REVIEW ISSUE 3, 2014 The TIGS Advantage
From the Headmaster
The Works Exhibition Student Success
An International Baccalaureate World School
report from the headmaster The TIGS Advantage
The following is an update on advice originally given in 2012. I am amazed by the number of parents who tell me that they regularly have to justify their decision to send their children to TIGS. It is a sad comment on society that a decision to spend after-tax dollars on holidays, cars and wide-screen TVs is lauded while a decision to spend the same dollars on an independent school education for a child can attract derision. Parents armed with some facts are best placed to counter those that argue on the basis of stereotypes and uninformed opinion. I hope parents find the following encouraging as well as useful. Funding: It costs all governments (2012 figures) on average $15,770 to educate a child in a state school and only $7,200 to educate the same child in an average independent school. At TIGS the average level of government funding was $6,392 per student. Enrolments: Across Australia, approximately 35% of students attend a non-government school. In metropolitan areas this increases to over 50% at senior secondary school level. The independent sector is the most rapidly growing education sector.
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The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
Outstanding Academic Results: TIGS accepts students across a range of academic abilities. In 2013, 90% of graduates received an offer of a university course of their choice. 90% of applicants received an offer of entry to university before they sat for the HSC. No other school in the Illawarra region achieves this outcome. In 2013, three students from TIGS (a non-selective school) received the Premier’s Award (achieving the top band in their top 10 units of study), which is the same number of students as the local selective high school. Elective Choices: Students in the Senior School have more elective choices than any other school in the region. These choices include Mathematics at all levels, all the Sciences, three languages (Mandarin, Japanese and French) and Music (Music 1, Music 2 and Extension), Dance and Drama. All the available Extension courses are taught at TIGS. Co-curricular Programme: There are more opportunities at TIGS for students to develop their gifts and talents than any other school in the region. In the Junior School students can choose to participate in over 20 activities outside the classroom. In the Senior School this number extends to over 40 activities. No TIGS student can claim they have nothing to do. Disadvantaged Families: TIGS provides scholarship and humanitarian assistance to refugee families and families whose circumstances would otherwise prevent them from attending TIGS. We do this as an act of service and do not seek public recognition for this programme. Sport: TIGS has an outstanding sports programme offering over 20 different sports to suit all ability levels. TIGS is the dominant school at representative level and students regularly achieve national representation. TIGS had two students compete at the London Olympic Games and at Commonwealth. Our Junior Girls Futsal Team recently became State Champions, winning the State Final by an astonishing margin of 8-0. Performing Arts: TIGS offers courses in Music, Drama and Dance. There are 29 music ensembles covering students from the Piper Centre through to Year 12, including the TIGS Symphony Orchestra. Musical productions in recent years have been ‘Les Miserables’, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, ‘West Side Story’, ‘CATS’ and ‘The Secret Garden’. We expect and achieve excellence in all that we do. Co-education: “We all know that a student’s genetic and socio-economic background has a huge impact on their learning, but educational researchers such as John Hattie and the late Ken Rowe have demonstrated that the next huge factor is not the gender factor – that’s way down, if there at all; it’s the quality of teaching.” (Read John Hattie (2009) ‘Visible Learning’: Routledge) TIGS is blessed with excellent teachers. International Reputation: TIGS is part of an international community of 3,882 schools (just 152 in Australia) accredited as an IB World School. It is authorised to teach the Primary Years Program (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate Organisation for Years Prep to 6, and is currently implementing the Middle Years Program (MYP) for Years 7 to 10. TIGS has sister schools in Japan, Thailand, France and with Emu Point in the Northern Territory. Values: TIGS has a clear set of values expressed in its Statement of Mission and Values. Students learn and grow in an environment where the values at home are in sync with the values at school. At TIGS we know who we are and we know where we are going. Christian Education: TIGS is an Anglican school and employs a Chaplain and an Assistant Chaplain. It is working with the Anglican Education Commission to develop a fully integrated approach to Christian education across the whole school curriculum. Community minded: Students at TIGS learn to serve others. From The Piper Centre through to Year 12, students learn that a TIGS education brings with it the responsibility to care for others. TIGS students are personally engaged with many local organisations, including the Disability Trust of NSW, Cancer Council Illawarra, SCARF (Strategic Community Assistance for Refugee Families), Anglicare Illawarra and Manna House. We are proud of our School and the achievements of our students.
