In Week 5, we will recognise National Reconciliation Week, with the 2025 theme “Bridging Now to Next”. This theme highlights the important connection between the past, present and future, and calls all Australians to walk forward together, drawing on the lessons of the past to guide our shared future.

Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 will engage in meaningful classroom experiences that will deepen their understanding of reconciliation. As outlined by our Year 6 community captains, these activities support the development of empathy, cultural understanding, and a commitment to unity for our young learners.

On Wednesday 21 May, our students joined thousands of others across the country in the National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS), a beloved event that celebrates reading and literacy. This year’s selected book was The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel.

Each year, NSS encourages children to enjoy the shared experience of reading the same story at the same time, promoting a love of books and storytelling. We were delighted to take part in this joyful event and thank Mrs Stanis and our K – 6 staff for their preparations in bringing this special story to life for our students.

We’re excited for the Kindergarten to Year 2 Athletics Carnival, happening on Tuesday 27 May from 11.00am to 12.45pm!

Students have been practising enthusiastically and learning House chants in preparation for the big day. They are also invited to create a poster (no larger than A3) to support their House.

Students should wear their regular sports uniform with an optional splash of House colour, such as socks, headbands or ribbons.

We warmly welcome parents and families to attend and cheer on our youngest athletes. We thank the P&F for having organised a cake stall for visiting families to enjoy on the day.

Please be aware that baklava style treats, nutella, macarons and anything else containing nuts will not be permitted and allergy-friendly options (e.g. egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free) are encouraged.

Please note there is no on-site parking available. We can’t wait to see you there!

Mr Nick Hackett, Head of Senior School

Thank you to the Year 5 and Year 6 families who joined us for the Discover TIGS: Year 7 event last Saturday. If you are not yet familiar with our Senior School and would like to take a tour, I encourage you to attend our Principal Meet and Greet event in June or the Open Day in September.

For those students progressing to Year 7 in 2026, please find below some important dates to note:

Important dates:

• Year 7 Parent Information Evening: Tuesday 11 November 2025
• Year 7 Orientation: Thursday 13 November – Friday 14 November 2025
• Head Start: Wednesday 28 January 2026, 8.30am – 11.00am – A partial day to set Year 7 students up with lockers and visit IT
• Year 7 Parent Coffee Catch-Up (P&F): 8.45am Wednesday 28 January 2026
• First Day of School: Thursday 29 January 2026, 8.40am
• Year 7 Family Picnic (P&F): 12.30pm Sunday 1 February 2026 – Wollongong Botanic Gardens 

Families who have students commencing Year 7, 2026 will receive more detailed information later in the year regarding our two-day student orientation event which will take place in November.

Should you have any questions, please contact our Enrolment Office at enrolments@tigs.nsw.edu.au.

This week, our students participated in the da Vinci Decathlon, showcasing their talents in problem-solving, creativity and collaboration. We look forward to sharing the state results once they are released. Watch this space!

We are excited to announce our very first Junior School Walkathon which will be held on Wednesday 25 June (Week 9)!

This wonderful event has been thoughtfully organised by our Year 6 parent representatives in partnership with the Parents and Friends Association (P&F). The Walkathon is a fun and active way for our students to come together as a community while raising funds for exciting new intiatives, such as the Junior School STEM Lab.

Students will soon receive information about how they can get involved and seek sponsorship for their walk. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our Year 6 parent representatives and the P&F for bringing this initiative to life.

We look forward to a fantastic day full of energy and community spirit!

We are delighted to share some wonderful news. Dr Carswell, our Junior School STEM Coordinator, has recently completed her Doctor of Education! This achievement reflects her dedication to lifelong learning and educational leadership. We are so fortunate to have her as part of our school community and congratulate her on this well-deserved milestone.

Please be reminded that Junior School carline procedures are outlined on the Transport page in OLLE.

To ensure a smooth and safe drop-off and pick-up process, please follow these guidelines:

Morning Drop-Off

The inside lane (right hand lane) is designated for Piper Centre parking only. Please do not use this lane for Junior School drop-off.

Afternoon Pick-Up
The middle lane must remain clear until 3.00pm to allow for vehicle manoeuvring.

Families picking up from the Piper Centre are strongly encouraged to arrive before 2.30pm or after 3.30pm to help ease congestion.

