TAS Talks Term 1 Week 10

The first bivouac of the year last week was an incredibly successful two days for all involved. It was certainly cold overnight, but stories abound of the adventures that were had and the challenges overcome. Service, Rural Fire Service and Surf Lifesaving students also made strong starts to their years’ worth of activities while Year 12 students attended a range of workshops. These were interspersed with individual study times and included sessions on study skills and strategies, subject and assignment-specific advice and an incredibly informative session on personal finances.

Saturday was a beautiful day in Armidale for the Autumn Festival. TAS Junior School and Year 6 students took part in the parade, while TAS Senior Concert Band kicked off performances on the stage in Civic Park. Thank you to all of the families and staff who were involved or who came to support our students. The final TAS involvement for the day was a preview of Legally Blonde The Musical. Having seen several rehearsals myself, I can guarantee that this production is going to be fun, energetic and full of incredibly talented performers. The final performance has sold out, but tickets are available HERE for the Wednesday and Thursday nights and for the TAS Foundation’s special gala night on Friday 5 May raising funds for a TAS Creative Arts Scholarship.

With the end of term this week, I look forward to seeing many parents throughout parent-teacher interviews. Good luck to those participating in Tour de Rocks at the end of the break and to those taking part in the rugby tour to New Zealand or the TAS Rugby Carnival.

Next term will also start with parent-teacher interviews, and the return of our Boarders on ANZAC Day, and we would love those families who can make it to join us on the first teaching day next term for our School ANZAC Service at 7.00 am on Wednesday 26 April.

Finally, I would like to wish all of our TAS families and friends a peaceful, blessed and safe Easter.

Dr Rachel Horton
Principal

As we approach the end of term, I would like to wish all our staff, students, and families a safe and enjoyable break.

From the Swimming Carnival to Activities Days, Blue Week to our Cross Country. I trust that all students have had the opportunity to express themselves, find success and gain a greater insight into their true capacity throughout the past 10 weeks. Undoubtedly, some will have been reserved and placed limitations on themselves, conscious of what those around may be thinking. To me, this is a true point of reflection for us all. I encourage all to take time over the break and reflect on what has been achieved but also what could have been achieved if more vulnerability was shown and positive risks were taken. To try and fail is far more courageous and advantageous than to not try at all.

This break is a much-needed circuit breaker for us all to refresh the mind and body in time for the second half of the semester. This being said all students should aim to maintain the important elements of the routine they have worked so hard to establish over the past 10 weeks. Adequate sleep and hydration, putting limits on screen time, exercise and eating well are the basics that are needed for personal success. In addition, I encourage our senior students to put aside time for study over the break to reduce the challenges Term 2 will present by getting ahead – preparation is the key to success.

Have a wonderful Easter, enjoy the time with family and friends and I look forward to seeing all students return safely for Term 2.

Mr Ray Pearson
Deputy Principal

In the lead-up to Easter this week, students across the school have attended special Easter Chapel Services, giving them the opportunity to listen to and reflect on the Easter message. Our Junior School had a combined K-5 service in the Hoskins Centre, which was a more contemporary style service, while still focussing on the real meaning of Easter as presented in the Gospels. The Middle and Senior School students and staff attended a more traditional service in Memorial Hall and were treated to the wonderful singing of the TAS Chapel Choir, accompanied by Organist, Mr Warwick Dunham. The Bible talk focused on Matthew 26: 36 – 46 which can be found here https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+26&version=NIV

The aim of the talk was to try and help us understand what was so significant about Jesus’s death – why is it more significant than other real-life heroes who have given up their lives to save others? For the answer, we looked into the meaning of “the cup”, which was the focus of Jesus’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26, before he went to the cross. Jesus asked God if it were possible for “the cup” to be taken away, but then prayed “Yet not my will be done, but yours” (v 39, 42, 44). “The cup” in ancient times didn’t just represent any kind of death, it represented a judicial death. In the Bible, “the cup” refers to God’s own judicial wrath on injustice and evil. We “unpacked” what this meant, and what it means for us in that Jesus took on the punishment for the sins of humanity, which brings a sure hope to all who put their trust in the risen Christ as Lord and Saviour. Churches in the Armidale Anglican Diocese will be holding services over Easter, so why not consider attending your local church to hear the good news of the gospel for yourself? Most local churches will have Easter service times on their website, and the Armidale Anglican church times are in the fliers below. Wishing everyone a very happy Easter and a safe and refreshing break!

