TI G S
The Illawarra Grammar School
Newsletter Academic Christian Caring
Issue 6
TERM I 2014
YEAR 1
Reading in class
Headmaster New students at TIGS say that one of the great surprises about their new school is the intensity of House competition. From as early as Kindergarten students are placed in one of four houses, Aranda, Coligan, Kogara or Wolgal with competition commencing in Swimming, Athletics and Cross-country carnivals from Year 3. Our Junior School House Captains did an excellent job at the recent Swimming Carnival in encouraging members of their house to participate in events and display strong house spirit through their cheer squads. Well done to the winning house – Wolgal. In the Senior School, students in the same four houses compete for the Shell Shield. There is a continuous history of competition for this prestigious trophy that dates back to 1961. However, house competition has been a part of life at TIGS since 1959 when there were three houses: Kingsley, Wilberforce and Shaftesbury. What happened between 1959 and 1968 is not clear. We do not know which house won the Shell Shield in 1967. Can you help? An ex-student from that time, Rod Yeatman, remembers that in 1966 the houses were Shaftesbury (Green), Wilberforce (Yellow), Kingsley (Maroon) and Hammond (Light Blue). He remembers further that in 1968 the house names changed to Farrer (Gold), Mawson (Light Blue) and Wentworth (Green). Two new houses, Sturt House (Yellow) and Hume House (Green), were also created in the Junior School.
In 1973 the current houses were created using Aboriginal names: Aranda (Yellow NT), Coligan (Blue- Vic), Kogara (Red-WA) and Wolgal (Green-NSW).
December 2013)
The Shell Shield was donated to the School by the Shell Company and first awarded in 1961 to Wilberforce House. All available space on the original shield was used up by 1993. The original shield is now the centre part of the now much larger shield, also donated by the Shell Company, which was first won by Coligan in 1994. Since competition between the current houses began in 1973, the Shell Shield has been won by all four houses:
Music, Dance and Drama Competition
Aranda (Yellow) 9 times winners, the last time in 2013 Coligan (Blue) 8 times winners, the last time in 2009 Kogara (Red) 7 times winners, the last time in 2006 Wolgal (Green) 17 times winners, the last time in 2002 The Shell Shield is awarded to the winning house each year at the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony held at the end of Term III. It is not just a sport trophy. The scope of competition is broad to encompass the breadth of activities available for students at TIGS. In 2013/14, students will represent their houses in competition for the Shell Shield in the following areas: House Quiz Competition (won by Aranda in
Swimming Carnival (won by Aranda in February 2014)
Cross-country Carnival Athletics Carnival The Great Race The breadth of these activities reflects the School’s commitment to the education and celebration of the whole person. We look forward to the next event, the Music, Dance and Drama Competition, which will be held on Wednesday 2 April. The Music, Dance and Drama Showcase is open to all parents, family members and members of the broader TIGS community and features some of the best performances from the competition. This year it will be held on Friday 4 April starting at 7.00pm. I hope you can join us at this wonderful event.
Stephen Kinsella Headmaster
Chaplain’s Message PUBLIC OR PRIVATE?
At TIGS we resist this movement. There is a range of reasons why. I can only mention a few. First, at TIGS we accept the teaching of the Bible that says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” (Psalm 24.1-2) It seems rather odd to us to say that the God who created and owns all things has no central place in the world he has created. But that is what secularism asserts. We cannot agree.
Last week I spoke about the distinctive character of the Christian Education offered at TIGS. In the course of that article I mentioned two rather technical terms – secularism and dualism – and how at TIGS we resist both these viewpoints. Given these terms aren’t used all that much in contemporary discourse, I thought I might elaborate on them a little over the next two weeks. This week I will focus on secularism and next week we’ll consider dualism. Secularism involves the exclusion of religion from public life. It is not the abolition of religion but the demand that religion be kept private. So the secularist person would uphold the freedoms of the religious person to meet behind closed doors for religious gatherings just as long as their beliefs and behaviours don’t spill out onto the streets. Religion is a private matter. It belongs on the fringes of society not at its core. A recent example of secularism was the outcry following Matthew McConaughey’s speech at the 2014 Academy Awards. In his speech McConaughey thanked God – twice. The title of Sam de Brito’s article in the Sydney Morning Herald the following day said it all: ‘Why bring God into it, Matthew McConaughy?’ That is secularism in a nutshell.