Stephen Kinsella Headmaster
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Fish, Chips & High Tea Fish is the Christian group of Years 7 – 9 students who meet together on
Friday lunchtimes to socialise. However as well as hanging out, we are a group who encourage each other to live for Jesus at school, by reading and studying the Bible together. One of the best parts about our group is our commitment. At the moment Fish consists of a core group of seven great girls, mentored by Rev Rogers our chaplain and Chloe, a university student who comes each week with a wealth of knowledge, and hot chips. While being a fantastic encouragement to each other, Fish is also big on serving the school community. This is just one way we can follow Jesus’ example at school which gives an insight of His love for the world to the people around us. This year, we joined Explore (the Christian group for those in Years 10 – 12) and as a group gave out hot cross buns just before the Easter holidays. Not only did this action display the loving nature of God, but also gave an opportunity for the Christians in the school to talk about what Jesus did for us at the cross. Another primary purpose of Fish is to become closer as friends, under God. One of the big issues with holding a bible study during lunchtime is the lack of time it allows for us to be together. Often we will start with lots of chatting, get in about 5-10 minutes of bible-centred discussion (usually filled with random tangents coming out of that) and then say a quick twenty-second prayer before rushing out to period 6. So one week, after chatting for about our usual 10 minutes, we talked for another 10 about arranging a social event where we could all chat without the limits of time in the back of our heads and where we could invite friends. Then of course it was time for a speedy prayer and goodbye until next week. However about two weeks later, we did hold the event which was a high tea organised by the amazing Chloe (who is an incredible cook) and supervised by the brilliant Mrs Neal, where we could all chat away. Seeing other people who are passionate about Jesus at your school is really a sight to make you joyful. And that is certainly how we feel at Fish.
Juliet Stanton, Macinley Butson, Marie Russo, Anastassia Zafiriou, Lucy Chester-Crowe, Rosie Stanton, Riley Cross, Annaliese Phipps Fish Committee Members
Nicole Fitzsimons Foundation When year 12 students entered the Nicole
Fitzsimons Foundation seminar, perhaps we wore the attitude of invincibility, however through shocking statistics and emotional videos we came to realise the importance of acting responsibly whilst travelling overseas, especially in countries such as Indonesia and Thailand. The high accident and death rates of Australians abroad stunned us into the realisation that one day it could be our own brothers, sisters, parents, friends or even us who face the consequences of risky decisions. For some, the intentions of raising awareness proved effective, and for others, it was a relatable reminder of the impact of dangerous driving, but no matter which, we all walked out with, at the very least, a heightened understanding that the one Australian who dies every four days on Thailand’s roads could potentially be us.
The emotions felt by the Fitzsimons family were shared to us through a video of their beloved Nicole, which left a strong mark on our thoughts about life’s fragility. This was such a necessary message and the knowledge gained will hopefully make us all stop and think before making decisions that may not be the best for our wellbeing. Thank you to Kate Fitzsimons for providing us with this opportunity through her volunteered presentation of ‘In loving memory of Nicole Fitzsimons’.
Alexandria Adams Year 12 2014
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The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
HICES Music Festival In Term III Week 3, 15 students from Years 7 – 11 were specially selected to attend
the 2014 HICES Music Festival. The festival is an annual event which brings together over 300 students from HICES Schools around New South Wales for 3 days of intensive rehearsal, culminating in a showcase concert at the Sydney Town Hall. This year we had students involved in the Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra, Honour Choir and the Vocal Ensemble. Students spent many hours each day rehearsing and preparing a wide range of repertoire under the baton of conductors from schools in the HICES network. One of the highlights of the festival was having the opportunity to work with the world renowned Choral Conductor Rollo Dilworth. Rollo’s enthusiasm and love of music was infectious and singing a cappella gospel songs as part of a 300 piece choir in the Sydney Town Hall was certainly an experience to remember! The HICES Music Festival is a unique opportunity for students to be surrounded by like-minded students and completely immersed in music from dawn until dusk. Congratulations to all the students involved for their exceptional representation of the school at this event. Students involved: Rebecca Adams, Darcy Fisher, Giancarlo Esposito, Caelan Goncalves, Brandon Grainger, Madaleine Hah, Nicholas Hilderson, Caitlin Koloski, Ruby Pallone, Angus Pryde, Chloe Summerill, Adrian Whitehall, Mia Whitehall, Vanessa Winterbottom and Klara Zecevic.
