In this issue

Last Thursday, under beautiful sunny skies, TSAC held its Secondary Inter-Clan Cross Country Carnival on the Secondary Campus. Students across all year levels showed tremendous Clan spirit to complete the challenging course and also earn points through novelty events. Congratulations to Sinclair, who won this year’s Championship! #weareTSAC #TSACsport

On the last day of term, the College held the Founder’s Day Dash, the annual event created by TSAC Alumni Joshua Cool to mark the College’s Birthday each year. The relay race, consisting of two teams of twelve runners per clan, each running one lap of the ‘Coat Hangar’ for a total of twelve laps. It was an exciting race with the entire College cheering and supporting the runners all around the coathanger, and in the end it was Clan Sinclair taking out the win. A big congratulations to all involved.

Share the news to any past students; the College is hosting a Alumni Association Launch event!

To celebrate 25 years of TSAC and the official launch of the TSAC Alumni Association, we invite all alumni and their partners to attend this event. Past students can explore the Primary and Secondary Campus in the morning and join an evening cocktail reception at the Brookwater Golf and Country Club.

Event Details
Morning
9:00am – Primary Campus Tour
10:00am – Secondary Campus Tour
11:00am – Morning Tea (served at Secondary Campus)
All morning events are free and hosted by TSAC.

Evening
Cocktail Reception
6:30pm until 10:00pm
Brookwater Golf & Country Club, 1 Tournament Drive, Brookwater
$55.00 per person including one drink on arrival and canapes
Partners are welcome to join
Dress: Casual Cocktail*

We encourage you to attend all or some of the events and look forward to welcoming you on the day.

Book tickets here    RSVP: Friday 21 April

*For males, the venue requires long trousers.

FROM ROYCE MAHONEY
DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, SECONDARY CAMPUS

I am excited to share with you some key principles guiding our approach to education on the Secondary Campus and significant changes in the teaching and learning landscape. We believe that every student can learn and has the potential to find success at school. Our mission is to create an environment where this potential can be realised.

It is vital that students and parents receive information in a proactive and timely manner. The College has significantly changed our systems on the Secondary Campus to promote effective feedback. Implementing progressive reporting with regular checkpoints allows students and parents to access crucial feedback earlier. Parents and students no longer need to wait until the end of the term to receive information regarding student progress. This iterative process allows students to check for understanding before the examination or final draft and submission of their work. Progressive reporting and checkpoints negate the requirement for a formal report to find out how the student is progressing. By utilising assessment for learning and assessment as learning, students can better demonstrate their knowledge and skills when a final assessment piece is conducted.

You can read more about Progressive Reporting in the Parent Progressive Reporting Letter below.

Similar in purpose, the Australian government moved NAPLAN earlier in the year. The purpose of this change is to allow schools to intervene better in student learning, utilising a greater range of data to make real changes to the learning cycle of students.

You can access further information on the government’s National Assessment Program website.

At our College, we strongly emphasise academic excellence whilst supporting students through a pastoral care system that places the student at its core. We strive to challenge our students and provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their future endeavours. However, this is difficult if attendance is low. The College will continue to focus on student attendance as an area for improvement. We know that every day in class counts. We also know from our experiences with home learning that students benefit richly from teacher-to-student relationships, as well as from student-to-student relationships. We welcome your support in this area.

Improving active engagement is another aspect of learning that our Secondary Campus teaching teams are focused on. We are currently reviewing how we measure engagement and what constitutes being actively engaged. Students thrive when they are either invested in their learning or even driving learning through their quest for knowledge. It is this culture that we want to foster and celebrate. Through our professional learning coalitions and the support of the teaching and learning team, the College seeks to use positive education principles to allow students to flourish.

You can find out more about PERMA in the link below.

We acknowledge that the start of a new school year, or even a new school in some of our students’ cases, can be daunting. However, we encourage parents to participate in their child’s education actively. We believe that a strong partnership between parents and the College is key to the success of our students. We welcome your involvement and feedback and look forward to working together to ensure your child has the best possible educational experience.

FROM BRENTON MEDDINGS
HEAD OF SPORT AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION, PRIMARY CAMPUS

Term 1 is the busiest time for College Inter-Clan Carnivals, GBC Sport, and representative sport through Central Comets district trials and Metropolitan West sporting events.

