11 September 2015 - Thomas Hassall Anglican College

Term 3 I 11 September 2015
From the Principal
There are significant issues across the world again, and as we focus on the
plight of hundreds of thousands of people caught up in the Syrian crisis, we
are aware that many families in the College will have connection to the
drama. Perhaps some in the College community have direct family
connections; we know that many have historical connections with this part
of the world. All of us however are caught up in the emotion of families in
distress and our hearts go out to those families in struggle, particularly
those identified by the Prime Minister as members of persecuted minorities
including Orthodox Christians. I’m concerned that we consider an
appropriate response because of our family connections. Let’s be
interested to assist in practical ways. The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney
Dr Glenn Davies who was with us at the College recently to open the new Anne Marsden
Centre, called this week for Sydney Christians and the Anglican community to reach out to
incoming refugees in practical support. Let’s consider how we might be part of this support
program.
Year 12 Students begin their last classroom week ahead of the Graduation Ceremony next
Friday 18 September. This is an important time for the students and their families as they head
into the final stage of College life. We will hold a number of activities throughout the week,
including the Tri-Series Staff Student Challenge. The students have taken an early lead with
victory in the Volleyball Challenge ahead of the Netball and Football matches next week. Staff
will host a Prayer Breakfast for Year 12 and there will be opportunity to finalise arrangements
for the Study Camp in the vacation. The majority of teachers of Year 12 will attend this camp in
an effort to bring every confidence to the students ahead of the HSC examinations.
The Higher School Examinations have already been underway in terms of aural and practical
subjects. Written examinations will commence in the second week of Term 4. Students will be
undertaking their last preparations in terms of study for these exams and we extend our best
wishes to the Class of 2015 and as always have high expectations for the group.
As the 2015 graduates enter their final stage of College life, it is time to announce our new
student leaders; our School Captains and Leadership Team for 2016. Their names are listed
in this issue. The 2016 Student Leaders will undertake their roles with passion and
commitment and we congratulate them on their selection. A Commissioning Assembly takes
place early next term. Please support them and commit them to prayer.
We have been enjoying some testing of the menu and facilities of Mrs Riitano’s Kitchen over
the past week or so. Next week will see the first of a few functions held in that space including
the Year 12 events.
Let me take this opportunity to wish you safe travels and a restful time for the upcoming break.
Thanks again to all those who support our community and on your behalf let me thank staff and
students for a great Term 3. We look forward to the new term with many opportunities to
celebrate the achievements of the year.
Ross Whelan
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.“
Matthew 7:7
Awards
CARMICHAEL
Paris Grippaudo Beth Clarke
Leona Magri
Sophie Hunter
Gerrica Fong
Tyler Cooke
William Collyer Isodora Tang
Brittany Beetham
Dahlia Logozzo
Elena Bobrowski
LEWIS
Thomas Choi
Rylan Moore
Nick Bevitt
Luca Lo Proto
Alexander Christodoulou
Alexandra Ahearn
Angelina Sacprasith
Aleksandar Gvozdenovic
LIDDELL
Sophia Kaltsas Riley Hogan
Kaitlyn York
Tyrese Luong
Jessica Lin
Natasha Mirzai
Emily Tiplady
Biaggio Gimellaro
Emmeline McAnally
WILBERFORCE
Giselle Molluso Adrian Molluso
Denim Nou
Dana Cetojevic
Reece Smith
Allegra Fotopoulous
Anthony Molluso
The term is coming to a close and with it we will see our 2015 Year 12 group
graduate from the College. We will take some time in the last week of term to
celebrate this achievement with the Class of 2015. This is not their final
hooray because they still need to meet the challenge of the HSC. However,
the classroom component of their learning will finish and this will mark the end
of an important period of their life. Many students will breath a sigh of relief
and for others there may be a sense of anxiety and fear about the future. For
all our graduating students there will be a time of reflection where they will
look back upon their time at Thomas Hassall Anglican College.
Although the students might not have always appreciated all the processes of
the College or the nagging of the teachers, there will usually be a deeper
sense of appreciation for what the College has provided for them, post school.
I regularly encounter old students who share their appreciation of what the
College provided for them as a foundation for life. Some of these students
could be quite difficult at times and for others they wanted to be somewhere
else. Nevertheless, later in life we get this sense of appreciation. The
questions around the ATAR and Assessment Tasks is no longer the
dominating force in their thinking; what is important is the sense of connection
and relationship to something far more important. Although I haven’t dug
deeper with these students I would hope that the ‘hidden curriculum’, has
impacted them. The ‘hidden curriculum’, isn’t something written down in a
program but it is expressed in action across the College on a daily, weekly,
yearly basis in a consistent but practical way. This might include things like
asking a student to, be punctual to class and school, expecting them to wear
their uniform well, asking about their completion of homework, spending time
to ask assist them in their learning, to ask them about their weekend and what
they do in their spare time, to encourage them in an area of interest or even to
provide opportunities for students to grow in special interest areas. For some
of these past graduates the ‘hidden curriculum’ served them in the
development of self worth, purpose and their place in the world.