Renae Pinazza Head of the Arts
PARENT PROFILE I am not naturally a public person and often feel socially awkward, so the idea of taking on the role of Karobran Chair was, to say the least, a little intimidating. But keen to meet people and wanting to become more involved in the community where our children would be spending much of their childhood, was enough for me to agree to take on the role. I have to say, as that first year progressed, I was to find out that I was in well above my head and on a very steep learning curve. This was something very different to anything I had ever done. During that challenging time I managed to achieve my main two reasons for taking on this role. I met many wonderful people and I became familiar, comfortable and confident in the community we had chosen to place our children. I am a firm believer in giving to any community that you chose to be a part of and I was more than happy with what it had given me up to this point. What I hadn’t yet realised is that continuing on in this role was going to give me so much more than I had imagined. Depth of knowledge on the educational programme taught to our children, an understanding of the complexities and diverse challenges that are considered in our school every day, policy, processes and my own personal growth that I will be forever grateful. 2014 will be my last year in this role. It is time to hand over the reins and give someone else the opportunities that I have been afforded and give our community the benefits of new and varied influences. The support that I received during my time in this role was unwavering; the respect that I gained for the staff at our school was of the highest level and the friendships I have made will be lifelong. We are all very privileged to be part of the TIGS family. I would encourage everyone to become involved in this great community that is so integral to our children’s lives. If you are interested in taking on the role of Karobran Chair for 2015 you can find a P&F Nomination Form in the P&F Tab of the Parents section on the TIGS website. P&F Committee positions for 2015 will be elected during this year’s Annual General Meeting that will be held on the 2 December in the Goodhew Research Centre from 6.00pm to 7.00pm.
Tanya Edgerton Karobran Chairperson The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
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The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
Year 12 Camp 2014 On Wednesday 3 September to Friday 5 September, all of Year 12 travelled to Port Hacking for their final camp at TIGS. This camp was a wonderful opportunity for the students to refresh, reflect and refocus following the busy and stressful period of Trial HSC exams and completing many other assessment tasks. During the camp, students were involved in a number of challenging and fun activities including high ropes, bushwalking, fishing, sailing, indoor rockclimbing, dragon boating and archery. The most popular activity of the camp was the Segways, where students were able to ride the Segways on a fire trail, through puddles and rough terrain. Another highlight was when the students had the opportunity to write some kind words about each of the people in their Mentor Group. There were many hugs and tears when they read them. Each night the students heard a talk from Mr Edgerton and Rev Rogers to inspire and encourage them. There was also time provided for the students to have some down-time to relax and bond together playing cards, watching movies or playing indoor soccer. It was a wonderful camp and the students truly felt the benefit of their time away from the stress of their HSC year. A big thankyou to all the staff who attended and helped make it a successful camp.
