TAS Talks Term 2 Week 9

As I sit and write my last TAS Talks for the semester, I am reflecting on the speed at which this year has flown by to fate, how far we have come since the start of the year in managing COVID-19 and how incredibly busy the School has become again. So much has happened and students have grasped every opportunity to get involved in challenge and co-curricular activities with real enthusiasm. Challenge is one of the hallmarks of TAS, but we are a school first and therefore while we are passionate about everything we offer beyond the classroom, academic endeavour is crucial.

Over the past week I have been treated to some wonderful examples of student achievement from Year 1 creative writing to Year 9 History presentations based around the Holocaust. I was also delighted by the high standard of debating in the finals of the inter-House debating competition this week. Congratulations to all students who took part across the Middle and Senior Schools.

It is with mixed emotions that I tell you today that our Senior Chaplain, the Reverend Richard Newton and his family will leave TAS at the end of the year for new opportunities and adventures. We are grateful that he is able to see the year out at TAS and that we will have time to thank him and farewell him appropriately later in the year.

As I noted earlier in the term, we do farewell Miss Hannah Lo and Mrs Jacki Fletcher from TAS this week. We will certainly be sad to see them go but wish them both all the very best for their future endeavours.

To finish, I would like to thank all of our TAS staff for their support of our students, collegiality and commitment to the School over what has been a very challenging semester. Thank you also to all our families for their ongoing support and engagement with TAS. I wish everyone a safe and restful mid-year break.

Dr Rachel Horton
Principal

As we approach the end of Semester 1, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the TAS community for the warm welcome and support I have received since commencing at the start of the year. We are blessed to have such an engaged parent body, dedicated staff and wonderful group of students who make TAS an enjoyable place to be.

A key focus in my first six months has been to challenge the students to be the best versions of themselves and make the most of the opportunities TAS has to offer. I have enjoyed working in partnership with parents and students in celebrating success and overcoming unplanned challenges in this regard. I have also been overwhelmingly impressed with the pride our students have in the School and their varied contributions in making the experience of others a positive one.

As we look ahead to Term 3, I am excited for the significant events which will occur. Specifically, and most notably, this is a special period for our Year 12s as they undertake a range of experiences from HSC trial exams through to their valedictory celebrations. In their final term, I know they will cherish their final term at TAS and make the most of the opportunities presented to them. Next term, we will undertake the 2023 student leadership process with our current Year 11s who will be invited to apply for an official leadership position. I look forward to hearing the vision and goals of our next cohort of leaders.

Thank you to all families for making use of the designated travel day on Friday. Having students in class up until 3:30pm on Thursday is important and maintains the integrity of our teaching and learning programs right up until the final bell.

Have a wonderful break.

Mr Ray Pearson
Deputy Principal

End / Start of Term Meet Up

Wishing all a great term break with family.

Keep an eye out for messages from your Year-Group Liaison Parents for details of end of term meet ups happening this week.

Then to start Term 3, dinner and drinks have been organised for Monday 18 July from 5.00 pm at the Wicklow Hotel in Armidale. Parents across all Year-Groups are welcome.

Wallabies Jersey Raffle

Tickets in the Wallabies jersey raffles are still available for purchase. Get your tickets now before the end of rugby season.

This is a 2012 Australian Wallabies Rugby Jersey signed by the team and coach. It is now a collector’s item on the 10th anniversary from the season. The Spring Tour was played during November and December in France (Stade de France), England (Twickenham), Italy (Stade Artemio), and Wales (Millenium Stadium).

If you would like to purchase a ticket for $5 each then please visit Wallabies Raffle Tickets. Drawn in September 2022 at the end of the season with proceeds to the TAS P&F and ultimately back to the students.

Mr Paul Gaddes
P&F President

Term 3 Timetables and Class Allocations

There will be a new timetable for Term 3 that students will be able to access in Edval online during the last week of the holidays. Students in Years 9 and 10 will not be able to change their elective choices once they have been allocated. Any concerns regarding timetables should, in the first instance, go to their Advisor who will then let me know if there are issues to solve.

Term 3 Exams for Years 11 and 12

As Year 12 know, their Trial HSC exams are in Weeks 5 and 6 of next term. Whilst Year 11 end-of-course exams are held in Week 9.  An exam timetable will be sent to them this week to Year 12 students and also published on the parent and student portals of the TAS website. The exam timetable for Year 11 will be distributed midway through Term 3.

Students will not be able to reschedule exams unless there are grounds for illness or misadventure. Both illness and misadventure impact on preparation time is not grounds for appeal. So the advice to all students is to start preparing early.

