TAS TALKS THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF THE ARMIDALE SCHOOL Wednesday 7 August, 2o13 Term 3 Week 4 House on Duty White, 0439 041 330 ACTING HEADMASTER, ALAN JONES It has been another very busy week for the students at TAS. Last Thursday afternoon the 1st XI Football team took on the might of St Joseph’s College (GPS Premiers 2012) in Sydney in the Quarter Final of the CIS Football Knockout and acquitted themselves in a most creditable manner. While not coming away with a win Coach Newton could not speak highly enough about their behaviour both on and off the field. Our second rugby journey to Sydney in the GPS competition took place the next day. The matches against Shore were of a very high standard and a good number of TAS teams won their matches and the relationship between the two schools continues to prosper. I have to acknowledge the commitment of our staff who travel down and back with their teams and who will do so on another two occasions. If you consult the school website you will note that there are great things happening in the area of Creative Arts and at the Hoskins Centre. The Year 8 “Tasibald” staff portrait competition certainly produced some interesting interpretations from photographs taken of the TAS teaching staff – myself included. There was the very exciting announcement that “Westside Story” will be the next musical production presented by the school and “Curtain Up” the HSC Drama Showcase is taking place this Thursday evening from 6.30 pm. There are also a number of quality productions in the Hoskins Centre in the coming weeks including one man plays and jazz concerts. This Friday Night in the Hoskins Centre is the inaugural TAS Speakers Careers night where a number of successful local professionals and business people have been invited to the school to talk about their careers and offer advice. Many of the guest speakers will be TAS Old Boys so what they will have to say will be very pertinent. Mr Jason Lincoln and members of the TAS Speakers Group will host this presentation. We look forward to welcoming Mr Guest back next week. Headmaster, Mr Murray Guest and Commanding Officer, Cadets, Major Trevor Thatcher invite you to attend the The Annual Ceremonial Passing Out Parade of The Cadet Unit on Adamsfield Sunday 25 August, 2013 at 11.00am Reviewing Officer:Colonel Scotty Palmer (Australian Defence Force Capability Development Group) phone: 6776 5800 fax 6776 5830 web: www.as.edu.au email: [email protected] CALENDAR OF EVENTS Term 3 Week 5 Term 3 Week 4 Wednesday 14 August HSC Trials continue Wednesday 7 August NCIS Athletics (Coffs Harbour) Assessment of Language Competence Comp 6.30pm Choral Communion Thursday 15 August 7.30pm P&F Meeting HSC Trials continue Year 10 Parent Teacher Interviews Thursday 8 August 6.15pm Year 10 into 11 Parent Information session Assessment of Language Competence Comp Year 8 Parent/Teacher Interviews Friday 16 August 5.30pm Info night Japanese Study trip in Big School HSC Trials continue 6.15pm Year 8 into 9 Parent Info session - Big School PSSA Athletics 7.00pm Curtain Up-HSC Drama Performance 11.45am Year 10 into 11 Parent Information session in Hoskins Saturday 17 August Friday 9 August Rugby vs St Ignatius (Riverview) at TAS 11.45am Year 8 into 9 Parent Info session - Hoskins Musica Viva- Elias String Quartet, Armidale Year 8 Parent/Teacher Interviews Town Hall 6.30pm Life Skills Careers Night - Hoskins Sunday 18 August Saturday 10 August 8.30-3.30pm Year 10 First Aid course (optional day 2) 11.00am Service at Kellys Plains Community Church Rugby vs St Joseph’s at TAS HSC German Continuers Oral Exam (AHS) Monday 19 August Sunday 11 August HSC Trials continue 8.30am-4.30pm First Aid Optional Day 1 Year 11 Metals & Engineering workplacement City to Surf, Sydney Tezukayama visit all week (JS) 6.30pm Church Service at St Peters Cathedral 6.30pm Twilight Concert Monday 12 August Tuesday 20 August HSC Trials commence HSC Trials continue Activities Day No 5 Year 11 Metals & Engineering workplacement 7.30pm Touring production of “I Heart Bunnings” Year 9 Geography Excursion to Coffs Harbour in Hoskins AgQuip in Gunnedah Tuesday 13 August Wednesday 21 August HSC Trials continue HSC Trials continue Uni Newcastle finals of Science and Year 11 Metals & Engineering workplacement Engineering Challenge Year 9 Geography Excursion to Coffs Harbour AgQuip in Gunnedah 6.30pm TAS/NEGS Service CHAPLAIN, RICHARD NEWTON Kellys Plains Community Church Service at Perrott Chapel, Kellys Plains 11am, Sunday 18 August followed by morning tea all welcome Any queries please phone Rev Newton 0429 157 905 TAS TALKS 2 COUNSELLOR, ROB HADFIELD Over the weekend I saw a number of films being shown at the International Film Festival here in Armidale. I was in awe of the depth of creativity that film