Issue 3 Term III 2015

Newsletter Academic Christian Caring

ISSUE 3

TERM III 2015

From left to right Denali Hutt and Cameron McMillan, 2016 School Captains and Gordon Yen and Emily Smith, 2016 School Vice Captains with Mrs McMaugh Dean of Senior Students

Headmaster NAPLAN is in the news again. This week I was interviewed by a local TV station regarding NAPLAN, particularly on how it is being used in ways never intended when the tests were devised.

Parents of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will receive official notification of their child’s NAPLAN results later this month. These results are intended to be ‘diagnostic’ in nature and not a cause of worry or stress. The truth is that, intentionally or otherwise, great significance is placed by some people on how students perform in these tests.

League tables are created by the media and judgements are made about students, teachers and schools.

It is disturbing that an entire industry has developed to ‘prepare’ students for NAPLAN tests and that some schools make NAPLAN testing the key indicator in selecting students for special programs.

Specialist tutorials and texts designed to maximise success in NAPLAN abound which is astonishing. NAPLAN testing was only ever intended to be a diagnostic tool for teachers to assess the individual needs of students and to inform whole school improvement, and to provide broad data for government policy and planning As a school we look forward to receiving NAPLAN information for it helps us understand the educational needs of our students and where our academic programmes would benefit from revision.

We do not look forward to seeing the impact of the misuse of this information on some of our children. Too often the excellent progress that is being made in a child’s learning and the growing confidence that comes with this progress is all undone by the comparisons made in the NAPLAN results sheet.

Similarly, ATAR results that cruelly rank Year 12 students on the basis of ‘scaled’ HSC results (not their actual HSC results) are a grossly inadequate summary of the achievements of 13 years of formal schooling. It is despairing for educators to see such weight given to an ATAR which serves the purpose of ranking students so they can be allocated to university undergraduate courses. Judging by their behaviour, universities don’t even believe an ATAR is a reliable indicator for tertiary placement given the number of interviews, portfolios and additional testing required before university placement is made and the number of offers of early entry made prior to the students even sitting for HSC exams.

At TIGS, offers of early entry are received by many of our students before they sit for their final Year 12 examinations. Typically, more than 70% of our students sit for their HSC examinations knowing they already have a place at university. These offers are made on the basis of the academic performance reflected in their school reports and the extensive involvement they have in the broader curriculum and co-curricular activities at TIGS. Students that will be choosing the IB Diploma Programme (DP) also have the opportunity to apply for early entry at Macquarie University and ANU using their predicted grades which are determined by the School prior to students sitting for their final examinations.

Discussion is currently being held with UOW and I am hopeful that an announcement about a similar offer will be made in the near future for DP students hoping to attend UOW.

Parents of students in Year groups up to Year 10 will note from our recent reporting that at TIGS we are no longer reporting percentage results and ranks. Research indicates that students perform better when they know how to improve rather than how they perform compared to other students. This approach is now required by both BOSTES and the IBO. One researcher has found that by the end of Year 12 around 50% of students have become disengaged from active learning because they have been told for 13 years, by receiving percentage grades and being ranked against other students, that they either know it all, are average or are always behind everyone else.

By using grade descriptors in our reports students know the level of their mastery and they know how they can improve and move to the next level.

We are proud of the NAPLAN, HSC and ATAR results that our students achieve. Our focus, however, is on educating the whole child - no HSC result, ATAR or NAPLAN ranking gives anywhere near a complete picture of a student, their learning and their achievements at TIGS.

Stephen Kinsella Headmaster

Chaplain’s Message SOME THOUGHTS ON FAILURE Last week I was privileged to attend the annual Anglican Schools Conference in Canberra. The aim of the conference is to better equip school leaders and chaplains for the demands of contemporary schooling. There was a helpful mix of theoretical and practical input to feed our imagination and stimulate our thinking. I have come back with much to consider and some things to implement.

One of the themes that surfaced on a number of occasions throughout the conference was the issue of failure in the school context. There was an acknowledgment that we can be reluctant in contemporary schooling to allow students to experience failure. While the motivation for this is often commendable - we love our students and want to shield them from injury - there is something that is lost if we do not allow our students to experience failure.

