TAS Talks Term 2 Week 1

Term 2 started this morning with the TAS ANZAC Service, including all students and welcoming a large number of special guests onto campus prior to the start of the school day. Thank you to all those parents and friends who attended this morning, taking the time to reflect and pay their respects.

We were delighted to be joined as guest speaker by Old Armidalian, Professor Cameron Moore, a Commander in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve for over 30 years and Deputy Head of the School of Law at the University of New England. Professor Cameron spoke of the meaning of ANZAC Day, relating it to the current reality for Australians and our young people in particular. He quoted President Joe Biden in stating that we should “lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example”, and encouraged our students to consider what they would like their communities, our broad Australian community, to look like and what they can do to address the flaws present in our society today. Finally, Professor Cameron asked those listening to always have hope, even in difficult times as they may present as even in the darkness there is light and where there is light, hope can be found.

Dr Rachel Horton
Principal

I hope all families had an enjoyable Easter break.

Commencing Term 2 with the School ANZAC Service made the return to school extra special. The students will attest that I often refer to the concept of ‘Time and Place’ and the importance of getting this right. This morning’s service was a wonderful example of how all our students in attendance understand the poignancy and weight of remembering the service of those on behalf of a grateful nation and indeed School. I would also like to thank and acknowledge our Prefects who led the initiative to have 103 crosses placed on Adamsfield to pay tribute to the students and staff of The Armidale School who made the ultimate sacrifice. A special thank you to Mr Todd Currell for making the idea a reality and to the wonderful people at Timberline for manufacturing and donating the crosses to the School. 

To the students returning and to those commencing their journey at TAS this term, we appreciate the time and effort you have invested in countless hours preparing for your pursuits. We are amazed by your talent and are grateful for your service to the School and community. Continue to find ways to challenge yourselves, show gratitude, be kind and make the most of the many opportunities available to you at TAS.

I wish all students the very best for the term ahead. 

Mr Ray Pearson
Deputy Principal

The TAS Photo Gallery

The term has only just commenced and already so much has happened at TAS!

The website photo gallery has been updated with hundreds of photos from the Junior and Middle School Cross Country in the last week of Term 1; the TAS Rugby Carnival, yesterday’s Anzac Day commemorations and today’s School Anzac Service.

To go to the gallery simply click on the Camera icon in the tool bar on the top right hand corner of the website homepage. Photos can be downloaded from there.

TASRC

Another brilliant TASRC – even better than the last. Thank you to so many people. To parents and members of the TAS community who helped with setup, BBQs, Kiosks, and clean up. Without this help from volunteers each year the carnival would not run smoothly and be such a showcase for TAS.

To the P&F Executive team who spent many months ahead of the event planning, preparing and ordering so that players, coaches, referees and spectators didn’t go hungry.

P&F Executive – Paul Gaddes, Sophie Wright, Liz Rogers, Belinda Banister, Jane Dauparas, and Kath Little

Contact P&F Executive

If you have anything you would like to raise with the P&F Executive, please send us an email at [email protected]

Mr Paul Gaddes
P&F President

Term 2 is an exciting time of the year with teaching and learning shifting gears into new units and modules of work, and as a result, new challenges and knowledge to encounter and wrangle.

At the end of Term 1, I met with Year 12, and we worked through the productivity method known (strangely) as ‘Eat that Frog’. The idea was one which Canadian American thinker, Brian Tracy developed when planning and writing about motivation and productivity. Interestingly, the metaphor of eating a frog has been attributed to something which the classic author, Mark Twain, once said. The paraphrased notion is that Twain thought If you must eat a live frog, it is best to do it first thing in the morning. If you do this, nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day. While it is argued that Twain never said such a thing, Brian Tracy ran with the idea and developed it into a simple figurative method of positioning difficult or unpleasant jobs at the top of your ‘to-do’ list and completing these jobs first. Eat that frog.

In the workshop I ran with our Year 12s, I asked them to think about their ‘frogs’ each time they sit down to plan or complete some study, revision, or written work. What is it that they wish to avoid because it is difficult or unenjoyable? Which ‘frogs’ would we rather leave until later? Most importantly though, we spoke about the second part of the theory – that once the frog has been disposed of, once the ‘big’ job has been completed, the rest of the day feels lighter, more positive, and by the end of the day it has been a productive one. We all know that productive days are the ones that make us feel most satisfied and often lead to the best night’s sleep!

As such, as we enter Term 2, it is a good time to start thinking about our ‘frogs’. What is it that we need to be working on first thing, in order to be productive, organised and feel prepared for the upcoming challenges?

