1. education
2. school

10 June 2014 Term 2 | Edition 3
From the Acting Principal
Last Friday our Year 12 Leadership Team hosted the K-12 Dinner (photos, right). The girls did a marvellous job
and over 500 students attended. It was wonderful to see the girls, from our youngest to our oldest, come in many
different costumes with the theme being ‘Blast from the Past’. It was obvious that a lot of work went into all the
costumes and I commend everyone for your ingenuity in coming up with costume ideas. Special thanks to the team
of Year 12 girls who worked tirelessly to produce this wonderful event. We also thank our special guest singers, Adira
Belle, for performing on the night.
This term as been a busy one with many students being involved in numerous activities. Last week we held the
senior athletics carnival at the State Sports Centre, Homebush. The weather held and the girls had a great day.
Congratulations to Abbey Hodge for breaking the record for the 15 years 90m hurdles which now stands at 14.07
seconds and for equalling the record for the 15 years 100m at 12.97 seconds. There were many other highlights but
for me, I particularly enjoyed seeing the involvement of so many of our students and the great spirit of competition
between the Houses. Congratulations to the winning House for the overall interhouse athletics trophy, Walker,
finishing with 2572 points.
We had a number of Tara teams competing in the Da Vinci Decathlon at Knox Grammar School recently. Our girls
were part of 320 teams who competed in this year’s event. Congratulations to our Year 9 girls who came first in their
year group. This is a wonderful achievement as the competition was very strong. Thank you to our staff who also
supported the girls and prepared them for this event.
The Language Perfect competition has just ended and again, our girls did amazingly well. There were six elites and 47
gold winners awarded. Congratulations to Tiffany Aoun who placed 22nd in the world from over 300,000 competitors!
The rehearsals for the School’s musical production of ‘The Pajama Game’ are going at a great pace. Everyone involved
in the show is putting in many hours of rehearsals and I am very much looking forward to attending this musical. We
still have tickets available for the 1.30pm performance on Friday 13 June. I encourage you and your friends to come
and see this fabulous production!
On 28 May a group of Year 11 girls lead the initiative to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation. This involved
wearing a pink ribbon in their hair, a bake sale, selling McGrath merchandise and Tara drink bottles as well as the
anticipated staff vs students cricket match. I want to thank all the girls and staff involved - it is a very worthwhile
charity and I am proud that we can support them. Congratulations to students and staff for raising $1565 and to our
winning staff team who took out the cricket match.
As the term ends, semester reports are being finalised and sent to parents. Please reflect on your daughter’s
accomplishments in her learning and involvement in School programs and take some time to talk with her about her
future learning goals. When doing this, can I encourage you to adopt a ‘growth mindset’ approach and encourage
your daughter to think about what she needs to do and to banish such comments as “I am not great at... ”. This can
easily be turned around by adding the word “yet”. Help her to identify the small steps she can take and congratulate
her on her achievements. We can all do with acknowledgement and encouragement from time to time. I’d like to
wish all families a safe and refreshing holiday and we look forward to the start of Term 3.
(Mrs) Sue Hammond
Inside this edition
Acting Principal
1
Community
2-3
Junior School
4-6
Senior School
6 - 10
School Diary
11 -14
Editor: (Miss) Eileen Opilas Email: taranews@tara.nsw.edu.au
Planning for the future
I would like to thank all the Tara families
who constantly support our School. For
those who have not recently donated, a
friendly reminder that the end of financial
year is quickly approaching and any donations of $2 or more are tax
deductible.
Your contribution, large or small, will make a significant impact in
the realisation of our aspirations. At Tara, we are proud of the quality
of education that we provide for our students. As a School with a
significant tradition and history, we are thankful for the great work
and support of our Tara parents, friends, Old Girls and staff. Your
past contributions have helped to assist the School in providing the
excellent learning environment that our Tara girls enjoy today.
With this understanding, the Tara Foundation aims to continue to
develop our facilities and the opportunities made available to our
Tara girls. Tara is the best place for girls and the board of the Tara
Foundation regularly assesses and constructs plans to ensure that
our students of today as well as in the future can thrive.
If you would like to assist the Tara Foundation as we plan for now
and the future, donations are welcome by visiting Tara’s website
http://bit.ly/1hC1MDj. Alternatively, please email foundation@tara.
nsw.edu.au. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support.
2014 Team: Ian Gray (Y12), Heather Mallett (Y10), Ken Davis (Y12),
Glen Hunter (Y11), Gary Mallett (Y10), Geoff Brooke-Smith (Y10), Tina
Horn (Y10), Sunny Hres (K), Jo Horton (Y9), Alison Keary (Y9), Nola
Haig (Y12), Kathryn Crowhurst (Y7) Wayne Dickinson (Y7), Linda
Brooke-Smith (Y10), Allison Grasso (Y2,4), Danielle Simpson (Y2),
Julie Cleary (Y2), Anya Pesce (PP), Elizabeth Hinchon (OG), Fiona
Cuthbert (Y10), Alison McDonell (Y8), Natalie Gosper (Y3), Julie-ann
Coulton (Y6,3) Rebecca Coombes (K,3), Pauline Sorbello (Y2), Rob Lloyd
(Y5,6), Todd McDonell (Y8), Kim Stubbs (Y9), Sandra Hodge (Y8,3),
Sharon Pinto (Y12,10), Sharon Gray (Y8,6), Patti O’Gorman (Y11, 10),
Kim Selig (Y7), Mary Abraham (Y8), Cate Alder (Y11), LeeAnn Olsen
(Y9), Natasha Lovrich (Y2), Patricia Cross (elc), Penny Harrison (Y5),
Mary-Jo Usher (Y1)
(Mrs) Wendy McDermott, Community Coordinator
Golf Day
Planning is underway and if you are interested in being part of this
wonderful day (no golf knowledge is necessary!), then please contact Mr
Max Denton on 0422 426 787.
