It's difficult to believe we are well and truly mid way through Term 1. Infants is alive and well with lots of learning and play taking place. We look forward to meeting our parents next week when our Parent and Teacher Interviews will be held. The interviews are a wonderful opportunity for parents and teachers to exchange information about the children in our care.

All students from Prep to Year 1 are looking forward to ‘The Big Crunch’, which is an initiative by The Healthy Kids Association to encourage healthy eating. Tangara has been a great supporter for healthy eating for many years and has encouraged children to eat vegetables and fruit during recess and lunch.

With the unpredictable nature of our day to day lives, preparing and packing a healthy lunchbox can be a difficult task. Finding time to shop and prepare interesting and healthy meals for school lunches can be stressful. But the foods we send to school with our children can contribute up to 1/3 of their daily intake of nutrients. So it is important to pack a balanced lunch to ensure they are getting the nutrients they need. (Healthy Kids.com)

Please read ‘Packing a healthy lunchbox’ for ideas on promoting and encouraging children to eat healthier at school.

It’s not too late to enter our Gold Coin Colouring-in competition or to buy a $5 water droplet for Project Compassion. All money raised will go to communities who are without clean drinking water.

On Friday 15 March, Infants will be celebrating St Patrick's Day (Sunday 17 March) with a splash of green. Children are invited to wear their full sports uniform with a ‘splash of green’, such as green play hats, or green hair accessories.

We will be learning about the life of St Patrick and how he taught the Irish people about God. We will hear how St Patrick helped to explain the mystery of ‘The Blessed Trinity’ using the simple shamrock.

The annual Tangara Infants Easter Hat Parade is fast approaching. Parents, grandparents, and friends are invited to join us as the students showcase their creativity. The children will perform Easter poems and songs that they have been learning during music lessons with Mrs. Goldsworthy.

This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to help with decorating their child’s hat and to also discuss the true meaning of Easter.  We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 27 March (Prep Rust- Year 1) and Thursday 28 March (Prep Navy)

We wish all our Birthday children a very happy day and a wonderful year ahead.

This term 1 Navy have been busy learning about the GIVE virtue ‘Teamwork’. Students have learnt about virtue knowledge, virtue reasoning and virtue practice.

In 1 Navy students have explored the following questions: 

• What does it mean to work in a team?

• What is cooperation?

• Is our class a team?

• How can we work together?

In 1 Navy students know that Teamwork is:

• Working together for the benefit of everyone. 

• Understanding each other’s needs and strengths. 

• Following an agreed set of rules and encouraging one another.

• Being cooperative, helpful and working together.

To celebrate the virtue of ‘Teamwork’ 1 Navy will be presenting a spectacular dance at the Week 6 assembly based on the DreamWorks Animation "TROLLS". 

Kimochis® is a social/emotional education program which provides the children with communication and emotional-regulation strategies that they’ll take with them to kindergarten and beyond. It centres around the principal that the feelings we experience can affect us positively and negatively. Some feelings we enjoy having, such as happy, excited and kind. Others are not as enjoyable, such as mad, frustrated and disappointed. Kimochis® teaches the children how to identify these feelings and express them in the right way.

Congratulations Mrs Ellis

Our very own librarian, Mrs Ellis has been appointed Secretary for the Teacher Librarian IPSHA Umbrella group. IPSHA (Independent Primary School Heads of Australia) is a large group of Heads of Junior Schools from around NSW. Tangara is very happy to be part of this collaborative organisation. Congratulations to Mrs Ellis on role in this professional network.

School Magazine

Under the careful guidance of Mrs Hirsch, planning for our very first Junior School Magazine is well and truly under way. A ‘name the magazine” competition is currently running in the Junior School and we are eagerly waiting the results! More details to come.

Meet the Monitors

The Semester One Monitors are doing a wonderful job.

Primary House Captains: These girls assist in the running of the Friday Assembly. Other duties involve: presenting speeches to their peers, assisting House Captains in High School during carnivals etc.

Siena - Sophie R and Grace B

Atlantis - Ava M and Ava T

La Mancha - Grace H and Aiza C

Tintagel - Sienna N and Therese M

Year 2 has been deepening their understanding of numbers by practically engaging in some exciting mathematics activities. They have been enjoying playing paired and whole class games; learning how to use a variety of tools and strategies to extend their learning with friends of 10 and 20. They are also becoming superstars at understanding place value, knowing what each number represents in 2 and 3 digit numbers then representing this in practical, visual and oral ways. Some amazing learning happening in our classes!

The virtue we are working on in the Junior School is Helpfulness.

