Issue 3 Term I, 2011

NEWSLETTER

Headmaster’s Message A Strong Partnership Head of Senior School Head of Junior School Issue 3 Term I, 2011

Academic • Christian • Caring

Chaplain

A Strong Partnership 170 new parents were welcomed at the TIGS New Parents’ Evening held last Saturday night. It was a wonderful opportunity for the adult members of the School community to gather and there were many new friendships established by new parents, parents of longer standing (old parents does not sound quite right) and staff. We hope that all new members of our community feel welcomed and we look forward to a long and happy association as we work in partnership to achieve the best possible outcomes for our children.

During the evening I was asked about the level of enrolments at the School and did we have plans to continually expand.

Currently enrolments stand at: The Piper Centre Junior School Senior School Total

107 360 590 1057

Stephen Kinsella Headmaster

The School does not have plans to alter the current number of classes in each year group. At times the pattern of enrolments may cause some temporary adjustment in the number of classes.

However, we believe that the commitment to knowing each student and providing programs that cater for their individual needs would be compromised if the School grew in size beyond its current parameters.

This means that the School creates waiting lists for families wishing to enrol their children but for whom a position is not available.

I enjoy events such as the New Parents’ Evening because it is an opportunity for parents to develop a deeper understanding of the things that we value as a school. The decision to make the commitment to send a child to a school is probably one of the most significant decisions that a parent can make. There are always some nervous moments when a child starts at a new school with parents keen to know that their children have made new friends, like their teachers, know where the canteen is, and many other similar ‘settling in’ questions.

The School has a comprehensive orientation program for new students and it is rare for a student not to have settled by the end of the first week.

Just as children acquire values and attitudes from within the family, so they will acquire values and attitudes while they are at school. Nothing is more confusing for a child than when the values and attitudes held at home are at odds with those taught at school. It is even worse when children hear criticism from adults they love and respect about other adults that are also loved and respected.

This is why events such as the New Parents Evening are of such importance. The closer the partnership between parents and staff, the more consistent will be the messages conveyed to our students. These partnerships are of great importance, especially when difficulties arise. Given that at TIGS there are over 80 teaching staff, 1057 students and over 2000 parents/guardians, sometime in the future there is likely to be a misunderstanding, poor decision made or confusion arise that is best resolved within the framework of strong parent/teacher partnership.

For a parent with a child in Pre-prep, 2011 is the start of what could be a 15 year commitment to the School. The journey will be much easier when there is a strong partnership between the significant adults in the lives of our children. I look forward to celebrating with parents and staff the wonderful achievements of our students during that journey.

Stephen Kinsella Headmaster

Chaplain’s Connection

James Butler Bonham is not a name that I was ever familiar. When I came across that name this week, I discovered that it is a name that is associated with some others that I was familiar with: James “Jim” Bowie (with whom we associate the Bowie knife) and David “Davy” Crocket (“king of the wild frontier”). These were among the men who fought and died at the legendary battle of the Alamo, which took place 185 years ago this week in San Antonio, Texas.

I came across the name of James Bonham in my reading this week. The name caught my eye because a former student here at TIGS shares the same name. Apparently James Butler Bonham was sent out by the embattled commander of the Alamo to seek help, and came riding back two weeks later bearing a letter assuring the besieged troops that help was on its way, and urging them to hold out as long as possible. He died in the battle of the Alamo on 6 March 1836. Several schools in America are named after him, as is a town in Texas, as was also a WWII liberty ship.

Apparently, however, despite his fame, no picture of James Butler Bonham exists. And so it was that for a number of years, on a wall near the main entrance to the Alamo, there hung a portrait with the following inscription: “James Butler Bonham - no picture of him exists.

This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is placed here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man who died for freedom.”

It strikes me that the same might be said of God. We cannot see him; we do not know what he looks like, but we are not left without a likeness. We human beings bear his image: “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27).

John Reed Chaplain

But this image very quickly became tarnished and distorted as we rebelled against God and fell short of the glory for which he had created us. Nevertheless, the image has not been lost. The true image of God was restored and revealed once again in the one true perfect human being: Jesus, of whom the apostle Paul wrote: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Colossians 1:15).

And when we believe in Jesus and follow him, not only do we find God’s forgiveness for our failure to reflect his image, but God slowly but surely sets about restoring the image in us: “You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:9-10).

Senior School

This week we have focussed on one particular right which is enjoyed by our students and its concomitant responsibility. It is right number 10: I have the right to benefit from the good name of the School.