Carline Collection Times

Kindergarten – Year 2: 3.00pm – 3.10pm

Year 3 – Year 6 (and any Kindergarten – Year 2 siblings): 3.10pm – 3.40pm

View the full procedures document here.

We are working on updating the signage in the Junior School car park to assist with the smooth running of carline.

Last week, our Year 6 students travelled to Canberra for a two-night excursion as part of their unit Our Democratic Nation. They visited key sites including Parliament House, Old Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, the AIS and Questacon.

Students participated in a full program of learning. A highlight was visiting the House of Representatives and the Senate, seeing their classroom learning in action. The students showed great interest, maturity and enthusiasm throughout the trip.

Here’s what some students had to say:
Gabe (6A): “My favourite part was the War Memorial. It was really interesting.”

Amelia (6P): “The food and being with my friends made it so fun.”

Harriet (6S): “I liked seeing Parliament House and learning how they count votes.”

Marlow (6Y): “Questacon was awesome, especially the drop slide!”

We thank our Year 6 teachers, Mr Yeo and Dr Carswell for their support and supervision throughout the trip. A special thank you to Mrs Young for her excellent organisation and coordination of the excursion.

We also acknowledge the Australian Government for providing $30 per student through the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program. This funding, paid directly to the School after the excursion, helps support valuable learning opportunities like this one.

Drawing closer to the middle of the term, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed about upcoming assessments. Sometimes, it is hard to know where to begin with study or hand-in assessment tasks, and you can find yourself overcome with worry, not sure where the hours you had to study have gone and rushing to finish it the night before the due date.

To ease these assessment anxieties, listed below are number of small things students can do to help make make the workload more manageable, and to help them cruise through the assessment period with minimal stress and maximum results:

• Firstly, ensure that you have a full understanding of the task itself and what it requires of you. This means reading the notification thoroughly as soon as you get it in class. If there is anything you don’t understand, clarify it when you can with your teachers. They aren’t here to trick you or trip you up, they are here to help you achieve your best, so they are open to any questions you may have.
• An important, but often overlooked tip is knowing exactly when your assessment task is due. It may seem like an obvious thing to do but often, it can creep up on you unawares and having it written down in your diary can help you plan study periods around your daily schedule so you won’t be cramming the night before. Remember, you can find the assessment task dates on your class OLLE page and noting these dates at the start of the year, or each term, is a great idea.
• Having assessments written down in a communal space in your home can also allow your family members to offer you that extra bit of support you need during the assessment period. It is easy to feel weighed down when juggling multiple assessments, but sometimes just having other people aware of your schedule can offer that little bit of comfort, support and understanding to get you through.
• While sometimes this feels impossible, taking regular breaks is an important part of succeeding when studying or completing assessments. Working for long periods of time is ineffective as your brain gets tired and overwhelmed, so taking short, regular breaks doing something that relaxes you will actually enhance your ability to remember information and complete tasks effectively. 

While stress is sometimes an unavoidable part of the school term, it should always be manageable, so implementing one or all of these simple strategies can help aid you going into the busy assessment period.

On 13 April, the Year 9 and Year 10 Chinese elective students went abroad to China for an unforgettable two-week Cultural Tour. During this cultural visit, we were exposed to many unique ways of life that differed not only from Australia, but also between each major city we visited.

Our first stop was Shanghai, where we visited Wai Tan (The Bund), which featured stunning views of the city’s iconic skyline, historical colonial buildings and vibrant atmosphere along the Huangpu River.

After a couple of days, we travelled to Xi’an and visited a local international school alongside many other Australian schools. We learnt how schools operate differently, as our buddies brought us along to their classes and into their school canteen. In Xi’an, we also dressed in traditional Chinese clothing, which allowed us to experience the culture firsthand and immerse ourselves in the rich history of China.

We then rode the metro to our third city, Chengdu, where the weather reached up to 37 degrees Celsius. Nonetheless, we visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and watched a traditional Chinese changing mask performance (Bian Lian).

Finally, our last city was Beijing, the capital of China. Here, we visited the Summer Palace, which featured beautiful gardens, lakes and palaces. We also climbed a section of the Great Wall of China and tobogganed our way down. Additionally, we explored the Forbidden City and visited a local’s home, where we had lunch and learnt about the history of her home and family.

Overall, the trip broadened our perspectives and left us with lasting memories. Thank you to Mrs Yeh and Mrs Neal for making this trip possible, meaningful and truly memorable.