Term 3/4
Diary Dates
Week 9
Monday 14 - Thursday 17 September
Year 11 Final Examinations
Tuesday 15 September
Wednesday 16 September
Over the break a group of these Year 12 students will attend a HSC Study
Camp. Many teachers will be giving up their time to ensure the students have
last minute questions and potential roadblocks answered. It is a real pressure
time for them and we continue to pray for them and do all that we can to
ensure that they get to the examinations with the best possible preparation.
Camp Australia Information Night
Our 2016 Senior Student Leadership Team has been announced and I would
like to congratulate, encourage and pray for this team as they take on these
extra responsibilities as they enter into their final year at the College. These
students will be commissioned in the first week of Term 4 with a special
assembly, as they enter into their final studies.
Year 12 Graduation Assembly
I am looking forward to a short break as are many of our staff and students
before we come back for an important final term. We encourage all students
to take some time out and return to College refreshed and ready to tackle their
final assessments and examinations for 2015.
Thursday 17 September
Year 12 Beach Day
Friday 18 September
Week 1
Monday 5 October
Labour Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 6 October
Commencement of Term 4
Thursday 8 October
NASSA 7-9 Gala Day (Basketball)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you
up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5: 6-7
Mr Roger Young
Friday 9 October
Year 9 History Excursion (Canberra)
2016 Prefect Commissioning Assembly
This week the Junior School has had a focus on Mathematics as part of the
National Literacy and Numeracy week. Many parents took the opportunity to visit
their child’s Maths class and get a glimpse of how Maths is taught to our 21 st
Century learners. The culmination of the week was a presentation by Mrs Kelly
Borg who is a consultant with the AIS who advises the College on how we
implement the new curriculum. This presentation was about the framework
behind the new syllabus and why the shift has been from rote learning and just
learning computations to understanding the real world application of Maths and
being able to apply what the children have learnt. The main emphasis is that
there are many different ways to solve a problem and come up with the correct
answer and we, as educators, need to guide them towards this. This certainly
does not mean that children are left to work things out for themselves but more
that the teacher is planning and facilitating opportunities for the students to apply
and demonstrate what they have learnt. Thank you to Mrs Smith for organising
these events. Mrs Smith would love to receive feedback from parents about what
else they would like to learn about how literacy and numeracy are taught in the
Junior School.
The 2015 Naplan results have arrived and they were very pleasing in many
areas. The College was above or at the National level in all areas. Writing in
both Year 3 and Year 5 was outstanding and certainly a highlight, Year 3 had
90.7% of students in the top 3 bands, this was well above the National average
of 77%. The results for Year 5 showed excellent growth from Year 3, this was
due to a targeted approach to Comprehension and to understanding the writing
process. Grammar and Punctuation continues to be an area that we need to
focus on. Well done to all our students and staff.
Mrs Christine Bessant
Term 3/4
Diary Dates
Week 9
Tuesday 16 September
PSSA Boys Softball
Wednesday 17 September
NSW PSSA Boys Softball
Camp Australia Information Night
Thursday 17 September
NSW PSSA Boys Softball
P - 2 Tabloid Carnival
Friday 18 September
Year 12 Graduation Assembly
Week 1
Monday 5 October
Labour Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 6 October
Commencement of Term 4
Australia has now joined with other countries throughout the world in
offering to take in Syria's refugees. Thousands are fleeing the country to
escape the brutal civil war and many are risking their life and the lives of
their families. For those who survive they find themselves without a
home and now for example, 160,000 refugees have joined the Zaatari
refugee camp in Jordan.
Australians have always been available to help those in need. Over the
years we have accepted refugees and migrants from all over the world.
Many in our College community have left countries overseas for a better
life in Western Sydney. Now, more will be joining us. And we can be a
part of helping them.
The parable of the Good Samaritan (in Luke 10) is a reminder to offer
practical help to those in need regardless of their race, ethnicity and
religion. As the story goes, a Samaritan man (an ‘enemy’ of Israel)
comes to the aid a dying Jew. It never crosses the Samaritan's mind to
ask about the religion or background of the man he finds dying on the
side of the road. His response is immediate, generous and
unquestioning. In contrast though the Jews own countrymen pass by on
the other side of the road.
Around 6,000 people a day arrive at the Zaatari
refugee camp in Jordan, which has become the
country's fifth largest city.
We can do the same.
Sydney Anglican Archbishop Dr Glenn Davies has called upon Sydney Anglicans –
including Anglican schools – not only to pray for these victims of persecution, but to
step up and be prepared to do whatever is within our power to provide practical
assistance, “…to ensure that those who come to find safety in Australia are afforded
the best possible chance to make a new start and benefit as fully as possible from
the peace, freedom and opportunity that far too often we take for granted.”
Like the Samaritan in the parable that Jesus told, we too must, ‘Go and do likewise’.