Students regularly trade on this right when applying for part-time jobs and when applying to study at various tertiary institutions. In both instances students are favourably treated because of the reputation which the School enjoys in the local community and further afield. Employers are confident that our students know how to dress appropriately, how to talk appropriately and how to behave in a range of situations ranging from formal to informal. Similarly tertiary institutions know that our students’ marks, comments and results which appear on their School reports have credibility and that our students will be reliable prospects for early entry into their faculty of choice. This is evidenced by over 80% of last year’s Year 12 being offered early entry into their course of choice, long before their ATARs were published.

Monica Watt

Deputy Headmaster and Head of Senior School

This enviable reputation has been built up over the years and needs to be maintained by our current students shouldering their responsibility for its continuation. For each student it is their responsibility to behave so that the community will respect the School. It is their responsibility to wear the School uniform neatly and correctly, and with dignity. (See page 12 of the Student Diary). If they are the one example of a TIGS student seen or known by a community member one student can destroy that reputation or that one student can promote the School’s good name by behaving and dressing in an exemplary manner.

Please help us to re-enforce this message and help your children support the TIGS community in its widest sense by being a living advertisement when in the public arena.

Junior School Our strong partnership with parents has continued to be demonstrated in our meet the teacher nights over the past two weeks. These occasions are great opportunities for us to outline our plans and areas of focus for the academic year. I want to express my thanks to the teaching staff for the time they put into these events.

The new parents welcome event was again another great opportunity for existing parents to welcome new ones and for our staff to continue to build relationships across our community.

You will notice that in the newsletter this term we have been putting student reports on excursions and events. Excursions are designed with great care and with a focus on learning. They are fun, but fun is not the ultimate goal. Excursions are developed by the teaching staff to enrich, broaden and deepen the learning that is happening in the classroom. Sometimes they are culminating events, where the class travel out on an excursion to see all of their learning in the real world. On other occasions they are used as front loading – as was the case for our Year 6 trip to Canberra. I encourage our families to talk about excursions at a deeper level than “did you have fun?” Ask what the children learnt. Ask about connections that they can see back to their classrooms. Take a moment to learn about the program of inquiry for the children so that you can discuss the concepts that each excursion is designed to explore. This collaboration between home, school and the outside world (in the form of excursions) will enrich our children’s learning experience.

This week I attach for Year 2 parents a class report about their incursions last week and also the report from our newly inducted leaders about their Leadership Training Day. To read about Year 2 Visitors click here To read about Year 6 Leadership Training Day click here Dates for your diary • NASSA Swimming Carnival – Tuesday 1 March • Junior School First Assembly – Thursday 3 March • Karobran Term I Meeting & ‘Flying Start’ Expo – Thursday 3 March after Assembly • Prep-Year 2 Twilight Barbeque – Friday 11 March

Sport

Nassa Primary Basketball Our junior girls and boys basketball teams competed at the NASSA gala day at Beaton Park this week. They had an impressive day with the girls winning the competition and the boys placing third. This is our first title in basketball and all players showed great improvement during the day. Congratulations to Ruby Pallone who was selected to trial for the NSWCIS team next week.

Judi Nealy

Head of Junior School

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Girls team: Ruby Pallone, Perri Moustoukis, Julia Devitt, Natasha Pather, Stephanie Moustoukis, Meena Jasim, Klara Zecevic, Emilia Bujaroska Boys team: Joshua Bond, Flyn Kilby, George Moustoukis, Jack Goldsmith, Ethan Jackson, Myles Dennison-Pender, Daniel Laing, Oscar Malouf

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TIGS Extended Did you know we do homework at TIGS Extended?

As you can see from the photos the children have the opportunity to do their homework. Providing this opportunity always helps working parents. Homework time is always lots of fun, and they have the support from staff and their peers.

Limited places are still available, please contact the director on kbuckley@tigs.nsw.edu.au

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Weekly Awards

Online TIGS

Thursday 3 March 2011

Time: 10.00am – 11.30am

Canteen Occupational Therapy Speech Therapy/Development

Venue: Rees Hall, Junior School RSVP: 4220 0200

IB Primary Years Program Kinder Class Visits Sport

Morning Tea Provided

21st Century Learning The Creative Child

We encourage you to bring along interested friends to discover the importance of a flying start!

Educational Directions Forum Wednesday 2 March 2011 at 7.00pm at TIGS Meet candidates standing in the coming State Election TIGS is providing the venue for the forum to be hosted by the NSW Parents’ Council (NSWPC) and The Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL).

