Issue 3TERM II 2014

TI G S�e Illawarra Grammar School

TIGS Great FeteWhat a Day

NewsletterAcademic Christian Caring

“If you are planning a wedding then you should plan to have it on the day of the TIGS Great Fete.” It certainly was a perfect autumn day last Saturday for the TIGS Great Fete and thousands of people enjoyed what was a memorable event.

There seemed to be something for everyone this year: from ponies, bubbles, parasol painting, a jumping castle for the youngest through to plants, puddings and a variety of country fare for the adults. All manner of foods kept everyone energised, from dignified Devonshire Teas through to Souvlaki on the run. The entertainment was amazing.

How do you measure the success of such a day? It is easy to talk of funds raised and how they will be used. This year the funds raised (around $50 000) by the P & F will be used to assist the School in purchasing items described as ‘green’ initiatives, such as water tanks and solar panels. This will demonstrate to our students the responsible use of scarce resources. It fits nicely with one of the goals of the School’s Strategic Plan which is to “embed the concepts of Christian Service and Stewardship across School curriculum and programming.” Thank you to our P & F for taking the initiative in this area.

I prefer to judge the success of the Great Fete differently. For me the great outcome of the event was the sense of joy and celebration that was felt by participants as a result of being a member of the TIGS community. Current parents and students were joined by many extended family members and many former students and parents. The Fete is always a great time for catching up and reminiscing about TIGS in the present and the past. Many members of the general public also attended and showed great interest in our school.

Thank you to everyone that made it such a great day. Thank you to the many volunteers who cooked, set up/packed up, served and performed any number of small but vital duties that contributed to the success of the day. Thank you to our students and teachers for their contribution in serving, performing and assisting on the day. Thank you to all the families and friends of TIGS that attended and participated.

Special thanks go to the many event/stall coordinators for assembling their teams and providing such a variety activities. Special acknowledgement is given to our 2014 Great Fete coordinator, Benita Andrews (ably supported by Jay Windsor and Stephen McGuire), who provided such imagination and enthusiasm in organising the Great Fete. It certainly was a wonderful event.

Stephen KinsellaHeadmaster

Headmaster

It’s been an eventful week in politics. Last Tuesday week saw the release of the government’s first budget. Usually a budget will generate some noise in the community before quickly dying down. But not this budget. We are still talking two weeks on.

What’s been interesting to me as I have listened to the debate is the kind of world Australians aspire toward. It is a very familiar world to me. It is a world not too far from the world described in the Bible. Let me explain how that is so.

First, there has been much talk on both sides of the debate about questions of truth and trust. The Bible speaks directly into this issue.

The Bible values truth-telling. This is founded in the nature of God who is a truth-teller. Indeed, the Bible says God cannot lie. It is simply not in his character (see Numbers 23.19). Because God cannot lie we can always trust him. It follows that as God’s image-bearers we too are to be truth-tellers. One of the striking ways Jesus puts this to us is by

saying that our ‘yes’ needs to be ‘yes’ and our ‘no’, ‘no’ (Matthew 5.37). In other words, we are to tell it as it is without spin or distortion. Others need to know that they can act upon our word with the certainty that we will do what we say. As Jesus sees it, any meddling with the truth is borne not from God but the evil one (see again Matthew 5.37).

Effectively, what I have heard people say this week is that the world should be as the Bible describes: a world where people can be trusted to tell the truth.

Second, there has been great concern on both sides of the debate about the welfare of the poor and disadvantaged. Again, the Bible speaks directly into this issue.

A strong concern for the poor is a major burden of the Bible. God has always charged us with responsibility for the poor. One of the delightful ways this was expressed in Old Testament times was that the Israelites were not to reap their harvest to the very edges of the border of their land: they were to leave some for the poor and the alien (Leviticus 19.9-10). Similarly, in New Testament times the early Church stood out for the way it provided welfare for the poor. This was at a time when the poor were largely left to their own devices with limited opportunities (see Acts 4.32-35).

Effectively, what I have heard people say this week is that the world should be as the Bible describes: a world where the poor are taken care of.

For me, the strong correlation between the type of society we want as a nation and the type of society pictured as the norm in the Bible gives substantial credibility to the Bible. It accurately maps our better aspirations as people in community. We should expect this if the Bible is what it claims to be – God’s word to us about himself and the life he has created us to live.

Rev James RogersChaplain

Chaplain’s MessageCRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

Bookings are now open on the TIGS website for two important events:

The Secret Garden - the Senior School Musical Production for 2014.

It follows recent TIGS performances of block-buster musicals, including Les Miserables Jesus Christ Super Star, West-side Story, The Boy Friend and Cats. It is the perfect way to be introduced to the wonderful talent of our students and the brilliance of staff in The Arts Faculty.

