In this issue

It brings me great joy to extend a heartfelt welcome to Term 1. The commencement of a new school year is consistently filled with anticipation and marks the beginning of a fresh chapter teeming with promise and potential.  It is an opportune time to establish new goals, explore novel perspectives and embark on a journey of knowledge acquisition and personal development.

I extend a special greeting to our new families at the College.  We trust that you will find our College a place where you are welcomed and supported by our dedicated staff and existing families and feel a sense of belonging and connection. I invite you to join us at the Welcome BBQ hosted by our Parents and Friends Association on Friday, 9 February.  Your presence will be greatly appreciated.

Excellence was a focal point during last year’s Speech Night, where I emphasised Excellence as an attitude and proposed a shift beyond the conventional emphasis on grades and accolades to embark on a journey of cultivating skills and knowledge that significantly contribute to society.  In this vision, educational excellence extends beyond academic and extra-curricular achievements.  Instead, it evolves into a comprehensive endeavour that nurtures individuals – both staff and students – to excel in their pursuits and bring substantial value to the broader community through their insights, innovation, and a perpetual passion for learning.

Our strategic pillar of Excellence serves as both a challenge and a guide, prompting us to strive for continuous improvement and providing direction in our actions.  It beckons us to ask ourselves: How am I fostering an attitude of excellence?  This question encourages us to reflect on our roles in promoting a culture where excellence is not just an end goal but a continuous journey where we contribute meaningfully to our community and society.

We have exceptional examples of Excellence as an attitude in many of our Alumni and I encourage you to read their accomplishments in the Summer issue of Horizons magazine.

Celebrating the accomplishments of our Class of 2023 fills us with great pride. The academic achievements of these exceptional young men and women were truly commendable.  We extend our heartfelt congratulations to them for their outstanding success.  A comprehensive table of their results has been included in this newsletter.

This year, we have another rich program of Co-Curricular Sports, Creative Arts, and Clubs and Experiences for students to imerse themselves. activities. I encourage all students to involve themselves in the Academic and Student Life opportunities available at TSAC.

I look forward to an academic year full of growth, exploration, and shared success for each member of our College.

We warmly welcome our new teachers and support staff who join our College community and offer a special welcome to Mr Peter Westhead and Miss Sarah Ferguson, who have joined the College as the Deputy Principal and Director of Student Life, respectively.

Mr Westhead will oversee College-wide educational offerings, operations, compliance, staffing, policy development and engagement with our community. He aims to enrich student learning through building the capacity of others and through fostering a culture of excellence. Mr Westhead brings extensive experience in teaching and school leadership from Victoria, South Australia and the UK, and his fervent belief is that irrespective of their starting point, everybody can grow – be they students or staff.

Miss Ferguson applies a holistic approach to education. She believes that seamlessly integrating curriculum, co-curricular and student care is integral to supporting students to be the best they can be. Miss Ferguson has worked extensively across the independent and State education sectors in Australia and England. She believes that every student can reach their potential by fostering a warm and welcoming community that strives for excellence.

Please say hello when you see our new staff around Campus!

(1 ) Sarah Ferguson, Director of Student Life (2) Peter Westhead, Deputy Principal (3) Matthew Coignet, Secondary Teacher, Maths (4) Rexy Jason, Senior Kindergarten Educator (5) Hayley Beath, Kindergarten Teacher (6) Mark Modra, Secondary Teacher, English and Humanities (7) Ray Farthing, ICT Systems Support Officer (8) Kylie Horsfall. Primary Teacher (9) Gabriel Quaremba Primary Teacher (10) Lorraine Breingan, newly appointed as the Head of Teaching and Learning (Primary) (11) Anthony Letizia, Secondary Teacher Librarian (12) Erin Waller Secondary Teacher, Biology and Junior Science (13) Ryan Morris, Primary Teacher (14) Verity Chapman-Mears, Secondary Education Support Officer (Technical & Maintenance) (15)  Ben Eden Secondary Teacher, Maths/Science (16) Stuart Denigan, Secondary Teacher (Design and Technologies).