Mrs Jo Benham
Assistant Chaplain

TASRC - Volunteers

TAS Rugby Carnival is just over three weeks away and we are continuing the call for volunteers. The P&F will be operating venues for BBQs, kiosks and home baked goods.

We will need help on Friday 21 April to set up, as well as Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 for the Carnival itself.

We still need over 150 helpers across the weekend!

Thank you to all who have already registered. Please visit the link to confirm your support TASRC Volunteer SignUp

If you have questions, contact the P&F Exec team at [email protected].

TASRC – Baking

Much of the financial success of the TAS Rugby Carnival for the P&F can be attributed to the TAS baking community. So once again, we are calling on your donations.

Baked items need to be:

• Nut free
• Well-formed (such as slice) to keep shape when served or moved into individual bags
• Fresh for consumption until the Sunday (23 April) of the Carnival
• Accompanied by a list of ingredients (people buying often ask – specifically as to allergen content e.g., is this free of eggs; this year we’d like everything labelled, so we’ve asked people to use our standard recipes so we have ready-made labels)
• Of a serving size suitable for a $3-$5 price point.

You’ll notice this year that ‘jelly cup’ contributions are not sought. They will be at the carnival, but they will be made by the P&F on Friday and Saturday – let us know if you can help.

With all these requirements, and with our knowledge of sales at past carnivals, we’ve created a list of preferred baked items and their recipes.

• However, we would never say ‘no’ to good old-fashioned baking (or Gluten-Free or nutritious contributions) that meets these criteria even if it is not a preferred item – so if you wish to contribute your special recipe, please select ‘Other’ in the sign-up list.
• Also, if you want to use your own recipe for one of the standardised items – please check the food label listed at the top of the recipe, if the ingredients are the same, then no need to let us know it is a different recipe.  However, if it does have different ingredients, please write these out for us.
• Finally, we also welcome your personal recipes to add to the TAS Rugby Carnival recipe bank (especially if they meet all the criteria above). Thank you!

We still need over 50 items baked!

Sign up for baking: TASRC Baking SignUp

Recipes available at TASRC Recipes

Drop off baking: Friday 21 April between 12 noon – 300pm in Big School. Also Saturday 22 April between 800am – 12 noon at the Junior School Homework Centre (opposite pool).

Queries: Kerryl Sedon 0408 797 896 or [email protected] or Caroline Coupland 0417 52 44 92.

Start of Term Dinner

To start the term, P&F have organised dinner and drinks at the Royal Hotel on Tuesday 25 April from 500pm.

Next Meeting – P&F AGM

Wednesday 10 May 2023 is the next meeting of the P&F as well as our AGM. Please note the date and keep an eye out for details to attend early next term.

If you would like to get more involved with the P&F and become a voting member, please find the P&F Membership Application Form on the Parent Portal. If you would like to become a member of the P&F Executive team, then please complete the P&F AGM Executive Nomination Form also. Both of these can be emailed to the P&F Exec team at the address below.

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

Anzac Day Parade

TAS Students' Representative Council

The TAS SRC has started the year productively, running initiatives and planning projects within, and outside of school.

With a newly elected group who were nominated and voted in by their peers, the group of 15 students from Junior School to Year 12 have been working hard behind the scenes, meeting every Monday at 1:30pm to discuss matters, surrounding year level concerns, maintenance reports and planning fundraising projects.

The main focus of the SRC in Term 1 has been the ‘Blue Tree Project’, an initiative focusing on raising awareness and sparking difficult conversations surrounding mental health concerns. With the creation of our first ever ‘Blue Week’ which was held in Week 8, we formulated activities to be conducted in advisor sessions each day that had a message which sparked conversation. Activities included blue stick painting, mindfulness activities, the construction of a man made blue tree, and a blue-themed mufti day on the Friday. Special thanks must go to Mr Richie from Stihl Armidale who kindly donated a base plate to place our man-made tree in.

We have also painted our own ‘blue tree’ on the TAS campus. It has been recognised as an official tree by the Blue Tree Project, and recognised on their website.