Year 11 2023 Subject Selection Information Session

Current Year 10 students and families are invited to attend the Year 11 2023 Subject Selection Information Session which will occur on the first day back next term from 4-6pm. This afternoon will involve a presentation from Mr Taylor and me as well as an opportunity for you to speak with staff about particular subjects. The formal presentation will be recorded for those who cannot attend and available through the parent portal. In preparation for this presentation, families will be sent a link to the 2023 Year 11 Subject Handbook during the holidays for them to start reading and discussing with their child.

There is plenty of time to sort out subjects for your child in Year 11 – it is important we get this right.
I hope you all have a lovely break with your children and manage to stay warm.

Mrs Seonia Wark
Director of Studies

Congratulations to the Year 9/10 Marathon Athlete elective class. On Sunday 19 June, they competed in the Bay to Bay Half Marathon, from Woy Woy to Gosford. Sixteen students finished the Half Marathon, with Andrew Brennan 1^st in the U19yrs, Lennox Neilson 2^nd and Lang Toakley 4^th. in the girls, Mia Croker placed 6^th in the U19 category, with Tempe Macarthur-Onslow, Harriet Crawford and Annabelle Pennington not far behind. Five parents also participated in the Half, creating some serious competition within the families! A further five students and three parents ran the 12km, as injury and illness had hampered their preparation. This was such an impressive result, a testament to these students and their dedication over the past semester. My thanks to all the families who came and ran, supported and helped out over the weekend, along with Mrs Kate Lawrence for her wonderful assistance and a sensational run!

Mr Jim Pennington

Holocaust Exhibition

The students in Mrs Ahern’s Year 9 HSIE class have been putting together an exhibit on the Holocaust, using themes they had chosen as the background to their chosen primary and secondary sources. Dr Horton visited the class on Monday to review their work; congratulations to the winning team of Aerin Thomas, Elsie Kearney, Caitlyn Taylor and Sophie Hardin, pictured with their project.

Mrs Lorna Ahern
HSIE Teacher

A special thanks to the Year 11 boarders, particularly Samantha Price, for their work in organising and assisting with supervision at the Middle School Disco on Saturday evening. A great night was had by all in attendance with games and activities adding to the ‘country and western’ theme.

Please be aware that boarders can leave for the upcoming holidays from 3.30 pm Thursday 23 June with all boarding houses closed from 10.00 am Friday 24 June. Those boarders staying Thursday evening will reside in either Tyrrell House or the Girls Boarding House. Most holiday leave arrangements have been finalised through Heads of House, for those of you still to finalise please do with your respective Head/s of House ASAP. Boarding Houses will be open and staffed from 1.30 pm Monday 18 July with Heads of House available from 3.30 pm.

Thanks for your ongoing support and I wish you all a safe and restful break with your children.

Mr David Drain
Director of Boarding

 As we enter the final week of term 2, I reflect on the huge undertaking of co-curricular activities at TAS. The School Production Rhinoceros captivated our thoughts and the Shakespeare Carnival saw TAS progress and compete in Sydney, winter sport is back to its full program which has included our full involvement in local competitions, as well as trips to Sydney and our fixtures against Farrer and NEGS. The Athletics Championships ran smoothly, and it was great to see so many parents attend these events, with a special mention to the TAS Prefects who organised and participated in ‘The Amazing Shave’ to benefit Ovarian Cancer. The Equestrian Team competed at Coonabarabran, winning several events. The Armidale Eisteddfod highlighted the strength of the TAS Music program, and the Inter-House debates showcased the depth of public speakers across both Middle and Senior School. The Activities Program continued and the ‘TAS 6 Hour’ mountain bike ride saw the first of our Triple Crown events take place.

I commend our students and staff for their engagement in these areas outside of the classroom. These opportunities allow students to challenge themselves, grow and develop relationships and memories that will extend into the future.

The Week 9 Assembly was devoted to the Senior School Inter-House Debating Final. The topic ‘That sports celebrities are more influential than politicians’ was always going to be entertaining and Dr Horton was tasked with the position of adjudicating the great debate. Ross (Affirmative) started strongly and their young team impressed throughout the debate but it was the experience of Tyrrell (Negative) and their well-constructed argument and rebuttal that saw them claim victory on the day. I commend all students who have taken part in the Inter-House Debating over the past weeks. The standard and appreciation of this event have reinforced its position as a highlight in the TAS calendar.

The Middle School Final: Ross (Affirmative) v Green (Negative) will take place in Period 6 on Thursday 23 June 2022 in Hoskins, adjudicated by Mr Polson. The topic will be ‘That blood donation should be compulsory’.