One of the strengths of our IB educational philosophy is that it assumes failure is a necessary part of the learning process. This is embedded in the Learner Profile under Risk-Taking. The RiskTaker is one who approaches uncertainty with forethought and determination. He or she is able to work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies.

An outcome is that this learner is resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

It strikes me that when it comes to living the Christian life God allows us to experience failure as a means of growth. He does not guarantee us an easy ride, nor does He ensure that we will not be hurt along the way. He does promise us, however, that He will use all things – including our failures – to shape us to be the people He desires us to be. Indeed, sometimes the greatest growth we will experience as God’s people are those times we fail Him miserably. This determination of God to grow us in and through our failures is captured in one of the most beloved passages in Scripture: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) We will not fully embrace failure as a normal part of life unless we have adequate securities in life. Failure in the Christian life is predicated on the security that God guarantees in His Son. Nothing can separate us from His love for us in Jesus – not even failure (Romans 8:38-39). This enables us to be risk-takers in His service.

We can learn much from God as a School. If we are to encourage students to be risk-takers we must communicate to them that they have our love and acceptance regardless of the outcome. To give them this assurance is to give them wings to fly.

Rev James Rogers Chaplain

Rev James Rogers Chaplain

HELP NEEDED Volunteers are needed to help out in our canteen, please contact Debbie on 4220 0241

Senior School

Monica Watt Head of Senior School Deputy Headmaster “Mens Sana in Corpore Sano” A healthy mind in a healthy body.

For many years in the past Sport languished at TIGS but under the Directorship of Melinda Sharpe there was a transformation in the delivery and success of our sports programmes for individuals and for team sports - the most recent outstanding success being our Under14 Boys and Under14 Girls both winning their NSW State Futsal Championships last week.

Congratulations to both teams: Isabel Bodey Margaux Chauvet Sophie Correa Ashley Dribbus Zoe Dribbus Anastasia Grozdanov

Harry Borbilas Thymos Caroutas Anthony Krsteski Michael Kyriakoudes Trent Ledwidge Samuel Lendrum Jonathon Michalopoulos Austin Pallone Nickita Peros

We now have a new Director of Sport, Kylee Lane, who is, like her predecessor, enthusiastic and committed to full participation in sport and also to our philosophy of individual excellence. This means that for each and every student ‘Excellence is viewed as neither elitist nor exclusive and is accessible to all who aspire to be the best they can be.’ Hence Sport is compulsory for all students in Years 7-10 and hence we are following up on attendance and unexplained absences from co-curricular sport. Be aware!

We are also delighted when we see students leading the way in their chosen sporting domain and we work hard to support and nurture their talent within the school context.

And here Kylee so well expresses the importance of each child developing their gifts and talents “What I really love to see is how these students effectively balance their studies and their sporting commitments particularly in Years 1112. I think that it’s vital that students continue to maintain the two. Too many times I have seen elite athletes give up their sport for their studies in Year 12 and they then have too much time on their hands and their study is less productive. I believe that sport teaches students to learn how to learn because to achieve excellence in their sports they essentially need to be coachable; they need to be committed, dedicated and they need to learn to manage their time: this is a valuable skill which they are able to transfer to their studies and their daily lives.”

A number of these wonderful role models for younger students are currently in Year 12. They continue to be committed to their studies and committed to representing Australia and/or NSW. Students such as Maudie Skyring who represented Australia at the Oceania Athletics Championships, Lachlan Scott who is in the Young Socceroos, Lauren O’Neill who is in contention for the NSW Show Jumping Team for the National Championships and competes at the highest levels in Equestrian Events, Jonathan Fowles who will be playing in the NSW All Schools Cricket side against QLD in September and Tahlia Jackson who has been achieving outstanding skiing success and is now heading off to the State Snowsports Championships.

Josh King, Olivia Poate, Kaitlin McKeon, and Madeline Laing who continue to train hard and excel in their swimming. If any of our elite Year 12 athletes have been omitted may I apologise in advance and please let me know of their latest successes.