Tara Ball 2015
A Tara Ball committee has formed to start preparing for the ball but we
still need a few more people to assist on the event. If you are interested
in event development and planning please contact Mrs Heather Mallett
via email heathermallett@hotmail.com.
Second Hand Uniform Shop & Crested Items
Second Hand Uniforms
A reminder we do not accept the following uniform items for re-sale:
• Light blue polo tops.
• Blazers which do not have TARA underneath the crest.
• White tennis skirts and white tennis tops (with the wording, Tara
tennis).
We currently have a few Tara ski jackets left (ex-rental, some have never
been worn) as well as a good supply of the Tara navy overcoats, most in
excellent condition, all sizes available.
Obsolete items and items not able to be re-sold are given to our regular
charity and the last container went to flood affected areas in the
Solomon Islands. The organising team from Rotary are ever so grateful
for our continued support.
(Ms) Miray Makram, Foundation Development Manager
Crested Items
We only have two Tara fold up sports chairs left. Unfortunately due to
high costs, we are no longer able to order these.
Community
(Mrs) Sandy Giblin (Yr 10), P&F Volunteer - Second Hand Uniform &
Crested Items Coordinator
GREAT DAY OUT & OPEN DAY
2014 Sponsors
A huge thank you to all our Great Day Out sponsors. Tara gains a
huge benefit from their generosity. Please support them in their
businesses as they have supported us.
GDO Team
Tara is enormously grateful to ALL the supportive and enthusiastic
volunteers and to the wonderful team of parents who delivered the
GDO to our community. Thank you for your dedication and skills.
Tara is fortunate that you are willing to contribute in so many ways.
Stay in touch with Tara online.
New Coordinator Required
At the end of Term 3 Sandy Giblin will be retiring from the P&F
Coordinator position of the Second Hand Uniform and Crested Items
after more than 10 years of voluntary service. We are seeking parents
or grandparents who are interested in this role. Sandy is happy to give
a handover to the new volunteer during Term 3. Consideration will be
given to splitting the role also. Please contact Mrs Heather Mallett if
you are able to assist.
Friends of Tara Rowing
Winter rowing started last week and to have 26 girls
signed up is a wonderful achievement and shows a real
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
2
Community
Online http://portal.tara.nsw.edu.au/parents
dedication from these girls and
the rowing parent group. The
Tara eight finally got to see the
water on Sunday and the girls
had a fun time being in a large
crew.
Each year FoTR fundraises
to support our rowing girls,
buying and updating worn out
equipment when needed. This
year fundraising has raised over
$12,000 mainly through the
wonderful donation from the
McMillan Family allowing us
to have the Club 300 Beef and
Lamb Raffle, but also smaller
events throughout the year
including the Rowing Dinner,
GDO Tent, CIS Gymnastics BBQ
and Fion Design Photographs.
Thank you to all those who
bought a raffle ticket or donated
to FoTR. This has allowed
FoTR to purchase: Cartopper
Aluminium Boat ($1613); LED
Boat Lights ($200); Croker
Skulling Oars ($2729) and Speed
Coach GPS ($516).
If your daughter has ever shown
an interest in rowing or you
think they might be interested,
they can attend any Sunday
morning and join rowing
anytime. Please get in touch
with the Tara Rowing Convenor/
Head Coach Laura Brienesse at
l.brienesse@staff.tara.nsw.edu.au
or mobile 0431 884 635.
Phone (Community Coordinator) 8838 2613
Email parentsandfriends@tara.nsw.edu.au
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS AT THE 2014 GREAT DAY OUT.
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE & BUSINESS SPONSORS
(Mrs) Jo Horton (Yr 9), P&F
Volunteer - Rowing Publicity &
Promotions Officer
Next P&F meeting
SB MUNRO Electrical
The next P&F meeting will be
held on Tuesday 17 June in the
Bowern Room at 7:30pm. All
Junior and Senior school parents
are welcome. See you there!
(Mrs) Heather Mallett (Yr 10),
Tara P&F President
Stay in touch with Tara online.
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
3
• When I read this, I imagine that ...
• As I read this, in my mind I see ...
From the Head of Junior School
Reading is a fundamental life skill. It
underpins every aspect of our lives and
is foundational in achieving success and
satisfaction in every endeavour. As part
of our work with the PYP, teachers in the
Junior School are thinking seriously and
academically about quality reading teaching
and learning. We are aiming for authenticity:
this means looking seriously at how reading
works in the real world and make sure
that the way our girls are learning language mirrors the way they use
language in the real world.
Reading forms a major part of home learning. Reading for
entertainment and for information, as well as reading to improve
reading skills, does not just belong at school. In order to make
significant gains in reading skills and love of reading, significant
amount of time must be devoted to it. Oral reading forms a major
component of our school-based reading program, and ideally children
of all ages will have plenty of regular opportunities to read orally to
someone sitting and reading alongside them.
4. Questioning
You and your daughter could ask teacher-like questions:
• Who is …?
• When is …?
• What is/does …?
• Where is …?
• What if ...?
• Why is ... significant?
• Why does ... happen?
• What are the parts of ...?
• How is ... an example of ...?
• How do ... and ... compare?
5. Summarising
How to summarise:
• Look for the topic sentence
• Look for who, what, when, where, why and how
• Omit unnecessary information
You and your daughter could say:
• The topic sentence is ...
• The author is trying to tell me ...
• The story/passage about ... begins with ..., discusses/develops the idea
that ... and ends with ...
Other conversation starters to prompt your daughter before, during and
after reading are:
• I think that ...