Adrian Deck Dean of Year 12
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The TIGS World Vision Campaign In August, TIGS took part in the annual
World Vision 40 Hour Famine where 76 students from Years 7 – 12 gave up either food, furniture, technology or any other aspect of their life that they felt they were dependent on. The students who participated took great initiative in raising money to support their individual efforts. As a group, TIGS has raised over $8000 from online donations, which exceeded our target and is, in fact, the most we have ever raised! The organisation, promotion and fundraising of the 40 Hour Famine was lead by Mrs Lowe and a driven team of Year 10 students - Ishara Wijesinghe, Elijah Li, Kate Read, Emily Smith, Jacqui Connor, Sarah Gardener, Denali Hutt and Cameron McMillan. Year 10 students have the opportunity to apply for a position as a World Vision Leader, and upon selection into the team, leaders are trained by World Vision at the Global Leaders’ Convention. This event is held at the Big Top at Luna Park and is an amazing day where thousands of student leaders come together to hear heartfelt speeches by World Vision Youth Ambassadors and take part in a huge global poverty simulation game. The day helps to empower student leaders to take up the challenge of running the 40 Hour Famine at schools throughout NSW. Although the 40 Hour Famine has ended, the plight of global hunger has not. The World Vision team has continued to collect donations from the school community through fundraising. On the 1st of September, the team organised a lunchtime concert on the Library Lawn in support of World Vision. This concert was a great opportunity to showcase the musical talents of students in both the Junior and Senior School, in an open, relaxed environment whilst also raising funds for World Vision through the donation of a gold coin. For the first time the 40 Hour Famine has become a House competition where each of the four houses are competing to raise the most money for World Vision. This has enhanced the profile of the Famine across the school and has encouraged more students to get involved. Fundraising efforts are still continuing and the winning house will be announced early in Term IV. We would like to thank the entire school community for their involvement and support in the 2014 World Vision campaign.
Ishara Wijesinghe Year 10 World Vision Leader
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The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
TIGS FOUNDATION BUILDING OUR FUTURE ‘The Works’ Exhibition – Celebrating art and design from the 2014 HSC Students. Westpac TIGS Foundation Scholarship Award 2014. The inclusion of the Westpac TIGS Foundation Scholarship Award at The Works Exhibition this year was made possible by the generous support of Westpac and will allow the Foundation to support a TIGS student whose circumstances would not otherwise allow them to access a TIGS education and the wonderful dynamics that this school offers to a child’s life. This gift of $2,000 will mark in a significant way the role of the Arts in education at TIGS over its 55 year history. TIGS Foundation became more closely involved with the Works in 2009 when our school celebrated its Golden Jubilee. This year we invited some budding artists from the Junior School to proudly display their creative pieces in support of their older peers in Year 12. The decision to showcase the Junior work was to highlight the journey that our students creatively go on through their years at TIGS. It was also a way of inspiring our young children and encouraging them to feel part of something remarkable, an outstanding event that they too will one day celebrate. In recognising the efforts of these talented Junior School students, TIGS Foundation proudly sponsored Encouragement Prizes which were chosen by 1996 Alumni, Noel McLaughlin a special guest at ‘The Works’ this year. Congratulations to the three winners of these prizes, Shay Harper, Sarah Tubman and Maya Soligo. To know more about TIGS Foundation Scholarships please contact the School or email Lisa Wilson at foundation@tigs.nsw.edu.au
“Not So Secret” Men’s Business – “An Innings with Adam Gilchrist” 7.00 pm Friday 7 November 2014 Who: Men (dress: smart casual) What: 3 Course Dinner, Beverages and Entertainment Where: Victory Room Western Grandstand, WIN Stadium, Wollongong Cost: $150pp RSVP: Book online at www.tigs.nsw.edu.au or phone 02 4220 0264
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STUDENT SUCCESS
academic
Emily I’Ons (Year 12 2015) receiving the Academic Excellence Award at Sydney University last week.
sport
This term TIGS have had a number of students achieve outstanding results in sport at an elite level. Congratulations to: Natasha Mullany Cycled in the Australian Junior Road Cycling Championships in Toowoomba earlier this month. Natasha won the JW17 Road Race and is the 2014 JW17 Australian Road Race Champion. Natasha won the Silver medal in the Criterium Championship and was 7th in the Individual Time Trial Ethan Jackson Ethan finished 16th in the Alpine and 2nd in the Skier X at the Australian Interschools Snowsports Championships in Perisher. Tahlia Jackson Tahlia Jackson finished 20th in the Skier X at the Australian Interschools Snowsports Championships in Perisher. Girls Relay Team Denali Hutt, Kate Read, Alex Lavalle, Maddie Negus Represented the school at the State Relay Championships at Homebush in the 4 X 100m relay. Girls came second in the state nearly winning with a .15 difference. The girls beat Westfield Sports H.S, Roseville College, PLC and many other prestigious Sydney Schools. Girls Relay Team Denali Hutt, Maudie Skyring, Liz Martin, Claire Smallhorn Represented the school at the State Relay Championships at Homebush in the distance relay earlier this month. Maudie ran 1200m leg, Liz and Claire ran 800m legs and Denali ran the 400m leg. Girls finished fourth in the state. Hunter Danckwardt-Bruce, Rory Hanrahan (Year 6) Finished 3rd as a team in the Division 4 snowboard event. Daniel Cannon (Year 8) and Aaron Cannon (Alumni Year 12 2013) Have been selected in the NSW Special Olympics Team for Swimming to compete at the Nationals in October. Kieran Ackhurst Keiran represented in the NSW U19 Volleyball team who played and attended the Australian Junior Volleyball Championships. He also represented Australia this year at the Australian Youth Men’s Team The ‘Volleyroos’ at the World Youth Championships in Sri Lanka.
