TAS Talks Term 3 Week 9

Following the sad news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II last week, the assembly this week allowed time to reflect on her life and to recognise the extraordinary leader she was. Queen Elizabeth has been a constant in all of our lives through long periods of incredible change and challenge. Throughout this, she has shown resilience, strength, grace and a sense of humour. She dedicated her life to the service of her people and will be missed incredibly. Our thoughts are with King Charles III as he begins his reign, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex with whom TAS has a number of close links, and the entire Royal Family as they mourn her loss.

After receiving the appropriate permission to continue with the planned Passing Out Parade last Friday, the immaculately well drilled TAS Cadet Unit, accompanied by the Cadet Band, put on a fabulous display for the School, families and guests. It was a wonderful occasion and all of the cadets, particularly our Year 12 leaders, made the School proud. We were delighted to welcome Colonel Glenn Taylor as the reviewing officer. Colonel Taylor is an extremely experienced officer, currently Commander of the NSW 2nd Australian Army Cadet Brigade. During his address, he remarked that this was the best Passing Out Parade he had attended, a huge accolade for the cadets themselves and all the staff who have trained and supported them.

As we near the end of Term 3, a reminder that the last day of term will now be Wednesday 21 September. Any boarding parents who have questions regarding end of term arrangements should contact their Head of House.

Dr Rachel Horton
Principal

It is at this point in the School year that gratitude becomes a key focus. Our Year 12s are completing their time well at TAS and as the end quickly approaches it has been something special to observe the group come together and demonstrate their special appreciation for the many opportunities they have been provided with while at TAS.

This Friday, our Prefects will be running a special BBQ Breakfast for all the TAS Staff. As a gesture of their appreciation for regularly going above and beyond for the students in all areas of the School and all aspects of school life; the Prefects are saying ‘thank you’ on behalf of all their peers. As Carl Jung once said:

“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.”

As normal, we request that all students remain on campus until the final classes end which will be Wednesday 21 September at 3.30 pm. Next Wednesday will be the final opportunity for the students to see the graduating class together, thank them for their leadership and say farewell. With the special Year 12 valedictory services including the lining of the drive along with the announcement of 2023 School and House leaders, it is important that all students are present.

Mr Ray Pearson
Deputy Principal

Queen Elizabeth II - Philippians 2:1-8

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II sadly passed away last week. I don’t know what your personal reaction is to this event – I consider it to be a very sad time – our world has lost one of the most genuine, hardworking, kind and considerate people it has ever housed.

It’s amazing the consistency in reporting on her work and her character. Words like commitment, servant, humility, courage, dignity and dedication being used over and over.

In a public broadcast on her 21st birthday she declared her intention to serve:

I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

And this has been consistently reported for this is also what she consistently lived. However, what is not as often pointed out is her motivation and strength in this determination. Note what she said directly after her promise to serve:

But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.

Later she pleaded with the Commonwealth “to pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.”

The Queen’s faith was more than the product of a polite nod to tradition. Throughout her reign, she articulated the importance of her faith:

“For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life,” and again she said “I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”

In 2002 the Queen endured the pain of loss of both her sister and Mother. In her annual Christmas address that year, she spoke of how her faith had sustained her.

“I know just how much I rely on my own faith to guide me through the good times and the bad… Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God.”

“To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn,” she asked, “than to the imperishable truth to be found in this treasure house, the Bible?”

She undoubtedly exemplified the urging from the reading “if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, then, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Mr Richard Newton
Chaplain

Christmas Puddings – Brandy Donations Wanted

 Thanks to those who have already pledged a bottle of brandy for the Christmas Puddings.

If you are planning to donate a bottle of brandy, why not take the opportunity to drop the bottle to the school office while attending school events at the end of term or start of term. This would be greatly

appreciated.

You can pre-order your Christmas puddings by emailing [email protected] to get on the waiting list.

Save the Dates

As we near the end of Term 3, here are a couple of P&F dates to save to your calendar for Term 4:

• Monday 10 October – Start of Term 4 Drinks
• Friday 4 November – Golf Day

More details on these events are to follow.

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

Last Wednesday 7 September TAS hosted a Round Square Postcard on the topic ‘Fighting Fascism With the Arts’. It took many weeks of work to choose and unpack the topic, draft possible approaches, research chosen areas, plan the structure, and run the postcard for 66 students from Australia, India and Pakistan. Our students were exemplary hosts, leading participants through areas such as ‘Social Media and Fascism’, ‘Democracy in Education’, and ‘How Artists Resist’. They overcame technical challenges, encouraged reluctant speakers, and developed what proved to be rich and rewarding conversations. With a mix of students well-experienced in RS digital Conferences and Postcards and those brand-new, all students were able to step up and represent the school exceptionally well. I congratulate Felicity Barton, Jackson Harris, Tommy Burnett, James Collum, Bella Lucas, Millie Coupland, Olivia Cannington, Isobel Pengilley, Harriet Crawford, Emma Slack-Smith, Sophie Rogers, Caitlyn Taylor, and William Gilpin for their preparation, leadership, and enthusiasm for the RS Postcard.