• Setting some goals for the week, month, or term ahead.
• Organising notes and classwork to ensure you are up to date and on top of your work.
• Revisiting modules or units which have passed but will be assessed and examined in the coming weeks and months.
• Writing practice responses in preparation for the ‘main event’ – whatever that may be for different students.
• Making appointments with teachers to go through texts, work samples, practice responses or past papers. Ask questions – don’t be afraid to do this!
• Spending time on your calendar – you need to plan your study, leisure, exercise, and sleep. Knowing what is ahead of you by looking at the assessment and school calendars and speaking to family about events that are coming up will help you be more organised and feel more prepared.

And, as always: start as you mean to go on.

Today marks the start of a brand-new term, a blank slate, and a new beginning. As such, make the most of it and start well.

Mrs Gill Downes
Director of Teaching and Learning

Boarders Recreation Term 2 - Week 1 to Week 6

• Monday to Thursday each week – Basketball Gym open for MS Boarders, 7:15 pm to 8:15 pm
• Week 1 – Saturday 29 April – Belgrave Movies. Viewing of ‘Air’
• Week 2 – Sunday the 7 May – Nundle Dog Races
• Week 3- Sunday the 14 May – Armidale Lawn Bowls
• Week 4 – Sunday the 21 May – Mountain Biking or Tamworth Trip
• Week 5 – Saturday the 28 May – Armidale Blues vs Robb rugby fixture
• Week 6 – Sunday 4 June – Ten Pin Bowling.

Mr Jamie Brauer
Head of White House

After a three-year hiatus, TAS returned to the Tour de Rocks in 2023. This is such a special community event, one in which supports families dealing with cancer (and providing funds for cancer research) throughout the New England/Northwest, truly unique. Twenty eight of the most incredible students, three amazing parents (Emily Brett, Tom Palfreyman and James McMaster) and two steady staff riding, with five sensational parents and two majestic staff supporting, what a team! Our youngest rider was the legend Arthur White (Year 7), with one from Year 8, 12 from Year 9, four from Year 10 (all having just returned from the NZ rugby tour), eight from Year 11 and our Year 12s being represented by Harrison Miller and Peter Evans. Day 1 of the ride was a solid 88km, with just over 1500m of climbing and a robust headwind for the first four hours. The scenery was beautiful, especially when enjoying lunch at the property ‘Jeogla’. Camping at Wollomombi on Thursday night was a little damp, with rain throughout the evening, Fortunately, Friday morning presented ideal riding conditions, overcast, but no rain and cool conditions. Day 2 was 92km, with a 10km unrelenting climb which quickly saw everyone searching for more gears! Friday nights camping at Guyra was exactly what one would expect, very cold, windy, and cold again! Massive thanks to Kirsty and Sam White who provided the world’s biggest fire pit, something in which we were all extremely grateful for. The last day was 55km back to Armidale, some rolling hills, but the end in was in sight. My thanks to the extraordinary support everyone received from Kirsty and Sam White, Suzy Ross, Anna Tizzard, Jane Palfreyman, Gail Rogers and Simon Ball. Such a formidable and kind troupe, always there to help and encourage the riders, ensuring that when they finished each day, tents were set-up, food was plentiful and warmth close by. As all riders noted, no matter how hard a climb was, how sore you were, how cold it was, none of it compared to the first minute of the first session for someone undergoing chemotherapy. That’s the perspective.

Mr James Pennington

The holiday period is a time to recharge the batteries and enjoy a break from the regular school routine. For many of our students the April break saw many students travel, challenge themselves and prepare for events that will take place in term 2.

The NZ Rugby Development Tour saw 45students and four staff explore the wonders of the South Island, play six competitive games of rugby and experience the comradery and excitement that only a tour provides. There were many highlights along the way, including training sessions with NPC Canterbury Coaches, a tour of the Crusaders facility and rubbing shoulders with some All Blacks, paintball, go-kart racing, Lake Tekapo hot springs, Shotover jetboat and the Queenstown gondola and luge rides. To be able to share these experiences and develop our rugby skills along the way was amazing. However, for me, the greatest satisfaction came from seeing what wonderful young people we have at TAS. The compliments from the public about our boys was humbling and made me very proud of how these boys behaved and presented themselves.