The season runs from Wednesday 19 June through to Saturday 22 June. Book here

Barbara Arrowsmith-Young - Friday 27 June from 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Barbara Arrowsmith-Young has a great personal story to tell. The Arrowsmith Program that bears her name gives hope to parents of children with learning difficulties. Using neuroscience based research she has developed targeted exercises for the brain that can correct the cognitive deficits that underpin some learning difficulties.

TIGS is pleased to feature Barbara Arrowsmith-Young at this special event which is also open to the general public. Book here

It’s exciting when you see a pedagogical change in action: when students are empowered to take charge of their own learning, to own the process and then empower their peers. This is happening in our classrooms as we more fully embrace the IB philosophy through the MYP and it’s also happening outside the four walls of the classroom, online. And this week we saw it happening at the Fete as our students took their learning out into the community, making it real.

Year 9 Commerce students with Mr Lanyon developed and ran two Great Fete stalls. They were enthusiastic, engaged and highly responsive to the demands of the task. Their communication on the day was all online and now they can use this data to review and reflect on their learning, to critique the task, their roles and the processes which will lead them to further inquiry and study both in the Commerce class and in their own lives. That’s the cycle of learning.

Art students worked with Mrs Esposito and Ms Goodman on StreetArt panels to promote the School production of “The Secret Garden.” Interestingly - for those who found the mural-in-progress but who were neither Art students nor TIGS students – it became a mesmerizing activity which engaged and captivated them in a way they had probably never experienced. Non-verbal expression utilising the right side of the brain has that power, and allows rich synaptic connections to be made, enriching and expanding the brain, facilitating learning.

One of our students of Child Studies, Zoe Chelin, also plugged into that right brain function (which is still developing in younger children before the left brain starts to boss it around.) Zoe worked with her mother and Ms Previati on a new Fete venture, the Parasol Stall, where little people painted their own beautiful

parasols. It was engaging for them and mesmerizing for all of us who watched and Zoe would have seen theory put into practice on the day.

The Community Problem Solving Team manned a Booth to disseminate information on Healthy Eating, with particular reference to Food Allergies. They found it quite confronting to be challenged by members of the public in ways they had not experienced before and Mrs Burton too found it challenging to have to stand back and let them take ownership, defend their position and handle the interactions with respect and authority. They succeeded admirably!

Mrs Naito - with the Japanese students on the Noodle Stall - was so proud to see ex-students return despite their busy study schedules to offer support to the younger students, truly demonstrating a sense of belonging and responsibility that had been promoted and nurtured in their Japanese classes. What an example of leadership for our students.

A big thank you to all the teachers who worked so hard to facilitate these activities, to the students who worked so hard and who learned so much through their involvement. Well done all.

Year 9 Commerce Class:Noah Butler, Vincent Chauvet, James Cooper, Hadley Davidson, Angus Day, Ethan Dorrian-Nancarrow, Beck Harper, Alexis Hubble, Cameron Karwarz, Jin Won Kim, Jack Kyriacou, Daniel Laing, Zhao Liu, Tian Molnar, George Moustoukis, Matthew O’Hanlon, James Oriel, Thi Hung Trinh, Nathan Troiani, Callum Wall, Tyler Warnest, Himali Wijesinghe, Benjamin Woodard, Yong Zhong.

Community Problem Solving Team:Emily I’Ons, Maria Kyriakoudes, Hannah Kim and Namika Parajuli

Japanese Ex students:Sam Butler, Josh McCormack, Matt Wale, Steven Cortie, Will Holmes, Zoe McCorquodale.

Current Japanese students: Brandon Cheng, Elise Cannon, Kate Martin, Heather Varcoe, Ishara Wijesinghe , Lina Steinke, Jackson Dekker, Brent Tekkol, Juliet Stanton, Aydin Serefli, Jin Won Kim.

Art Students: Hundreds contributed but special mention to Nathan Thompson and Lucy Donovan who worked tirelessly all day.

Senior School AUTHENTIC LEARNING THROUGH ACTION

Monica WattHead of Senior SchoolDeputy Headmaster

2014 SCHOOL PRODUCTION

18 JUNE - 21 JUNE 2014TICKETS$15 Concession $25 Adult

Tickets available for purchase online visit TIGSwww.tigs.nsw.edu.au

Music by Lucy SimonBook & Lyrics by Marsha NormanBased on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH ORiGiN™ THEATRICAL ON BEHALF OF SAMUEL FRENCH INC.

TIGS 2014 SCHOOL PRODUCTION Tickets now on sale! Visit TIGS website

Junior SchoolThe TIGS Great Fete, held last weekend, was a wonderful opportunity for the School and local communities to get together. Thanks must go to Benita Andrews for taking on this enormous event and for her excellent organisation and co-ordination. Thank you also to parents, students and staff who worked hard to make the day fun and successful. It was encouraging to see everyone working and collaborating together towards a common goal.