Melinda Sharpe
Director of Sport and Outdoor Education
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The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
The Arts
TIGS are delighted to announce the following outstanding results in The Arts Department this term. Ilford Schools’ Photographic Competition Digital Primary – Year 7/8 Category WINNER: Mackenzie Smith was the winner – Down the Lip Digital Primary – Year 7/8 Category MERIT CERTIFICATE: Cecilia Arsenovic – Sunflower Digital Year 9/10 Category MERIT CERTIFICATE: Billy Fisher – Project 2-3 Digital Year 11/12 Category MERIT CERTIFICATE: Kelsea Latham – The Hmomey 2014 Silk Cut Award for Linocut Prints – Gleneira Gallery Nathan Troiani – work selected to be hung at this exhibition
Dance
Jacob Hall (Year 10) and his dance partner have achieved the following fantastic results in the Youth category: • • • • • • •
Won the Youth Open Latin (Victorian Open) Placed second in Youth Open Ballroom (Victorian Open) Won the Youth “B” grade Ballroom (Victorian Open) Won the Youth Open Ballroom (NSW Championships) Placed second in Youth Open Latin (NSW Championships) Won the Youth “B” grade Latin (NSW Championships) Made the final (top 6), Youth Open Latin and Ballroom at the World Dance Council, 2 weeks
Renae Pinazza Head of the Arts
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WORKS EXHIBITION TIGS has a long and proud tradition of fostering the Arts. It is through the stories of our artists, designers and performers past and present that we have been reminded that the experience of the Arts can be an extremely positive part of people’s lives. While reconnecting with our alumni over the years of the Works, we have found that our students are still making, designing, composing and performing as part of their daily lives. Whether it forms part of their work or their leisure, many of these alumni have given credit to their teachers and to their experience at school as being a positive force in their creative lives. The Works Exhibition, now in its 14th year, has been just one of the ways that TIGS has supported the Arts. It has also allowed the school and the local community to celebrate the talents and achievements of TIGS students. This year we were pleased to welcome back Noel McLaughlin (HSC 1996) to officially open the 2014 Works Exhibition. Noel studied Photography and Visual Arts at TIGS during Years 9 – 12 and followed his passion, completing a BA in Visual Communication. Noel has exhibited his personal photographic work in London and his imagery has been commissioned and purchased for international, corporate and private collections. He is currently living and working between Sydney and London. This Works 2014 was an inspiring glimpse into the efforts of our current Higher School Certificate students in the areas of Visual Arts, Design and Technology, Industrial Technology, Dance, Drama, Music and Extension English. The Exhibition showcased the major projects of over forty students and was the culmination of their year’s work. TIGS is extremely proud of the results of this year’s cohort and trust that the skills and passion for the Arts that have been nurtured at school will continue to play a significant part in their lives.
Di Goodman The Arts Faculty
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The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
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The piper centre ‘Remida’ Recycling Centre On June 5 2014
The Piper Centre Celebrated ‘World Environment Day’ by inviting a staff member from Wollongong City Council to speak about the importance of recycling. This helped us to understand what things can be recycled and which bin our household rubbish items need to go in. The children had the opportunity to sort out different items and place them in the correct bins. As a lead-up to this day, we set up our ‘Remida’ Recycling Centre, a place where recycled fabrics and papers, tubes and tins, reels and other bits and bobs can be donated and placed into easily accessible baskets for the children to use in their creative art pieces. The name ‘Remida’ comes from ‘Reggio children,’ which “is a place that promotes the idea that waste materials can be resources.” This is exactly the philosophy that we seek to impart to the children. After the discussion, we took the children out to look at our own ‘Remida’ recycling centre and they were excited to explore all of the different materials available to them. Many of the children have gone on to select items from the baskets and incorporate them into their collage and constructions.