It is an open forum and all major political parties have been invited to attend.

For more details please click here

Science News Are you an enthusiastic and talented Year 11 or Year 12 student with a passion for Science?

The Professor Harry Messel International Science School 2011 – Light and Matter The Professor Harry Messel International Science School (ISS) is the flagship of the Science Foundation for Physics, with a 45 year history and a reputation as the best program of its kind in the world.

The ISS is a free science educational program run biennially by the Science Foundation for Physics within the University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Created by Professor Harry Messel in 1958, the ISS was originally run to update science teachers about the latest scientific developments and innovations. In 1962 the focus of the school shifted to honour excellence in Year 11 and 12 students and to encourage them to pursue careers in science.

The ISS is held over a two-week period in the University of Sydney and will run from 3 -16 July 2011.

Around 145 ISS scholars attend from over all Australia, China, Japan, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, UK and the USA. Since 2005 five places for Indigenous Science Scholars have been awarded to encourage Indigenous Australian students in their interest in science.

The theme of Light & Matter brings together work being carried out in physics, chemistry, biology and engineering. Sir John Pendry, the invisibility and cloaking pioneering scientist will be a keynote lecturer at this ISS. Dr Karl Kruszelnicki AM, our Julius Sumner Miller Fellow and media personality is also an ISS guest speaker. (As a veteran of the ISS and renowned science communicator, Dr Karl is also one of the most popular!)

Application forms and information kits for the Professor Harry Messel International Science School (ISS) 2011 – Light & Matter are available at http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/foundation/iss/iss.shtml or see Mr Sormus for more details.

Science Competitions

The Science Department is providing opportunities for students to challenge themselves in a variety of national Science competitions.

The Rio Tinto Big Science Competition is open to students of all abilities at three different levels: Junior (Years 7 and 8), Intermediate (Years 9 and 10), and Senior (Years 11 and 12). The competition is designed to test students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills as well as their science knowledge.

The paper consists of thirty multiple-choice questions and the time allowed is 60 minutes. The competition will be held after school (3.20 – 4.20pm) on Wednesday 1 June. Students who are interested in entering the competition should give their names to their Science teacher by Friday 1 April.

The Australian Science Olympiad National Qualifying Examinations are designed for high achieving students in Biology, Chemistry and Physics in Years 10 and 11. The top performing students in each discipline will be invited to attend a challenging and exciting Summer school held at Monash University. The top students at the Summer School are selected to represent Australia in the International Science Olympiads.

Students who are interested in entering the competition should give their names to their Science teacher by Friday 1 April.

The Australian National Chemistry Quiz is open to students who are interested in Chemistry. The Quiz is run at four different levels; Years 7 and 8, Years 9 and 10, Year 11 and Year 12.

Each paper consists of 30 multiple-choice questions and the time allowed is 60 minutes.

The quiz will be run at school on Thursday 28 July.

Year 11 and 12 Chemistry students at TIGS are automatically entered into the competition.

Students from Years 7 – 10 who would like to nominate should give their names to their Science teacher by Friday 1 April.

Information about other competitions, such as the Brain Bee Challenge, the Science and Engineering Competition and the NSW Schools Titration Competition will be provided to students as more information becomes available.

Senior School Sport NASSA Hockey Teams

Congratulations to the following students who were selected for the NASSA Hockey Teams: Maudie Skyring (Yr 8), Lilli Bennett (Yr 9), Teagan Johnston (Yr 9), Chloe Johnston (Yr 7), Margot Allison (Yr 8), Zoe Morrell (Yr 7), Rachel Craft (Yr 8), Sally Sharpe (Yr 9), Mungo Skyring (Yr 10), Jaques Le Serve (Yr 10), Harrison Lindsay (Yr 10), Ross Sharpe (Yr 11), Tegan Richards (Yr 11).

Student Success

NSW Junior and Youth Athletics Championships Congratulations to James Belcher on his outstanding results at these championships: 2nd in pole vault and 3rd in Hammer and will be contesting these at Australian Championships as well as 400m hurdles. He also qualified in U/18 Decathlon after gaining 2nd place at NSW Titles in January.

NSW Track Cycling Championships Congratulations to Bridget Mullany on her outstanding results:

U15 Women’s Individual Time Trial in a time just 0.08 seconds outside the Australian Record.