Along with the blue tree initiative, the SRC has helped organise and run ‘Clean Up Australia Day’, where students helped alongside the Armidale Regional Council, to clean up parklands and river systems in the Armidale CBD.

The SRC is looking forward to continuing the hard work which they have been doing and working in the school and wider community to help support worthy causes. In Term 2, the prefect group will be continuing the tradition of conducting the greatest shave, to support the Leukemia Foundation.

Fred Kearney (on behalf of the SRC)
Senior Prefect

Wishing all boarding families a safe and relaxing Easter Break with family and friends. It has been another busy term for the boarders and I am sure they will enjoy some downtime over the coming weeks.

A reminder that Boarding Houses will be closed from 10 am Thursday with all boarders allowed staying overnight, in their respective houses, on Wednesday evening. Boarding Houses will be re-open for Term 2 from 1 pm Tuesday 25 April (ANZAC Day). Should boarders need to store belongings during the Parent/Teacher Interviews on Thursday they are to discuss this with their Head of House. My office is available for storage throughout the day.

All boarding houses will accommodate rugby players attending the TAS Rugby Carnival during the upcoming school holidays. Subsequently, boarders should have liaised with their Head of House regarding what can and can’t be left in their respective rooms/dorms. All boarders need to be aware that anything left in boarding houses must be adequately secured.

Thanks for your ongoing support.

Mr David Drain
Director of Boarding

Dear TAS Boarding Parents,

Next term I will be assisting the boarding community by starting a boarding recreational program for TAS boarders which will be available during the week, predominantly over the weekends.

The aim of this program will be to provide opportunities for the boarders to be involved in recreational activities on-site and beyond the TAS grounds outside of school hours.

To get things rolling, a calendar of proposed activities will be published at the beginning of next term for the wider TAS boarding community.

A benefit of implementing a boarding recreational program is its flexibility and openness to ideas. Boarders are encouraged to communicate with the recreational officer to comment or make suggestions about potential activities they would like offered. The costs associated with recreation will be carefully monitored and a series of no-cost activities will always be incorporated.

Boarders will be contacted in advance when confirming activities and seeking numbers. More often than not, advertised activities will be optional for the senior boarders; however, compulsory attendance will be required for the junior boarders who find themselves in-house during weekends.

This will be a great opportunity for TAS boarders to solidify relationships within their community and also have fun along the way by taking part in a variety of activities.

I look forward to getting this off the ground in Term 2.

Mr James Brauer
Head of White House

Whilst this week marks the end of the term there is a number of activities that will take place during the holidays. The New Zealand Rugby Tour will see 45 students, in the Opens and 16s teams travel abroad to experience the amazing culture and scenery of New Zealand. I can certainly remember the opportunity I was afforded to travel to NZ as a schoolboy and I am excited to be a part of the TAS group travelling in the April holidays. The growth and development of the boys, as well as the comradery and friendships that will be consolidated, will be an important part of the season ahead.

In addition to the NZ Tour, the TAS Rugby Carnival will be held on the last weekend of the holidays. From Friday 21 April to Sunday 23 April TAS will host 35 teams in the 12s competition and 17 Girls 7’s teams.  I make special mention of the 31 TAS girls who will be playing in this year’s carnival, an all-time high. I wish our TAS teams well and look forward to the energy and excitement that is the TAS Rugby Carnival.

Congratulations to Brock Galvin in Year 11 who has been selected to represent NIAS in the North vs South Cup being held on May 26, 27 & 28 at the Catalina Country Club.

Last week the TAS Open Boys Football team travelled to Coffs Harbour to trial for the NCIS Football team. The following boys were selected and will compete for NCIS at the CIS Carnival in Sydney next term. Congratulations and I wish you well. Ben Poole, Harrison Miller, Kane Salvodor, Tyler Nguyen, Peter Evans, Sam Hynes, Tom Ball.

Click HERE for the Winter Sports Schedule.