The Unit of Inquiry for Prep Term III is ‘Our personal choices can impact our future.’ In this unit the children are looking at The Earth’s Resources and how we can sustain them, encouraging the children to become “socially responsible and show respect for the environment.” (Early Years Framework for Australia: 2009: p29). The PYP also states that “students are encouraged to be curious, be inquisitive, ask questions, explore and interact with the environment physically, socially and intellectually,” (Making the PYP happen: 2009: p7). Actively participating in reusing and recycling is important in all of these actions. Our ‘Remida’ Recycling Centre was set up during Term II to allow the children to start engaging with these actions, and develop their understanding of the importance of recycling. Children and their families are encouraged to donate items and place them in the baskets.
Sarah’may Taylor Piper Centre
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The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
Big Day In Big Day In
was celebrated on Thursday 18 September on a beautiful spring day. The School was at its best as the crowds arrived. The students had asked family and special friends to attend to view their classrooms, join in lessons and activities and marvel at the amazing talent on display at the Big Day In Assembly. We all enjoyed a fine picnic lunch together in the Junior School grounds. It was a wonderful community event providing many opportunities for families, students and staff to connect and enjoy some relaxing time together. The day culminated with the finals of the 4 on 4 soccer competition eagerly watched by enthusiastic competitors and their greatest fans, their families. Thank you to everyone who contributed to make it such a special day.
Nicki Stanis Junior School
Father’s Day Breakfast We held our annual
Father’s Day Breakfast in early September again this year. There is nothing quite like arriving at School at 6.15am on a Friday morning, walking down the driveway to be met with the smell of the ‘barbie’ warming up and the hint of spring in the air. This year around 200 dads and children celebrated in Rees Hall. Over great coffee, pastries, yoghurt, fruit, cereals and the obligatory sausage sizzle, old friendships were renewed and new ones created. The children are to be congratulated on the fantastic job they did serving their dads breakfast without so much as a drop of juice spilt or a fallen sausage. We sincerely thank the Karobran mums for their hard work in organising this special event. The dads were sent on their way with a prayer and blessing from our assistant Chaplain, Mark Grieve who is the father to three delightful children who are also students here at TIGS. This wonderful community gettogether was enjoyed by all!
Narelle McRae Director of Pastoral Care Junior School
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Library Book Week Celebrations This year the CBCA theme for Book Week was ‘Connect with Reading’ and our Book Week celebrations culminated in a Book Character Parade where staff and students connected with reading and shared their love of books by dressing up as their favourite book character. While we enjoyed the festive culmination to Book Week activities, the Library’s focus on reading and literacy will continue well into the future.
Petra Pollum Acting Head of Library
KAWASAKI JUNIOR CULTURAL VISIT The Kawasaki Junior Cultural Prize is an art and essay competition
conducted annually for Kawasaki School (Japan) children ages 10 – 12 years. The competition is sponsored by the Kawasaki Shinkin Bank as part of the Wollongong-Kawasaki Sister City relationship. Each year, two prize winners from each category visit Wollongong to present their winning entries to our city. We had the pleasure of hosting these visitors last week in the Junior School. They visited Year 4 and Year 5 classrooms where they spoke with the students and joined in with their lesson. Josh Agarwal and Annabel Malouf our Junior School Captains, accompanied by Mrs Marshall, were invited to attend the reception at Wollongong Council Chambers where the Kawasaki students presented their works to the City of Wollongong. Gifts were exchanged between the two groups. It was an interesting cultural event for all those involved.
