit) should be signed and returned with parent/carer photo ID to TAS MIC Shooting Mr David Lawrence via email dlawrenc@as.edu.au by Wednesday 5 August. Alternatively, a hard copy can be handed in to TAS Reception.

MAJ (AAC) Angus Murray
Officer Commanding TASCU

Shooting

In what was a shortened season with training affected by the coronavirus restrictions, TAS shooters came together in July for a training camp at Wollomombi Rifle Range ahead of the annual AAGPS competition at Hornsby Rifle Range. Here’s a link to a video from Lachlan Hey that captures some of the atmosphere.

A big term of debating begins

The AIS National Virtual Debating Competition got off the ground for TAS last week with our Year 12 team facing PLC Perth on the topic ‘That we should ban non-essential travel to countries with a poor human rights record’. Issues such as national sovereignty, corporate governance and ethical tourism were explored in an interesting debate, which was won by the westerners. In their second debate in the group round, held on Monday, the team was more successful against Bishop Druitt College (Coffs Harbour), soundly affirming ‘that community service should contribute towards your ATAR’.

Then yesterday it was the turn of our Year 9/10 team, debating for the first time together. Being given the Affirmative against O’Connor Catholic College, they successfully argued ‘that the Commonwealth Games should be scrapped’, supporting their case by exploring how the long-term economic cost, social inequality, environmental impact and cultural inappropriateness of a hangover of colonialism all outweighed the short term benefits.

Next week Year 11 enter the competition against Newcastle Grammar, and a combined Year 7/8 team, shortly after.

Overall, four teams will partake in 15 debates this term (COVID-permitting!) and all debaters are relishing the opportunity.

Mr Tim Hughes
Debating Co-ordinator

Monday night saw an incredible showcase of HSC Drama performances at the annual CurtainUP event. While it happened a little differently with COVID restrictions, we got to enjoy the same level of talent and polish we have come to expect from our senior students and with the powerful support of an awesome audience. From an amazing group devised piece chock-full of physical theatre and hilarious transformations to seven distinctly different monologues exploring a range of themes and styles, it was a night with something for everyone. Congratulations to William Braham, Lucas Cotterell, Jai Farrell, Cooper Gerdes, Colby Hanes, John Moore and Rick Nutt for dominating the stage (and the stream). And on behalf of those students, I’d like to thank Ethan Bellman, Hugo Catterall and Mr Cornford for their support on the night – as well as our surprise special guest Mrs Cleaver who popped back to support the boys after teaching them Drama in Year 11 Drama and for Term 4 of 2019.

While focused on the HSC, I want to wish all students of Drama, Music and Visual Arts the best as they complete their final assessments and sit the Trials. Performance examinations and submission dates are creeping very close and we know it will be a busy time, particularly for those doing more than one creative subject.

This week is the big one for Junior School and auditions for Aladdin Jr. By the end of the week we hope to have announced the cast and for all auditioning and receiving call-backs for Wednesday we hope you will be positive, enthusiastic, and happy to be involved no matter the part you get.

Way back in Term 1 Year 7 Art were doing batik. That project started to wrap as students went home and during that time Lachlan Sedon transformed his work into a fabulous cushion cover that showcases his design, which you can see in the photo below.

In the coming weeks, students in Middle School will begin to receive notifications in preparation for their upcoming Assessment Tasks. We encourage students to read their notifications closely, organise their time carefully and work closely with their teachers to prepare for these tasks. Assessment Schedules are published on both the Student and Parent Portals and provide an overview of the tasks that are approaching in the coming weeks and into Term 4. We look forward to working closely with students to assist them in their preparation for these tasks as well as witnessing their efforts.

Ms Rachel Holford
Acting MYP Coordinator

Year 6 and Year 1 collaborate

Mrs Brunsdon’s Year 6 Maths class have utilised their inquiring and thinking skills whilst creating a survey for the Year 1 students to complete. During their Data unit the Year 6 students decided to communicate with their younger peers to find out what activities they like to participate in when playing in the playground. The older students had to think about how they could word their survey questions to suit the younger students and allow them to gain the information they needed to complete their task. Both year groups loved the opportunity to get together and it was lovely to see the interaction between the two year groups.

Mrs Kirsty Brunsdon

Aladdin The Musical Jnr

Auditions for Aladdin have been moving along extremely well and our Head of Creative Arts and Producer, Mr Andrew O’Connell and Director, Ms Arlene Fletcher have been very impressed and please with the enthusiasm and talents of those who have had the courage to audition. Creative Arts is not for the faint-hearted and I applaud all those who have stepped up.

Sports training

We don’t always get the call for our training sessions correct (and Monday was a great example) , but I am glad in many ways that we persisted. Missing even one session can be costly in terms of teamwork and skill acquisition, so despite the cold wind and rain (was it sleet?), I was impressed with the way our students trained with gusto…even a smile on their faces. I had to take my hat off to the staff as well; it wasn’t pleasant out there – but to see the way training continued on despite the challenges, reflected just how much we are on track when we speak of confronting a challenge head on, with resilience and persistence. If ever there was a demonstration of these PYP attributes, Monday sports’ training was right up there.

Activities Day – Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose, Reduce (Wear your tidy casual clothes)

This Friday, along with Middle and Senior School, we will be hosting our Term 3 Activities Day with a difference. The focus this term will be sharpened by the work our SRC has been doing recently in planning to extend the recycling projects started some time ago by some of our younger students. We will be looking to promote recycling and reducing waste in various ways and enhance our understanding of sustainable living. This will be a SCHOOL UNIFORM FREE day and everyone is invited to wear neat casuals to accommodate a wide variety of activities both inside and out (if weather permits).

TAS Bear

 
Mr Ian Lloyd
Head of Junior School

Happy Birthday

Many happy returns to Arabella Blanchard, Patrick Bourke and Freddie Post who all have birthdays this week.

Year 1

Transdisciplinary Theme: How we organise ourselves

Central Idea: Communities provide services designed to meet people’s needs

Lines of Inquiry:

• What communities are and which ones we belong to
• The services that are created to support a community
• Responsibilities of community members

Year 1 are now three weeks into their Unit of Inquiry and whilst inquiring into their local school community and the wider Armidale and regional community have been focusing on developing their approaches to learning. Approaches to learning are one of the four essential elements of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and are skills, which are explicitly taught, modelled by the teacher or competent students and then explored and used by the students.

The table below outlines the skills the students are using throughout this six-week unit.

 
 
As can be seen these are valuable skills that will grow and develop as the students in Year 1 progress through their Primary Years Programme learning journey.

Mrs Veronica Waters
PYP Coordinator