Hoskins Building Capital Appeal
Thank you to the parents (and grandparents!) who attended the launch of the Hoskins Building Capital Appeal last Friday night.
I really enjoyed being able to share the details of the new building with parents and friends alike, and to hear the excitement that is being generated by this new building in our community. Thank you, also, to those people who have already purchased a seat in our new Lecture Theatre.
I encourage all families to consider contributing to this project by donating to the TIGS Foundation’s “Take A Seat” campaign. These named seats will be a tangible legacy to the School for the benefit of its current and future students. A donation form can be found here.
A render of the entry space of the Hoskins Building:
Student Leadership
At the Senior School Assembly this week, the senior student leaders for 2025 were announced. These leaders, who are currently in Years 10 and 11, will set the tone for the next school year, and I am confident that this fine group of students will ensure that Illawarra Grammar remains a School permeated with gratitude, gladness, grit, grace, goodness and generosity.
Special congratulations go to our most senior leaders for 2025 – the Year 12 Prefects:
- Chapel Prefects: Jack Carroll, Harrison Deck. Claire Spicknall
- Deputy Head Prefects: Alyssa Jeffries, Campbell Boardman
- Head Prefects: Marci Davis-Cook, Saxon Parrish
Year 12 Farewell
With considerable fondness and some sadness, we farewelled our Year 12 students this week. After a day of “good-byes” and pizza on Monday, the Year 12 students and many of their teachers enjoyed an outing to Darling Harbour on Tuesday, spending the day cruising on the waters of Sydney.
The Graduation Assembly followed by the Valete Dinner on Wednesday were very special occasions, sprinkled with warm congratulations and fond memories.
Our Year 12 graduates are leaving us with our best wishes. We are confident that they are ready to make a generous and positive contribution to their communities. We will certainly be following their journeys with pride and pleasure.
Deputy Principal
Deputy Principal
The business of parenting is not for the faint-hearted. It is a demanding calling which regularly tests the limits of our knowledge, skills and patience. We can often feel inadequate to its challenges and it’s easy to think that others are doing far better at it than us. It can be lonely.
However, we were never meant to parent alone. God has created us for community, and we are far more able to meet the challenges of parenthood when we lean into one another and share our knowledge and experiences.
Schools provide ready-made communities of support. As we make connections, we are better placed to draw insight and encouragement from one another. There is great support to be enjoyed through the natural relationships formed through your child’s friendship group and year group. But the School can play a more formal role as well.
In our planning for 2025, we have been considering ways we can assist parents. We have noted some of the current challenges parents face and considered how we might help with seminars either in school or via Zoom. Some exciting ideas are emerging, and we look forward to announcing these shortly.
Another way the School can assist parents is through library resources. You might not be aware that we have a growing Parenting section in the School library. Some titles are related to general parenting, while others are related to the requirements for optimal learning for children and young people. There is a wide range of titles which will be of benefit to parents at different stages.
You can browse titles in person or online. When browsing online, go to the ‘TIGS Portal’ and select the ‘Library’ tile. From there select ‘Senior Library’ and the ‘Search’ function (top left-hand tile). This will take you into the ‘Resource’ section. Then select ‘Advanced Search’ which is to the right of the search box. Go to ‘Collections’ at the bottom of the page and choose ‘Parent Library’ and then click ‘Enter’ on your keyboard. You will now be able to browse all the titles in the Parent section. If you would like to borrow a book you can do so using your child’s borrowing rights.
I hope you can make use of this school resource. It is designed to assist our parents to be equal to the challenges of parenthood. Moreover, it is evidence we aspire to be a school that assists parents in this great calling.
Junior School News
Head of Junior School
Thank you for your attendance at the many parent events that concluded a busy term. Our students relished the opportunity to share their learning with you. Their clear articulation of their new discoveries was evident during every Celebration of Learning (CoL).
A special congratulations to our Year 6 students for their outstanding Showcase of Learning this week! Your creativity, hard work, and enthusiasm have truly shone through in all the projects and presentations. It’s been wonderful to see the growth and learning of each student this term.
A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated Year 6 teachers and Mrs Wallace for their guidance and expertise.
Well done to all involved, and we look forward to seeing the continued success of our Year 6 students as they enter their final term of the Junior School.
Term IV grade letters have been placed on your child’s OLLE page. These contain important details that outline the curriculum focus areas, along with other important events and dates.