The following five strategies are reading behaviours that good readers
• I’ve noticed ...
use, sometimes explicitly but often completely subconsciously. You
could use them as the basis of reading with your daughter, regardless of • I’m wondering ...
• I liked/didn’t like ...
whether she is 4 or 14 years old:
• That reminds me of ...
• Maybe ...
1. Predicting
• The author might mean ...
Make a prediction when:
• I’m picturing ...
• A title is given
• I was surprised by ...
• Headings are provided
• I hope that ...
• The author poses a question in the text
• The text suggests what is coming up next
Turning Circle
You and your daughter could say:
• Based on the title, I predict that this is going to be about ...
• I already know these things about the topic/story ...
• I think the next chapter/section will be about ...
• Based on ...(a clue), I predict ...
• Based on what ... said or did, I predict ...
2. Clarifying
Clarify tricky parts when:
• You don’t understand
• You can’t follow the text
• You don’t know what a word or idea means
You and your daughter could say:
• I don’t really understand how/why/what/where/if ...
• I am wondering ...
• A question I’d like answered by the author is ...
• One word/phrase I do not understand is ...
Every week I endeavour to catch as many parents as I can to ask that the
family name be displayed on the front passenger sun visor. It really
does make the whole Turning Circle work much better when teachers
and the girls can see the names from a distance. I really appreciate your
cooperation with this. One or two very concerning factors continue to be:
• the speed of cars within the school grounds
• the queuing of cars in the ‘inner circle’: stopping at the front of the
inner circle prevents cars behind from proceeding and also clogs the
entire turning circle.
I know that the local police patrols our area as the roads within Tara are
actually public roads. Therefore, normal road protocols apply. I would
hate for any of our parents to be fined, but more than that, I would hate
any girls or adults to be injured.
It is timely to remind all users of the Turning Circle of the Essential
Agreement written by the Class Parents as representatives of all parents.
This will be reviewed in 2014 to ensure its currency (see over page).
3. Visualising
Pretend it’s a movie and visualise a picture in your mind:
Stay in touch with Tara online.
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
4
As Tara parents, we agree that:
• Safety of students, staff and parents is the primary concern of all
individuals using the turning circle: courtesy and consideration to other
drivers, Staff and students, in addition to an adherence to a 10 km/h
limit, is expected by all users of the turning circle.
• Parents and caregivers are to remain inside the car during peak times.
This is a Baulkham Hills Shire Council recommendation based on its
evaluation of our turning circle. Staff is on hand to assist with getting
in and out of cars, but should parents need to assist their child, then
parking in the car park is the best option.
• Children leave and enter the car from the curb side in front of the
entrance to Junior School. Calling students across the road contravenes
our commitment to safety.
• Turning circle is a ‘kiss-n-drop’ system. Extended farewells are best
conducted prior to the turning circle, or in the car park or courtyard.
• The ‘inner circle’ of the turning circle is a no standing zone. Cars on
the ‘inner circle’ of the turning circle are to continue circling, merging
considerately with traffic already in the turning circle.
• Timing is everything with the turning circle: parents are encouraged to
time their arrival at school to align with the time their child is released,
to ensure minimum time is spent in the turning circle. Parents with K-2
and 3-6 children should time their arrival once the oldest child is in the
turning circle.
• All families are encouraged to display their family name in the front
window to expedite allocating children to cars.
• In the interest of duty-of-care, all students are to be collected by
3:30pm. In the case of an unforseen event that delays you, please
notify the Junior School office of your intention to be late. Children
not collected by 3:30 will be cared for in After School Care. Some days
there are obvious delays in the traffic (eg. inclement weather). In these
circumstances, please be assured of the Tara Staff’s preparedness to be
flexible in turning circle finishing time.
(Ms) Ruth Adams
Pre-loved Lego pieces needed by Junior
School Library
Junior School Library’s 2014 Reading Incentive Program “Connect to
Reading” will be a Lego extravaganza.
If you have any Lego pieces at home that your family no longer uses and
you have been waiting for a worthy cause to donate them to then this
is it! We are looking for Lego by the kilo – not in sets – just in mixed
bundles.
Junior School Awards
ClassTerm 2, Week 4
K Alice
K Lola
1 Olivia
1 Rose
Dhanya Aggarwal, Paige Morath
Chelsea He, Emmeline Powell
Milly Dohnt, Zara Siddique
Danielle Critharis, Zoe Haghverdian, Rischa
Jadav, Emily Saad
2 Alice-Miranda Caitlin Irving, Alessia Nassif, Angelina Nohra,
Jemma Simpson
Muskaan Loura, Danasha Lovric
2 Dorothy
Charuni Abhayawickrama, Isabella Coombes,
3 Violet
Tahlia Hazell, Angelique Hooi, Sophie Lee,
Sanjula Seelan
Abigail Arrage, Catherine Mo
3 Wendy
Georgia Grasso, Lara Hatoum
4 Lily
Olivia El-Rassi, Charlotte Ghannoum
4 Sydney
Georgia Harrison, Caitlin Lloyd
5 George
Alexandra Doubleday, Sophia Kennaugh,
5 Max Remy
Mariam Waqar
Holly Hall, Maya Khurana, Erin Shim
6 Anne
Sienna Simpson, Sarah Vandenberg
6 Nim
Awards
Smiley Award
Bronze Award
Silver Award
Jessica Lloyd, Antonia Salic
Mia Azzi, Cindy Le, Jessica Lloyd, Alison
Mulveney
Jessica Lloyd
ClassTerm 2, Week 5
K Alice
Charlie Coombes, Elanur Kadayifci, Emily
Lim, Abigail Ryan
Francesca Emmett, Veronica Wen
K Lola
Madeleine David, Emma Sassine
1 Olivia
Emma Malek, India Schultz
1 Rose
2 Alice-Miranda Amelia Eid, Suhanya Jayasuriya
Megan Clement, Janice Ye
2 Dorothy
Olivia Dohnt, Hannah Fenech
3 Violet
Jessica Gosper, Sarah Tunbridge
3 Wendy
Olivia Brown, Amy Davis
4 Lily
Jordyn Filies, Gabriella Hogan, Macayla Hole,
5 George
Mary-Claire Nassif
Zoey Hartshorne, Caroline Holland, Zoe
5 Max Remy
Thomas
Alexandra Coulton, Josie Engelman, Tia Gale
6 Anne
Danielle Gebser, Tia Hanaee, Akriti Redhu
6 Nim
Awards
Smiley Award
Mia Azzi, Emily Dawson-Taylor, Sophia
Kennaugh, Holly Stott x 2
Tara Bear Award Tia Hanaee
Sophia Kennaugh
Bronze Award
Niharika Gupta, Sophia Kennaugh
Silver Award
We are expecting a resurgence in Lego popularity in Junior School so
suggest that only Senior School families take up this opportunity.