We wish all our Year 12s the very best as they currently sit their HSC Trials and particularly to those athletes who continue to train in the sport that they love and in which they excel.

‘THE WORKS’ EXHIBITION

An inspiring exhibition of the creative major works of our 2015 HSC students

Please join us to celebrate art and design at The Illawarra Grammar School.

This exhibition will feature Artworks, Design, Dance, Furniture, Photography, Textiles, Music, Radioplay and Video, from the HSC 2015.

OFFICIAL OPENING FRIDAY 21 AUGUST 7.00pm - 8.30pm in the IGC ‘Falling down’ by Cameron Barrett Year 12 2015

SATURDAY 22 AUGUST

11.00am - 2.00pm in the IGC

Junior School

Students After Hours The safety and wellbeing of our Junior School students is a priority for all staff especially at dismissal time. Parents and children are reminded of the following routines and procedures and the support of all community members is requested in keeping our children safe.

Judi Nealy Head of Junior School

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Junior School children being collected by car must be collected using the Drummond Drive car line process. They are not to meet parents at any other departure place in the School or the local vicinity.

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Students catching either the TIGS buses or the town bus, must wait on the amphitheatre to be walked up to the Senior School to their buses.

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Children from Kindergarten – Year 5 who are still on site after 3.10pm must be either attending Extend @ TIGS or be registered in a supervised extra curricular event.

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Year 6 students are permitted to sign in to the library after school and be collected by parents.

At enrolment the School requests that every family complete an enrolment form for Extend @ TIGS. This is used in the event that children cannot be collected by parents or a nominated person in special circumstances. When this occurs, the students can be cared for in the Extend @ TIGS facility until 6.00pm. If you have not completed this form, please contact the Junior School office to do so.

HICES Music Camp This week we have had students from Years 5 – 8 at the HICES music camp. This camp is a fantastic experience for our talented musicians to collaborate with like minds from other HICES schools. They spend three days living, breathing and practicing music all in preparation for the concert held at the Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday evening. What an experience for our students not only to develop their skills but to perform in such an amazing venue! Congratulations to Emma Black, Temira Cowie, Evan Glover, Sally Gyngell, Bowen Kimberley-Mastalir, Benjamin Lu, Sophie McGuire, Angus Townsend, Poppy Townsend, Xia Lian Wilson, Elliot Winn and Nicola Wright for representing our School so well.

UNSW ICAS TEST SCIENCE RESULTS YEAR 2 High Distinction Joshua Burden Distinction Hilton Brown Ting-Ting Cook Samuel Lowe Saxon Parrish

YEAR 3 High Distinction Anika Rindani Teerth Khanna Tyler Sullivan Distinction Mayank Aurangabadkar Ashika Bahl Abbey Gow Jai Hemsley-Oades Ali Matar Diya Mehan Oren Petersen

YEAR 4 High Distinction Angus Kiang Distinction Euan Christopher Aditya Kumaresan Emily Sutherland Rebecca Winn

YEAR 5 Distinction Nadia Nagaratnam Nicholas Chiaverini Cooper Kerridge

YEAR 6 Distinction Elliot Winn Aria Bacic-Johnston Jayson Cooper James Healey James Kirby Tanay Shrestha Alexander Stevenson

Homestay Parents As a family we have been involved in the homestay programme for over a year. The experiences that we have had in that time have been so valuable for our household. It certainly has opened our children’s eyes to leaning new cultures, languages and communication skills.

We have had students from Korea, Japan, China and India stay with us. As parents we love the concept because there is always someone in the house to talk to and at the end of each day around the dinner table it gives us a feeling of fulfilment to listen to the daily experiences of each child.

Phil and Kate McIlwraith

It is always a pleasure hosting International students that visit TIGS to extend their English and gain an insight into the Australian culture and school system.

For the last week and a half we have had Kaydence staying with us.

Kaydence is 10 years old and has fitted in well with her host class, 4M. She comes home each afternoon excited about her day at school, particularly enjoying the Sport and Art lessons she has participated in.