Please note important date, time and venue changes to the following Term IV events:
- Year 2 Progression Assembly: 9.30am – 10.00am, Thursday 21 November
- K-2 Pageant: 10.00am, Friday 29 November
- A Christmas Celebration: 5.30pm – 6.30pm, Thursday 5 December.
Students are to return in full Summer Uniform. Please ensure that your children return with appropriate haircuts, shoes, jewellery and replenished stationery if needed. Swimming lessons will commence for Years K-2 in Week 1. Be sure to refer to your emails to confirm details and to provide consent.
On Sunday, 22 September, our Junior School Social Science team competed with great enthusiasm at the Tournament of Minds (TOM) State Championships, held at the University of New South Wales.
Our students demonstrated creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills throughout the competition, tackling complex challenges with passion and determination. The team’s hard work, dedication, and ability to think critically under pressure were truly commendable.
We are proud of their efforts and the way they represented our school with excellence. A special thank you to the teachers and mentors who guided and supported the team along the way.
Congratulations to Year 5 students Caroline Werakso, Michelle Li, Anuj Patil, Ananya Rao, Amelia Cook, Jayden Wang, and Ishaan Shivakumar, the Junior School Social Science team for their incredible achievement at the TOM State Championships! A very special thank you to Mrs Effie Duncan for her excellent leadership and organisation of this fabulous team.
This week, Mr Brody Toombs (Musical Producer and Head of Performing Arts – Senior School) sent out correspondence that outlines the audition requirements for students in 2024 Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 and Senior School who are interested in lead roles for the 2025 musical, The Little Mermaid Jr. Please refer to these guidelines and note the dates for final submissions.
From Term IV, the uniform guideline has changed to allow students in Kindergarten to Year 2 to wear velcro-fastened shoes. For more details, please refer to the visual guide provided here a visual depiction of the changes here.
As we conclude another successful term, I want to wish all of our students, families and staff a wonderful and restful holiday period. Take this time to rest and recharge, enjoy the warmer weather and time with your family.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back for an exciting and fabulous Term IV.
Have a safe and joyful break.
Senior School News
Head of Academic and Pastoral Care
This week has marked a significant milestone for our Year 12 students as they conclude their journey at TIGS. It has been a memorable final week filled with both celebration and reflection. On Tuesday, our students enjoyed a well-deserved break from their studies with their annual Picnic Day – this year, a harbour cruise offering stunning views and a chance to relax and unwind together.
Wednesday saw the culmination of their school years with the official Graduation Ceremony, where students were recognised for their achievements and hard work. In the evening, the Valete Dinner provided a heartfelt opportunity to say farewell, surrounded by friends, family, and teachers who have supported them throughout their journey.
We are confident they will carry the values and lessons learned at our School into whatever challenges and opportunities lie ahead. We are proud of the Class of 2024 and look forward to hearing about the incredible things they will accomplish in the future. Congratulations Year 12!
I am writing this on behalf of Mr Hackett, who is currently recovering from an injury. He sends his best wishes to our Year 12s and has been saddened to miss the events of this week.
Year 10 and Year 11 student leaders were announced in Assembly this week. Congratulations to our new Head Prefects, Deputy Head Prefects, Chapel Prefects, House Captains and Subject Captains. We look forward to seeing these students take ownership of these important positions of office.
As a reminder, parents and carers are invited to attend the Senior School’s 2025 Student Leadership Induction Ceremony. The event will take place in the IGC on Tuesday 22 October, commencing at 11.15am.
During the school holidays, the Goodhew Research Centre (Library) will be open from 9.00am – 2.00pm with supervision from Monday to Friday (excluding Labour Day on Monday 7 October). This is open to Senior School students in Years 11 to 12.
Mr Chris Breheny – Head of Academics
With the HSC Examinations approaching, several faculties are offering holiday revision workshops at school to support our Year 12 students as they finalise their examination preparations. A schedule of the HSC revision workshops can be found below.
Year 12 students are strongly encouraged to attend all sessions relevant to their subjects and make the most of these opportunities to strengthen their examination readiness. Please note that some courses are conducting their revision online and therefore do not appear on the schedule.
Additionally, the school Library will be open daily as specified in the article above.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to maximise our students’ academic growth and achievement.
2024 HSC HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS
Year 10 students will transition to wearing Senior Uniform next term and our current Year 9s will transition to Senior Uniform when they enter Year 10 in Term I of 2025.
See below in General School News for the Uniform Shop school holiday trading times. The uniform guidelines can be viewed here.
General School News