Second, at TIGS we believe secularism like Christianity (and all other religions and worldviews for that matter) represents a particular view of the world. It is not neutral. It is a perspective. For sure, it deserves to be a discussion partner at the table of ideas but so do all other worldviews and religions. What is appropriate in a democracy such as ours is a robust debate on the merits of individual worldviews, not their exclusion from the conversation. Third, we resist secularism at TIGS because we are convinced that the Christian worldview has brought so much good into public life. Many of our customs, laws and institutions have been conceived directly from the teaching of Jesus. TIGS itself is the product of a Christian mind. Imagine the poverty of our society and culture if a Christian voice had been hushed. We would lack so much – more than we could know. Perhaps the main reason we resist secularism at TIGS, however, is that God himself refuses to remain private. He always acts publicly on our behalf and for our good. This was the heart of the Apostle Paul’s defense to the skeptical Festus in Acts 26.26. God did not work salvation through Jesus “in a corner”. It was a public event and, as such, a verifiable event. God is a public figure. We have no right to change that. In fact, we couldn’t if we tried. Rev James Rogers Chaplain
Senior School
MUSIC, DANCE AND DRAMA COMPETITION AND SHOWCASE
I have been speaking to students from Years 8 to 12 who have recently joined our school community at several lunches over the last two weeks. Overwhelmingly their experiences so far have been very positive, which is really encouraging. In my discussions with them, one of the school House events they ask lots of questions about is the annual Music, Dance and Drama festival. This event is quite unique to TIGS and involves a whole day of competition between the House groups, in the area of The Arts. The event this Year is scheduled for Wednesday 2 April and all students are expected to attend, participate in the House song and support their fellow House members who will be performing during the day. For parents, grandparents and other friends of the School, there will be an opportunity to see a selection of these performances at the Music, Dance and Drama Showcase, on Friday 4 April commencing 7.00pm in the IGC. If you have children involved in the dance or drama elements of this event, you would have some sense of the time commitment necessary before, during and after school. The interesting thing is that these elements of the event are to a large extent student driven. The results are high quality performances that would compare favourably against professional dance and drama groups. It is a great example of how student leadership and ownership in the educational process can result in outstanding educational outcomes. The other benefit of this event is that it allows students with different and undiscovered strengths to shine or even be discovered for the first time. This is very much in keeping with the Academic core value as defined in the School’s Mission Statement, which states that “success in learning involves the development of the whole child” and “supports students in developing their abilities, empowering them to become fulfilled individuals
who can successfully participate and provide leadership”. This year the Music, Dance and Drama Competition programme includes: •
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The combined House song – the theme this year is an Aria nominated song from the last 25 years. Every student in the Senior School will be involved in this. House Drama – Items are written and performed by students from each House. Each item must contain a ‘door’ prop. House Dance – House dance troupes, choreographed and performed by students. The performance stimulus this year is ‘Frontline’. Vocal Solo – Individual song performances for both males and females from each House. Original Composition – performance written and performed by students for the first time. Instrumental Solo – individual instrumental performance. Popular Song – Individual or group performances of popular songs of choice.
The Showcase event on Friday evening will feature a selection of performances from across the range of items. I hope to see many of you there so that you can share in the sense of joy and accomplishment that this event generates.
Greg Lanyon Acting Head of Senior School
VACCINATIONS
The Vaccinations Programme for 2014 will commence on Monday 24 March for Year 7 Girls and Boys and Year 9 Boys only. The dates for this year are as follows: Visit 1 – Monday 24 March 2014 Visit 2 – Monday 21 July 2014 Visit 3 – Monday 2 December 2014 If completed forms have not already been returned to Student Reception students will need to bring them on the day. For any further enquiries please call Lisa Dent on 42200 227.