Stay tuned for opportunities to give food, clothing and funds to assist our most
recent Australians.
Rev Stuart Tye
“Love your neighbour as yourself…” Luke 10:27
Important College Dates
Term 3
Thursday
17 September 2015
Friday
18 September 2015
P - 2 Tabloid Carnival - Prep Blue, Prep Purple, Years 1 and 2
Year 12 Graduation Assembly
Term 3 Concludes
Term 4
Monday
5 October 2015
Labour Day Holiday
Tuesday
6 October 2015
Term 4 Commences
Friday
11 October 2015
Senior Student Leadership Commissioning Assembly
Friday - Sunday
16 - 18 October 2015
Jam Camp
Thursday
22 October 2015
Orientation Day - Prep to Year 6
Wednesday
28 October 2015
Year 11 Parent Teacher Night
Thursday
29 October 2015
Orientation Day - Year 7
Monday
9 November 2015
Mid Term Break (Students Only)
TBC
Celebration
4 December 2015
Term 4 Concludes
Friday
Student Leadership Team 2016
School Captains
Kendall Page
Elijah Viglione
Vice-Captains
Tara McManus
Matthew Deoliveira
Sports Captains
Stephanie Taylor
Lefteri Mihalatos
Senior Prefects
Chloe Makko
James Squire
Rose Caruso
Jacob Della-Camera
Leah Chegwyn
Maily Do
Rebekah Cromie
Geovanny Gandy
Brigette Lepherd
Jeremy Infanti
Taylor Mock
Matthew Mangiapane
Beth Purton
Dalton Melonas
Isabella Refalo
Matthew Micallef
Prefects
Father’s Day Stall
The Parents and Friends Association Fathers Day Stall was
held last Thursday and Friday and was a very successful
fundraiser but more importantly, it was so wonderful to see
the joy on the little faces of our students as they selected
their gifts for Dad, Grandpa or those who are ‘just like a
Dad’.
Thank you so much to our amazing volunteers:
Laura Khoury; Suzana Matic; Namali De Silva;
Neviene Georgey; Nina Marino; John Frisken;
Paula Taylor; Sandra Clement; Julie Della-Camera;
Jouman Kalach-Warda and Mena Sardo who worked so
hard on the day to help the children with their selections. I
know that the children just love it when mum or dad come to
‘work’ at the College and we are sincerely grateful for your
commitment. As I always say, “we couldn’t do it without
you” so thank you for making Fathers Day very special! In
particular I would like to acknowledge Laura and Suzana
who spent many hour selecting the items for sale, receiving
deliveries, pricing and preparing the display prior to the sale
days. Thanks Gals!
Volunteer’s Thank You Lunch
Thursday 26 November
If you have volunteered at the College this year, please
make sure you put Thursday 26 November in your diary.
Invitations to this lovely annual gathering will be sent out in
Term 4.
Class Parents’ Term 4
Activities & Meeting
As discussed at our last meeting we would like to
reschedule the Bush Dance which was cancelled earlier
in the year due to water damage to our Auditorium stage.
Now that all the repairs are done we can dance the night
away so if you would enjoy being involved in the
organising committee for The Great Aussie Christmas
Bush Dance – please let me know before the end of this
term. We need the following roles to be filled: Bookings
Co-ordinator, Décor Co-ordinator, BBQ Co-ordinator,
Supper Co-ordinator. If we can gather the team, we will
reschedule this event for October/November.
Our Term 4 Meeting is schedule to combine with the
Volunteers Thank You Function so please pop the date in
diaries!
Blessing for the holiday break.
Mrs Jo Hutchens
National Literacy and Numeracy Week
During Week 8 the Junior School was busy celebrating the National Literacy and Numeracy week.
We held a Book Swap as a fundraising activity for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. We raised close to $700 across
the Junior School. A very big thank you to the students and parents for their generosity.
During the week we opened up our classrooms enabling parents to come and participate in Maths lessons. The students
enjoyed having their parents in the class and in return parents could see how Maths is taught in the classroom.
To conclude the week, we held an information session for parents on the new Maths Syllabus. We had an overwhelming
number of parents attend the session. It provided parents with an overview of the new Maths Syllabus and a better
understanding of what is expected of students.
Mrs Irene Smith
Gifted & Talented
Parents participating in Maths lessons
Information Session on the new Maths Syllabus
Book Swap
Piano Tutor
Tania Rashidi is one of our piano tutors at the College. Below are the results of her students who sat the AMEB
examinations in 2014 and 2015. Congratulations to all of her students!
2014
Jasmine Hanna – PFL Grade 4 – December 2014
Mia Zinghini – P Plate Piano Book 1 – December 2014
2015
Pierson Ford – Grade 1 Theory – 2015
Pierson Ford – PFL Grade 2 – May 2015
Shardae Abdishou – P Plate Piano Book 2 – May 2015
These are the students taking part in an examination later in the year.