Mr Andrew O’Connell
Round Square Coordinator

The Weekend Recreation Activities have continued this term with the White House staff, led by Mr Jamie Brauer and Mrs Cassandra Hammond, hosting a dodgeball game on Dangarfield on Saturday afternoon. All boarders who attended enjoyed this activity on a glorious Armidale Spring Day. This Friday evening Mr Doug Fawcett will coordinate a kayaking activity in the TAS Pool.

Our residential community filled the Dining Hall to capacity last Wednesday night at the Semester 2 Boarders’ Formal Dinner. Formalities included a welcome from Dr Horton, Grace and a short talk from Rev Newton and a brief address by myself. Deputy Senior Prefect Emma Benham reflected on her six years boarding at TAS, encouraging all students to make the most of the vast opportunities and not let the expectations of others get in the way. Outstanding table service was provided by Year 7. The special evening was also an opportunity for our boarders to thank the residential staff who help make TAS such a home away from home.

I enjoyed attending the annual Abbott House Lunch on Sunday which was very well attended.  This is a long-standing tradition for Abbott House and an opportunity for parents to mingle and for the Head of House staff to present the House awards.

I wish all those TAS boarders travelling to Sydney this weekend to compete at the annual GPS Athletics Carnival the best of luck in what is shaping as one of the largest GPS Athletics Carnivals with a crowd of over 10,000 expected. I am travelling down with the team and looking forward to being involved in this significant GPS sporting event.

The move to the Learning Hub for Middle School prep has been well received by the boarders and staff. Mr Gordon Arndt and his Learning Hub staff, along with the boarding staff, deserve much credit for creating, in a short period of time, a learning environment more conducive to study. All feedback regarding the move has been overwhelmingly positive.

Further to Dr Horton’s letter to parents and carers dated 12 September, Heads of House will continue having ongoing conversations with their boarders regarding the changes to travel arrangements at the end of the term and whether any boarders need to stay in boarding houses on Thursday 22 September, now a public holiday. Please confirm with your respective Head/s of House, as soon as possible, your plans for the end of term so staffing and catering
arrangements can be finalised for the public holiday. All buses and trains are operating on Thursday morning 22 September. Should you require additional information regarding end of term transport please contact Mrs Veronica Lucas directly.

Mr David Drain
Director of Boarding

Congratulations to many of our teams who have progressed through to the next round of the finals. TAS has three hockey teams 13s, 15s White and Blue, three netball teams TAS 2, 6, and 7, three football teams 14s, 16s and the Open team who will all compete on the weekend for a place in the Grand Final. I would like to make mention of the Men’s ‘A’ grade Hockey team who went down to Guyra in a thrilling game last Sunday. The TAS ‘A’ Grade team were in the fight to the very end and whilst we farewelled three Year 12 players in the team most of the squad will be back next year to hopefully go one better and make the Grand Final.

We wish our Athletics team well as they compete next week. A select group of boys will compete at the AAGPS Carnival on Saturday at Homebush and a group of girls and boys, who have qualified for the CIS carnival will compete next Monday.

Mr Huon Barrett
Director of Co-curricular

It has been a MASSIVE week for the Creative Arts and there’s plenty more ahead of us before the term draws to a close.

Last week we had the fabulous inaugural Year 8 Arts Immersion program. Over Wednesday and Thursday the students explored printmaking, small music ensembles, slapstick comedy and slam poetry in small groups. After these initial workshops they selected their favourite and in just two hours put work together for exhibition or showcase that afternoon. Despite the limited time to prepare, the quality of the works was exceptional – the graffiti art was striking, the comedy performances were messy fun, the band treated us to a vibrant live workshop, and the slam poems were personal and profound and brought many to tears. I thank all the students for their exemplary behaviour and commitment to the two days and particularly recognise the incredible efforts of Ms Leasa Cleaver, Mr Tom Collett, Ms Leanne Roobol, and visiting poet Ms Rebecca Rushbrook.

Over the weekend the Music staff and students performed as part of the Parents Weekend and filled the Hoskins Centre with some dazzling musical pieces. Having missed the support of friends and family for a number of years it was wonderful to have such a warm and appreciative audience applauding the passion and talents of our students.

This week has been about the HSC, with the HSC Music 1 students taking to the stage yesterday for the HSC Music external marking, and the HSC Music 1 and Extension Music students performing today. This is the culmination of their program’s preparation and the most exciting of times for our dedicated musicians. I congratulate all those students for their tenacity and resilience after what has been a challenging Senior music journey. I’d also like to acknowledge the huge team of student musicians, peripatetic tutors, accompanists, and – most of all – teachers Ms Leanne Roobol and Mr Thomas Collett who have taken to the stage to support them with their pieces.

This weekend TAS is running an Armidale Theatresports Championship that will bring students from different schools together to take part in workshops, learn the rules of fun and zany games, and then compete in a friendly competition on Sunday afternoon. We wish all the students representing TAS the very best.