Mr Huon Barrett
Director of Co-curricular

Public Speaking & Debating News

Fred Kearney – NSW Lions Youth of the Year

Congratulations to Fred Kearney, who on Saturday night was named NSW Lions Youth of the Year at the State Final in Bathurst. Having won at club, zone and district levels, Fred, representing Armidale Dumaresq Lions Club and Lions N1 District was joined by four other state finalists from Gosford, Sydney, Wollongong and Young. As part of the judging process the finalists were interviewed by a panel of six judges on their academic, co-curricular, community and leadership achievements. They also had to answer three general knowledge questions: ‘how do you address current issues in your local community’; ‘how is Australia finding a balance between urban development and maintaining environmental sustainability’, and ‘how effective is the United Nations in dealing with humanitarian crisis’.

Later, the finalists then delivered two impromptu speeches and a prepared speech at a dinner attended by Lions, family and school representatives. In his prepared speech Fred drew on the record drought of 2018-19, questioning the notion whether tough times make people tougher. Instead, he proposed that allowing for vulnerability to seek help for yourself and others will ultimately make for healthier and stronger individuals and communities.

It was a privilege to witness five fine young people share their views on issues important to them, in such a forum. Fred was named the overall winner and will now represent NSW at the National Final to be held at the Gold Coast on 1 May – without doubt the whole school wishes him well in his preparations.

Federation Cup Debating

In other public speaking and debating news – debaters from TAS, Calrossy Anglican School, Farrer MAHS and McCarthy Catholic College have been competing this term in the Federation Cup, which wrapped up last Wednesday at Calrossy with round 3 prepared debates in the afternoon and impromptu finals at night. Having won five of six debates in the first two rounds the TAS teams were well placed, but in the round 3 prepared debates on Wednesday afternoon, TAS was defeated by Calrossy in both Year 12 and Year 8 debates, though it would be repeat match up in the finals. Meanwhile the Year 10 team, which secured a solid win against Calrossy, finished round 3 on equal points with McCarthy and Calrossy – being relegated by the toss of a coin to the lower tier final against Farrer, who they also defeated. Calrossy’s form was too good on the night, winning the top tier finals and taking out the Federation Cup for 2023.

Congratulations to Calrossy for winning the cup, thanks to McCarthy for organising the fixtures and well done to the students from all schools for a wonderful showcase of debating.

TAS debaters at the Federation Cup – (back row) Fred Kearney, Sofia Paris, Louis Ross, Daniel Emmery, Jack Coddington, (centre) Bella Banister, Samuel Krishnan, Millie Coupland, (front) Cormac Downes, Peter Thompson, Dominic Nguyen, Jessica Emmery

Mr Tim Hughes
MIC Debating and Public Speaking

Legally Blonde tickets have been selling fast, with Saturday night’s performance already sold out! Seats are still available for the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Gala performances so jump online and grab them here: https://events.humanitix.com/taslbtm

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. The audition and show information has been emailed to Middle School students and parents, so get busy preparing your audition over the break.

As part of the Middle School production we are calling for students in Years 9 – 11 to take on the leadership role of Assistant Director. We are looking for organised, motivated, and enthusiastic students looking to give back to the school, mentor younger students, and help shape the future stars of the Creative Arts. You do not need to be studying a Creative Arts subject to be an Assistant Director (but of course that experience is helpful). The application information has been emailed out and is due 9am Wednesday on the first day back next term.

Between Legally Blonde, the NSW Shakespeare Carnival, a Twilight Concert, Armidale Eisteddfod, Fight With All Your Might the Zombies of Tonight, and the Intersections Project, Term 2 is slated to be a very busy one in the Creative Arts. So use the holiday break to rest and recover and we’ll see you back here in a couple of weeks.

Mr Andrew O’Connell
Head of Creative Arts

Legally Blonde Gala Performance

Year 7 Camp

Last Friday, I travelled to Coffs Harbour with nearly all of our Year 7 students for their end of term 1 camp. The perfect weather meant that every activity planned went ahead. These activities included a high ropes and ladder course, 10 metre giant swing, 12 metre mega drop,  a series of initiative challenges and a team rescue scenario. A highlight for students and staff was the completion of the mud run style commando course.  These activities were enjoyed by all and these, combined with the continued forging of friendship groups, excellent food and accommodation, encouraged our students to work together in an environment that is very different to that of school. The camp is of real benefit to the continued development of relationships and culture in our Year 7 cohort, as it provided the opportunity to work together as a collective group: boys, girls, boarders, day students and staff, together.  I offer my sincere thanks to Fiona Taber, Regina Pollard, Gordon Arndt and Gavin Latham for their assistance, kindness and good humour that ensured our students were well cared for and enjoyed the experience.