directors, cinematographers and actors displayed in these films. More than that, I was taken by the depth of perception and interpretation of human experience, which is possible through film. Human nature at its very best and worst was captured through scene after scene. The potential for change and development within human personality was also revealed. Film is a powerful medium. Sometimes our emotions were taken to new depths of power and awareness as we lived out the story lines together as an audience. Altogether there was much food for thought that will receive attention for a very long time - and a number of conversations. There is a great capacity for goodness in human life as well as a capacity for great evil. Over and over again we are presented with choices and the responsibility for the decisions we are making. Always these are within contexts of different kinds that shape and influence the ways we will lean at any one time. This is the human condition and situation. Values are not theoretical; they are lived realities that must be discerned in the complexity of situations that require a process of discernment and assessment from among competing possibilities. For all of us these issues deserve discussion on a continuing basis. The rush to negative judgement towards others is only possible if we are blind to our own flaws, mistakes, weaknesses and prejudices. The rush to hostile judgement towards ourselves is only possible if we ignore the potential for change and positive goodness that is available to us. We cannot understand human life without reference to Auschwitz (and so many other awful expressions of evil). Not can we understand human life without reference to all those events in which people have changed the face of a situation through self-sacrificial love. Human life is about this struggle – it is personal, relational, social and cultural. We cannot escape the responsibility. P&F ASSOCIATION, SANDRA KAYNES - PRESIDENT TAS P&F & Fete Meeting – Wednesday 7 August - tonight Our next P&F Meeting is tonight 7 August at 7.00pm in the Lower Maxwell Room. Starting at 6.30pm (prior to our P&F meeting) we will be having our first fete meeting for 2013, the RazzmaTAS Fete is on Saturday 2 November. We look forward to seeing you all at either or both of these meetings. ***** POTS POTS POTS *****If you have any spare pots at home please bring them in so we can begin potting for the TAS fete. All pots can be left in the main school and Adrian (our fantastic gardener) will collect them. LEADERSHIP, SERVICE AND ADVENTURE Activities Day No 5, Monday 12 August 2013 Surf Lifesaving 8:45am Introduction, explanation of day’s activities 9:00am 400m timed swim & survival strokes 10:00am Workbooks 11:30am Resuscitation, scenarios, first aid 1:00pm Lunch 2:00pm Carries, rescues, underwater rescue, deep water support, PFD’s, defensive techniques 3:30pm Finish NB: Students will need full PE uniform, TAS swimmers, goggles, towel, pen (no laptop). All meals are at school. TAS TALKS 3 Activity Day 5 is on Monday 12 August Cadets Activity Day 5 commenced with a back brief by the SUO and Coy Commanders to the CO MAJ Thatcher on Tuesday 30 July at lunchtime. Orders will be delivered to all cadets by Coy & Platoon Commanders on Tuesday 6 August during Period 3 (normally Assembly). Activities by Companies and Platoons are listed below A Coy - Loch Abba Introductory Shooting with .223 Rifle (non-cadet activity), Bush Cooking, Navigation Resection Parade 8.40am Dismissal 5.00pm B Coy 4 Platoon - Bakers Creek Gorge Abseiling, Climbing, Fieldcraft Training Parade 8.40am Dismissal 5.00pm 5 & 6 Platoons - UNE Property 'Newholme' Paired Navigation Exercise, Fieldcraft Training Parade 8.40am Dismissal 5.00pm C Coy - UNE Climbing Wall, History of TASCY and AAC, Drill, Initiative Exercise Parade 8.40am Dismissal 3.30pm Note: Activities Day will be shortened to allow for a POP rehearsal from 3.00-5.00pm. Trevor Thatcher, Major (AAC), Commanding Officer Pioneers The link for information on Pioneers Activities Day 5: http://teams.as.edu.au/groups/pioneers/wiki/94adc/Day_5.html We revisit the Styx River Forest area, just outside Armidale for this day. Pioneers will move to the Styx River to work on navigation techniques and to rehearse working together as a team. All Pioneers and Pioneers Support are to meet at the Pioneers shed on Wakefield at 8.45am for a 9.15am departure. You will need to bring: Compass, pen or pencil, watch, walking boots, hat, wet weather gear, 2L water bottle, eating gear (knife, fork, spoon and plate), sunscreen And you'll also need: a change of clothes, sleeping bag, toiletries, towel, some old shoes/sandals to wear if in the water your pack and tent Camping gear is needed in case you get "geographically embarrassed" and need to overnight in the valley.