A high point of my weekly schedule is Year 11 Biblical Studies. In this course we have the opportunity to tackle some of life’s biggest questions and Rev. Rogers, Rev. Grieve and I carefully consider the relevance and meaning of our lessons. Each week our students impress with their willingness to hear and understand the perspectives in the group, their purposeful questioning to reach understanding, and their considered and insightful reflections.
These lessons occur in the library and this week another highlight of my working year conflicted with my weekly interaction with Year 11: Book Week!
Midway through the plenary lecture (this time being delivered by Mr Hackett and considering the relationship between science and religion) Prep students arrived for their weekly library session. There was a pirate, a few princesses, a teacher had morphed into Harry Potter and even a dinosaur. Our senior students, and I must admit myself, could not resist the distraction and poor Mr Hackett lost focus for a few minutes as we delighted in their cuteness!
What was most on display though was the pleasure that young children exhibit in imaginative play. They each had their favourite characters and they were delighting in ‘being’ them as part of the Book Week celebrations. Their excitement at borrowing and taking home more books to read was also wonderful to observe. I’m sure they are already thinking about who they will ‘be’ next year when Book Week comes around again.
Fast forward to ‘The Works’ exhibition on Thursday evening where our Year 12 students exhibited their major works after a 12-month concerted effort involving imagination, creativity, perseverance, and hard work. We saw a combination of the imagination of Prep, the open-mindedness and skill of Year 11 and the character of a TIGS graduate.
The work on display and the performances of our students were just spectacular and it was a privilege to welcome alumnus Lachlan Mills (class of 2020) to open the evening. Lachlan is now studying Jazz at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and his advice to TIGS students was ‘revel in and make the most of the creative opportunities and freedom offered at their School’.
Lachlan shared how this time at School was a unique opportunity for him to explore and develop without the pressures of life impacting creative possibility. What wonderful advice!
Finally, this week we announced the student leadership team for 2023 to our School community. The experience of leadership at TIGS is deeply embedded in the entire P-12 continuum. Leadership of self, leadership in friendship groups, leadership through service and of course formal leadership.
The field of leadership candidates in the current Year 11 cohort was exceptional and I look forward to them making their impact on our School as they assume their roles in Term IV.
We have reached the midpoint of Term III: camps are back on; excursions and inter-school sport are occurring; we have gathered at assemblies and chapels for the first time this term; and our School is humming with energy. It is wonderful to feel the activity, energy and community that is TIGS.