Definition:

Helpfulness (service) means to do something for another person or group, even though you may not get anything in return. This assistance can be voluntary, a paid skill or a simple act of kindness. Helpfulness reflects a conviction that others are always important and selfishness is always wrong.

I am practicing helpfulness when I:

· Notice when someone needs help

· Do a service without being asked

· Give people what they need, not always what they want

· Listen to someone who needs to talk

· Ask for help when I need it

Synonyms:

Where does Helpfulness fit?

Hard Work

·        Citizenship

·        Leadership

·        Community Spirit

·        Teamwork

·        Helpfulness

·        Service

·        Generosity 

·        Natural Curiosity

For older students:

😊When was the last time I helped someone without expecting anything in return?

😊How can I make a difference in my classroom this week?

😊Are there any school or community groups I am interested in helping with?

We are now more than half way through the term and our Secondary girls have been busy both in and out of the classroom over the past fortnight. Our Co-Curricular Sport and Music programs are in full swing, our Debaters have shown a great improvement in their skills with a number of convincing wins now on the board, our Mock Trial team are busy preparing for their first case and we have also had success in the sporting arena with a large number of girls from numerous year groups representing Tangara in Basketball, Netball, Tennis, Futsal and Swimming, all within the last two weeks! It has been fantastic to see so many girls involved in the wide range of activities in which we have on offer.

Some highlights and events from the past fortnight for Secondary have been:

• HZ Rep Basketball Trials
• First Friday Vigil
• HZ Swimming Carnival
• AICES Basketball Championships
• HZ Tennis
• ISDA Debating - Rounds 3 and 4
• International Women's Day

Last Wednesday, the 28th of March, the Year 12 legal studies class had the great opportunity of participating in a Legal aid workshop presented by Mrs. Julianne Elliott. The workshop primarily focused on Young Offenders and Police Powers within the Australian criminal justice system. We learnt about the children’s legal aid service, that represents children and young people under the age of 18 involved in criminal cases in the Children’s courts. These services allow for young people to have access to professional, face-to-face or telephone based legal advice at any stage of their legal proceedings. Throughout the session, Mrs.Elliott raised many thought-provoking notions, specifically in relation to the age of criminal responsibility in NSW and its current status on whether it is appropriate or not, and suitable within the status quo. Currently the age of criminal responsibility is 10 years, which is up for considerable debate with the ‘Raise the age’ campaign. As avid legal studies students and hopefully possible law reformers, we were inspired to consider these ‘grey areas’ within the Australian legal system.

One of our key school priorities this year is High Expectations in the classroom, and this will be a key focus of our professional learning sessions in the secondary school.

What do we mean by high expectations?

High academic expectations are a measure of students’ experiences in the classroom. They are a reflection of the extent to which teachers value academic achievement and hold the expectation that every student can and should work towards their potential.

What does the research say in regards to high expectations?

High expectations promote both students’ academic achievement and their wellbeing. Research shows that the expectations of teachers, parents and peers affect students’ self-esteem, feelings of self-efficacy and their academic motivation. These motivational factors are strongly linked to learning and achievement. Research also suggests that teachers adjust their teaching behaviours in line with the expectations they hold of their students. As students typically adjust their own expectations and behaviours to match those of their teachers, it is essential that teachers model high expectations for all of their students.

What does having high expectations look like in the classroom?

In the dynamic landscape of education, fostering a culture of goal-setting and achievement is paramount to the success of our students. This is why we have invested the time this year to set SMART goals with our senior students, for each of their subjects. As Teaching and Learning Coordinator, I presented to Year 11 and 12 on how to set their SMART goals, and they were given a two-week time frame to complete their goals for this term via a template on engage.

What are SMART Goals?

SMART goals are an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Why do we set them?

Specific:Setting specific goals provides clarity and direction for students. When goals are clearly defined, students have a clear understanding of what they are striving to achieve. Whether it's improving a particular grade in a subject, mastering a specific skill, or completing a project, specificity enables students to focus their efforts with precision.

The music corridor at Tangara is often filled with the wonderful sounds of music creation.

This term, our secondary music students are engaged in various music-making activities. Year 7 students are learning to play the Ukulele as a class ensemble, while Year 8 students are preparing to create their Rock Band, learning the Piano, Guitar, and Drums. Year 9 students are currently composing music for film, drawing inspiration from the works of John Williams, and Year 10 students are studying Jazz, working towards group performances.

At the end of the corridor in the Primary room, Year 6 students are learning the recorder (and proving that this instrument can actually sound good!), while Year 2 students are creating rhythms with percussion instruments. See 'Infants Music' and 'Primary Music' sections below for more information.