There are five pillars to the College’s Strategic Plan: excellence, confidence, compassion, community, and environment. We are passionate about being physically active and living healthy lifestyles on the Primary Campus. In Term 1, our students have demonstrated the TSAC values through GBC Mixed Netball and AFL, our Inter-Clan Swimming Carnival, Friday sports hour for each year level, lunchtime activities three days a week, and a very fun and exciting HPE Week! One main focus of the Primary PE team for 2023 is to increase the number of students engaging in physical activity. We have been very proud of our College Community, who have eagerly taken on this challenge.

Studies indicate that supplementing physical education through targeted games and activities before and after school facilitates increased confidence, cognition and learning, motor development, life-skill, and community focus and enjoyment (Wood & Hall, 2015; Active Healthy Kids Australia, 2018). The benefits of living a healthy, active lifestyle are well documented. Sport and physical activity are a medium wherein we can teach the holistic child supporting physical and mental health, building resilience, and strengthening communities.

Over 1 million children in Australia participate in physical activity outside of school. Increasing this number will benefit all Australians, but some barriers that have been highlighted are time availability and other commitments, financial commitments, and access to equipment. Furthermore, children cite concerns around ability, beginning a new sport or club, not knowing anyone, or lacking confidence (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). Here at TSAC, we aim to remove these barriers by drawing on the College values of Respect, Integrity, and Courage by fostering a safe, nurturing environment where students can grow and learn at a level suited to the child’s stage of development. Here is a guide to help set your own healthy lifestyle goals!

Term 2 promises to be a busy yet exciting time for sports on the Primary Campus. GBC sports this term will be mixed indoor cricket and mixed touch football available for students in Years 3 to 6. Our TSAC Swimming team will represent the College at the GBC Swimming Championships in week 1. The Cross-Country season has begun and will continue in Term 2, with a cross-over for the Athletics season.

There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in TSAC Terrier Sport, so keep an eye out for the Term 2 extra-curricular nominations I look forward to seeing all our students after a safe and enjoyable Easter break. Stay safe, stay active, and stay healthy!

Yours in sport,

Dear families, at the time of writing, we are still making our way towards Easter and the heartache and joy which comes from remembering the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago.

But Easter is never just about living in the past and trying to get all the details straight of what is now ancient history. For the Christian world, Easter is always happening in the present tense: it’s not about working out exactly what occurred way back then – it’s always about what is happening now, in our lives, today.

On Easter day, we say, ‘Christ IS risen!’ Yes, we recreate and retell what we know of the first Easter, but we also remember that Jesus Christ has been raised to new life and that God is not dead but alive and at work in our own time and places.

All the common cultural ways in which we celebrate Easter in Australia, such as decorating Easter eggs and conducting egg hunts, are great because they keep the traditions alive and reinforce that we are celebrating new beginnings and the triumph of life over death. It is a great time to gather with family and friends, give thanks, and look forward to the future with hope and optimism.

As we gather together in churches and homes, let us do so with joy, love, and gratitude in our hearts. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Happy Easter to all!

Rev Jonathan

The College has several exciting sustainability updates happening across both Campuses.

Solar panels will be installed over the Easter holidays. The planned works include installing a 100kw system on the Primary Campus and a 70kw system on the Secondary Campus (there is already a 30kw system on the Kurrajong roof). In addition, displays will be installed on each Campus to show the energy usage for each Campus and how efficiently the system is operating.

The College has teamed up with Containers for Change and now has 25 recycling bins on each Campus. You can also choose to donate your Containers for Change refund to the College fundraising simply by scanning the QR code or using the Team Scheme Id C11001287.

Paper Recycling Bins will soon be appearing in classrooms and beside printers. These will complement the College’s paper and cardboard recycling skips on each Campus, which Ipswich Waste Services collect.

We have adjusted the classroom air-conditioning to control the temperatures better, as constant changes to the thermostat increase the College’s energy usage and can may cause additional wear and tear on the units.

Battery collection boxes are also available through the Secondary Campus and are sent to local recycling collection points.

Together, we’re doing our best to make a real difference for our College and the environment.