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS Please note that for all Parent Teacher Interviews this year we will be using the booking system Parent Teacher On-Line (PTO). Parents will be emailed their login details several days prior to there scheduled Parent Teacher interview. Please make sure the School has a current email address to ensure your login details are sent to the correct place. Parents who do not have an email address listed with the School will be sent their login details via the post. If you have any questions regarding Parent Teacher Interviews please contact Courtney Brooks at cbrooks@tigs.nsw.edu.au
Year 12 Parent Teacher Interviews - Thursday 10 April 2014 Year 12 Parents will be emailed their login details on Friday March 28.
Year 7 Meet the Teacher
Monday 24 March at 5.30pm in the Goodhew Research Centre.
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH
On the 15 and 16 of March 2014, 35 students travelled up to Heathcote National Park to complete their Bronze Test expedition. The hike started at Heathcote station and meandered it’s way slowly south through the bush to Camp Coutts where we would camp the night. The day was very hot and a swim at Kingfisher Pool was very well received. This however was not the end of the wetness as we were heavily rained on for about 25 minutes just as we walked into camp. Once the rain had stopped we were able to set camp, get a nice warm meal into our tummies and finish the night as a group around a good fire. Day two saw us make our way back towards Heathcote station via Uloola Falls and Karloo pools which provided us with another beautiful location to swim and escape the heat. The hike was a great success and all students should be proud of their efforts.
New Zealand parent Information Night for Year 11 Gold participants Dates : Tuesday 25 March Time: 6.00pm - 7.00pm Location: Goodhew Research Centre
Junior School Twilight Picnic and Community
Last Friday evening our community got together to enjoy a picnic on the bottom oval. This was a lovely event with senior students acting as hosts and organizing games for the younger Junior School children. The children enjoyed soccer, hula hoops, cricket and parachute games and I think some of the Dads really enjoyed these activities also! Our Twilight Picnic was a wonderful opportunity for parents to meet each other and chat while their children played, some new connections were made and other established relationships strengthened even further. Our staff also enjoyed this relaxed opportunity to speak with our broader community. The next casual opportunity for this type of interaction is the TIGS Café which will be open for parents on Friday 28 March from 8:45am. We know that parking will be a bit of a challenge (just like having a coffee in town!) so why don’t you plan to park off site and walk in to deliver the children then join us for a cappuccino and a chat in the Library. This week we have had our senior students off campus for several days with Year 6 in Canberra and Year 5 in Bathurst. I am very pleased to say that the feedback I have had from these excursions has been fantastic with our children representing themselves, their families and their school with pride. Following are some highlights from the Year 6 excursion to Canberra.
Judi Nealy Head of Junior School
CANTEEN NEWS An after school ‘snack pack’ is now avalable at the canteen for $4. 00. This pack includes small pretzels, a piece of fruit, a small water and a small yogurt. The perfect pack to for students on the run or between afterschool activaties. The canteen is also seeking new volunteers, if you would like to join the friendly please contact the canteen on 4220 0241 between 7.00am – 2.00pm
Year 6 Canberra Excursion
Year 6 had a brilliant experience during this year’s visit to our nation’s capital, Canberra. Their time spent at both Old Parliament House and the new Parliament House gave then an insight into the history of our governmental system and its’ functioning. During question time on Monday, they had the opportunity to see first hand the workings of Parliament in The House of Representatives. It was enlightening and entertaining. They visited both the Senate and The House of Reps and participated in a parliamentary role-play where they discovered what it is like to debate a bill. Monday evening was spent at the Australian Institute of Sport, where the students were able to see first hand the facilities available to our elite athletes and then try their own hand at a range of sporting activities in the Sportex Centre. On the second day, the students explored the War Memorial and its recently renovated D-Zone in the morning. This gave them an insight into our Nation’s participation in war and its effects on our identity. In the afternoon, they investigated the workings of our electoral system at the Australian Electoral Commission. Learning how the preferential system works and participating in a mock election opened their eyes to the importance of making their vote count when it is their turn. The two days were fast paced and jam packed full of many interesting things to learn! One thing is also certain, and that is that the students themselves left a very positive and lasting impression upon everyone they met as the compliments the teachers received regarding behaviour, dress and general knowledge were many. Congratulations Year 6 on your success. Support in the way of the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) is greatly appreciated as it assisted in financing our Year 6 excursion to the National Captial.
JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORT
NASSA FOOTBALL
On Monday 17 March students from Years 4 and 5 were selected to represent TIGS at the NASSA Football Gala Day held at Ron Dine Reserve in Camden. With the selected Year 6 students not being able to attend due to an excursion to Canberra, Year 4 and 5 students stepped up to the plate and played exceptionally well against Year 6 players from other schools. Both the boys and girls team competed considerably well where the girls positioned a remarkable 3rd overall and boys 4th. With the return of the Year 6 students the annual TIGS Trophy will be a great event to see later on during the year. The following students are to be commended for their achievements on the day: Year 4 Katie Gorham Zac Birch Nathan Molnar Adelaide Thompson Amelia Druett Josh Franco Cooper Kerridge Zane Taylor Mary Albert Ben Giason Elizabeth Michelmore
Year 5 Krish Gupta James Healy Tamara Matar Daniel Michelmore Megan Ashford Dean Borbilas Selene Chadrawy Harrison Kitely Victoria Summerill Elliot Winn Aria Bacic-Johnston
AWARDS
Weekly Awards KD KM KP 1T 2M 3B 3R 4Y 5A 5S 5Y 6W
Annaliese Brunskill, Daniel Llewellin Lily Still, Alexander Mumford Vanshika Daruvuri, Oliver Johnson Ayaan Chabungbam, Abha Mundada Brandon Nugara, Ella Fennell, Cohen Sawyer Cameron Davies, Charlotte Palmisano, Jamilla Perri Rosemary Zaki, Euan Christopher Alexia Loeser, Liam Harvey Jessica Hall, Mia Stone Selene Chadrawy, Anthony Damcevski Evan Glover, Nicola Wright, Ella Vartazarian Elizabeth Ring, Niamh Christopher, Jayden Grieve
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:
Friday 28 March Friday 28 March Monday 31 March Monday 31 March Monday 31 March Monday 31 March Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 April
Stephen Borg Ruby D’Rozario Isobel Kinnear Soraya McCann Ryan Osadczuk John Taiwo Charlotte Tregonning
Merit Certificates - Academic Harrison Kiteley Brandon Nugara Ah-Young Choi Amy Lendrum Mia Stone Geraint Dodd Kavya Acharya Ting-Ting Cook Ryan Jinks Rebecca Winn Abha Mundada Zoe Turner
Parent Coffee Morning PYP Parent Workshop Parent Helpers Workshop Parent Helpers Workshop P&F Term I Meeting PYP Parent Workshop Parent Teacher Interiews
8.45am – 9.30am 9.30am – 10.30am 9.30am – 10.30 am 5.00pm – 6.00pm 6.00pm – 7.00pm 7.00pm – 8.00pm
Goodhew Research Centre Goodhew Research Centre Junior School Classroom Goodhew Research Centre Goodhew Research Centre Goodhew Research Centre
NSW PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE
We would love all our K-9 students to participate in the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2014. The Challenge offers a fabulous opportunity for children to explore and read from an extensive list of great literature. There are four challenge levels for our school students to choose from: K-2, Years 3-4, Years 5-6, Years 7-9. To find out more about the Premier’s Reading Challenge, visit their website https://products.schools.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html. Permission notes have been emailed to parents of Junior School students and are also available from the Junior School office and the Library. Senior School students please contact Library staff. We will send additional information when the permission slip is returned. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us by phone on 42200275 or email librarystaff@tigs.nsw.edu.au
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Catch up and make connections with other parents as well as Junior School Coordinators, Senior School Deans and School Executive.
FRIDAY 28 MARCH 2014 8.45am to 9.30am
In the Goodhew Research Centre We will have a barista onsite brewing delicious hot drinks.
Please join us for a cuppa!
Sport
SENIOR SCHOOL
Student Success:
their outstanding efforts.