Julie Marshall Japanese Teacher Junior School
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The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
WHERE DOES THE GLOBAL HIGHWAY TAKE YOU? From Palestine to Italy, Antarctica to Japan, students from Years 3 – 6 had the chance to travel the University of Wollongong’s Global Highway last week. Once we arrived on campus, each student was handed his or her own Global Highway Passport to be stamped at each stall. In order to gain a stamp, TIGS students were challenged to play traditional games, learn songs and write their names in a variety of languages. Students had the opportunity to visit 22 ‘countries’ and learn more about the cultures and traditions of each. They left Ireland stall with green hair and painted mustaches. Visits to Italy involved Gladiator fights, stringing red, green and white pasta shells onto necklaces and matching pictures of pasta with the correct name. Students listened to traditional music in Thailand and played rugby in New Zealand. They danced in Palestine and left Iran with their names written in Farsi. In Spain we were offered Chupa Chups after showing off our ‘football’ skills. TIGS students impressed everyone around when they were able to participate in games in Japan and count in Japanese loudly and confidently. Travelling the Global Highway, TIGS students had a chance to show how internationally-minded they are. They were impressive communicators and inquirers. They were open-minded toward trying new foods, lollies and games. They showed respect toward cultures and traditions from around the world. This was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the cultural diversity that exists in Wollongong.
Alexandra Gordon Stage 3 Coordinator Junior School
Tournament of the Minds On Sunday 24 August, four teams from our Junior School travelled to Corpus Christi High School to participate in Tournament of the Minds. Since the beginning of Term III, the students had been working hard to complete their long-term challenges and provide solutions to problems in the following discipline areas: Maths, Engineering, Language and Literature, Social Sciences and Applied Technology. Students were also asked to complete a spontaneous challenge on the day, requiring quick, creative thinking and teamwork skills. Each team performed very well and their hard work and team spirit was clearly evident. Congratulations to all students involved in such a rewarding competition.
Sally Tresidder Junior School The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
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One Day Chess Tournament As has happened regularly
over the last decade, TIGS hosted the Illawarra leg of the NSW Junior Chess League One Day Tournament on Wednesday 10 September in Rees Hall. The all-day event is run on the Swiss system where, after the initial sortingout rounds, teams play against players of comparable ability. This makes it attractive to players of all levels. Teams from Nowra Anglican, Shoalhaven Anglican, St Michael’s Thirroul, Stanwell Park, Amity College and Illaroo Road joined more local teams to field 54 teams of 3 players. That’s over 150 students across our region! Seven rounds were played during the day with the Wollongong ‘A’ team being the eventual winners. TIGS entered a number of teams and it was a pleasure to have three teams finish in the top ten. Congratulations to Michael Marzano, Nicholas Chiaverini, Taylon Arapali, Sufyaan Ul-Haq, Kivaan Mudaly-Naidoo, Josh Agarwal, Sam Murrie, Aditya Kumaresan and Jude McCann for their efforts in finishing among the top ten. To all TIGS competitors, congratulations to their sportsmanship that was evident throughout the day and for the way in which they helped set up and make the day a great success. Well done and thank you to you all.
VALERIE Mann Chess Coordinator Junior School
Gifted & Talented CAMP Last week
eight Year 6 students attended a Gifted and Talented camp at Elonora Heights Conference Centre. There were 140 other students from at least eight other schools who also attended the camp. The students participated in a range of core topics that challenged them to solve complex problems, allowed them to gain more knowledge about a particular topic and provided them with opportunities to share their learning and new knowledge with others. The students were involved in a ‘wild’ topic for three hours on either the Tuesday or Wednesday of the camp. This ‘wild’ topic was challenging, enjoyable, engaging and provided a short break from their core topic. A number of the students participated in cryptology with Mr Agnew for their ‘wild’ topic and were surprised at how difficult some codes were to break. They were given opportunities to develop some codes of their own using patterns and mathematical operations and presented these to the rest of the group. On Monday night after dinner we had a guest speaker from International Justice Ministries (IJM) to talk about the injustice in many countries around the world and what IJM are doing to address these issues. The students participated in a Trivia Night with the teachers, a disco night (with teacher supervision) and a talent quest on Thursday night. The whole experience for the students involved was very rewarding and enjoyable.