Any donations will be gratefully accepted at Junior School reception or
by Junior School library staff.
(Mrs) Chris Sinden, Teacher Librarian
Stay in touch with Tara online.
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
5
Around the School
Holiday Science Activities
This year many of the professional learning
meetings I have been attending have been on the
new BOSTES Science Syllabus. One of the most
interesting meetings I have attended recently was
our PYP network meeting. Normally meetings are
listening and talking affairs but this meeting was
about exploding plastic bags, paper aeroplanes
and many more hands on science experiments. Science is all about
inquiry, wondering why something happens. With the school holidays fast
approaching and many budding scientists at Tara, you may like to investigate
the Discovery Centre by ANSTO (Government International and External
Relations, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation).
They are running a number of different programs including Sci-Fi movies,
Knitting Neurons and new Junior tours in the school holidays. The programs
are designed especially for primary-aged students to get them excited about
science.
Bridget Murphy is the Education Manager at ANSTO. Her contact details are
97173197 for further information or follow the link: www.ansto.gov.au
Free Up and Atom Tours for Juniors – July school holidays
Monday 30 June 9:45am to 12:15pm
Friday 4 July
1:15pm to 3:45pm
Monday 7 July
9:45am to 12:15pm
Tuesday 8 July
9:45am to 12:15pm
Neural Knitworks @ Hazelhurst Gallery
Knit a neuron and send it in! Your creations will be joined with others to
weave a sculptural, knitted ‘neural network’ as a travelling art exhibition. No
knitting experience is required and people of all ages can participate.
Knit Neurons at School
Find knitting patterns and where to send your neurons at the National
Science Week website: www.scienceweek.net.au/neural-knitworks/
Knit Neurons at ANSTO in the school holidays
Friday 4 July 10:30am-11.30am
ANSTO Discovery Centre. We’ll supply the wool and morning tea. BYO
knitting needles. Enquiries: 9717 3090
(Mrs) Denise Hayward, Director of Teaching and Learning
Canteen Roster
Date
Volunteers
Mon 9 June
Tues 10 June
Wed 11 June
Thurs 12 June
Fri 13 June
Mon 16 June
Tues 17 June
Wed 18 June
Thurs 19 Jun
Public Holiday
Help Needed
Penny Harrison
Julie-ann Coulton
Tina Clement
Karen Gale
Amaly Sassine
Marianne Schmidt
Laura Jones
Help Needed
Help Needed
Katrina Emmett
Kerry Tierney
Help Needed
Help Needed
Help Needed
Ruth Attard
To volunteer, phone Mandi Pooley, Junior School Canteen Convenor,
on 8838 2643.
Stay in touch with Tara online.
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
The Unmissable
Musical Comedy!
The Greenhalgh Theatre
Thursday 12th June 7:30pm
Friday 13th June 1:30pm
Friday 13th June 7:30pm
Tickets $35.00
Music & Lyrics
Richard Adler & Jerry Ross
Book by
George Abbott & Richard bissell
Based on Bissell’s novel “7½ Cents”
Tara Anglican School for Girls
presents the much loved hit musical
from the 1950s, The Pajama Game.
Featuring Hit Songs - Once A
Year Day, Steam Heat, Hernando’s
Hideaway and Hey There.
This perennial favourite will be given
a fresh sparkle of enthusiasm by our
very talented Year 7-10 students
from Tara and The Kings’ School.
Directed by Ms Belinda Wright,
The Pajama Game is an entertaining show
for the whole family. With a limited
run of only 3 performances make sure you book your tickets early.
All performances will be held at The
Greenhalgh Theatre Eton road
Lindfield, University ofTechnology
Sydney (UTS) Kuring-gai Campus.
This venue has onsite parking
and a fabulous theatre venue.
It will be worth the trip!
Performance Dates and Times:
Thursday 12th June 7:30pm
Friday 13th June 1:30pm
Friday 13th June 7:30pm
Tickets $35:00
bookings: tara.nsw.edu.au/events.asp
by arrangement with
Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd
Exclusive agent for
Music Theatre International (NY)
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
6
Pink Stumps Day
Digital Citizenship Information Evening
Many people in today’s society have a ‘connection’
with Breast Cancer; whether they have personally
experienced it, or someone they held very close to
their hearts did. The McGrath Foundation was founded by Glenn and
Jane McGrath through their sad and moving story of Jane’s Battle
with Breast Cancer. Unfortunately Jane did not survive, however,
her legacy and Foundation will live on. During the time that Jane
was diagnosed, the McGrath family realised how important it was
for individuals who were fighting this battle to have the support of
a Breast Care Nurse and enhance education on being breast health
aware, in order to empower individuals and the wider community,
particularly young women.