This week Year 11 and 12 music students had the pleasure of attending ENCORE, a showcase hosted in the Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House. It recognises the exceptional major works created by 2023 HSC Music students.

Attending the showcase provided our students with invaluable insights and inspiration, offering them a firsthand glimpse into the calibre of performances and compositions expected at the HSC level.

This week we welcome two new additions to our Peripatetic staff, to supporting our continuously growing extra-curricular program.

Ms Mandy Ng joins as a new piano tutor and Miss Gaia Fahed joins as our string groups tutor.

There are now more piano tuition spots available.

Register here: 2024 Private Tuition and/or Ensemble Enrolment

String groups will now take place on Monday and Tuesday.

See 2024 Ensemble Timetable for more details.

The 2024 Tangara Music Academy Handbook is a comprehensive guide covering all extracurricular music activities at the school. It includes information about the academy's mission, curriculum, ensemble experiences, performance opportunities, staff profiles, enrolment processes, fees, and additional resources.

The handbook serves as a valuable reference for students and parents, emphasising the academy's commitment to supporting Tangara's musical development, providing various tuition and ensemble opportunities, and nurturing a passion for music amoung students.

Access the 2024 Tangara Music Academy Handbook here.

JMC welcomes students in years 9-12 to participate in the 2024 Songwriting Competition!

Showcase your talent by submitting an original song demo and written lyrics. Whether solo or group work, demonstrate your creativity! Simply record your song on your phone (vocals only or with instruments) and submit your completed application form online.

Visit: https://www.jmcacademy.edu.au/songwriting-competition/ for more information.

On Friday, the 23rd of February, art students of years 10, 11 and 12 made their way to the Art Gallery of NSW. We visited the annual ARTEXPRESS exhibition, a selection of numerous highly marked artworks of last year’s HSC students. An assortment of mediums were used in the exhibition, including pottery, paintings, digital art, weaving, and film. It was fascinating to see how similar themes such as mental health, social media, and identity appeared in many of the artworks, reflecting the issues we face in contemporary society. Overall, it was a good experience that exposed us to new art mediums, concepts, and ideas from which to take inspiration.

Teresa Calilhanna Yr 11

Second overdue notices have been emailed to all students and their parents woth books outstanding from last year. Can you please check and ensure they are returned asap? Books not returned by the end of term will be assumed lost and charged to your account together with $5 per book processing fee. Thanking you in advance for helping us recover wandering items!

The NSW Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is now open and Tangara School for Girls is excited to be participating!

What is the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge?

The PRC is a statewide Challenge that encourages students to develop a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students and enables them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition, but a challenge to encourage each student to read, to read more, and to read more widely. It is an optional activity.

All students who complete the challenge and have their reading record validated by the school’s PRC coordinator (Mrs Samantha Ellis) will receive a certificate signed by the Premier of NSW.

How many books do students need to read?

Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 are challenged to read or experience 30 books. 20 of these books must be from the relevant Challenge booklists, and up to 10 books can be personal choice books. Books can be read with a parent, carer, teacher or another student.

Public Speaking Captain

My name is Abhimita Roy, but I’ve gone by Abi my whole life, and I am the 2023-24 Public Speaking Captain. It is an honour and great prestige to be given this role, and I promise to work tirelessly and graciously in revolutionising the art of public speaking at Tangara. I have been an avid debater and public speaker for many years, and more recently, a passionate former mock-trialer along with the 2023-24 Vice Captain, Taylor Issa. Participating in debating and mock trial ignited my ardour in hopefully studying law at university, and becoming a barrister/solicitor to devote a career in delivering justice and protection for our most vulnerable people.

As Public Speaking captain, one of the main initiatives I endeavour to inaugurate is a whole school public speaking competition, called the “The Voice of Tangara” in which I hope to inspire and encourage girls of all skill sets and passions to speak ardently on important matters affecting our society today, which will add to a strong repertoire they will carry on into their further studies after school, careers, and more.

From Sunday, 10 March 2024, the bus services providers previously known as Hillsbus Co Pty Ltd will change their name to CDC NSW R4 Pty Ltd.

There will be no change for students with an existing Opal card. Transport will update these student entitlements to be listed under the new operator and have CDC NSW R4 Pty Ltd. 

For new SSTS School Opal card applications, students, parents or guardians will need to nominate CDC NSW R4 Pty Ltd as their bus operator.

If you have any questions or concerns, please submit your enquiry via transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/fares-concessions-tickets-feedback.