Emma Franco. Coach: Mr Deck
Parker’s Easter School Holiday Tennis Clinic At Wests Illawarra, Unanderra
Jonathan Fowles – NSW Schoolboys Cricket Team selection
Date: Tue 22/04/14 to Thu 24/04/14 Time: 9.00am – 12.00pm Cost: $60.00 (Ages 4-14 years) Bookings are Essential Email: arparker@bigpond.net.au For more information call: Andrew on 0407 029 731 www.facebook.com/parkerstennis
Last week Jonathan Fowles travelled to Bathurst to compete at the NSW Schoolboys Cricket Championship as part of the NSW Country and City Schools Cricket Team. After an outstanding carnival he was selected to play in the NSW Schoolboys Cricket Team to represent at the Carbine Cup in December 2014. A truly wonderful achievement that Jonathon can be very proud of - Well done!
Australian Junior Athletics Championships Last week, five TIGS students represented NSW at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships, held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre. The standard of competition at these championships was extremely high and to have five students from the same school competing at this level is an outstanding achievement. A particular mention should go to James Seal, who won two silver medals. The students who competed and their results were as follows: James Seal (U15) – 2nd 3000m 9:33.98s, 2nd 2000m Steeplechase 6:51.79s Ashley Dribbus (U14) – 5th 400m 60.75s, 6th 80m Hurdles 13.68s Maudie Skyring (U18) – 13th 800m 2:14.77s Alex Seal (U20) – 14th 800m 1:54.44s Alexandra Lavalle (U17) – 19th 400m Hurdles 71.96s Congratulations to all of these students on
CIS Girls Open Football (PHOTOS)
Splash and Dash fundraiser for Cancer Council
On Thursday 14 March, the TIGS Open Girls Football Team travelled to Sydney to play against Ravenswood School for Girls in the 2nd Round of the CIS Football Cup. The Ravenswood girls were a well drilled team and went out to an early 2-0 lead after dominating much of the possession. After about 20mins, TIGS started to string some passes together and begun to look a little more dangerous. Some determined work down the left hand side was rewarded with a free kick just outside the box on the 30min mark. Rebekah Hutton took the free kick perfectly to send the ball to the back of the net. The score remained at 2-1 for much of the game, with Ravenswood having a number of chances to score denied by a strong defence and great goalkeeping from Zoe Correa. The defence couldn’t withstand the speed of the Ravenswood teamwork as they scored 2 quick goals with about 15minutes to play to take the score to 4-1. After a break away down the left hand side and some great work from Denali Hutt, Lucy Donovan was able to put the ball away to put the score at 4-2. Ravenswood then scored again soon after that to leave the full-time score at 5-2. It was an extremely spirited effort from the girls and they all represented the School with great distinction. The team was: Zoe Correa, Olivia Porcheddu, Elizabeth Dominis, Bridget Mullany, Kate Read, Ruby Pallone, Grace Hennessy, Milli Haber, Lucy Donovan, Kaitlyn Matias, Rebekah Hutton, Maddie Negus, Ashlie Thomson, Denali Hutt, Lily Sands and
WHEN: 29 – 30 March at Wollongong Harbour EVENTS: Saturday 29 March Wollongong Ocean & Basin Swim Kids Harbour Splash 350m, 800m Harbour Splash, 2km Sunday 30 March City Beach Fun Run all ages City Beach 5k Scenic coastal course, Kidz Family Run 2.5k ideal for younger kids Sunday 30 March Aquathon’s swim and run Big Aqua: 605m swim, 5k run Mini Aqua: 250m swim, 2.5k run Kidz ‘Try A Aqua: 150m swim, 2k run For event details and online entry: www. aquathon.com.au
UPCOMING WEEK 8
EVENTS
Elective Music Concert 6.00pm Wednesday 26 March
TIGS Coffee Morning 8.45am Friday 28 March
WEEK 9
Elective Dance Evening 6.30pm Tuesday 8 April
Music, Dance and Drama Showcase Friday 4 April
WEEK 10
TIGS Cross Country Wednesday 9 April
Last Day of Term I + Easter Service Friday 11 April
WEEK 1 TERM II
Term II Commences Monday 28 April
(Winter Uniform)
*** A reminder that the Whole School Cross Country will be on 9 April and NOT 3 April as printed in the School calendar. ***