This reminded me of our aim in the Junior School, to create a collaborative culture where teachers work together towards a common goal as part of planning sessions to develop the Units of Inquiry in the PYP. It is a well-known fact that in collaborative cultures teachers exercise creative leadership together and take responsibility for helping all students learn. When teachers work together, they support one another’s journey towards better instruction. Teachers take responsibility for solving problems and accept the consequences of their decisions. Collaborative teachers share ideas. As one person builds on another’s ideas, a new synergy develops and the teachers evaluate new ideas in light of shared goals that focus on our students learning. It is important for us to foster a culture of collaboration to build teacher confidence and enhance decision making that strengthens everyone’s ability to set and meet high standards within the Schools learning community.

AWARDSWeekly AwardsKD Aston De Donato, Shaurya BhardwajKM Grace Russo, Max ClarkKP Elizabeth Hoskins, Rhys Chieng1M Myer Matyana, Cate Giason1T Tom Armstrong, Odelia Aghmesheh2C Thomas Devlin2M James Brewer, Ella McIlwraith4R Jordan McRae, Mia Mitchell4Y Charlotte Atkinson, Andrew Brown5S Esther Bigirindavyi, Alana Newhouse5Y James Kirby, Lina Lee

Merit CertificatesAcademicMia MitchellJordan McRaeCharlotte AtkinsonRyan OsadczukJames BrewerJames KirbyFrancis MauPia D’RozarioElla McIlwraithJack ParkerPippi FullerJoanne Park

NASSA Touch FootballOn Monday19 May, Year 5 and Year 6 students travelled to Sydney to take part in the NASSA Touch Football Gala Day. All the students played hard and demonstrated great sportsmanship throughout the day. The boys finished 4th overall and the girls 3rd. Margaux Chauvet and Zoe Dribbus were selected to trial for the CIS Touch Football team later this term. Congratulations to all of those students who participated. Well done!

SPORT

Dates for your diary:Wednesday 28 May Kinder Open Afternoon (Flying Start) 4.00pm – 4.50pmFriday 30 May NASSA Junior Cross CountryFriday 6 June Pupil Free DayWednesday 18 June- Saturday 21 June Production Performances – IGC

Narelle McRaeActing Head of Junior School

This week, the children did some Aboriginal Dot painting using earthy colours and sponges. The Prep and Kinder children enjoyed this supervised activity very much whilst the older children were more into their Loom Bands and charm-bracelet making.

Our Extend Superstar is: David A for improvement in following the rules of the service and helping the staff organise Music & Movement.

Week 5’s Activities:Monday 26 May:Organised Sports on the PlaylawnFutsal in Rees HallCrazy Craft - Mister Recycle Head Man Tuesday 27 May:Organised Sports on the PlaylawnSoccer on the Oval Crazy Craft Wednesday 28 May:Organised Sports-PlaylawnFutsal in Rees HallGardening Gloves Club Thursday 29 May:“So, You Think You Can Dance!” Friday 30 May:Mini GolfMovie (G) and Popcorn

NEWSFLASH!!!6 June: Pupil Free Day bookings

Please note there will be a Pupil Free Day on Friday 6 June. Extend will offer a full day service on this day, subject to minimum bookings of 12. If you would like to book in for this full day service which runs from 8.00am – 6.00pm, please call the Extend Office. As we require minimum bookings for the service to run, there are strictly no refunds or cancellations on Pupil Free Day bookings.

Bookings close Friday 30 May and parents who book in will be notified on this day by COB. Fees are $53 per child – pay between $9.55 - $26.50 after child care entitlements, including the non-income tested 50% Child Care Rebate.

ONLINE BOOKINGS: extend.com.auCALL OUR OFFICE: 1300 366 437

Extend at TIGSMonday 30 June to Friday 18 July 2014Winter School Holiday Programme bookings NOW OPEN at your School!NEW – Don’t pay Full Fees!

We have heaps of jam-packed activities and incursions ranging from Arts & Crafts, Cooking, plenty of games and sports and lots of Winter activities! We are also now offering Excursions! Visit the Extend website at extend.com.au for your programme timetables, booking forms, and activity descriptions.

Bookings close Friday 13 June – book now to avoid disappointment.

The Woman Who Changed Her BrainAs the creator of one of the first practical treatment applications in using the principles of neuroplasticity, Barbara Arrowsmith-Young is recognised as a pioneer. Her experiences not only led to the groundbreaking Arrowsmith Program, but the genesis of her international bestseller, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain.

Arrowsmith-Young holds a B.A.Sc in Child Studies from the University of Guelph and a Master’s degree in School Psychology from the University of Toronto.

In her presentation entitled “The Arrowsmith Program: Addressing Learning Difficulties—A Cognitive Approach,” Barbara Arrowsmith-Young will talk about her journey of discovery, the lines of research she combined, and the outcomes achieved over her 35 years as an educator and researcher.

