Issue 5 Term III 2015

Newsletter Academic Christian Caring

ISSUE 5

TERM III 2015

‘The Works’ Exhibition

Headmaster The superior performance by TIGS graduates is not by accident. It is a combination of the effort students make in their studies, the expertise of staff, the opportunities provided by the School and the commitment of families in providing the best for their children.

Some of the distinguishing features of a TIGS education are: •

With Year 12 about to receive their Trial HSC results the focus is very much on graduation, university entrance and life in the work force.

Students and parents from Prep to 12, and especially Year 12 at this time of the year, should not lose sight of what a student can expect at the end of their education at TIGS. •

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Typically, more than 70% (and as high as 90%) of TIGS Year 12 students will be offered ‘early entry’ to a course of study at a university before they sit for their HSC. A significant number of TIGS graduates will be offered scholarships and traineeships by universities and employers.

Whether a student is entering Kindergarten, Year 7 or graduating Year 12, they and their parents can be confident in knowing of the success of the students that have gone before them.

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There is a common purpose at TIGS

Student wellbeing is a priority at TIGS o

In the Junior School, classroom teachers, under the guidance of Mrs Nealy and Mrs McRae monitor the progress and wellbeing of each student.

o

In the Senior School, each student is assigned a Mentor, supported by Mr Lanyon and a Dean, who meet regularly with students to monitor progress and wellbeing.

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The School employs three specialist Counsellors and four Learning Support teachers

More elective choices at TIGS At TIGS students are able to choose between more elective subjects than any other school in the Illawarra.

Students are able to choose the subjects that interest them which provides a solid base for successful study. TIGS students are offered the opportunity to study all the major Sciences (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), Music at all levels (Music 1, Music 2 and Extension), three Languages (French, Japanese, Mandarin and soon, Spanish) and all Extension subjects.

TIGS teachers are experts in the field

A TIGS education is framed within a common set of values set out in the TIGS Statement of Mission and Values -Academic Excellence, Christian Beliefs and Behaviour, and being a Caring Community. A consistent message from home and at School provides a stable and guiding framework in which our students grow and learn. As a School we know who we are, what we believe and where we are going.

TIGS is consistently ranked as the top performing non-selective school in the Illawarra. This is based on the league tables reported in the press using the percentage of Band 6 results achieved

by HSC candidates.

In a comparison of students of equal academic ability, TIGS was ranked ahead of 9 state selective schools in 2014.

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In 2015, 14 teachers have committed to the role of HSC Examiner for BOSTES and two have been appointed as a Supervisor of Marking: Mr Lanyon (Economics) and Mrs I’Ons (Japanese).

TIGS teachers know what is required for student success through to the HSC.

Why is TIGS consistently ranked the No.1 school in the Illawarra?

At TIGS, students can ‘fly’ TIGS students have a positive academic self-concept because they have the freedom to be who they are or want to be. There are over 80 co-curricular and extra-curricular activities available at TIGS, more than any other school in the Illawarra. Students are encouraged to explore who they are, to have new experiences and to succeed in the areas where their interest and talents are found. Academic success is no surprise when student success across so many fields of endeavour is a normal experience.

It is okay to succeed academically at TIGS New students consistently disclose that they appreciate being part of a student culture where learning is seen as the norm and academic achievement is seen as desirable. This is a rare feature in schools and one that TIGS students and parents can feel proud of.

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Smaller class sizes at TIGS To maximise positive teacher/student interaction, TIGS deliberately keeps class sizes small. This allows teachers to target the learning needs of each student. Typically, class sizes at TIGS are: o o o

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K to Year 2 Year 3 - 10 Year 11-12

around 20 or less around 25 or less average of 13

TIGS is a world class school Students and parents have the assurance that the TIGS claim to academic excellence is substantiated by independent assessment.

TIGS has presented its academic programmes for assessment by two international organisations: o

International Organisation (IBO)

Baccalaureate

TIGS is an IB World School, one of 4,267 schools world-wide that have been judged as meeting the exacting standards of the IBO. TIGS is authorised to teach the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and intends to achieve authorisation

Chaplain’s Message to deliver the full Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP) in 2016. TIGS will then be the second school in NSW to achieve authorisation in all three IB programmes. o

DIABOLICAL DEBATING

tolerate their ideas. The game has completely changed. Now we only tolerate people and their ideas if they keep them private. When ideas with which we might disagree are brought into the public sphere we seem to have lost the ability to distinguish between the ideas and those who hold them. We are ruthless with both. This, supposedly, is the new tolerance. It sounds like a bit of a misnomer to me.

