TAS Talks Term 4 Week 2

Last weekend was absolutely glorious in Armidale and the timing could not have been better as we welcomed current, future and potential Middle School families to experience TAS through activities, tours and a fabulous concert showcasing our student’s musical and artistic talents.

Around 180 TAS students across all year levels, and their families, also took part in the 19 for Nineteen Challenge on Sunday morning in support of Anya’s wish, in memory of Anya Zuber. Some walked and some ran, but everyone enjoyed a stunning walk through gorge country raising money for the Children’s Cancer Institute to find new treatments for osteosarcoma.

I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the Armidale branch of ADFAS (Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society) for their generous donation last week towards the cost of a new projector for the Hoskins Theatre. It is a pleasure to have members of the community using this facility and I am very grateful to them for their support of the School in this way.

As the majority of Summer sports competitions start this weekend I would like to wish all students the best of luck for enjoyable fixtures. I am also greatly anticipating the spectacle that will be New England Sings on Sunday afternoon, showcasing a large number of TAS students among the 900 students who have gathered to sing.

Dr Rachel Horton
Principal

A unique feature of TAS is the encouragement of ‘challenge’. It is important to us that students are and actively seek to be challenged as it builds resilience, develops character and enhances one’s appreciation of their true capacity. 

We can be challenged in many ways outside the obvious physical sense. Often, the greatest challenge involves demonstrating accountability. Putting our hand up when we have made a mistake is hard but also a strong reflection of character. Speaking up, calling out and standing up to behaviour that is wrong is the next level of accountability. 

“It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.”

― Moliere

Holding friends or peers to account is one of the greatest challenges a person can face. Some may say that doing this is the role of teachers or those in authority. However, in my experience when students call out behaviour that is wrong and in turn help their mates not make mistakes it is far more effective than a teacher doing it. To be clear, I am not suggesting students have to be reporting bad behaviour here, rather they should be working on developing the character to call it out at the time and before it escalates. Why? It is the behaviour of a leader to lead both themselves and those around them, this is a skill that will be used and valued in life. 

Executive Vice President of the NBA, Joe Dumars who won two Championships with the Detroit Pistons and, incidentally was described by Michael Jordan as the best defender he ever played against, once said:

“On good teams coaches hold players accountable, on great teams players hold players accountable.”   

In my experience, the vast majority of our students demonstrate personal accountability on a regular basis. Perhaps this is due to the active encouragement of challenge TAS values so highly. The next challenge for the rest, or perhaps one’s personal triple crown in self-development is the ability to hold others to account and truly lead.

Mr Ray Pearson
Deputy Principal

Jerusalem Hebrews 12

With our return to singing in assembly, I thought it timely to wrap our minds around some old lyrics.

‘Jerusalem’ – what a strange old hymn! It feels a little out of step with who we are as Australians;  maybe we should sing more of drought-stricken plains than mountains green or perhaps at the moment flooded waters raging.

Mind you, we are after all in New England, so maybe there is a link.

Apart from geography, it feels a little out of step in terms of being overly nationalistic, perhaps inflammatory and not PC enough for 2022. Well, over the next couple of weeks, we might try and understand what’s going on in this famous poem.

That’s right, Jerusalem, the hymn, is in fact a smaller portion of William Blake’s poem. In recent years it has gained interest as many even in England have said, it’s out of step with the times. One famous English preacher said, amongst a growing feeling of dwindling national identity, the poem poses four questions to each of which the answer is, ‘Er, no, actually’.

Did those feet, the feet of Jesus himself, in ancient times walk upon England’s mountains green? Er, no. Was the Holy Lamb of God on England’s pleasant pastures seen? Pretty certainly not. Did the countenance divine shine forth upon our clouded hills? Sorry, that’s another No. And was Jerusalem built here, among these dark satanic mills? Good question. You see, the backdrop is a myth that suggests that Jesus himself visited England, a suggestion that there is no evidence for.

Thus, the poem and the hymn are asking… while he may not have physically visited England, has Jesus really made an impact in this place? For he is certainly needed.