What a wonderful first week it has been with all students back at the College.

A special welcome to all our new students across Primary and Secondary campuses. Please enjoy some of the first day back to school photos. You can download your child’s photo here.

Co-Curricular Levy
There is now a small fee associated with the majority of our Co-curricular Clubs & Experiences, Creative Arts and Sports. This is set at $20 per activity group, per term. Details of this change were communicated via Nexus and can be found here.

Student Protection Policy
The College takes the safety of our students and the prevention of harm seriously. Every year, the College reviews its Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy and Statement of  Commitment to the safety of its students. These can be found on Nexus or by clicking here.

The summer edition of the College magazine – Horizons – is now available.

This edition features inspiring stories and updates from our esteemed alumni as well as a look back at highlights from College events that took place in Semester 2 of 2023.

Read Horizons

• • • • • • TSAC’s first Alumni reunion
          • A journey in veterinary nursing and conservation
          • Meet TSAC’s first College Dux
          • Births, engagements and weddings
          • Upcoming events

We are delighted to share the outstanding academic achievements of our Class of 2023 and acknowledge their unwavering commitment and determination in all aspects of College life. These young people demonstrated tenacity throughout their senior years and displayed enthusiasm and school spirit by participating in every aspect of their TSAC education. They supported and inspired one another, celebrated individual and group achievements, and led the College with pride.

Congratulations to all of our students. We look forward to watching them excel in their future studies and careers as TSAC Alumni.

Under the cloudy yet humid skies, our Primary and Secondary students competed in their respective Inter-Clan Swimming Carnivals this week. There was a tremendous amount of Clan pride on display at JUST Bundamba Swim and Gym on Monday and Tuesday, and we can’t wait to hear which Clans have won the coveted shields. Age champions and the overall winning Clans will be announced at Friday’s Chapel (Primary Campus) and Monday’s Assembly (Secondary Campus).

PRIMARY CAMPUS SWIMMING CARNIVAL Tuesday, 30 January

Students on the Primary Campus can now enjoy the newly renovated toilet facilities. Over the summer holidays, the builders demolished and rebuilt the male, female, and all accessible/unisex facilities located next to the Jabiru Café. Students will benefit from extra toilets in both the male and female blocks, built-in porcelain toilet seats, and individual, automatic flushing urinals in the male toilets, with modesty screens between each urinal.

The spaces feature new skylights, a new mechanical exhaust system, bright and colourful tiled areas, new cubicle walls and doors, water saving, timed taps, and Dyson hand dryers.

Parents with babies and small children can make use of the new baby-changing facilities in the unisex toilet.

The Echidna toilets, located in the undercover area, had new gates and doors installed, as well as change room benches for students who may need to change uniforms during the school day.

Students can also use the new water bubblers to stay hydrated during these hot summer days. Four chilled water units now include bubblers and bottle-filling facilities have been set up in the Echidna area against the background of a colourful tiled area. Students can also take advantage of new bench seating during morning tea and lunch times and Primary Chapel.

Throughout the year, we will keep you updated on the progress of car park and ‘Tree at Three’ landscaping projects and the next stage of Nature Play that we hope to have installed and ready by Term 3.

College families can expect to receive a copy of the 2023 College Yearbook in Term 1.

Over the past several years, the College has reduced the number of Yearbooks printed this year, in an attempt to reduce waste. As part of the College’s environmental strategy, and in the interest of reducing our environmental impact, we will be printing and distributing one Yearbook per family.

If you  have a need for additional copies, please indicate your interest via this Form. We also have a small number of Yearbooks from 2022 and 2021. Please email events@tsac.qld.edu.au if you would like a past issue.

The College uses Nexus to support students learning and to communicate with families. It is important that everyone has an understanding of how to access, perform essential tasks, and find information on the platform. We have assembled a series of self-paced resources to help you, or alternatively, you can book a time with one of our Nexus Champions, and we can set up an online meeting to walk you through the fundamentals.

Access Self-paced Resources

Book a time