Arrowsmith Program TIGS has been inspected and authorised to deliver the Arrowsmith Program for students with cognitive deficits that cause learning difficulties. TIGS currently has one class with local students as well as students that have moved from Victoria and Tasmania benefiting from the expertise of TIGS teachers.

As a School we set excellence as our standard and define it as “being neither elitist nor exclusive and accessible to all who aspire to be the best they can be.” The end of Year 12 is an exciting time because we see and celebrate the end product of the TIGS experience. The tears are sure to come on Friday 18 September when they graduate.

We wish them success in their last few weeks of schooling.

Stephen Kinsella Headmaster

This week we welcomed staff from Cranbrook School, Sydney, who came to learn about the MYP and how it is implemented at TIGS. Cranbrook is just commencing implementation of the MYP.

Rev James Rogers Chaplain Our culture is not good at civil conversation. This has become apparent in the recent debate over same-sex marriage. The modus operandi tends toward personal defamation rather than a tenacious engagement with ideas. A few examples from a recent episode of Q&A will prove the point. One panelist, American Katy Faust, suffered a barrage of personal attacks for arguing for the continuation of the traditional view of marriage. She was said to be bigoted, hateful and prejudiced; her views were even referred to as “clap trap”. It wasn’t so much that her arguments were thought to be fallacious; it was more that she was considered debased for holding them to begin with.

I am told there was a golden age when people were treated with dignity even as their ideas were vigorously debated and in some cases demolished. This was what tolerance used to be – we tolerated people even if we refused to

I mentioned in last week’s newsletter article that at TIGS we give students room to question and even challenge the core tenets of the Christian faith. The same holds for other worldviews and religions.

We want our students to be critical thinkers and to enjoy the freedom to form their own beliefs and identities.

What we do not want, however, is the sort of discourtesy that colours current debates in our society. We train our students to be clear about what they believe, to learn the necessary skills to test those beliefs, and to be able to have generous conversations with those with whom they might disagree. Our hope is they will see it is possible, even desirable, to have deep friendships with those who hold different beliefs to them and that these deep friendships can actually be forged in a robust conversation over the merits of ideas.

I am thoroughly committed to this process. I believe our world needs this sort of discourse. I have an important role to play in modeling this sort of behaviour to our students. I believe that if we can form our students in this way they will transform the nature of the debate in our culture from one of hostility to humanity. I look forward to witnessing cultural transformation as our students model a better way to be human.

Rev James Rogers Chaplain

Senior School POLICIES

UNIFORM Our school sets high standards in all areas and those concerning the wearing of the school uniform are similarly high. Our aim is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to present themselves in the best possible light in a wide range of contexts so that they are empowered, self-confident and poised both now and in the future.

Whenever students are wearing their uniform - whether it be in school in school hours, or out-ofhours representing the school in the community, at a school function, walking home or around town - their uniform sets them apart and the way in which they wear it should reflect the high standards that are expected of them.

Monica Watt Head of Senior School Deputy Headmaster Every so often there needs to be a Newsletter article to communicate to families the rules and regulations put in place to maintain high standards of dress and behaviour and those put in place to keep students safe on the premises.

Please assist us in helping your children wear their uniforms with pride: shirts tucked in, top buttons done up, blazers on in winter terms. Boys should be clean-shaven and girls should have their hair tied up and back if it falls below their collar.

So this is the article.

ON THE PREMISES BEFORE AND AFTER-HOURS Children should not be dropped off at school before 8.00am. There is supervision in the Library from that time and staff are on duty around the grounds from 8.20am.

After lessons have concluded 3.15pm students should either: • • •

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leave from one of the three departure points by 3.45pm. go to their co-curricular activity or after-school class or be signed into the Library.

They should not be anywhere else on the campus.

All students should leave the campus by 5.00pm when the late buses leave from Powell Street to do the north and south runs.

If there is an after-hours event students are not to remain at School unless you have been informed that there will be staff supervision. Don’t hesitate to call School if you are unsure of the arrangements.

Monica Watt Head of Senior School and Deputy Headmaster

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 $300 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

Senior School Sport Student Success

Congratulations to Ethan Jackson (Year 9) who competed in the Australian Children’s Snowsport Championships and placed 1st in Skier X. Well done!

CIS Rugby League 7’s

On Monday the U/13 and U/15 boys competed in the CIS Rugby League Sevens. The U/13’s narrowly lost their first game 20 – 16 with drop goal kicking being the difference. The second game saw TIGS go down in a hard-fought encounter 12 – 0. In our final game TIGS had a draw against Sutherland Christian School. Weather conditions meant the remainder of the day was called off. Samuel Aubin was the team’s player of the day with other notable performances

by Lachlan Mills and George Birt.

The most impressive aspect was the teamwork and improvement in the boys across the day as many were first time players.