This year’s candidates are (to be scheduled in Term 4)
Mia Zinghini – P Plate Piano Book 2
Shardae Abdishou – P Plate Piano Book 3
Amber Gilani – P Plate Piano Book 1
Jasmine Hanna – PFL Grade 5
Eliana Sapone – P Plate Piano Book 1
Sarah Ambrose – PFL Preliminary
Mr Nicholas Lane
Music Teacher
Musical 2016
We warmly welcome students in Years 5-11 (2016) to participate in the College Musical 'The Wizard of Oz'.
Information booklets are available from the Creative Arts Staffroom. Auditions for major roles will take place in Week 1 and
2 of Term 4, so it's important to get application forms in ASAP.
There will be an opportunity for parents and students to meet the director, Mr Justin Fitzgerald next Monday 14 September
3-3.25pm for a short Q&A time. Questions about the audition process can be asked at this time. This meeting will be held
in M5.
Please return your forms to Mrs Jo Hazell in the Creative Arts Staffroom.
Mrs Liz Ford
Creative Arts Coordinator
Hub Talent Competition for THYC Event
In the week leading up to the College’s second THYC event, the
College music staff decided to provide our students with a special
opportunity to perform as pre-entertainment before the headline
artists. To select the winning artists, Mr Robinson and Mr Mark
organised three heats as part of a support-act competition held at
lunchtimes. Each competitor would perform two songs, with the
winners decided through student audience votes. All entrants
performed exceptionally well, and the crowd votes were extremely
close in numbers. Our top 3 finalists chosen to perform at the THYC
event were Laani Jansen, Elysia Mayne and the Year 10 Quintet
featuring Shannen Safi, Jeramiah Sampson, Ali Dursun,
Domenico Stambe and Lauren Sarkis. Kenneth Wong was also
our DJ between artists at THYC. The Year 10 Quintet plus other
guest vocalists, including Georgia Cosier were also lucky enough to
perform on the main stage with headlining band ‘New Empire’!
Overall, this was a great event and opportunity for students and it
was excellent to see so many students support their peers, both in
the lunchtime heats and at the main concert. Well done to all
students who auditioned for this event!
In other exciting musical news, on Sunday 23 August, our Senior
Drum-Circle also competed in the Australian Percussion
Eisteddfod, held at the Kings School in North Parramatta. This
was the first time Thomas Hassall participated in this event and they
performed extremely well, achieving a Highly Commended Award.
Mr Byron Mark
Bronze Dukes Qualification Expedition 2015
Two large hiking groups tackled the rugged bush near Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains recently on their two day
qualification expedition. Staff were delighted with the level of commitment, enthusiasm and skill displayed. All students
passed with distinction their qualification stage in adventuring. Some students learned much more about the need for
accurate navigation after getting temporarily disorientated!
A big thankyou to Mr Stone, Mr Booy, Ms Mertzanakis, Ms Monteleone and Ms York who accompanied Mr Ward in
supervising this expedition.
All Bronze students need to focus on the other aspects of the Award now so that they can finish this level as soon as
possible.
Well done Year 9 Dukes!
Mr Jim Ward
Dukes Coordinator
Group One on departure into the bush
Detailed, thorough, preparation and careful map
and compass work are the keys to success!
Group Two fully focussed on getting going!
Term 3 Winter IPSSO Sport
Junior and Senior Boys Soccer, Junior
Newcombe Ball, Senior Modified
Volleyball and Senior Softball
CHAMPIONS!
The Winter IPSSO Finals were played on Wednesday 2 September,
with Thomas Hassall hosting the AFL, Softball and Soccer matches.
Thomas Hassall was successful in having 9 teams represent in the
semifinals – Junior and Senior Boys Soccer, Junior Newcombe Ball and
Senior Volleyball, Junior and Senior AFL, Junior Netball, Junior Tee-ball
and Senior Softball. A fantastic effort by all students and
coaches involved with the teams.
Newcombe Ball IPSSO Finals
What an amazing season both our junior and senior
Newcombe ball / modified Volleyball teams have had!
Both teams have been undefeated all year! Not only have
they progressed in skill, they have worked hard to be an
encouraging team player towards all other team members.
This year both the junior and senior team won the 2015
grand finals. Well done to all of the players and thank you
for making sport time fun.
Mrs Schatzman
Senior Girls Netball
Well done to the Senior Girls Netball Team, who played very well
together this season. They showed great teamwork and sportsmanship
throughout their matches and were very supportive and encouraging of
one another. A few loses early in the season meant that the team
finished a very close third in our pool and so narrowly missed
progressing to the semi-finals. Congratulations on a great season.
Junior Girls Netball
Congratulations to the Junior Girls Netball Team, who finished all the
matches in our pool as an undefeated side! This was particularly
remarkable as only a few girls in the team had played netball before
this season. We progressed to the semi-finals, but faced tough
opposition in Macarthur Anglican School. We were two girls down
due to illness, but thanks to some superb shooting from Maddie and
Tahlia, dazzling defence from Eliana and Natalie, and
impressive work in the mid-court from Steph, Estella, Ayla and Ava,
we were leading at half time. Unfortunately, following an injury,
Macarthur managed to push ahead, winning a close match. I was
very proud of the sportsmanship and teamwork the girls displayed
and the way they represented the College. Well done girls.
