Last weekend we were blessed with a perfect autumn day, sunshine and cool shady spaces. The South Westerly wind held off until all the stalls were packed down and empty. Hundreds of faces were painted, thousands of treats were enjoyed, dancers, singers and musicians performed and the fairy floss and pop corn sold out. It was a wonderful day! 

But we call our fete at TIGS The Great Fete. So what is so great about our fete, what makes it different to a mini royal Easter show or carnival and why do our parents and staff expend so much energy in making sure it remains great?

I think our fete puts the culture and cohesion of our school community on full display. There is a shared endeavour to:

• Provide a fun opportunity for our community to gather.
• Support our School in the raising of funds for additional projects outside of normal operating costs.
• Celebrate the magnificent talents of our students and the broader community in the performances.
• Work together to organise and deliver a significant event
• Use individual talents to benefit the group
• Generously give our time, talent and resources to the shared cause.

This is why it is not just wonderful but great! 

2023 saw the resurgence of our much missed TIGS Fete under the direction of a newly energised P&F committee. There were plenty of new parent faces which was very exciting but also many many “old” ones – those stalwart TIGS fete contributors who have been supporting our school for years, some even after their own children are long graduated. I also spied our staff on stalls or with their families, our Chair of Council serving at the temporary tattoo stall, the president and treasurer of the TIGS Foundation speaking to parents. 

We are not just saying “wasn’t the fete great” as a description of a great day – which it was! Our event is called The GREAT FETE, when “great” is used as a noun it means important or distinguished. The TIGS fete is both, a much loved institution in the region our fete draws many more people than those directly connected to our school – it is a distinguished event on the Illawarra calendar. It is also and important and necessary way in which we display, nurture and grow the culture of our school.

This all happens with a lot of hard work behind the scenes over months of planning, in the lead up and on the day. The number of people to thank are many and I am thankful for every individual who played their part. Our property team under Matt Field’s leadership deserve special mention as do the specific stal holders and the P&F Executive lead by Lena Huda. On behalf of our community thank you to you all for delivering a wonderful day and for ensuring another TIGS GREAT fete.