Digital citizenship covers the ethics and
behaviours we expect from students as
they use the internet at school. Tara has
made digital citizenship a priority for 2014
and we now have a school-wide digital
citizenship curriculum across all years of
the school which we will adapt and expand over the coming years.
The Year 11 Students of Tara held a staff vs students diamond cricket
game was quite intense, as well as a bake sale. The students were the
first team to bat, with the staff taking over the field. There were many
wonderful runs scored by our dynamic duo of Megan O’ Keeffe (Year
11) and Maddison Stubbs (Year 9). Some of the most outstanding
staff fielders were Mr Hoy, Mr Hinton and Mr Telfer. At half-time,
the roles were reversed when the students became fielders, eagerly
awaiting their competition. In the end, the staff were the overall
winners of the match!
On behalf of Year 11, we would like to thank you for all your support
with our very own ‘Pink Stumps Day’ which was held on 28 May
2014. Thanks to your kind donations, we have raised approximately
$1565. We were very pleased that the Junior School were also
involved in this event, having Mrs Smiles and Mr Harris play in the
match whilst Years 4 and 6 were spectators!
This event would not have been possible without our hard
working and dedicated Year Coordinator, Mrs Hanaee, the equally
hardworking and dedicated Year 11 student, Madeleine Yeaman and
the committee (Sophia Drury, Kim Palmer and myself). In addition,
we would also like to thank Mrs Cropper and Ms Musto who assisted
a group of Year 11 girls who volunteered to bake all the goods for the
bake sale. “Together- we can make a difference”
On Thursday 24 July Tara will be hosting a Digital Citizenship
Information Evening for parents. Come and learn about the new Tara
Digital Citizenship Program, meet the technology prefects and hear their
perspective about learning and living in a 1:1 laptop school. The guest
speaker for the night will be John Clear, ICT Education Consultant with
the AIS. He will speak about the challenges and opportunities of teaching
and parenting teens in the digital age. There will be a light supper
provided. Please RSVP online: tara.nsw.edu.au/events.asp
(Mrs) Amanda Hogan, Coordinator of ICT Integration
Social Sciences news
Economics students recently went to the live filming of ABC’s television show, ‘Q& A’ with Joe Hockey answering questions on the Federal
Budget. This event was held at the Evans Theatre at Penrith Panthers
with a very interested audience.
Year 7 Geography enjoyed investigating Lake Parramatta and did a
variety of tests on the soil and water to understand the environment
better as well as navigating with maps. They loved using weather instruments, and looking at a vegetation transect
The Australian Geography Competition is a national competition with
very challenging questions. Congratulations to the following girls:
Distinctions: Katarina Ducic, Brianna Dwight, Alyssa Ellwood, Cristen
George, Abbey Hodge, Alicia McKenzie, Sarah Newman, Morgan
Nicholson, Jessie Wang, Annie Xiao, Cathy Zhi
High Distinctions: Sarah Braga, Elizabeth Bredhauer, Laura Mallett,
Rachel Percival, Lian Yang
(Mrs) Elizabeth George, Head of Social Sciences
Year 12 Music Showcase
Monday 16 June 2014 @ 7pm
By Maegan Pathinather (Year 11 Pink Stumps Day committee member)
Senior School Awards
As at 3 June 2014
In the Tara Theatre
Free entry
Silver Excellent Academic Achievement:
Walker: Taiya Bukovsky (Year 12)
Bronze Academic Achievement:
Crawford: Stephanie Haig (Year 12)
Walker: Keira Dixon (Year 9)
Stay in touch with Tara online.
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
7
Pulse@Parkes 2014
The SPOT team had the privilege of accessing
one of the world's greatest radio telescope in
Parkes, remotely operated from the CSIRO
facility in Marsfield. Under the guidance of Dr George Hobbs, Mr
Robert Hollows and several PhD students, we observed pulsars
- rapidly rotating stars that shoot out a beam of electromagnetic
radiation from each end, using special software to record the
pulses of radiation.
The telescope was moved by entering pre-coded schedules into
the software so it could be calibrated to track a specific pulsar.
Once it had slewed to the correct position, it began to take
readings of the pulses on various frequency channels. Several
charts were generated, including a line graph showing the
pulses as a regular spike in radiation, and chromatic graphs
which used bands of colour to visually depict the pulses. The
data was continually averaged to remove RFI (radio frequency
interference), which could be generated by anything from mobile
phones to milkshake blenders!
We were given two hours of observation time, recording readouts
from several pulsars. Unfortunately, the data wasn't live, so we
couldn't use our own observations for the second part of the day:
measuring the distances from Earth to the pulsars. This was done
by timing the pulses of radiation on different frequency channels
and then piecing it all together by estimating different distances
until the graphs lined up.
Overall, it was a fun and highly educational experience for the
SPOT team, and a unique opportunity to participate in real
scientific research.
Languages news
Language Perfect
From 19-29 May, all language students participated in the Language
Perfect World Championships, an online worldwide language learning
competition. Our students’ collective efforts allowed Tara to gain some
impressive overall results, including 26th in the world out of 1149 schools
and 6th globally for the 101-250 students category out of 318 schools. We
were ranked 3rd in Australia out of 230 schools for our size of school. The
students answered 873, 570 language questions during the competition!
This represented 2, 278 hours of language learning. There were a number
of outstanding individual achievements as well. Tiffany Aoun was ranked
22nd globally out of over 300, 000 students, with 28, 888 points. The 6
Tara students who achieved Elite awards, were Tiffany Aoun, Daniella
Feizi Sobbi, Lauren Dritmanis, Tina Kim, Alexandra Shai-Hee and Claudia
Rosenberg. They will also be awarded Tara Honour badges. 47 students
achieved gold awards and a Tara pocket, there were 9 silver awards, 24
bronze awards and 30 credit awards. The students thoroughly enjoyed
their experience, but are looking forward to catching up on some sleep! We
congratulate all these students for their commitment to language learning.