The following boys from Year 9 represented the School in the U/13’s team: Luca Gibbs, George Birt, Isaiah Kennedy, Samuel Aubin, Maxwell

Okely, Tayib Muttaqi, Lachlan Mills, Yaan Keller-Bergmann, Sebastian Di Noro. They were assisted on the day

by Giovanni Nassau.

The U/15’s had two wins, two narrow losses and looked set to partake in the semi-finals before rain and lightning cancelled play early in the afternoon. The team was led by Blake McDougall who combined well with Samuel Shalala in directing the team around the field. Alexander Wilson, Joshua Fullerton-Harvey and Ethan Jackson were a handful for the opposition, scoring numerous tries out wide due to their speed and strength.

Aiden Wingate, Harley Martignago, Henry Jenkins, Joseph Daly and Mathew Logan all contributed to the team’s success through strong defence and attack. Samuel Okely was named player of the day due to his strong work ethic in attack and defence.

The following boys from Year 9 represented the School in the U/15’s team: Blake McDougall (c), Ethan Jackson, Mathew Logan, Aiden Wingate, Samuel Shalala, Joshua FullertonHarvey, Harley Martignago, Henry Jenkins, Joseph Daly, Alexander

Wilson and Samuel Okely

NSW All Athletics

Schools

Knockout

On Thursday 20 August, a team of seven TIGS girls competed at the NSW All Schools Knockout Athletics Championships. This is a team’s competition where each athlete scores points for their team based on the time/distance that they complete for their event in. Against an extremely tough field, including many large private Sydney schools, the TIGS team held their own and was extremely competitive. The highlights of the evening were the middle distance relay team placing third in their race, as well as Maudie Skyring and Elizabeth Martin both winning their 1500m heats. At the end of the evening TIGS had placed 8th in the state, a fantastic achievement! The team was Maudie Skyring, Alexandra Lavalle, Azalea Nassau, Elizabeth Martin, Ashley Dribbus, Charlotte Gaynor and Margaux Chauvet.

Junior School BOOK WEEK As I write the Newsletter this week I am dressed in a “professional” witches outfit – yes, today I am Professor McGonagall so it seems only sensible that we start our Newsletter this week with Book Week.

Our Junior School students had a fabulous experience listening to the visiting author Will Kostakis, choosing their Book Week books to read and sharing their favourite characters on dress up day. A love of reading and literature is such a gift to give young children, it never fades and provides unlimited hours of enjoyment and pleasure. Our students are very well connected to literature and the enjoyment they can get from reading widely. Check out the class and Library OLLE pages this week, I am sure there will be plenty of great photos showing the excitement of our Book Week celebrations.

‘THE WORKS’ EXHIBITION Judi Nealy Head of Junior School

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES: Friday 4 September • Father’s Day Breakfast – 7.00am to 8.00am in Rees Hall • Father’s Day Stall for 3 & 5 Day Pre-Prep and Prep, Years 1 and 2 Thursday 17 September • Big Day In Friday 18 September • Last day of Term III

‘The Works’ Exhibition on Friday evening was an amazing exhibition of our Year 12 major works to be presented for the HSC this year. Visitors were once again astounded by the creativity and skill of our senior students. What was also very visible was the discipline required to be successfully creative.

Often there is a misconception that creativity lacks discipline, this is not the case. There is a great deal of skill development, practice, structure and revision required in order to create something. Creativity is rarely a “one off” attempt at something and producing a major work submission certainly demonstrated the rigour and intellectual requirements of creativity.

The other aspect of creativity that was showcased at ‘The Works’ Exhibition was the journey of skill development. Year 2 and Years 5 and 6 student works were exhibited alongside their Year 12 colleagues. It was wonderful to see the growth of creative skill and confidence on display and a great encouragement to our Junior School students as they look to future opportunities available to them in their creative growth here at TIGS.

FATHER’S DAY STALLS This year our Father’s Day Stalls will be held on Tuesday 1 September and Friday 4 September. We will pre-purchase a wide range of presents that the children will be able to choose from.

YEAR 4 BUILDING Our new modular Year 4 classrooms are progressing well. We have had a great deal of excitement watching cranes lift our new buildings into position and now the interior fit-out is occurring. We are anticipating moving in over the September holiday and Year 4 will return to their beautiful new rooms. Included in this block is a new Junior School Music room and an absolutely fantastic outdoor amphitheatre.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this new space is used by our students for learning, performing and just hanging out together.