You might remember singing about those ‘dark satanic mills’.  Many have suggested this is a sledge directed at the evils of the industrial revolution. Actually, Blake was not referring to that at all, but the great churches, like Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral, which he saw as having fallen into the sticky web of self-interest and worldly desires. So, Jerusalem needs to be built instead of these objects of wealth.

Why Jerusalem? The answer to this is simple. Jerusalem stands as a picture of God’s dwelling with his people. It is an image of what is ideal, what is hoped for, a symbol of the kingdom of God. A place where the priorities of Jesus are taken seriously.

Now the question for us, as we sing such a hymn is, are we in the business of building objects that glorify ourselves, that stand for wealth and privilege or do we long to see Jerusalem built here at TAS?

Mr Richard Newton
Chaplain

P&F Meeting This Week

The P&F will meet this Wednesday 19 October at 7.00pm. We will be face to face in Upper Maxwell as well as have a Zoom session running for those wishing to attend remotely.
Zoom details below. All are welcome with the added bonus of snacks and drinks for those able to attend in person.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://as-edu.zoom.us/j/2155172798?pwd=Z1VRMTRrcjZoVStLYlFKOG5CdVovQT09
Meeting ID: 215 517 2798
Password: parents

Christmas Puddings

Requesting volunteers to help bake and wrap Christmas puddings, please. We will need helpers on Saturday 29 October to mix and bake puddings followed by helpers on Sunday 30 October to wrap puddings. Please contact the P&F Executive via email at [email protected]u to offer your support. Place orders and pay for your pudding purchase through this link TAS P&F Christmas Pudding

Golf Day

Reserve Friday 4 November in your calendar for the P&F Golf Day at the Armidale Golf Club.

Come and play a round in the morning followed by lunch, or just join us for lunch. Full details and the booking site will be available soon.

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 [email protected]

Mr Paul Gaddes
P&F President

With the HSC in full swing and Year 11 receiving their End of Course Examination results, it is time for our younger students to be preparing for their formal assessment period. It is through the processes of meaningful revision of key learning, and the consolidation of skills that they will most effectively be able to demonstrate their learning and move into this busy period of formal assessment feeling prepared and positive.

An additional aspect of the academic program offered here at TAS is the after-school hours program. It is timely to remind families of the opportunities available to them and encourage students to utilise the rich program overseen by Mr Arndt in the Hub. This is a productive and quiet space, and the program is working effectively; it is utilised by our day and boarding students.

Afternoon session: 3.30pm to 5.00pm (Monday to Thursday)

• A school-provided tutor works in the Hub to offer academic assistance across different subject areas; this is available as on a ‘drop-in’ basis
• Both day students and boarding students are welcome, and this timeslot is predominantly used by Year 5 – 8 students
• Supervised study is also an option at this time, students may or may not need assistance from our staff member – they are welcome to simply use the space to work on prep, revision or assessment work completed in a quiet, pleasant space
• At different times, private tutors (see below) operate in the glass break-out rooms with students who have an ongoing arrangement with them
• Parents are encouraged to contact Mr Arndt if they have any questions about the afternoon program

Evening session: 5.00pm to 9.00pm (Monday to Thursday)

• A Hub supervisor is on duty for this session
• A school provided tutor is available on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6.00pm to 8.00pm – MS boarders and Year 11/12 day or boarding students can access this service
• Year 9/10 students can apply to be part of this system or can be referred by staff. Requests for this needs to go through Heads of House for boarders, and for day students, this should come through teachers, advisors, or Year Level Coordinators – Mr Arndt will oversee this
• At different times, private tutors (see below) operate in the glass break-out rooms with students who have an ongoing arrangement with them
• Middle School Prep runs from 6.00pm – 7.00pm as part of our regular Middle School boarding program
  • On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, Middle School boarding staff and extra teaching staff attend the evening session in the Hub
  • MS boarders are welcome to stay for an extra hour from 7pm – 8pm for extended support if required
  • On Wednesday evenings, Middle School boarders have in-house prep and will not be in the Hub
• Year 11 and 12 study runs from 7.00pm – 9.00pm in the Hub with extra support available if needed or quiet supervised study as the alternative
  • Wednesday evenings (from 5.00pm – 9.00pm) is supervised study for Year 11 and 12 only; private tuition also runs in the Hub at this time for students with ongoing arrangements

Private tuition – 3.30pm – 9.00pm (Monday to Thursday)

• Mr Arndt oversees this program – parents can contact him directly regarding private tuition requests – [email protected]
• All external tutors must contact Mr Arndt to request room bookings and ensure they meet school protocols

Whether students access this wonderful service or not, now is the time for focus and consolidation. All students are encouraged to continue to seek guidance and feedback from their classroom teachers and to ensure they are working hard on all formative tasks in class to help them practise the skills they have been working on all year.