Language exchanges at Tara
France
We are delighted to welcome Camille Dunand, Sixtine Hauchard and Inès
Rizk to Tara as part of the Tara-Saint Dominique exchange. They will be
staying with Sophie Alder, Adelaide Davies and Victoria Boulton for two
months. We hope they enjoy their time in Australia and particularly here
at Tara. Sophie, Adelaide and Victoria spent two months in Paris at the end
of last year. We congratulate Brianna Horn and Alicia McKenzie on their
selection to go on exchange at the end of this year. This exchange is open
to French students in Year 10 who intend to continue their French study in
senior years.
Japan
Our Japanese exchange school, Tosajuku, will be arriving in early Term
3 for a short visit, with two of their students staying on for an extended
exchange. Sophie Irvine and Rebecca Rylance participated in the exchange
last year, Caitlin Lee will be heading to Japan for two months at the end of
the year to stay in Kochi, Japan on exchange. As with the French exchange,
this exchange is open to Year 10 students who will be continuing their
study of the language in senior years.
(Dr) Morna King, Head of Languages
Da Vinci Decathalon
By Lian Yang (Space Odyssey Team Member)
On 28 May eight Year 9 girls embarked
on a competition, the Da Vinci Decathlon.
We participated in numerous challenging
activities ranging from drama to mathematical
equations. We cooperated as a team, displayed
determination, persistence and skills and tried
our best. In the end all our hard work paid off
as we placed 1st in creative producers, 3rd in art and poetry and placing 1st
overall. We all enjoyed and benefited from the experience and developed
many new skills. We cant wait to compete next year!
By Abbey Hodge (Year 9 Da Vinci Captain)
Congratulations also to our Year 11 team who came first in science.
Good effort: well done to our Years 7 and 8 Da Vinci teams!
Stay in touch with Tara online.
(Ms) Alison Aitken, Acting Head of English
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
8
Senior sport
Basketball
Round 4: 24 May saw the senior 1sts
play home to Pymble. This match was
always going to be a competitive game
and our girls with the Tara spirit never gave up, eventually going down
by 20 points.
Our senior 3rds travelled to Frensham for their Round 4 away game.
Congratulations for a big win and special mention to Grace Dugdale
for scoring a 3 pointer. Thank you to all our Tara teams, families and
supporters who travelled to Mittagong for their away games this
weekend.
Our Tara 6 team have been improving each week working very hard on
their free throw shooting and this showed in their accuracy on the free
throw line in their away game to Queenwood.
Good luck to all Tara teams for their final Round 5 games leading into
the finals after the June long weekend.
Special mention to Chelsea Menna, Alex Putica and Chloe Tobin all
travelling to Melbourne for the long weekend to play Basketball in their
Sydney Metropolitan Representative teams at the National Junior
Basketball Classic tournament for 2014.
• S01
• S07
• S18
• S20
• J03
• J06
• J11
• J13
• J16
• Y704
Tara 1 vs Pymble 1, Loss, 38-58
Tara 2 vs Wenona 2, Loss, 18-22
Tara 3 vs Frensham 7, Win, 30-19
Tara 4 vs Brigidine 4, Loss, 12-26
Tara 5 vs St Catherine’s 3, Win, 27-14
Tara 6 vs Queenwood 12, Loss, 10-44
Tara 7 vs Ravenswood 12, Loss, 13-15
Tara 8 vs Frensham 12, Loss, 4-34
Tara 9 vs Meriden 7, Loss, 15-30
Tara 10 vs Abbotsleigh 19, Win, 30-8
Round 5: this weekend saw the Senior 1sts play away to Loreto. This
match was a highly competitive game and our Tara girls displayed some
very accurate shooting led by Chelsea Menna. Gracie Grinham also set
some strong screens at the top of the key allowing our shooters time
on their shots and Megan O’Keeffe worked tirelessly marking a NSW
State player in defence and gaining considerable steals for our team.
Congratulations to all our Tara 1sts girls on a great team effort today.
Our Junior Tara 6 team had a very tightly
contested game against Roseville College. Our Tara
girls showed major improvement in their offensive
skills going down by only 3 points. Well done to all
the Tara Junior 6 girls for improving as a team.
Good luck to all Tara Basketball teams in playoffs
for our final games of Basketball for the season.
By Chloe Tobin (Basketball Captain)
• S01
• S07
• S18
• S20
• J03
Tara 1 vs Loreto Normanhurst 1, Win,
Tara 2 vs MLC 2, Loss, 12-22
Tara 3 vs Abbotsleigh 8, Win, 40-22
Tara 4 vs Abbotsleigh 10, Win, 24-16
Tara 5 vs Kambala 8, Loss, 16-21
Stay in touch with Tara online.
• J06
• J11
• J13
• J16
• Y704
Tara 6 vs Roseville 7, Loss, 13-16
Tara 7 vs Abbotsleigh 16, Win, 27-10
Tara 8 vs Roseville 9, Loss, 12-21
Tara 9 vs SCEGGS 14, Loss, 20-14
Tara 10 vs Meriden 8, Win, 25-14
Football
Round 4: this week’s results were
absolutely amazing with all teams
showing off all the skills that have
been accumulating over the season!
It was a wonder to see, with many
parents and spectators on the edge of
their seats. One of the most exciting games was our senior thirds. They
had their closest game, with Charlotte Wheeler taking out the first goal,
only to be followed by another on the other team, a nail biting game
down the last minute! For our senior firsts it was their best game of the
season, scoring a goal in the first minute, passing brilliantly and team
work shining with a 3-1 defeat against Kambala. It was the great use of
wings and space that got the team a great victory - a brilliant game by
all. With only two games left after this one all teams have found their
groove and their strengths and can only move forward from here! All
the junior teams after these weeks have almost become professionals!