Congratulations to Lennox Neilson and Tom Ball who last week competed in the CIS 16s Hockey team. Lennox Neilson’s performance during the tournament has seen him be selected in the NSW All Schools Hockey Team, which competes in Hobert later in the year.

Tom Ball (left) and Lennox Neilson

Congratulations to our First Volleyball Team who competed at the UNE Frosty Balls Volleyball Tournament. Following 8 pool games, the boys went on to win their semi-final and progress to the final. The boys finished the tournament runner-up, an outstanding achievement.

Mr Huon Barrett
Director of Co-curricular

UNE Frosty Balls Volleyball Tournament

Over the weekend of 18-19 June, eight boys represented TAS at the Frosty Balls Volleyball Tournament held in Armidale. Competing in the Junior Boys’ division it was a good test to see how the boys went playing against players their own age. Playing nine games over the two-day competition wore the boys out but it didn’t stop them competing in every game they played as they worked to a 7-1 record through the pool games.

Placing second after the pool games, the TAS boys faced the third-placed Coffs Harbour team in the semi-finals. The Coffs Harbour team had been defeated by TAS in the pool games, but had been hit by injuries, so one of their Division 2 men’s players took the court so they could continue in the competition. Boosted by their new player, the much-improved Coffs team put up a fight and shocked the boys, with TAS going down in the first set 22-25, despite a late comeback lead by some great spikes from Aidan Rosberg.

The boys woke up in the second set and started firing on all cylinders as they cruised to a second set 25-18 victory under the leadership of the captain, William Jackson. The third set got off to a nail biting start with points being exchanged until the boys put a great run together forcing a timeout from Coffs. The boys went back out and stayed hot, as they won the third set 15-9, sending them through to the final!

In the final TAS was faced with the massive challenge of beating a very tall and well-drilled team from Ballina. The first set got off to rough start with the team from Ballina gaining an early lead. By time the boys woke up it was too late, and Ballina held on to their lead to win the first set 25-20. The second set brought about a much better start from the TAS boys, staying competitive thanks to some great serving from Oliver Morse, Tom Sheedy and Darby Lehman. Excellent blocking from Sam Ball and William Nash meant we stayed in touch until Ballina went on a great serving run and gained a three point lead. After a timeout and reset, the boys went back out and after some great setting from Stephen Griffiths,, fought back to level the scores. Ballina went on another run, off some great play from the better side on the day, with Ballina winning the second set 25-22.

The boys’ effort could not be faulted throughout the entire weekend, with them all giving 100 percent for every point of every game, and only getting better as the weekend went on. Thank you to all the parents who came to support the boys as they competed. We all look forward to our next competition.

Mr Zak Hackett
1^st Grade Volleyball Coach

NSW CIS Cross Country

Twenty-five students descended upon Eastern Creek Raceway last Wednesday, the largest TAS contingent ever to represent NCIS at the NSW CIS Cross Country Championships. The performances were fantastic, highlighting the ever-increasing depth of talented runners at school. Emily Ussher was our highest place finisher, coming in at 19^th position out of a field of 62 athletes. It is terrific to witness the growth of Cross Country over the past few years.

Final Results

Mr Jim Pennington
Challenge & Adventure Coordinator

Upcoming Events

My thanks to everyone for a successful term. It has certainly been a busy one as excursions and events get back into full swing. I offer my thanks to everyone – staff, students and parents who have contributed to the opportunities and experiences that we offer here at TAS. Last Saturday, our Middle School boarders were treated to a disco as part of the boarders’ recreation program. This was a most enjoyable night and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it. My thanks go to Ms Julie Crozier, as well as Year 11 students Samantha Price, Sarskia Clarke and Felicity Barton for leading the disco and managing the all important playlist.

This Thursday, all of Middle School will be watching the final of the Inter-house debating where Green and Ross will debate the topic ‘blood donation should be compulsory’. I am looking forward to this and congratulate all of the students and houses who have competed in the debates over the past few weeks and offer my thanks to Mr Tim Hughes and Miss Hannah Lo for their organisation of this.

As previously mentioned, Year 6 will be split into two classes from next semester. I am pleased to announce that Mr Ben MacDougall, known to many in the Middle School, will be sharing some of the Year 6 teaching for the remainder of the year alongside myself, Mr Jamie Brauer and the teaching staff who have been allocated to Year 6 this year. This is a positive development for Middle School and I look forward to welcoming a number of new families into our community next term.

This week we farewell Miss Hannah Lo. Hannah has been a valued member of our teaching staff this year and advisor to Year 7 students. Her contributions to teaching and the co-curricular program of the school, including debating, have been enormously valued and we thank her for the contributions she has made. On behalf of all of Middle School, we wish her every success in the future.