Finally, we have the auditions for next Monday and Tuesday for the 2023 TAS Production Legally Blonde: The Musical. There is an incredible buzz around the show and by next TAS Talks will be able to announce the student leaders on the Production Team, with an email and social media posts to announce the cast next Thursday. On behalf of Ms Roobol, Mr Collett, Mr Lane and myself, we wish all students the best for their audition preparation and know we are in for an awesome three days of auditions and callbacks.

Mr Andrew O’Connell
Head of Creative Arts

I’d like to congratulate our Year 8 students on their outstanding efforts with the recent Creative Arts Workshops. These workshops, facilitated by our own specialist Creative Arts Department with the support of external presenters, provided our students with the opportunity to be immersed in visual arts, drama, music and slam poetry. The two days culminated in a performance of works on Thursday afternoon and it was excellent to see the talents of our students on display. My thanks again to Mr Andrew O’Connell, Mr Tom Collett, Ms Fiona Xeros and Ms Leasa Cleaver for leading these sessions in amongst a busy end of term for them.

I trust that parents and carers have seen the recent communication from Dr Horton, regarding the National Day of Mourning to be held on Thursday 22 September. This will mean that the term will end for students on Wednesday 21 September. Any boarders who have difficulties with return travel plans for the end of term should liaise directly with their Head of House.

Each week in our Middle School Town Meeting, students are recognised for displaying traits and attributes of the MYP Learner Profile and philosophy. These awards are displayed in our Middle School office as leaves that form part of a tree and go towards awards to be presented at the Middle School Final Assembly at the end of Term 4. Congratulations to those students who have been recognised so far this year.

Mr Luke Polson
Head of Middle School

MMG Survey – Please complete by 18 September

Please find the time to complete the MMG Survey you recently received from the School. We appreciate the importance of hearing your views and take a good deal of time to consider all responses. Without this information, the valuable opportunity to reflect on your feedback is lost. All responses are totally confidential, so please support us by completing the survey before September 18.

Student Led Reflections – Wednesday 21 September

On Wednesday 21st September, from 11.30am – 1pm, there will be an opportunity to participate in your child’s Student Led Reflection. Prepared for and directed by your child, they will replace the traditional Parent Teacher Interviews normally held in Term 3. The Reflection should take 15 minutes, before or after which you may wish to visit one of our specialist classes to participate in a lesson i.e. Japanese, French, PE or Music. Please see Mrs Waters’ article in TAS Talks, which includes the schedule of classes and activities during this session.

When you arrive at school please go directly to your child’s classroom where the teacher can direct you to specialist lessons that are available. Please contact your teacher if you would like more information at [email protected]

Pre-Kindergarten are also hosting a Creative Showcase on Tuesday 20 September  and we look forward to having all Pre-K families join us for the afternoon from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm in their classroom.

New England Sings  – 22 & 23 October

Information will be with you shortly as our organisation for New England Sings continues to ramp up. We are asking all parents to complete the Google Form to help with our organisation for both the rehearsal and the performance in terms of attendance and the requirements for transport.

Uniform and Hair

Please be aware that we are reinforcing the standards of dress and appearance in Junior School through to the end of 2022 and in particular please not the following:

• It is expected that all students wear the full TAS school uniform with no variations or additions, including visible undershirts
• All clothing and belongings should be clearly marked with the student’s name
• If you have purchased pre-owned items, please ensure they are renamed so they can be returned to you if lost
• Clothing can be labelled by the Uniform Shop for 50c per label
• Shoes are to be regularly cleaned, polished and in good condition
• Chappell hats should be clean and presentable. They can be washed and if ragged around the edges, should be replaced.

Please note that the school uniform is flexible for the first two weeks of Term 4 in Junior School. Families can choose whether their child comes to school in either their winter or summer uniform depending on the weather. From Week 3 however, all children are expected to wear the correct summer uniform.

Again, next term, all hair should be tidy, well-kept and cut in a conservative manner. For girls, if the hair is longer than shoulder length, it should be tied with navy blue ribbon available at the TAS Clothing Shop.  If you have any questions about the uniform, please have a look at the website and/or contact me at school.

School Spirits

Congratulations to the following students that received School Spirit Awards last week:
Eric Thakur, Macie Pearson, Aarik Chakraborty, Elizabeth Collins, Heidi Secker, James Gillman, Evie McDonald, Sansa Ranawake, Artie Rylands, Neave Drain, Ethan Downes, Rupert Newton, Bonnie Blanch, William Cooper-Fillios, Harry Kauffmann, George Drain, and Macey Rodgers.

Happy Birthday

Many happy returns to Neave Drain who is the only Junior School student celebrating a birthday this week.

Mr Ian Lloyd
Head of Junior School

Upcoming Events

TAS Junior School Student Led Reflections

Next Wednesday 21 September Kindergarten to Year 4 parents are invited to join their child to share in their learning journey as part of our Student Led Reflections (SLR). The reflections will commence at 11:30 am and conclude at 1 pm. 

As part of the Primary Years Programme, we value student agency and the many benefits it has such as allowing the attributes of the learner profile to develop. The table below links each of the attributes to the SLR.

Mrs Veronica Waters
PYP Coordinator