From the start, with many girls unfamiliar, they have shone and won
many games. It was great to see so many girls getting involved, trying
their best and being extremely successful. It is wonderful to see all the
girls getting so involved.
• S03
• S07
• S12
• S15
• J04
• J12 • Y702
Tara 1 vs Kambala 1, Win, 3-1
Tara 2 vs Frensham 3, Loss, 1-2
Tara 3 vs Loreto Normanhurst 9, Win, 3-0
Tara 4 vs Ravenswood 4, Draw, 4-4
Tara 5 vs Frensham 8, Win, 1-0
Tara 6 vs Frensham 12, Draw, 2-2
Tara 7 vs Frensham 13, Loss, 0-4
Round 5: as we approach the last
weeks of the football season, tension
through all teams has been at an
all-time high as many teams needed
this weekend to win to advance
into the finals. However due to the
extremely short season, every team
will be able to play for their place on the leader board. This weekend
was an extremely great round, even though so many girls had danced
way hard the night before at the K-12 dinner (it was obvious on the
many faces at the 7.30am starts!). The senior firsts lost 3-1. Well done
to Aimee Mitchell-Clark for her last minute goal, and to Zoe Cocks
for her excellent goalie skills. The mighty 3rds still stay at 1st place on
the leader board, and the 2nds matching with their name in second
place; both teams progress to the finals which is extremely exciting. It
is the junior seconds as well who have ended on such a high note being
right on top of the leader board tying with Pymble. Next game will be
an exciting match for the battle of winning the total competition. All
junior teams have done extremely well; succeeding in sportsmanship,
teamwork and overall having a great time! I am positive that every
team is extremely sad to see the season come to a close. Just a reminder
that there is no Saturday sport on the long weekend and the finals
and playoffs will be on 14 June - can’t wait for all our teams to end the
season with a bang!
By Samantha Bailey (Football Captain)
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
9
• S03
• S07
• S12
• S15
• J04
• J12 • Y702
Tara 1 vs Roseville 1, Loss, 1-3
Tara 2 vs Ascham 3, Win, 9-0
Tara 3 vs Danebank 3, Win, 2-1
Tara 4 vs Pymble 13, Loss, 2-4
Tara 5 vs Loreto Normanhurst 12, Draw, 0-0
Tara 6 vs Loreto Normanhurst 16, Win, 1-0
Tara 7 vs Roseville 10, Loss, 1-2
Senior athletics carnival
On Monday 26 May Tara held our annual athletics carnival at Sydney
Olympic Park Athletics Centre. This was overall a very successful day for all
who were involved.
Junior Athletics Champion was awarded to Rebekah Rose (86 pts) from
Walker and in the runner up position was Vasudha Soni (80 pts) from
Crawford. Intermediate Athletics Champion was awarded to Abbey Hodge
(122 pts) from Waugh who had an exceptional day on the track after
breaking the 15 Years 90m Hurdles record with the new record of 14.07. She
also equalled the 15 Years 100m record of 12.97. Congratulations Abby!
In the runner up position was Elizabeth Georgopoulos (86 pts) from Walker.
The Senior Athletics Champion was awarded to Megan O’Keeffe (114 pts)
from Crawford and the runner up was Chelsea Menna (98 pts) from Waugh
(a huge effort as she has only been at Tara for one term!).
The Year Participation Trophy for 2014 is awarded to Year 7. The traditional
boarders vs daygirls relay is always a competitive race amongst the girls and
this year has been taken out by the boarders.
The overall Interhouse Athletics Trophy for 2014 was awarded to:
• 1st place Walker on 2578 points
• 2nd place Waugh on 2501 points
• 3rd place Crawford on 2483 points
• 4th place Hake on 2251 points
Congratulations to all competitors who participated on the day.
By Megan O’Keeffe (Athletics Captain)
CIS Netball
Congratulations to Sophie Wehrmann who was selected by
CIS to trial for the state under 15 netball team. An amazing
achievement in a competitive sport.
(Ms) Ngaire Musto, Director of Sport
Stay in touch with Tara online.