I would also like to draw your attention to the Middle School Open Day  – Where Adventure meets Education that will be held on Saturday 6 August from 1 pm – 4 pm.  This event is for all current and prospective families to enjoy a day of adventure, fun, creative arts and STEM activities.  It will also be an opportunity for all new and current families to meet the Principal Dr Horton and Deputy Principal Ray Pearson, enjoy lunch or afternoon tea and learn more about your child’s educaional opportunities during the middle years at TAS. More details will be available in the coming weeks and I would encourage you all to attend this special event.

I hope everyone has a relaxing and refreshing break. Term 3 commences on Tuesday 19 July, with boarders returning on Monday 18 July.

Academic Reports

Part of the reporting process for our academic program is to have written reports provided at the end of the first semester. These reports are being printed as we speak and will be mailed out to you by the beginning of next week. Please contact us for further information should you have the need.

Shrek Jnr. – The Musical – Cast announcement this Thursday

It will be with much excitement that we announce the cast for our End of year production tomorrow after lunch. I thank Mrs Leasa Cleaver, Miss Charlotte Low and our producer Mr Craig Norrie for all the work behind the scenes to ensure this has been a thorough and fair selection process. It has been really pleasing, and a reflection of the status of our drama program after such a break because of COVID, to see how many students were keen to be involved. It will be a lot of fun and even if some are playing roles other than those they preferred, we know the juggernaut is unstoppable and everyone will enjoy the ride.

Red Cross Fundraiser

I would like to thank our parents for the support shown for the Red Cross fundraiser last week. Blood donation might be a somewhat unfamiliar concept for many of our students’ but I am sure it is not for many of our parents. The act of supporting such fundraisers schoolwide is important in itself and I know that our $240 was valued by those who will benefit from it.

Year 5 dress for the Australian Red Cross Fundraiser

ICAS letter to parents

I emailed a letter to parents in Year 2 to 5 this week about the ICAS Competition and Assessments that is held next term. These competitions are designed to extend students at the highest level and are not for everybody. Please read the letter carefully and contact us if you have questions.

Open Classrooms

Last week, I believe we were all a little bit fortunate to be able to see our Junior School PYP program in operation on such a beautiful day, when our classrooms were open for business for all to see. I say “thank you” to all our staff who were so welcoming, and to our students, who were so principled despite the distractions on the day. Our Year 5 leaders did an outstanding job, navigating a large number of adults around our wonderful facilities, answering questions, giving away (more than a few) secrets and assisting where necessary. Such examples of outstanding leadership are becoming a hallmark of our school and we are very pleased to have been in a position to showcase our classrooms for the morning.

Vacation Care Program

The Vacation Care program was mailed to you recently and places are filling fast. The information is on the website so please, look carefully at the schedule as soon as you can and make your bookings so that Jacinta and her team can plan ahead. More information can be found at <https://www.as.edu.au/after-school-care/>

Holidays

And so, we come to the end of our first semester, our second term, and it is time for a break. The children are tired and the weather, while it has improved recently while we enjoyed the winter solstice, has been bitter and very trying. Having read and commented on every report that will be mailed out to you all in the next few days, I know that it has been an excellent start to the school year and we look forward to finishing off with a song and a dance.

And isn’t it lovely that we can? Have a great holiday…

School Spirit Awards

Congratulations to the following students that received School Spirit Awards last week:
Morrie Rylands, Hunter Grace-Booth, Sonny Salvador, Elizabeth Collins, Umraj Nirmaan, Heidi Secker, Wilbur Drain, Hassan Almokhtar, Sansa Ranawake, Lachie Chiu, Poppy O’Brien, Freddie Post, James Taylor, Patrick Bourke, Liam Hoad, Toby Whysall, Daniel Bayne, Jose Ugwumba, Joshua Bourke and Leo Thavapalasundaram.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday wishes to the following Junior School students that celebrate their special days between now and week one Term 3: Mohammed Alrdadi, Violet Caulfield, Uday Grewal, Ruby Rice, Alice Schaerf, Finley Boyce, Darcy Collett, Xander Dell, Georgia Flynn, Pippi Goudge, Darby Klabe, Edward Minter, Ollie Rogers and Lachie Wood.

Mr Ian Lloyd
Head of Junior School

Upcoming Events

PYP Agency and Action

Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. The Junior School Leadership team would like to encourage everyone to be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics. By taking Agency we will feel empowered and very satisfied with how we have made a choice to make a difference.

Please use the link below to register

https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/take-the-challenge/

We know that many families will be on holiday, however, we would really like to encourage everyone to take this opportunity to help our environment.

Year 5 Leadership Team

Mrs Veronica Waters
PYP Coordinator