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

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

Junior School Sport NASSA ATHLETICS

CROSS COUNTRY

55 students travelled to Campbelltown last Thursday as members of the Junior School Athletics Team. We had many strong individual and team performances throughout the day as well as two new records set. Ben Giason won the 11-years 800m, slashing nine seconds off the previous record and Isobel Kinnear broke the 12-years high jump record. 22 students have now qualified for the NASSA Team to compete at the CIS championship in two weeks time. The highlight of the day was our surprise win in the ‘Best of the Best’ relay team - Samuel Lowe, James Healey, Christian Vujic and Josh Franco. TIGS placed second overall for champion school behind Penrith Anglican.

Ben Giason and Cooper Kerridge will travel to Melbourne this weekend to participate in the School Sport Australia Cross Country event. They have been training hard with their coach, Mrs Dribbus, over the last couple of months and we wish them well.

Well done to all our team members on their outstanding efforts.

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Junior School WEEKLY AWARDS KD KP 1W 1Y 2M 2Mc 2S 2T 4M 4Y 5S 6C 6K

B’Elanna Atlee, Poppy Bambrick, Isabella Nicholson, Henry Chen Darby Parrish, Tahlie Oxman Isla Brown, Alexandra Da Deppo, Roscoe Kambouris, Riya Bahl, Boston Zeidler, Liy Still Leonardo Attore, Subhaan Ul-Haq Joshua Burden, Isabella Perri, Fergus Dutch Naoka Hutchins, Sophia Windsor Scarlett Ford, Lexi Mitchell Kayden Merritt, Zachary Hilton Euan Christopher, Dania Jaber Angus Kiang, Sarah Partland Angus Townsend, Liam Harvey Krishnendu Gupta, Declan Saad Ruby D’Rozario, Rory Swainson

UNSW ICAS TEST RESULTS

Spelling Distinction

MERIT CERTIFICATES

Academic

Andrew Neal Wyatt Toland Enuri Gamage Dania Jaber

Anika Rindani Teerth Khanna Euan Christopher Enuri Gamage Liam Harvey Elliot Winn Jayson Cooper

The Arts UPCOMING EVENTS

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Junior Singing Concert 4.30pm 2 September in Recital Room

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Senior Singing Concert 6.30pm 2 September in Recital Room

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Ilford Photography Competition Closing Date 2 September

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Moran Photography Competition Closing Date 31 August

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Elective Drama Night 10 September at 6.30pm in the IGC

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Elective Dance Night 14 September at 6.30pm in the IGC

Student Successes Congratulations to the following students for their successes in recent weeks: Erynne Stone Year 8 – First Place in her Year 8 division of the South Coast Public Speaking Competition Samuel Aubin Year 7 – Invited to present his paper on The Power of Inspiration at the inaugural Young People’s History Conference at the University of Wollongong in September Ishara Wijesinghe Year 11 – On her excellent representation and public speaking at the Quota International 2015 Student of the Year Final last Saturday

Extend@ TIGS Extend@TIGS has a lot of different and exciting upcoming events organised. We have weekly science activities as well as outdoor sport and craft. We are also expecting a special visit from Gilbert the Gecko on 15 September and would love for you to come along to meet Gilbert.

HOLIDAY PROGRAMME BOOKINGS ARE OPEN! Book by Friday 4 September to avoid a late fee.

We have heaps of fun activities planned these school holidays and can’t wait for you to attend! Create a windsock by combining science, technology, engineering, art and maths. Channel your inner architect as you design, construct and build a magnificent 3D tower. And create an amazing airplane piggy bank complete with wings and a propeller.

Participate in all this and more at Extend’s Spring Holiday Programme.

To check out what’s on visit our website at extend.com.au and book via the Parent Portal.

Please do not forget to check the Newsletter for our weekly program

Week 7 Activities:

Monday 31 August Outdoor Sport: Red Light Green Light followed

by Soccer Tuesday 1 September Extend@Library (3.30pm - 4.15pm) Extend’s Got Talent – Dance Competition Wednesday 2 September Craft: Creating Kitty’s House Outdoor Sport: Soccer Thursday 3 September Science: Exploring the Solar System Outdoor Sport: Soccer Friday 4 September Craft: Australian Animals Outdoor: Soccer

ONLINE BOOKINGS: extend.com.au CALL OUR OFFICE: 1300 366 437

UPCOMING

EVENTS

WEEK 7

Father’s Day Breakfast

7.00am – 8.00am Friday 4 September in Rees Hall

WEEK 8

Year 6 PYP Exhibition Opening

Commences 4.00pm sharp Monday 7 September in the Goodhew Research Centre (Library)

Year 6 PYP Exhibition

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

WEEK 9

Headmaster’s Handball Challenge Tuesday 15 September

Junior School Big Day In Senior School Great Race Thursday 17 September

Year 12 Graduation Ceremony and Formal Last Day of Term III Friday 18 September