The TAS Rugby Carnival took place last weekend. With 53 teams, over 1000 players, coaches and managers, the school came alive, and Armidale benefited from the huge influx of visitors to our picture-perfect town. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Parents and Friends who worked tirelessly over the weekend. I would also like to acknowledge the students and academic, boarding, admin, grounds, housekeeping, and support staff whose involvement is essential to the smooth running of the event.

It is evident that TASRC is a real community event, seeing staff, students and parents working together to pull off a carnival of this magnitude is unique. The experience and memories we have created for young people will last a lifetime. During the weekend and post-carnival, I have been inundated by positive praise from visiting teams and parents, and I hope you are as proud of what we have achieved as I am.

Legally Blonde rehearsals took place last weekend and into the beginning of this week, in preparation for the performances in Week 2. The Production is set to light up the stage and I encourage you to secure your tickets now as they are selling out fast.

The Tour de Rocks once again challenged students and staff last week. I commend Mr Pennington for his organisation and enthusiasm as a select group rode the highs and lows that the tour has to offer.

This week we commence winter sport. I remind students to ensure they have the correct uniform and are prepared for the rigours of the season ahead. In the event that a student is not able to participate in a training session or game, it is their responsibility to explain their intended absence with their coach, in advance of the session or game.

Click HERE for the Term 2 Winter Sports Schedule.

Click HERE for the Term 2 Extra-Curricular Schedule.

Mr Huon Barrett
Director of Co-curricular

The holidays were crunch time for the cast, crew and team of Legally Blonde. Over four massive days (and plenty of extra days behind the scenes) we worked on the technical elements, incorporated the band and refined this big and challenging show into a position ready to Preview to an audience this Sunday. Tickets have been selling really well – Saturday is sold out and (at the time of writing this) only one ticket is left for Thursday – so jump online ASAP or risk missing out.

The Middle School play Fight With All Your Might the Zombies of Tonight have auditions this Friday and Monday lunch and afternoon for all students in Years 6, 7, and 8. The audition materials have been sent out and can be found below, with auditions booked using the students’ email address on this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1un15mpkHuWPOIbs8Yq0etbZjfMRZkiJhNmEtGVwNyoU/edit?usp=sharing
A reminder that students in Year 6 will need to audition this Friday as they are away on an excursion next week. We also hope to have some Assistant Directors appointed before the show gets underway!

 
Audition Booklet
 
Mr Andrew O’Connell
Head of Creative Arts

Legally Blonde Gala Performance

https://events.humanitix.com/taslbtm/tickets

Dear Parents,

We have secured a date for the Term 2 Twilight Concert – Tuesday 9 May.

The concert will be held in Memorial Hall with two sessions scheduled for 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm. There is a maximum of 16 performances in each session. As Mrs Edmonds mentioned in the Term 1 Twilight Concert email, this is an ideal opportunity for students to participate in a pre-Eisteddfod performance.

We are asking that students register their Expression of Interest by completing the attached form:
https://forms.gle/rehN9sUo58B26WvR7.

Entries close on Friday 28 April

Year 7 Camp

Anzac Day

My thanks to all who attended various ANZAC ceremonies in Armidale and our wider region. This morning’s TAS ANZAC service was indeed a very special way for our students to commence the term and I commend all who were involved in the various services. Our Middle School students represented the school with pride; marching as TAS Cadets or as part of the TAS Marching Band. Pictured here is Hunter Thornbury (Year 8), Hugo (Year 7) and Emily Ussher (Year 9) who represented TAS marching in the Walcha ANZAC March.

Holiday Activities

Whilst the recent holiday break was a period of rest for many, it was also full of TAS activity for a number of our students. The annual TAS Rugby carnival was again a huge success and I commend the large number of Middle School students who participated. I had the privilege of riding alongside Arthur White (Year 7) and Hamish Pengilley (Year 8) who rode in this year’s Tour de Rocks, alongside a large contingent of TAS students, staff and parents. The second Triple Crown event of the year, saw riders tackle 230km over 3 days to raise money and awareness for cancer patients and further research. The ride was indeed a challenge, with some 4000m of elevation climbed over the three days and I commend our students for their resilience and superb effort in completing this challenge. It was incredibly fitting that these two young men were awarded special jerseys at the end of the tour for their gutsy effort.

Fiji Service Trip

It was fabulous to see a good turnout of students and parents at Monday’s information evening for this year’s Fiji Service Trip. A reminder that students and parents should read the selection criteria carefully and ensure that their expression of interest is submitted by this Friday, 28 April. Please find below a link to an audio recording of the presentation and a PDF copy of the slideshow presentation. If you have any further questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Ms Fiona Taber ([email protected]). 