Last week, five Secondary students were honoured at UniSQ for completing their Head Start course last year. Students completed the program, either through the College’s SSS Program or through their chosen Year 11 subjects. Congratulations to Jett Bratton (Year 12) and Ginni Shukla, Kanish Kumari, Tawana Chinyemba and Erin Kedzierski (Year 11). These students were recognised for their efforts and presented with their certificates at the Secondary Campus assembly.

The Year 12 have visited their Prep buddies for the first time this term. This tradition is a highlight for our most senior students, as well as some of our youngest.

As part of their final year at the College, many of our Year 12 students volunteer to visit the Prep classrooms. During their visits, the Year 12 students reflect on their time at the College. Looking back, it’s easy to see their considerable growth from when they started as 5-year-olds and spent their days enjoying play-based activities. On their return to the Secondary Campus, the Year 12 students are always buzzing with excitement and quick to share stories of their time with the Preps, their fellow students, and the Primary staff.

Our Prep students enjoy spending time with the older ‘Buddies’ and showing them around their classrooms and play areas.

Thank you to all of the Prep and Year 12 staff who make each visit such a fantastic event.

It was a fantastic term of GBC and GBC Primary Sport for the College.

GBC Primary had many enthusiastic students playing Netball and AFL. Mr Meddings was very proud of everyone who played this term. Through hard work, dedication and commitment, our skills have developed and improved exponentially over the season.

For GBC Secondary, Girls and Boys AFL, Girls Basketball and Boys Volleyball were on the agenda. We faced some very tough competition during the fixtures, but our TSAC spirit and sportsmanship shone through at all times.

Congratulations to the four teams that played in the finals and a special congratulations to the Junior Boys AFL team who had an undefeated season and took out the Premiership. Thank you to all the coordinators, coaches, families, and supporters who turn up every week for our students.

Our students have enjoyed celebrating Harmony Day while they explored this year’s theme, “Everyone Belongs”.

The Primary Campus students wore orange to school and discussed the importance of Harmony Day, which is a day to remember and respect our diverse cultural backgrounds, and to share what we have in common. On our Secondary Campus, students designed and decorated individual paper hands with images that represent their identity. These will be placed as leaves on a universal tree and installed as artwork on Campus.

HPE Week was celebrated across the College during Term 1. The occasion highlighted the vital role Health and Physical Education play in the learning and development of our students lives. Primary and Secondary students joined in challenging and fun activities that sparked their excitement about being physically active. One of the standout activities was the Staff vs Seniors Bench Ball game on the Secondary Campus.

Thanks to everyone who took part in the activities; it was a brilliant week!

The College celebrated the graduation of the 2022 Diploma of Business class. Proudly wearing their caps and gowns, the Year 12 students received their graduation certificates from Ms Maria Noel of Barrington College, at a secondary assembly.

This high-level qualification is nationally recognised, well-regarded in the business world, and can be used as a means of direct entry into university. Congratulations Helna Aloshious, Lachlan Ashwell, Cooper Atkins, Natalie Cougan, Jade Davidson, Jaeda Eva, Anakin Hill, Sarah Luck, Cate McCollam, Makayla McDonough, Helen Nguyen, Elana Tony, Ben Whitehorne and Hongshen Yan.

The Bee Keeping club has been very busy harvesting honey from the College’s bee hive. The hive is located in the native bushland that surrounds the Secondary Campus. The students collected the frames collected from the hive earlier in the year. Recently, they started decapping the frames and spinning them in the extraction drum to extract the honey. The delicious golden honey was then filtered before the students filled their jars to taste test the fruits of their labour. The Bee Keeping club is a practical (and delicious) way for our students to learn about local native flora and the important role bees play in our ecosystem.

The College community celebrated International Women’s Day with pride on 8 March, with celebrations at the College and in the community.

College Captain Olivia Harding attended the International Women’s Day lunch with Mr Steven Morris. With the theme “The Magic and Power of Dreaming Big”, the event featured a number of high-profile keynote speakers, including Bronte Barratt OAM (Olympic Gold Medalist and Member of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee), Dame Carol Anne Kidu DBE AO (Australian-Born Papua New Guinean Politician and Advocate), Tracey Robertson (Co-Founder and CEO Hoodlum Entertainment Pty Ltd), and Raynuha Sinnathamby (Managing Director of Springfield City Group).