Mrs Gill Downes
Acting Director of Studies

The boarders have returned well from their break and settled back into their familiar routines of summer sport and evening prep. The Year 12s are to be commended on their diligent approach to both their HSC Exams and revision during the school day in the Year 12 Study Centre. The Middle School boarders continue to use the Hub space productively of an evening reinforcing the move from the Middle School classrooms.

A big thanks to all the boarders who started the term giving their time to good causes. The assistance at the Middle School Open Day on Saturday and attendance at the 19 for Nineteen Challenge on Sunday morning was greatly appreciated by the staff coordinating.

Mr David Drain
Director of Boarding

This week in Assembly we recognised the Winter Co-curricular achievements of our students. This involved the awarding of Medallions to Years 9-10 and Colours to Year 11. For a student to be awarded a medallion or colours they must meet a set of criteria that includes their attitude, ability, achievement, attendance and sportsmanship and involvement at a school level. Typically, students have stood out among their peers or been recognised with higher honours. On this occasion three students received Honours, the highest award which recognises a significant achievement at national level.

Honours in Music – Emily Thompson
In addition to Emily’s involvement in a wide range of TAS and Armidale ensembles, Emily has also received the honour of being selected in the prestigious Australian Youth Orchestra.

Honours in Mountain Biking – Toby Inglis
2nd Place U17 XCO 2022 January Nerang National Cup
3rd Place U17 XCC 2022 February MTB National Championships Maydena (Tasmania)
1st Place 2022 March Gravel and Granite race: 60km race
1st Place U17 Mens 2022 UCI Oceania Mountain Bike Championships

In addition, Toby was selected as one of four members of the NSW U17s team to compete at the 2022 Auscycling Junior Road National Championships.

Honours in Hockey – Lennox Neilson
NCIS Team, CIS Team
NSW Under 16s School Team
Gold Medal Winner at National Championships in Tasmania.

CLICK on the link for a full list of Year 9-11 awards

CLICK on the link to the updated Term 4 Training Schedule (Version 4)

This week we wish a significant number of our students well as they perform in the New England Sings Concert on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Huon Barrett
Director of Co-curricular

19 for Nineteen

One hundred and fifty eight students, 38 parents and seven staff – what an incredible team! This year’s 19 for Nineteen was more than the physical challenge, it was about our school coming together with our local community in support of cancer research. Every family has felt the pain of cancer and for some, it has been particularly cruel. The 19 for Nineteen is about funding the science, to help those in the future, to create a legacy, Anya’s Wish.

The strength of our school community was magical, with almost half of the participants aligned with TAS. That says everything. Students from Kindergarten to Year 12 (every year group was represented), joining parents and staff for Sunday’s walk. Some of our students were not chasing their Triple Crown, rather this was a ‘one-off’ for them, just because it felt right! I am in awe of this support, and I know that Liz Egan (Anya’s mother) is so grateful for such a wonderful turnout.

Thank you to Dr Horton, Mrs Hardin, Mrs Fawcett, Mrs Lawrence, Ms Mort, Mr Polson and Mr Fawcett for their assistance with this event. Stay tuned next week as details are released for the final event under the Triple Crown banner, to be held at TAS on Friday 11/11 from 4-8pm.