Click here to access the PDF Presentation

Click here to access the audio recording (listen in conjunction with the PDF slides above) 

A reminder that expressions of interest close Friday 28 April 2023. 

Middle School Play

As announced at the end of last term, It is with great excitement that we launch the 2023 Middle School Play. We are filled with undead excitement to announce the Middle School Production is Matthew Whittet’s Fight With All Your Might the Zombies of Tonight. This fun and zany play has a huge roster of great characters and a wacky plot, and it is begging to be staged in all its spooky glory on the Hoskins stage. Auditions will be held in Week 1 & 2 of Term 2 and performances happen in Week 4, Term 3. Please see below a link for the audition information, in case you haven’t received it. 

Click here to access the Audition Information package. 

Alex is a twelve-year-old with a keen eye and a wit to match. She’s been watching everyone at school for the last few days like an eagle… or maybe a hawk, and something’s not right. Everyone is acting weird. They’re all starting to say the same things, wear the same clothes, do bad dance routines in the corridors for no reason at all and meet up after school to drink decaf-mocha-latte-soy-frappuccinos. The writing’s on the wall. She knows what’s happening. They’re all turning into zombies.

In fact, it’s the Night of the Zombies – that fateful occurrence that happens once every 200 years. Alex and her buddies know what to do, they’ll have to fight with all their might the zombies of tonight.

Finally, I draw your attention to a few items as the term gets underway.

• Students are to wear the Winter school uniform for Terms 2 and 3. 
• Students will need to check their timetables online through Edval before returning to school. There have been changes made over the holidays. Please ensure that you know when sports etc are running this term. 
• Year 6 students travel to Canberra for Week 2 (1 May to 5 May).
• The Middle/Senior School Athletics Carnival is scheduled for Friday 26 May. Further details to come in due course. 
• The next Activities Day (single day, no overnight) will be held on Wednesday 24 May Again, further details will be published closer to the date.

Mrs Robyn Frost will be taking some well-earned leave from Wednesday 26 April through to Friday 5 May. During this time, Mrs Gaye Piper will be working in Middle School. Please ensure that you send all correspondence to [email protected] so that either myself or Gaye can assist you during this time. Please ensure that all absentees or messages for students are sent to this address. Mrs Regina Pollard continues her Long Service Leave and returns in Week 2 of Term 2. 

Best wishes for the term ahead,

Mr Luke Polson
Head of Middle School

It was tremendous to welcome back our students to school this morning. Many braved the increasingly chilly temperatures to join the School ANZAC Service at 7.00 am, and I am sure they would agree that it was well worth waking up a little earlier to commemorate this important event in the national calendar.

While today marks the commencement of Term 2, for many it must feel that they have been back at school for some time. I thoroughly enjoyed watching many of our Year 5 students participate in the seventeenth TAS Rugby Carnival over the last weekend. While we did not have the most successful of tournaments on the scorecard, the true measure of success of this competition for our students was in the character development that sport, and particularly rugby, is renowned for – particularly discipline, teamwork, respect and resilience. The tournament, as you will read elsewhere in this newsletter, was a remarkable success and a true testament to the teamwork and sacrifices of a great many people, including our hard-working P&F and the countless parent volunteers, and our sincere thanks to all involved for showcasing our school, and indeed our town, to over 1000 players and countless others.

We hope many Junior School households have been busily preparing the most delectable ANZAC biscuits imaginable for entry into the inaugural Junior School House ANZAC Biscuit competition. Entries, which could be in either the ‘chewy’ or ‘crunchy’ categories,  should be submitted to Mrs Lasker at the Junior School reception on Friday morning, together with the appropriate entry form. Preliminary judging will take place at recess before Dr Horton and Mr Pearson determine the best ANZAC biscuits from those shortlisted by the House leadership team. We look forward to sharing the recipe of the winning entries in next week’s edition of TAS Talks.

Junior School classes will participate in the Life Education program over the next week. Each group join the iconic Healthy Harold to learn more about a specific topic relating to either safety, physical health or social and emotional well-being before completing related work during their Personal Development lessons in subsequent weeks. You are encouraged to read about what your child(ren)’s class learned throughout this program and how you can support the lessons at home by accessing https://lifeed.org.au/families/primary-parent-flyers/ and selecting the relevant module as outlined below.