Kaydence has formed an easy friendship with our daughter, TingTing. Together they have enjoyed playing tennis and netball, reading, watching movies, and early morning hot chocolates at the cafĂŠ.

Kaydence always has a smile on her face and seems to have enjoyed her time here. We have also loved having her with us and feel we have gained an understanding and appreciation for another culture.

Kylie and Brad Cook

Please Note: Due to the HSC Trials (in Rees Hall) and the Works Exhibition (in the IGC), Assembly/Chapel for 20 August has been cancelled. All the awards below will be presented at Assembly/ Chapel on 27 August.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES YEAR 3 High Distinction Tyler Sullivan Distinction William Dolan

YEAR 4 Distinction Euan Christopher James Gardner Rebecca Winn

YEAR 5 High Distinction Hasnain Aly

YEAR 6 Distinction Ella Vartazarian Elliot Winn

WEEKLY AWARDS KD KH KP 1T 1Y 2M 2Mc 2T 3S 4Y 5G 5R 5S 6A 6C

Zainab Zafar, Alexander Burden Ambrose Nicolaou Jia Tang, Naomi Fock Subodh Parab, Yasmin Matar Connor Hutchinson, Callum Perrins Samuel Lowe, Joanne Park Sadurshi Prabaharan, Ayaan Chabungbam Katherine Binks, Lilian Bradley James Brewer, Austin Keefe Madeleine Sheargold, James Gardner Jordan McRae, Sophie Grasnick Elizabeth Michelmore, Nicholas Chiaverini Cooper Kerridge, Amelia Druett Omezikam Uchendu Thomas Peden

MERIT CERTIFICATES Academic

Thomas Peden Jocelyn Ayers Matilda Hughes Jacob Murrie Ayaan Chabungbam

Sport SENIOR SCHOOL The TIGS Netball Club

The end of the netball season is fast approaching and the TIGS Netball Club would like to invite the wider TIGS community to our end of season Presentation Evening. This year we are trialling a new family friendly presentation evening at Towradgi Beach Hotel.

There is a Kids Club equipped with video games, board games, art and craft, painting, DVDs and other fun activities. It will be open on the evening at an additional cost of $2.50 per child to pay upon entry.

Please confirm your attendance and provide full payment for your tickets to your child’s Team Manager or Kylee Lane by Saturday August 15 2015. The Club is looking forward to an excellent evening to celebrate our netball achievements in 2015.

Lunch Time Sports Competition

In Week 5 our new Sports Prefects will start a lunchtime sporting competition for Years 7, 8 and 9. Students are invited to form teams in their Houses and submit their team to Mrs Lane via email by Tuesday 18 August. We are

starting with Volleyball and Newcomb Ball and we are hoping this competition will help improve our skills in time for the upcoming NASSA Gala Day early Term IV.

Lunch Time Sports Programme

One of the Student Representative Council’s goals was to promote more sport at lunch times. As part of this initiative, we will now be opening the IGC when it’s available at lunchtime.

Mrs Lane and Mr Toussis will be running some coaching sessions and smallsided games to help promote the sport and improve our skills for NASSA competitions.

This term we are focusing on AFL on Thursdays and Basketball on Fridays.

The timetable will be in the daily notices and on the IGC door. All students are welcome to attend. There is no formal sign up procedure, so come along when you are free.

Talented Athletics Programme

The Talented Athletics Programme was developed to help improve our students’ skills in Athletics. We are now looking for ideas on how we can grow the programme to encompass Cross

Training across swimming, cross country and athletics while improving students overall strength and conditioning for other sports. If you have any ideas that may assist in the future direction of this programme parents and students are invited to contact Kylee Lane via email klane@tigs.nsw.edu.au or phone 0438513245.

AICES Football Tournament

Ten students from TIGS were selected to represent NASSA at the U/15 AICES Football Tournament this week.

Unfortunately due to injury and illness some players had to pull out, however the U/15 Girls (Emma Franco, Margaux Chauvet, Anastasia Grozdanov Rebekah Hutton and Cartia Taranto) finished with a 2-all draw in the final and although undefeated all day, they came 2nd based on goal difference.