Year 11 students Maanya Kathvadia, Emma Kazuberns, Cadence Conroy and Gabriella Gigliotti attended the International Women’s Day Breakfast with Deputy Head of Secondary, Mrs Kristie Ahern. Hosted by Zonta International, it featured guest speaker Natalie Lewis (Commissioner of the Queensland Family and Child Commission) who shared her passion and advocacy for children’s and women’s rights. The students met Charis Mullen MP, State Member for Jordan, and other local community members.

All of our students were welcome to join in College based activities as well. Students could purchase delicious homemade cupcakes from the Primary and Secondary Campus cafés and secondary students and staff enjoyed their lunch at the International Women’s Day picnic.

Senior Biology students visited the University of Queensland, St Lucia campus, to collect data for their experiment assessments. Students used stratified sampling techniques to conduct an ecological survey of different sites along the Brisbane River. They compared the biotic and abiotic factors between open, semi-open and closed forests, and identified invertebrates at the lab to determine the species diversity of the different sites.

This term, the Year 10 students embarked on a leadership camp, “The Challenge”. True to it’s name, the activities over the three-day program were loosely based on Australia’s history and the values of the ANZACs. Over the three days, students completed a sequence of activities that required them to work together to overcome obstacles, all the while building their mutual respect, integrity and courage. The camp was an excellent opportunity for our future leaders to focus on servant leadership, sacrifice, teamwork, and resilience.

During Term 1, the Year 8 students travelled to Moreton Island for their camp. While on camp, the students participated in sand tobogganing, four-wheel driving, beach games, team challenges and snorkelling. The Year 8 camp was blessed with fantastic weather and was a great outdoor education experience.

Our Year 6 students attended camp at Alexandra Headlands to build leadership and teamwork skills.

Students enjoyed exciting activities, including stand-up paddle boarding, bodyboarding, high ropes and team challenges. It was wonderful to see students stepping out of their comfort zone, supporting each other, and working together to problem solve. They were fantastic ambassadors for the College, earning compliments from the camp staff for their positive behaviour and engagement.

The Rite Journey program commenced with the Calling and Departure Ceremony. Year 9 students spent the night at the College, where The Rite Journey staff set the scene for the year ahead before our students wrote a letter of gratitude to their parents. Before dawn, students travelled to Mount Coot-tha and walked from JC Slaughter Falls to the summit in silence. The walk allowed students time to reflect on their childhood, and the sunrise represented the first step of their journey into adulthood. Students then travelled back to school and had breakfast with their families, where they then exchanged their letters. Thank you to all the families who attended the breakfast – we are looking forward to an exciting year!

The TSAC Alumni Volleyball team meant business when they took on the TSAC Firsts Volleyball team last week on the inaugural students v alumni volleyball match. Their determination saw them win the match 2-1. Many thanks to all the alumni, students, staff and parents who came along to support the match.

You can now choose how you receive up-to-date information from the College and your child’s teachers by updating your Nexus notification settings. For ease and convenience, you can also download the College’s Nexus app and keep up to date while you’re on the go. Simply search for The Springfield Anglican College on the App Store or Google Play.

OPEN UPDATE NOTIFICATION SETTINGS ON THE APP:

Choose Settings > Notification Settings

OR NOTIFICATION SETTINGS ON DESKTOP VIEW:

Click your profile/grey square > Settings

THEN, FOR BOTH:

Choose which information you want to receive by switching notifications on or off. You can also choose how to receive your updates. Choose the bell to get an update in the Notifications section when you open Nexus. The mobile phone will send you a notification to as a mobile notification. Select the envelope to receive emails.

BELL – Open the app or desktop view to access notifications under the red Notifications section.

MOBILE – Notifications will appear in your mobile phone’s notification bubble or area.

ENVELOP – You will receive an email notification.

College updates will be sent as News. Be sure to switch on notifications for ‘Receive News Messages When’. Mobile and/or Envelop are recommended.

Nexus Online Help

There is a suite of self-help guides to help you get the most out of Nexus.

How to guides

Nexus Support Appointment

Or click the link below to book a time for phone or face-to-face support.

Book a Nexus appointment

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