• Pre-Kindergarten – Harold’s Big Feelings
• Kindergarten – My Body Matters
• Year 1 – Ready Steady Go
• Year 2 – Safety Rules
• Year 3 – Friends and Feelings
• Year 4 – Friends and Feelings
• Year 5 – Relate, Respect, Connect

Please note that Sport training sessions and the academic enrichment program for selected Years 3, 4 and 5 students commence in earnest next week.  It is important that students are dressed appropriately, in terms of both the correct uniform and for the elements. I am quickly learning that Armidale can be rather cold, and encourage those training or competing in outdoor sports especially to be prepared for extremes of temperature. Wearing of thermals beanies and gloves, especially for our younger students, during training sessions is permissible. These additional items of clothing may not be worn at other times. Please contact your child’s sports coach if you have any questions in this regard.

Please note that all Junior School students may continue to attend school in their sports uniform on those days when they have either PE lessons or Sport. Summer uniform may be worn over the coming weeks on all other days, with full winter uniform required from Week 3. The uniform shop can be contacted at [email protected].

The School timetable has been changed for Term 2 with the commencement of our second Year 2 class and some other staffing changes elsewhere in the school. Your child’s teacher(s) will communicate any changes that affect their class with you. There may be some changes to the scheduling of specialist classes, such as Physical Education and Library lessons, that require specific equipment to be packed.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind our community that any anticipated period of absence must be applied for, in advance, through the completion of the Application from Exemption from Attendance at School (https://www.as.edu.au/content/uploads/2020/03/Application-for-Exemption-from.pdf), which should be emailed to [email protected] as soon as possible. This ensures the School’s compliance with Section 25 of the Education Act 1990 and is in accordance with School policy.

To our students, I remind you to remember your “BAG” this term – to Be kind, Always try your best, and Get involved. If you can do these three things, you will no doubt have another wonderful term and take advantage of the many and varied opportunities afforded you.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact the relevant member of staff should you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to another productive (and no doubt busy!) term.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Claire Reynell, Bradley Byrnes, Sophie Colyvas, Audrey Lado and Rocco Shaw who all celebrate their birthdays this coming week.

Out of School Hours Care Booking System

From Week 3 all bookings for the TAS Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) program will be completed using a new online platform, Xplor. Families will be able to claim the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) through this system once the School receives the necessary accreditation. At this point all billing for the OSHC services will also be managed through this system.

All families will need to complete an online enrolment form before they are able to complete any bookings. Those wishing to use this service are asked to complete this process as soon as possible by clicking on the following link: https://prodadmin.myxplor.com/enrollment_v2/centre/FJJrxTAXRnnWSl8PZWFz3w.

Once the enrolment form has been completed, an automatically generated email from Xplor will be received that provides an individualised ‘Create Account’ link. This link should be used to set a password, pin and confirm/enter the mobile number for the primary carer. Should you not receive this email please check your Spam and Junk folders and search for ‘Xplor’ in your inbox, or go to home.myxplor.com and select ‘Forgot Password?’

We suggest downloading and using the Xplor Home app from this point to make and amend bookings, sign children in and out of the service and arrange for other adults to collect your child(ren) from the program. The Logo looks like this:

All bookings for the first two weeks of term can continue to be made by emailing [email protected]. Bookings completed through the new system will also be recognised. Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Jacinta Major (OSHC Coordinator) if you experience any difficulties setting up your Xplor account.

Mr Scott Chittenden
Head of Junior School

Upcoming Events

Equestrian Success

Sisters Ellen Adams (Year 5) and Georgia White (Year 11) recently spent four days in Merriwa, NSW at the State Sporting, Camp Drafting and Team Penning Championships from Friday 21 to Monday 24 April inclusive.

In the Sporting events (Saturday), where competitors complete a range of different courses in the shortest possible time, Georgia placed eight overall while Ellen placed first in six of the seven events and received three championship ribbons – Under 11 Champion, Champion Zone Team and Champion State Team, qualifying to represent NSW at the national championships later in the year.

Campdrafting requires competitors to ‘cut out’ one beast from a larger mob of cattle, and turn it around several times to prove they have it under control before taking it from the yard following a designated course. Georgia excelled in this event on Sunday, being awarded Reserve Champion, Champion Zone Team and Champion State Team.

The Team Penning event requires a team of three riders to separate three specifically identified cattle from a large mob and place them through a small gate into a smaller pen in the shortest time possible. The competition on Monday was the first such event in which Ellen has competed and Georgia’s second. Teammate Amber had also not previously competed in this event. The team performed incredibly well, placing second overall behind a Queensland team and being awarded Reserve State Champions.

Congratulations to Ellen and Georgia on their fabulous achievements!