Soccer IPSSO Finals
Our Junior Primary Soccer Team capped off the Winter IPSSO
season by successfully defending their title. The boys from Years 3
and 4 were strong competitors all season long. Thomas Hassall
played off against St. Peters in their knock out semi-final. St. Peters
proved much tougher competition than our boys had previously
encountered. At full time scores were locked at 0-0. It took a miracle
goal in the last minute of extra time to finally break the dead lock and
see the team progress through to the big one. Thomas Hassall
produced a dominant display when it mattered most disposing of
Georges River 4-1 and claiming the richly deserved title.
Congratulations to all the boys on their success. The future of soccer
at Thomas Hassall looks bright.
IPSSO Junior Soccer Premiers 2015 - Braeden Webster,
Christian Khouchaba, Luke Moran, Travis Smith, Nicholas
Khoury, Connor Gargoulo, Ruban Sarvaparipalan, Lucas
Velnic, Marcelo Veliz, Joseph Mikhail, Bailey McDermott,
Adrian Duric, Kye Finneran, Adrian Veleski, Harrison Curl.
The Senior boys were the benchmark of the IPSSO competition
completing the regular season undefeated minor premiers.
Thomas Hassall were at their entertaining best in the semi-final
knocking out a strong Broughton line up 7 – 2. This saw the team
progress through to the biggest game of the season. Macarthur
fought hard and defended strongly. Our boys displayed great
patience and control to create limited opportunities. They eventually broke the dead lock with 15 minutes remaining. It
took two truly sublime strikes to get past a determined Macarthur goal keeper. In a tight match Thomas Hassall secured
victory 2-1 and successfully defended their IPSSO title.
The Seniors are an extremely talented team and their success this season was richly deserved. I’d like to make special
mention of the Year 6 members of the team that have worked extremely hard over the last four years and have
represented the College with great pride and distinction.
IPSSO Senior Soccer Premiers 2015 – Justin Vidic, Jett Ghersinich, Denim Nou, Jarod Hooker, Tristan Moledo, Dylan
Sacco, Alex Gvozdenovic, Dylan Joseph, Luka Maksimovic, Chris Atlagic, Michael Cuello, Blake McDermott,
Chris Logozzo, Stefan Todorovic, Daniel Viggiani.
Coach Raft
AFL IPSSO Finals
Our AFL teams performed strongly throughout the round games. The teams combined silky skills in attack with tenacity
in defense. It was not unusual for either team to hold opponents to nil throughout whole quarters of games.
The Junior team remained undefeated throughout the regular season. The improvement of individual skills through the
season was clearly apparent. Strong performances from Petar, Josh, Holly and Abbie guarantees that the team would
progress to the finals. The Juniors won a nail-biter against Macarthur Anglican in the semi-final with a clutch mark and
goal in the final quarter. Sadly, the team was outclassed in the final against St Peters; ending the sides undefeated
streak at the final post.
The Senior side also played strongly throughout the regular season, finishing on top of their pool and dropping only one
game against ASG. The seniors uncompromising defense kept some sides scoreless for entire games and occasionally
put up 100-point victories. The combination of Andrej and James in the forward third was almost unstoppable while
Simona and Tamara were the " sledgehammer sisters" in midfield and defense. In the semi -final the seniors
dropped behind in the first quarter by 28 points but showed outstanding resolve and determination to claw back to even
at three quarter time. Momentum swung back and forth through the final quarter and ultimately the scores finished even.
With extra-time ensuing and weary legs on the field we were just outplayed by the opposition and beaten by a goal.
Despite not picking up any silverware, all players should be proud of their strong performances both
throughout the season and on finals day.
Mr Bakarich
Summer IPSSO Draw - Term 4
Game
Time
12.20 2.10
12.10 2.00
11.55 1.45
Oz Tag &
Softball
Basketball
William Carey
THAC
Hammondville
Park
William Carey
Parry Park
Parry Park
Australis Park
THAC
THAC
THAC
THAC
12.10
Hoxton Pk Res
Powell Park
THAC
THAC
Semi & Grand Final
MAS
8.00
Back-up finals
MAS
Term 4
IPSSO
7-Oct
William Carey
CS
14-Oct
St Mark's
21-Oct
ASG
28-Oct
Training of
teams
1.00 - 2.20
4-Nov
Georges River
GS
12.30 2.20
11-Nov
Wet Weather/
Training
1.00 - 2.20
18-Nov
25-Nov
Yr 3 Boys
Yr 3 Girls
Yr 4 Boys
Yr 4 Girls
Depart
Girls Soccer
11.45
William Carey
11.35
Hammondville
Park
Brown's Farm
Res
Hammondville
Park
11.00
Parry Park
Basketball
Swimming
Tennis
Athletics
Cricket
depending if teams make it to Finals
Yr 5 Boys
Yr 5 Girls
Yr 6 Boys
Yr 6 Girls
Football (Soccer)
AFL
Volleyball
Netball
Students who are not involved in IPSSO teams will participate in the Year 3 -6 College Sports program. All sports are
taught by qualified coaches and the sport runs for the entire term. There is no cost associated with the program as is
covered by College fees.