Peter Agnew Junior School
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The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
Southern Schools Public Speaking Competition On Tuesday 16 September 2014, a team of eight students from Stage 2 and 3 travelled to Gib Gate School, Mittagong, to participate in the Southern Schools Public Speaking Competition. Stage 2 students were required to prepare and present a three minute speech, while Stage 3 students were to prepare and present a four minute speech and participate in an impromptu section. Other schools competing were Tudor House, Gib Gate School, Wollondilly Anglican College and Nowra Anglican College. All TIGS students were highly committed to the competition and were very well prepared for the event, using many lunch breaks to practise. They were outstanding representatives of our school and can be proud of their achievements. The competition was entertaining with a high standard of performance across all schools. We were extremely proud to receive a First Place, a Second Place and two Highly Commended awards. The Stage 2 participants were Lachlan Boardman (Second Place), Nicholas Chiaverini (Highly Commended), Charlotte Atkinson and Michael Marzano. The Stage 3 participants were Niamh Christopher (First Place), Sally Gyngell (Highly Commended), Soraya McCann and Mia Stone.
Rebecca Young Stage 2 Coordinator Junior School The Illawarra Grammar School Term III Review 2014
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TIGS FOUNDATION Limited BUILDING OUR FUTURE – From Strength to Strength
TIGS has a tradition of over 50 years of excellence in education. Many generous families and individuals have supported our school and their contribution to our community has proved invaluable. A donation to TIGS Foundation Limited ensures the tradition continues. The aim of TIGS Foundation is to support and assist the School Council by encouraging and fostering the interest and the financial support of the TIGS community.
FUNDRAISING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
Fundraising for the Reverend Richard Bosanquet Scholarship which currently provides an opportunity for a Senior School Student who would not normally be able to experience a TIGS education, to flourish in and contribute to the School’s rich and diverse learning environment.
ANNUAL APPEAL
This year has seen the continuation of the TIGS Foundation Annual Appeal. The Foundation is asking that you consider making a fully tax deductible donation, which will go towards scholarships, buildings, land, and other worthy capital projects. You can set up regular giving to the TIGS Foundation Annual Appeal by nominating the amount you would like to contribute. Through the Foundation Annual Appeal you can make a difference for your children and for future children who will attend TIGS. To download an Annual Appeal form visit the TIGS website at: http://www.tigs.nsw.edu.au/about-tigs/foundation#support Once completed, it can be returned to the Foundation Office by mail at the School or via email at foundation@tigs.nsw.edu.au
THANK YOU
Thank you to all supporters of Foundation who, during past years, have assisted in the achievement of many milestones and contributed to the School by providing significant funds towards the purchase of land adjacent to the School, the funding of the Rev Richard Bosanquet scholarship, art and academic prizes and the Innovative Technologies Appeal for the Goodhew Research Centre (Library).
UP AND COMING EVENTS AND FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES FOR 2014 - 2015 •
This year has seen the ongoing success of the TIGS Foundation Wine Drive with wines sourced locally. This Drive once again is an opportunity to contribute to TIGS Foundation. To enquire on placing an order for your wine gift boxes for Christmas, email lwilson@tigs.nsw.edu.au
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“Not So Secret” Men’s Business – ‘An innings with Adam Gilchrist’ - former Australian Cricketer A major Fundraising Dinner to be held Friday 7 November 2014 in the Western Grandstand Rooms of WIN Stadium. All gentlemen from the TIGS community are invited to join the original students of TIGS in a dinner to re-unite and connect with friends old and new. To book online visit www.tigs.nsw.edu.au or phone 4220 0264.
Our current Board, all volunteers, is made up of experienced, talented and enthusiastic people and is supported by Lisa Wilson as Foundation Coordinator. Chairman Craig Peden Member
Joanne Danckwardt
Vice Chair
Kevin Donald
Sandra Newhouse
Member
Secretary Craig Osborne Member
Olga Early
Treasurer
Usha Fernandez
Andrew Stephenson
Member
Member
David Laing
Member
Carmen Rudd
If you would like to learn more about the work of TIGS Foundation and how your tax deductible donation could help, please contact us at foundation@tigs.nsw.edu.au