Middle School Play

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. You can find all the audition information HERE (Please change to PDF attached to email).

PLOT SYNOPSIS
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.

Best wishes to all for a safe and refreshing break. You should be proud of your children this term. It has been a busy and successful term and I look forward to seeing everyone back and ready to go next term.

Mr Luke Polson
Head of Middle School

Our Year 4 and 5 students listed in rapt attention to the presentation last week about online safety and digital footprints from “Safe on Socials”. We are sure that those families who were able to join one of the parent information sessions on Wednesday evening found the presentation both confronting and informative. One of the underlying messages throughout the sessions was that our children should feel empowered to “choose to choose” their online experiences and that it is imperative that all have a trusted adult in their lives to seek guidance and support from. The analogy of spending time at the beach was well understood by our students – people often choose to do different activities when at the beach. In the same way, people of all ages should be empowered to choose what to do with their time when online. Similarly, when at the beach we typically would not swim unless under the supervision of a lifeguard. In the same vein, it was suggested to our students that they should not enter the online “waters” without a trusted adult in their lives whom they may seek guidance and support from as and when they have trouble in the online world.

Saturday saw many within our community experience their first-ever Armidale Autumn Festival after several years of disruption. Those students who were able to attend looked fantastic as they celebrated one of the many aspects of TAS life that make our school so unique. Thank you to all who supported this wonderful event.

The Junior School House Cross Country carnival was conducted earlier today on the same day as our older counterparts. Students approached their respective events with enthusiasm and determination, with countless exceptional tales of individual resilience in the completion of what many would consider a challenging course.  Congratulations to all who participated, and our sincere thanks to the families and friends who braved the colder temperatures to cheer the students on.

A link to an album of photos can be found HERE

Our Year 5 students joined forces with those in Year 6 as they participated in what we hope will be the first of many opportunities to engage with students from other Armidale schools. Newling Primary School graciously hosted approximately 10 local schools in a Harmony Day event that was bound to get messy, in the aptly named SlimeFest. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet students from other schools and appreciate the many similarities that we share in one of the activities or over a sausage sandwich. The highlight of the day, of course, was watching those who wished to get “slimed” participate in the Slip ‘N’ Slide, Foam Run, Slime Pit and Commando Crawl to name just a few. What a fabulous end to Term 1!

The TAS Rugby Carnival is nearly upon us once again, in what is shaping up to be a fantastic festival of rugby for our older students. Please consider supporting the P&F in their various calls for assistance. We would love to see you at the carnival itself supporting our team who have been training hard for close to six months for this competition.

With the culmination of our House Cross Country carnival earlier today we encourage all Junior School families to consider entering perhaps the most difficult contest they will likely face this year, the inaugural Junior School House ANZAC Biscuit Bake-off! Students (with parental assistance as required) are encouraged to prepare their very best ANZAC biscuits during the break, with all entries submitted and judged upon the commencement of Term 2. Only one entry can be submitted by each student, into one of the two categories – ”crunchy” (which should have a near-audible snap when broken) or “chewy” (soft-centred) categories. All entries will accumulate valuable House points, with those shortlisted for the final round of judging earning even more. Entries should be submitted with the relevant entry form, together with the recipe used. Please note that the recipe for the winning ANZAC biscuits will be published in TAS Talks.

We wish all Junior School families a restful and relaxing Easter break and look forward to our collective safe return on Wednesday 26 April.

Mr Scott Chittenden
Head of Junior School

Short Story February

Our Year 3 students were delighted to choose their own book prize after each completed the Short Story challenge in February. They received their books earlier this week and could not wait to start reading!

Happy Birthday

Many happy returns to the following Junior School students that celebrate their birthdays between now and the next edition of TAS Talks: James Gillman, George Quast, Hunter Grace-Booth, Rafi Kiehne, Amirrah Marasinghe Arachchillage and Bridei Stewart.

Dance Club

Congratulations to Emi Fawcett, Elara Polson, Sabine Kiehne and Elsie Nexo for their great efforts in Dance Club

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