CIS Junior Athletics Carnival
The College has 15 students who represented NASSA at the NSW CIS Athletics Carnival on Wednesday 9 September.
Congratulations to the following high achievers:
Praise Lauano – 3rd place in 11yr Shot Put with a throw of 8.90m
Jessica Weston– 8th place in Junior Discus, 12th in Junior Shot Put
Wiremu Taylor – 9th place in 11yr Shot Put, 11th in 11yr Discus
Stefan Todorovic – 9th place in 11yr Shot Put
Luke Moran– 10th place in Junior Discus
Sebastian Ghisso – 11th place in 10yr 100m
I was very proud of the awesome effort from all our College representatives.
Thomas Hassall team at the NSWCIS Athletics:
Luke Moran, Harrison Curl, Sebastian Ghisso, Aidan Sayasith, Aleksandar Gvozdenovic, Wiremu Taylor,
Alexander Giakoumelos, Stefan Todorovic, Christopher Atlagic, Jessica Weston, Praise Lauano, Breana Steele,
Sreya Diddee, Sarah Casanova, Tatiana Mendez and Shayal Mudaliar.
A special thanks to Mr Fortuin who gave us expert relay coaching advice and trained the teams.
Tee-Ball and Softball Finals
Our Tee Ball and Softball teams had a very successful winter season with both teams making the Grand Final last
Wednesday. I was impressed with the team spirit and effort displayed on the day. Both teams played well and were
great ambassadors for the college.
The Junior team have improved so much over the season. Most players had never played Tee Ball before and their
improvement was significant. We had a very successful season meeting William Carey Christian School in the Grand
Final. Unfortunately, WCCS played very well and they kept our batters from making it home! With some extra time we
began a third innings, and we started playing the way we had demonstrated all season, with some big hits and
fantastic home runs. Sadly we lost 11 -2 at full time. Better luck next year, and I hope to see you all in 2016.
The Senior Team were up against Georges River Grammar School – a team that we have had mixed results with. The
softball team displayed great sportsmanship, encouraging each other and giving their best effort. It was a very close
game with the score tied after the first innings. Parents and teachers were very nervous on the sidelines! After a great
hit from Mark Carbone, we were able to get 3 home and win the game 10 – 7!
Thank you for all your hard work this season, I look forward to seeing you in softball next year. The students improved
in all aspects of the game, and we were lucky enough to have 2 qualified umpires to help us learn further.
Thanks to all the parents who supported us this season and for cheering us on last week!
Mrs Lawler
Prep – Yr 2 Tabloid Sports Carnivals
PREP, Kinder , Year One and Year Two will have their own Tabloid Sports Carnivals at College.
The Last of these will be held next week on:

Thursday 17 September – Prep Blue, Prep Purple, Years 1 and 2
We will be holding a sports fundraiser on both days to assist our NSW CIS and
NSW PSSA sporting representatives. Please come along and support the day.
There will be:
 Cake Stall at Recess
 Iceblocks
 Pizza slices available for purchase at Lunch
 Poppers
Congratulations
Congratulations to Praise Lauano who will now represent NSWCIS at the
NSWPSSA Athletics Championships for the 11year girls Shot Put in October.
Congratulations also to our TAP Coach Ramsin Shamon who has just successfully
coached the grand final team in the Southern Districts Men’s State League 2.
PE and Sport Reminder…
It is advisable that your child has a refillable drink bottle on Sport and PE days to ensure that they are able to re-hydrate
after exercise. All children are required to wear the PE cap or College hat for sporting events.
Important Junior School Sport Dates …
Term 4 - Week 2
Friday 16 October – NASSA AFL Gala Day, Wollondilly Anglican (Yr 5 & 6)
Term 4 - Week 4
Friday 30 October – NASSA Boys Cricket Gala Day, Camden (Yr 4 & 5)
Term 4 – Week 6
Wednesday 11 November – Junior School Sport Representative Photo Day
Term 4 – Week 7
Wednesday 18 November – IPSSO Summer Finals Day
Mrs. Evans
P-6 Sports Coordinator
Nationals School Aerobic Championships
Congratulations to Alana Sankovic who recently competed in the Nationals School
Aerobic Championships at Gold Coast Convention Centre held on Sunday 16 August
2015. Her persistence and determination meant that a serious injury which transpired
earlier this year didn’t stop her. In the lead up to the event, her support from her
coaches and family also meant that she was able to have a positive attitude. Alana
competed in prelims and finished 10th out of 24 competitors, then competed at the
2015 NSW State Finals and came 2nd from 13 competitors becoming a NSW Silver
Medalist! On the 16th August at Nationals she also competed and placed 6th from 13
competitors missing a silver medal due to 6.75 deductions. Congratulations on your
amazing achievements. Good luck in your future events at FISAF and School Aerobics
Spring Challenges in November.
