What’s Happening in the Senior School
May 28, 2021
Senior School Athletics Carnival
Last week, the Senior School Athletics Carnival took place at Beaton Park. It was a great day in which students and teachers alike demonstrated the strong TIGS ethic of teamwork and participation as well as sporting excellence – all of which are such hallmarks of TIGS’ culture. Well done to all who took part and made the event such a special day.
The image below shows students from across the Senior School who broke school records on the day. Well done to the following students:
Duke Of Edinburgh Excellence
On behalf of the Senior School, I would like to congratulate Nathan Troiani (Class of 2017) and Aakriti Saroha (Class of 2020) who were approved to receive their Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards last month. The Gold award is a globally recognised standard of a student’s outstanding service to others, physical fitness, skill and participation in a challenging outdoor expedition. Well done to you both!
Centre: Nathan Troiani (Class of 2017)
2nd Row, 5th from left: Aakriti Saroha (Class of 2020)
The View from Year 10
It has been a great start to Term II with so much activity returning to TIGS. Year 10 began the term with the YourChoicez seminar. Students benefited from the input of relationship experts with a plenary session focussed on respectful and positive relationships and matters of consent. This was followed up with discussion groups to further unpack the relevance of the learning. Students participated with great enthusiasm and found the day very helpful.
Sport has featured heavily for Year 10 this term. To mention a few highlights; Myles Dawson, Jack Wilson, Leonard Jaeger, Samuel Morris, Wilkie Dove, Connor Burrows, Jessy Harman, Madita Anderson and Jaimie De Lutiis, all represented the School at the Pines Annual Surfing Competition, while Jack McClatchie has been a part of the Bill Turner Cup team that has progressed to the third round. Flynn Sullivan and James Downie made the NASSA Basketball team. Swimmers, Jaimie and Bridie De Lutiis reached CIS level and Rhiannon Evans is umpiring Netball at CIS level. For the in-school sports programme, our Year Group has been participating in soccer, fitness, archery, basketball, and skating. A geography excursion saw the whole year spend a productive and interesting day at North Beach looking at coastal management and soil erosion.
Subject selection will soon be dominating the landscape as we turn our attention to next year’s courses. While students may feel that this is both exciting (and perhaps a little stressful), they can have great confidence in the process that will unfold over the coming weeks and our personalised support for them. Each student will indicate their preferred subjects and draft elective lines will be prepared. This will be followed, after the holiday, by individual Academic Counselling that takes into account the strengths, interests and future goals of each Year 10 student and how the subject offerings available can assist them in achieving their individual goals. This level of coaching and oversight continues throughout Year 11 and Year 12 to ensure that our Stage 6 Students are supported for success in their final years at TIGS. Parents with any questions are invited to contact me as we commence this exciting season in Year 10.
Rev. Mark Grieve – Dean of Year 10
Service in Action – The Salvation Army
On Wednesday 18 May, two of our Year 10 Wellbeing Leaders (India Gordon and Annemieke Jones) attended the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal Launch at the Civic Centre in Wollongong. Over a delicious lunch, they heard from among others, Gordon Bradbery: Lord Mayor of Wollongong, Sonya Button: Manager of The Salvation Army’s Carinya Cottage and Women’s Services in Wollongong and Graeme Packer who has fundraised for the Salvation Army in Kiama for over 50 years. Perhaps the most inspiring testimonial came from Chris, a grandmother who was raising her two grandchildren.
India offers these reflections: “Chris had an impactful testimony speaking on a sensitive topic of abuse. Her testimony reframed our way of thinking on the work of The Salvation Army. Her personal point of view helped the audience understand that the stereotypes of homelessness are not always how they are represented. Homelessness, with a broader meaning, means “the state of having no home”. Yet, that does not mean all homeless people live on the street, it also means that people live in cars, with friends or “couch surfing” moving from house to house.
Mieke adds: “For every single homeless person you see, there are 13 more homeless people that you can’t see. The motto for this year’s appeal is “leave no one in need”. We now really want to involve Year 10 in fundraising for the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal and with the other Wellbeing Leaders, Oisin and Will, we will be launching initiatives to support the important work of the Salvation Army including a cupcake stall and sponsorship. Look out for our blue ‘Salvos’ collecting tins in the coming weeks”.