We are very nearly at the end of this unique and often challenging term. After so many phases and transitions in learning, the last few weeks have brought a welcome and sustained consistency to school life and I remain grateful to our staff, students and families for the way in which they have adapted to the complex changes that have been required. I wanted to use my final newsletter of the term to give you an insight into the ways in which the School is returning to its energetic, inspirational, dynamic and diverse day to day existence.
Our Year 12 students have been working incredibly hard to complete assessment tasks throughout this term – to them all I say, a well-earned rest is in sight! – and with two weeks of trial exams early in Term III, thoughts are already turning to completing HSC courses and preparing for a plan of effective revision before the season of HSC exams starts in mid-October.
In recent weeks, the Year 11 Leadership applications have opened and it has been a pleasure to talk with the students who have put themselves forward – to learn more about their aspirations and to encourage them in their desire to attain a formal leadership position in Year 12. The standard of submissions that I have seen has been exceptional and it has been a great reminder to me that at TIGS we are blessed with such an incredible array of characters and personalities in our student body. But as I always say to any student in relation to this topic – you certainly don’t need a badge or a title to be a good leader!
The process of Year 10 selecting their elective courses for Stage 6 is currently coming to a close. This will be followed by our Year 8 students making decisions about the electives they will study when they move into Year 9 next year.
The Arts Faculty has just launched ‘A Chorus Online’ in which students and teachers have been encouraged to provide a vocal or instrumental accompaniment to a backing track of ‘Stand By Me’. I look forward to sharing a link to the finished video with you in due course. In other curriculum areas, our before-school Talented Athlete Programme and Extension English and Maths classes have been up and running for a few weeks now and our plans for a fuller return to music and sporting opportunities in Term III are nearing completion.
At the end of this week, a number of Year 7 and Year 8 students will take up an opportunity to hear from, and to put questions to, Dr Debashish Mazumder, an academic specialising in Climate Change and Food Science based at ANSTO. Dr Mazumder is the latest of a range of speakers to stimulate and challenge TIGS students through our Honours Programme.
And finally, our ‘2020 InHouse Challenge’ concluded in Week 7. This year’s competition provided students from across the school with a range of opportunities to win points for their House. Activities included recording a ‘Pop Song Parody’, ‘Lego Master’ and the ‘Jump Rope Challenge’! We will be announcing the winning House and showcasing some of the wonderful entries in a special assembly next week. Watch out for our secret celebrity judges!
An entry to the In House Challenge – Jay, Year 9