Football Individual Highlight
Congratulations to Adrian Viggiani who has recently been selected to
play for the Western Sydney Wanderers youth team for 2015. In
recent times he has also played in the NSW state team, National
Championships in Coffs harbour, NSW futsal state team, Futsal
National Championships in Canberra, National School
Championships in Darwin and has been selected to represent both
the AICES and NASSA football teams. Well done in your
achievements, we wish you the very best in your upcoming
tournaments.
AICES Athletics Championships
The AICES Athletics Championships were held at Sydney International Athletics Centre, Homebush on Monday 31 August.
We had 15 students representing NASSA from Thomas Hassall Anglican College in over 30 different events. The students
are commended on the outstanding results on the day, their sportsmanship, their ability and their overall team spirit.
Congratulations to the following students who have made it in the AICES team to compete at CIS on Wednesday 16
September:
 Christian Georgallis (Long jump, Shot-put, 200m, 800m and 100m)
 Adrian Neoklis (1500m)
 Scott Reynolds (3000m and 1500m)
 Gabriel Safi (100m)
 Jordyn Sinclair (High jump)
A big thank you for the parents who came to support our students and to Mr Kaye, Mr Palmer and
Mr Harrington who also attended the day.
Australian Interschool’s Snow
Sports Championships
Congratulations to Catarina Di Ramio who represented our
College in the Skier X discipline at the 2015 Australian
Interschool’s Snowsports Championships held at Mt Buller
Victoria on Friday 11th August. Unfortunately due to a poor exit
from the start gate she narrowly missed qualifying for Alpine
discipline by just 0.48 of a second in combined times. Well done
Catarina for your exceptional effort and amazing performance.
We wish you the very best in your future snow sport events.
Mountain Biking Competition
On a dark and misty Friday morning past, our fearless band of
mountain bike riders headed off in the eerie pre-dawn haze
towards our nation’s capital. Catching up on some much needed
sleep on the bus meant that our crew was fresh and raring to go
when they hit the muddy, obstacle laden mountain. After an
inspiring and informative team briefing from Scott and Max about
the course and what to expect this year, the 4 hour team relay
marathon began with a flurry of legs and pedals. This year we
entered 5 teams with special mention going to Georgia who rode
up a division. The first transition point where teams tag their
second rider was absolute mayhem but our crafty students
navigated it effectively. Juniors each traversed their way through
a tight and tricky 4 km course at break neck speed. Seniors flew
around their 7km loops at a furious pace and midway through the
day, the entire Thomas Hassall MTB club were in top gear with
seamless changeovers, overcoming chain dislocations, muscle
cramping, tree collisions and fatigue with the grit and
determination that characterises this group.
As the clouds rolled over the top of the snowy mountain range
and began to descend upon the competition, the four hour event
mercifully reached its conclusion. Our group showed good team
spirit and stood at the finish line to cheer in each team’s final
rider. When the dust settled, the results filtered in and our feats
of skill and endurance were rewarded with some excellent
overall results. With over 600 competitors in a variety of
divisions, the team of Dom, Kenneth and Cooper finished
45th, Dejan, Dane and Oscar Finished 24th, Jeremy, Stephan
and Daniel finished 13th, Brock, Ben, Iona and Marcus achieved
a 5th placing and finally Scott, Max and Georgia came in a very
impressive 2nd place. Many thanks go to our awesome parents,
some of whom ferried their charges to the venue for pre event
skill sessions, who fed and watered our competitors throughout
the day and kept spirits high during such an epic event!
Mr David Butler
Senior Boys Volleyball
The Senior Boys Volleyball Team competed in the MISA
competition this term. The squad included a mixture of
Year 11 and Year 12 students with varying levels of
experience and high levels of enthusiasm. The team
ranked fourth through the pool rounds and earnt a place
in the semi-final against the unbeaten William Carey
team. The game was played to a high standard.
Thomas Hassall was able to field their full strength
team, including senior members from Year 12. William
Carey were caught off guard and were soundly
outplayed by the Thomas Hassall team. Our team was
found their rhythm and were able to consistently set
accurate balls to our key hitters, John Cenatiempo and
Nikola Sankovic. Thomas Hassall raced to a two
sets to love lead and also won the third shortened set.
This put the team through to the final which would be
played at All Saints in Casula. The team were confident
and keen to compete for the right to be called premiers.