She will describe a number of learning difficulties, from those that impact the learner in school to those that affect us in life. The focus will be on learning difficulties that impact academic performance such as reading and writing, and some of the outcome studies demonstrating cognitive and academic performance change in these areas as a result of students engaging in the Arrowsmith Program’s cognitive exercises. There will be a book signing after the event and the opportunity to register your interest in the establishment of the Arrowsmith Program at TIGS.

Friday 27 June 7.00pm to 8.30pm

FREE Presentation The Arrowsmith Program

Venue: TIGS The Illawarra Grammar Centre (IGC)

For more information or to book your ticket please visit www.tigs.nsw.edu.au

An International Baccalaureate (IB) World School

Hosting

BARBARA ARROWSMITH

YOUNG

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWSYear 7 to 11 Parent Teacher Interviews will be held in the Goodhew Research Centre from 3.50pm - 7.30pm on the following dates:Year 11 – Tuesday, 3 JuneYear 8 – Monday, 16 JuneYear 10 – Monday, 23 JuneYear 9 – Thursday, 26 JuneYear 7 – Wednesday, 23 July

We will be using the booking system Parent Teacher On-Line (PTO) to arrange all interviews.

Parents will be emailed their login details via email on Friday, 23 May. The PTO System will be accessible for bookings from 5.00pm on this date and will close at 8.00am on the day of the interview.

Please ensure 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

Note: Students who usually access the library after school on these days will be supervised in a classroom.

TRY TIGS Day Year 5/2014 for entry in Year 7/2016

An invitation is extended to all children interested in Year 7 in 2016 at The Illawarra Grammar School. On Friday 30 May 2014, children will experience a day in Year 7 attending classes including Science, Photography, Technology, Languages (Mandarin, Japanese and French) and Outdoor Education. This will allow children to become familiar with the Senior School environment and to give them a greater understanding of the difference between Junior School and Senior School. It will also allow a wonderful opportunity to meet other students who will be in the same year group.

Should you require additional information, please contact Enrolments on 4220 0216 or email: enrolments@tigs.nsw.edu.au

TIGS Prayer Breakfast

Parents, staff and friends are invited to gather to pray for our School community

Wednesday 4 June 20147.30am - 8.20am

TIGS Goodhew Research Centre (School Library)

Breakfast and supervision is available for children

RSVP: Friday 30 May 2014To RSVP please visit www.tigs.nsw.edu.au/events-a-bookings

BILL TURNER CUP (BOYS UNDER 15 KNOCKOUT COMPETITION)TIGS played their first game on Monday against the formidable Edmund Rice side. It was evident from the moment we stepped off the bus that this would be a tough game. Half of the Edmund Rice team played for the Wolves and each player was a Year 9 student. In comparison TIGS were mainly Year 7 and 8. However taking these differences into account, the TIGS team pulled together well. We played good attacking football in the first half and had a number of opportunities. The backs did a fantastic job keeping the score to just 2-0 at the half time. The second half saw more goals conceded as TIGS shuffled their team around. The final score was 7-0 but no disgrace to our team who worked tirelessly to the final whistle.

SOUTHERN REGION 7 A SIDE SCHOOL RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIPSOn Tuesday Week 4 the under 16’s Rugby team participated in the Southern Region 7 a side School Rugby Championships. The team performed admirably, defeating eventual winners of the tournament Illawarra Sports High in their first game 20 to 15. Then just losing to Edmund Rice College 22-20, drawing against Nowra Anglican College 12 all and defeating Southern Highlands Christian School 34 to 5. The side was well led by Mitchell Ferguson and Evan Jenkins.

The team:

Sport SENIOR SCHOOL SPORT

Evan JenkinsMitchell FergusonAngus PyrdeDylan LeesNoah GibbsDylan MylesThomas

ChadrawyChristian KyriakouLouis Parsons-O’MalleyJonty NegusVincent ChauvetDaniel Laing

The GreatFete

The GreatFete

The GreatFete

WEEK 5P-12 String Concert

6.30pm Wednesday 28 May in Recital Room

Try TIGS DayFriday 30 May

WEEK 6P-12 Piano Concert

6.30pm Wednesday 4 June in Recital Room

TIGS Prayer Breakfast7.30am Wednsday 4 June in the Goodhew Research Centre

Pupil Free DayFriday 6 June

WEEK 7Queens Birthday Holiday

Monday 9 June

Guitar Concert6.30pm Thursday 12 June in Recital Room

UPCOMING EVENTS

DATE CHANGES Please note the following amendments have been made to the School calendar.

• The Piano Concert which was originally scheduled on 11 June will now be held on 4 June.• The Strings Concert which was originally scheduled on 4 June will now be held on 28 May.