U15 Women’s Sprint and broke the current Australian Record in her qualifying ride.

2nd place in the Individual Pursuit.

Bridget will be in the NSW Team to compete at the Australian Junior Track Championships from 17-19 March, in Sydney.

Both of these students have achieved outstanding results. The TIGS community wish them the best for their Australian Championships.

Cricket - TIGS vs Broughton

The NASSA Cricket competition recommenced last Friday with games against Broughton College.

Seniors Broughton College batted first making 8 - 128 from their 40 overs. Some very tight bowling kept Broughton to a

modest total.

Robert Gyngell (1 - 13) from 7 overs Benjamin Toussis (0 - 22) from 6 overs Khair Sultan (0 - 10) from 6 overs Jarrod Holdworth (3 - 9) from 7 overs Nikal Verma (3 - 24) from 7 overs In reply we passed the total 5 wickets down in the 27th Over. Adam Greedy (24), Rahil Verma (33) and Matthew Scavarelli (33 n/0) were our best performed with the bat.

Juniors Broughton batted first compiling 7 - 123 from their 40 overs. Raman Radhwa (39), David McMahon (1-14), Jonathon Fowles (1-14) and Alexander Clarke (2-10) were our wicket takers.

In reply were crossed to victory in the 28th over with Callum Waldock (28), Samuel Isabella (44) and Jonathon Fowles (41 n/0) the main contributors with the bat.

Both teams remain undefeated in this competition.

and the winner is .......

Aranda

Senior School Swimming Carnival

Last week saw another great school carnival. The TIGS Senior School Swimming Carnival at Western Suburbs Pool ran smoothly with House colours galore. It was pleasing to see parents, students and staff enjoying themselves in a positive atmosphere.

Congratulations to the winning house ‘Aranda’ and thank you to all houses for an overall wonderful effort.

Next week we will announce the Age Champions in the School assembly and newsletter. These students will receive their medallions at the Sports Presentation evening in November.

We wish all students in the School swimming team the best of luck at the upcoming NASSA Swimming Carnival at Homebush on Wednesday 2 March.

P & F News TIGS Great Fete 21 May 2011

Roll up, roll up, the 2011 Great Fete is on its way! Some great old favourites, a threatened species and much more is being planned for 21 May. Everyone is welcome to join our orgainising committee.

If you would like to donate a raffle prize we need to get the tickets printed before the end of term so please let us know asap.

Your business logo will be on the coversheet the same as last year.

The long standing tradition of the Sticky Date Pudding is in dire need of a new custodian - please contact us (pandf@tigs. com.au Barb 0409 969044 Sheridon 0409 822273) if you would like more information.

Please click here for all the latest on the Fete.

TIGS P&F Prayer Group

All are welcome (including small children) to attend the TIGS P&F Prayer group.

The TIGS P&F prayer group meet one Friday each month at 8.50am to 10.00am in the small seminar room in the Goodhew Reasurch Centre (Library) . They pray for and uphold the School and community. Please contact the co-ordinator, Naomi Spencer on email naomi@shoal.net.au or phone 4422 4166 for prayer points or queries.

Remaining 2011 dates are: 25 March 13 May 17 June 12 August 9 September 4 November 2 December

Craft, Cuppa and Chat

Whether you are crafty, or not, you are welcome to come along to a Craft Stall morning tea 9.00am Friday 4 March at 183 Mt Keira Road (on the left as you drive up the hill).

We will be making something for the fete, no skill necessary! Bring along your own craft idea’s or show-n-tells.

All donations for the Craft Stall are thankfully accepted; please call Cathy Tillotson 0437066221 to arrange collection.

Canteen News

Week 5, Term I Monday 28 Feb Julie Chiaverini Sonja Forte

Tuesday 1 March Snezana Bujaroska Anne Jones

Wednesday 2 March Pat Calchi HELP NEEDED

New Product

Fantastic Rice Crackers, BBQ or Sour Cream and Chive, 90c Per Packet.

Online Ordering

Don’t forget our online ordering system, please go to www.flexischools.com.au OR alternatively you are still able to leave your order at the far Canteen window before School starts. This is an easy to use, time saving way to order healthy food for your children.

Thursday 3 March Junior School Expo HELP NEEDED

Friday 4 March

Maureen Whitton HELP NEEDED

To keep up-to-date with the latest news and events that are happening in and around our School, we encourage you to subscribe to the email Newsletter.

Simply visit our website: www.tigs.nsw.edu.au and sign up on the home page.

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