Again, we were able to put our strongest team on the
court and dismantled the opposition in the opening two sets. Our serve reception improved in this match, led ably
by Shea Alexander's defensive digging, which enabled our setters, Jesse Bartone and Joel Gadd to deliver quality sets
to our spikers. John Cenatiempo and Alessandro Tolomeo. John's smooth swing pummelled the ball into the opposition
court frequently. However, All Saints were able to rally in the third set and held on to reduce the deficit to one set. In the
fourth set, with time running out, All Saints made the better start and kept their nose in front long enough to 'complete'
the set at 12-10 and so tie the match. The overall result in this situation was that both teams, Thomas Hassall and All
Saints were declared Joint Premiers. The College bids farewell to four senior players, John, Alessandro, Nikola and
Shea who have represented the College in the Volleyball team throughout their high school careers and been
MISA Premiers on no less than three occasions. It has been a pleasure to coach them over this time and see them
develop their talents and apply themselves with enthusiasm and positive sportsmanship at all times. Year 10 and 11 are
encouraged to build on the strong Volleyball culture that is Thomas Hassall in 2016.
Coach Loane
Feedback
Most people dislike negative feedback and kids are no exception. While teachers aim to provide encouragement and
motivate students, sometimes receiving assessment results or comments about how to improve can be disheartening.
So how do we help students to learn from the feedback they receive?
Pause, don’t react. The first thing to remember is to encourage your child to pause and reflect, rather than
reacting. Often the first instinct upon receiving negative feedback, whether through comments or test results, is to
become defensive. “No, this comment isn’t true…” “That result was because…” If it makes your child angry, give them
time to cool off.
Then, help them to problem solve. First make sure they can identify the concerns or problem. What contributed to the
situation? Then brainstorm ways of fixing the problem. What can they do differently from now on?
Encourage them to ask themselves “how can I improve?”
Help your child to remember this is just one result in one aspect of life. Sometimes a negative result
can be blown out of proportion by a student, thinking it will have disastrous consequences for their
future, or means something about them as a person. This feedback does not capture their entire
person. Remind your child of the things they do well, or qualities you like about them. Reinforce that this is just one
assessment task or comment – they have the opportunity to improve next time.
It might not be easy to receive negative feedback, but teaching students to grow from it will be helpful for years to
come.
Mrs Clare Calderwood
Student Well Being
Important Reminder—No Parking in Bus Zones
We just wanted to remind you that under no circumstances should anyone park in the bus zones outside the
College.
Please note the following :What does it mean? You must not stop or park in a bus zone unless you are driving a bus.
Why is it there? To provide a safe place for large buses to set down and pick up school
children.
Penalty $311 + 2 Demerit Points (School Zone)
2016 Term Dates
Term 1
Tuesday
26 January 2016
Australia Day Public Holiday
Wednesday
27 January 2016
Term 1 Commences
Years 1-7, 11 & 12 commence
Thursday
28 January 2016
Years 8, 9 & 10 commence
Friday
29 January 2016
Kindergarten Commence
Tuesday
2 February 2016
Prep Blue/Purple commence
Wednesday
3 February 2016
Prep Red/White commence
Friday
18 March 2016
College Open Day
Friday
25 March 2016
Good Friday Public Holiday
Monday
28 March 2016
Easter Monday and Public Holiday
Friday
8 April 2016
Term 1 Concludes
Monday
25 April 2016
ANZAC Day
Wednesday
27 April 2016
Term 2 Commences
Tue –Fri
10-13 May 2016
NAPLAN Testing
Monday
13 June 2016
Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday
Friday
24 June 2016
Term 2 Concludes
Monday
Saturday
18 July 2016
27 August 2016
Term 3 Commences
South West Festival
Monday
29 August 2016
Mid Term break - staff and students
Friday
23 September 2016
Term 3 Concludes
Tuesday
11 October 2016
Term 4 Commences
Monday
14 November 2016
Mid Term Break - students only
Wednesday
7 December 2016
Celebration
Thursday
8 December 2016
Term 4 Concludes
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
Parent Portal
A reminder to all parents :
Please update any changes to contact details including phone numbers and email addresses to ensure that all
correspondence from the College is received.
All student absences need to also be verified through the Parent Portal within 7 days of each
day of absence.
Any enquiries please email [email protected]
Uniform Reminder
As we prepare for the change back to the Summer Uniform, please
take some time to check that all your child’s property is labelled. If
uniforms are labelled, we can ensure any lost property can be
returned to the student. Unlabelled items of clothing are resold
through the clothing shop.
THYC
On Friday 28 August, Thomas Hassall Anglican College hosted
THYC, an annual youth concert aimed at bringing together young
people from the local community to enjoy a great night of music and
fellowship together. It was a fantastic night that featured Jake Nauta
and 2012 OZ Artist of the Year runner up, New Empire. Hundreds of
kids turned up to be a part of the show and a group of Year 10
students from the College even had the opportunity to join New
Empire on stage for a performance they will never forget. The
excitement was certainly in the air during the night and carried on
long after the main show concluded with a number of students
performing afterwards in the new cafeteria. Thank you to everyone
who supported THYC 2015.
It was a night many of these kids will never forget.
Mr Luke Robinson