The U/15 Boys (Sammy Lendrum and Jonathon Michalopoulos) also went through undefeated and lost in the final 5-0 to finish up runners up also. Thank you to Adrian Deck for stepping up and coaching the girls on the day.

TIGS Foundation TIGS COMMUNITY BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Are you interested in advertising your business within the TIGS Community?

A new fundraising initiative of TIGS Foundation is the creation of an on-line business directory, which will enable TIGS Families to promote their business/s by advertising their details on the TIGS Website.

There will be an annual fee of $330 (inclusive of GST) per business each calendar year of advertising in the Directory. Upon approval, immediate applications for 2015 will receive a bonus of several months’ free advertising, expiring 31 December 2016.

The Business Directory will provide an opportunity to strengthen and tighten the bonds between the School, parents and the businesses contained within the School Community.

If you are interested and would like to be involved please phone, Lisa Wilson on 4220 0264 or Joanne Danckwardt 0426 264 771, or email foundation@tigs.nsw.edu.au

Extend@TIGS Extend@TIGS is fully operating from Rees Hall this year onwards. We have a lot of exciting outdoor activities lined up since the oval is open for play. Please do not forget to check the Newsletter for our weekly program.

Week 5 Activities:

Monday 24 August Mad Science: Celery Absorber Outdoor Sport: Soccer Tuesday 25 August Extend@Library (3:30pm-4:15pm) Party Afternoon Wednesday 26 August Lady Bug Lady Bug Activity Outdoor Sport: Soccer Thursday 27 August Craft: 3D Paper Lizard Outdoor Sport: Soccer Friday 28 August Outdoor Sport: Freeze Tag ONLINE BOOKINGS: extend.com.au CALL OUR OFFICE: 1300 366 437

Library News NSW PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE Dear PRC participants, The closing date for the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge is 21 August.

All books need to be uploaded to the student reading record by this date to be eligible for the certificate. Instructions on accessing the Premier’s Reading Challenge site and uploading titles to student reading records are available on the library OLLE page or via your child’s OLLE page. Please contact library staff for any assistance needed.

TIGS Reunions 2015 Calling all alumni - it is reunion time!

Saturday 22 August is the “Back to TIGS” day which coincides with “The Works” exhibition at School where all of the major works in art and design from this year’s HSC students will be on display for School families and the public to appreciate.

We hope that we may be joined by alumni from the classes of 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2005 who will be meeting at this exhibition in the main hall at 11.00am on Saturday 22 August and doing a trip down memory lane with a tour of the School, if requested, at 11.30am.

Refreshments of coffee and cake will be provided following the tour.

To be involved please email grammarians@tigs.nsw.edu.au or send a Facebook inbox to The Illawarra Grammar School.

Junior School

Join us for a FATHER’S DAY Breakfast Friday 4 September 2015 7.00am to 8.00am Rees Hall RSVP Tuesday 1 September visit website Includes assorted cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurts, croissants and sausage sandwiches

DAD’S, BRING THE KIDS ALONG AND ENJOY A WONDERFUL BREAKFAST TO CELEBRATE FATHER’S DAY Academic • Christian • Caring An International Baccalaureate World School

UPCOMING

EVENTS

WEEK 5

Pupil Free Day Professional Learning Day Monday 17 August

The Works Exhibition

7.00pm - 8.30pm Friday 21 August in the IGC 11.00am - 2.00pm Saturday 22 August in the IGC

TIGS Reunion Tour

11.30am Saturday 22 August meeting at the IGC

WEEK 7

Father’s Day Breakfast

7.00am – 8.00am Friday 4 September in Rees Hall

WEEK 8

Year 6 PYP Exhibition Opening

4.00pm - 6.00pm Monday 7 September in the Goodhew Reasurch Centre (Library)

Year 6 PYP Exhibition

9.00am - 10.30am and 11.00am - 12.00pm Tuesday 8 September in the Goodhew Research Centre (Library)