Mr Jim Pennington

Last weekend was certainly a busy first weekend back of term. For a number of teams, the summer sports season commenced. On Saturday, Middle School and the wider TAS campus was filled with a large number of prospective and current families who came along to see what a TAS education is all about. The School looked like an absolute picture and our visitors were able to participate in activities that covered all areas of school life; with the afternoon culminating in a musical showcase involving a number of our Middle School musicians and vocalists. I’d like to offer my thanks to the large number of students and staff who assisted in ensuring that this year’s Open Day was a huge success.
To view the video of Middle School Open Day – Click HERE

A large number of TAS students, staff and parents participated in the 19 for Nineteen Challenge on Sunday morning, at Kenwood Park. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in this challenge alongside our students and parents and the atmosphere at this event was incredible. It is wonderful to see our students continue to step up and challenge themselves out of their comfort zones and contribute to such a worthy cause. Again, my thanks to all who took part in this challenge event. We have now had two of the three Triple Crown events for 2022 and the final event of the year is scheduled for 11 November and further details will be communicated in due course.

Last week I met with all of our Year 7 students to discuss leadership roles for next year. From 2023, Middle School will be appointing between six and eight student leaders in the day school, and two leaders in boarding. In the day school, we will be selecting one student to lead each house (Abbott, Broughton, Croft, Green, Ross, Tyrrell). These students will work with their senior house leaders in terms of organising house events and promoting positive house spirit and culture throughout the school. In addition, we will be selecting two students (one boy and one girl) who will be the Head Boy and Head Girl for Middle School and these two students will also represent Middle School on the School’s Student Representative Council. There will be also be a girl and boy boarding leader, elected within the respective boarding houses. Further details on the nomination and selection process has been sent to Year 7 families.

A number of families have been discussing exemptions from school for various events and activities. Can I please ask that when planning family events or travel that consideration is given to school time and in particular, some key dates within our calendar. For your information, I have included some key dates below.

• Middle School Exams – Thursday 3 and Friday 4 November
• Bivouac – Thursday 17 and Friday 18 November
• Activities Week – Monday 28 November to Friday 2 December
• Year 8 Farewell Activities (Students only) – Wednesday 7 December
• Middle School Final Assembly – Thursday 8 December
• Middle & Senior School Speech Day  – Friday 9 December

Finally, we are really pushing our Middle School students to wear their TAS cap at times when they are outside. Can I please ask for your cooperation and support in ensuring that all of our students have either the TAS cap or the TAS bucket hat to wear at break times and during PE lessons that occur outside.

Mr Luke Polson
Head of Middle School

Mr Ian Lloyd
Head of Junior School

Junior School Students Take Action

The day could not have been more perfect, and we could not have been prouder of the Junior School students, staff and their families who were able to participate and support the 19 for Nineteen fundraising event for Anya’s Wish on Sunday. We were up before the sun and out on the track even before the birds were awake. With smiles on every face and determination to boot, we set out to walk (what we thought was 5km but turned into close to 9km for most and an amazing 19km for some) to raise awareness and help beat childhood cancer. As you would have read above, it was a spectacular and incredibly successful event. To our youngest entrants, Master Finian Boyce (aged 6 weeks), Darby Klabe and Felix Boyce from Kindy to our amazing and fearless Year 5 leaders, parent support crew and all in between we say THANK YOU! If you would like to learn more about ‘Anya’s Wish’ and the vision of the Children’s Cancer Institute, please click on the following link. All support is welcomed and greatly appreciated.
https://www.ccia.org.au/blog/introducing-anyas-wish

Mrs Tania Hardin

Upcoming Events

Summer Sports

Our summer sports program is well underway with training and games commencing in the first weeks of term. It was wonderful to see so many keen children ready to embrace their summer sport. Unfortunately, this week’s training was cut short due to the crazy storm that blew over us just as training commenced! Let’s hope for some fine Monday afternoons this term.

Please ensure you email your child’s coach if they are going to be absent for either training or games. If you have any concerns or questions this term, please email Mrs Sandra Lasker at [email protected] as Mrs Wright will be on leave from Thursday, 20 October.

Swimming – Harwood’s Swim School
[email protected]
No need to register

Ball Skills – Mrs Kirsty Brunsdon
[email protected]
No need to register

Tennis – Mrs Lana Hawksford
[email protected]
No need to register

Gymnastics – Mrs Tania Hardin
[email protected]
No need to register

Indoor Hockey – Miss Lara Nicholls
[email protected]

Basketball – Mr Ken Secker
[email protected]

Mrs Christine Wright
JS Sports Coordinator