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
10
Day
Date Event
Tuesday
10-Jun Senior School Assembly 10:36pm NAIDOC
10-Jun Archdale Debating Round 3 Tara v Ascham
10-Jun Senior School Leadership meeting - lunchtime
10-Jun Years 7-10 Musical Rehearsal 12:00noon-8:00pm at Tara
10-Jun FOTSS Meeting 7:00pm
Wednesday
11-Jun Senior School Tour 10:00am
11-Jun Senior School SRC meeting - lunchtime
11-Jun Year 6 Dance-a-thon - lunchtime in Gym
11-Jun Years 7-10 Musical Rehearsal all day at Theatre
11-Jun Years 7-10 Musical Performance 7:30pm
11-Jun Year 8 HK1 Mentor excursion
11-Jun Year 9 IST excursion
Thursday
12-Jun Junior School Tour 10:00am
12-Jun Senior School Environmental meeting - lunchtime
12-Jun Years 7-10 Musical Performance 7:30pm
12-Jun Year 10 Literature Club - lunchtime
12-Jun Years 7-10 Music Dress Rehearsals from 11:00am
12-Jun Year 12 Ancient History excursion - Lecture Day
12-Jun Junior School ELC-2 excursion
Friday
13-Jun Senior School CRU - lunchtime
13-Jun Years 7-10 Musical Performance Matinee and Evening 1:30pm, 7:30pm
Saturday
14-Jun IPSHA Sport Round 6
14-Jun IGSSA Basketball and Football Finals and Play Offs
14-Jun Sapere Aude Dinner
Sunday
15-Jun
Monday
16-Jun Year 12 Music Showcase Evening 7:00pm Tara Theatre
16-Jun Year 10 Commerce Fieldwork
16-Jun Senior School Social Justice meeting - lunchtime
16-Jun Junior School ICAS Writing Competition 7:45am-9:00am
16-Jun Year 9 Literature Club - lunchtime
Tuesday
17-Jun Harry Potter’s Birthday - English Department
17-Jun ELC-2 Athletics Carnival 8:30am-10:30am
17-Jun Senior School Assembly 12:22pm
17-Jun Archdale Debating Round 4 SCEGGS v Tara
17-Jun Parents and Friends Association Meeting 7:30pm Bowern Room
17-Jun Senior School Leadership meeting - lunchtime
17-Jun Junior School ICAS Spelling Competition 7:45am-9:00am
17-Jun Legal Studies Breakfast at TKS
Wednesday
18-Jun Years 3-6 Athletics Carnival
18-Jun Senior School SRC meeting - lunchtime
18-Jun Australian National Chemistry Quiz Periods 5&6 - selected students Years 8 - 12
18-Jun NSW State Equestrian Championships - SIEC
18-Jun Public Speaking Workshop
Thursday
19-Jun Term 2 ends
19-Jun Senior School Interhouse Choral and Drama Competition
19-Jun Fun in Senior School (FISS) - for one Year 6 class
19-Jun Boarding House closes 6:00pm
19-Jun NSW State Equestrian Championships - SIEC
Stay in touch with Tara online.
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
11
Day
Date Event
Friday
20-Jun NSW State Equestrian Championships - SIEC
Saturday
21-Jun NSW State Equestrian Championships - SIEC
Sunday
22-Jun NSW State Equestrian Championships - SIEC
Monday23-Jun
Tuesday24-Jun
Wednesday25-Jun
Thursday26-Jun
Friday 27-Jun
Saturday28-Jun
Sunday
29-Jun
Monday30-Jun
Tuesday
1-Jul
Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Test
Wednesday
2-Jul
2-Jul
Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Test
Northern NSW Snowsports Championships - Thredbo
Thursday
3-Jul
Northern NSW Snowsports Championships - Thredbo
Friday
4-Jul
Northern NSW Snowsports Championships - Thredbo
Saturday
5-Jul
Northern NSW Snowsports Championships - Thredbo
Sunday
6-Jul
Monday
7-Jul
Let’s Get Galactic (Years 5, 6 Tara and other schools) Mouleric
Tuesday
8-Jul
Duke of Edinburgh Gold Practice
Wednesday
9-Jul
Duke of Edinburgh Gold Practice
Thursday
10-Jul
Duke of Edinburgh Gold Practice
Friday
11-Jul
11-Jul
Duke of Edinburgh Silver Test
Duke of Edinburgh Gold Practice
Saturday
12-Jul
Duke of Edinburgh Silver Test
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
13-Jul
Duke of Edinburgh Silver Test
14-Jul
14-Jul
14-Jul
14-Jul
Hockey and Netball Training Day
Year 10 Work Experience
Uniform Shop open 10:00am-4:00pm
Boarding House opens after 2:00pm
15-Jul
15-Jul
15-Jul
15-Jul
Term 3 begins
K-12 Start of Term Assembly / Service 8:30am
Senior School Leadership meeting - lunchtime
Year 10 Work Experience
Stay in touch with Tara online.
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
12
Day
Date Event
Wednesday Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
16-Jul
16-Jul
16-Jul
Senior School SRC meeting - lunchtime
Year 10 Work Experience
Parent / Teacher Learning Conversations - Kindergarten - Year 6
17-Jul
17-Jul
17-Jul
Year 9 Canberra excursion leaves 4:00pm
Senior School Environmental meeting - lunchtime
Year 10 Work Experience
18-Jul
18-Jul
18-Jul
18-Jul
Twilight Athletics [tbc]
Year 9 Canberra excursion
Senior School CRU - lunchtime
Year 10 Work Experience
19-Jul
19-Jul
IPSHA Sport Round 1
IGSSA Netball and Hockey Round 1
20-Jul
21-Jul
21-Jul
21-Jul
21-Jul
Senior School Music Rehearsals 3:30pm-8:00pm
Years 8/9 Japanese excursion
Senior School Social Justice meeting - lunchtime
Year 9 Literature Club - lunchtime
22-Jul
22-Jul
22-Jul
22-Jul
22-Jul
Senior School Assembly 12:22pm
Archdale Debating Round 5 Santa v Tara
Senior School Leadership meeting - lunchtime
Years 11/12 HSC Drama Showcase evening
Year 8 Planetarium Incursion (in Science Lessons)
23-Jul
23-Jul
Senior School SRC meeting - lunchtime
Year 5 Canberra excursion
24-Jul
24-Jul
24-Jul
24-Jul
Senior School Environmental meeting - lunchtime
Year 5 Canberra excursion
Year 10 Literature Club - lunchtime
Digital Citzenship evening for Parent
25-Jul
25-Jul
25-Jul
25-Jul
25-Jul
Touch Football and Water Polo Registrations due
Twilight Athletics
Senior School CRU - lunchtime
Year 5 Canberra excursion
Years 7/8 French Incursion
26-Jul
26-Jul
26-Jul
IPSHA Sport Round 2
IGSSA Netball and Hockey Round 2
AASCF Cheer Battle
27-Jul AASCF Cheer Battle
27-Jul Students from Saint Dominique’s depart [tbc]
Stay in touch with Tara online.
Visit tara.nsw.edu.au or follow Tara on Twitter @Tara_School
10 June 2014
Term 2 | Edition 3
13