Girls need precisely this. To grow into confident women, capable of recognizing their dignity, they need to know that their fathers are there. Not always speaking, not always solving everything, but present. A girl who knows her father’s gaze rests upon her learns security. She understands that she is worthy of love, not because of what she achieves, but because of who she is. This presence gives her the courage to face a world that often confuses identity and distorts femininity.

Grandparents' Day 

Life in Infants has been wonderfully busy, filled with energy, smiles, and moments to treasure. Last week, we celebrated the special role grandparents play in our lives, recognising the love, wisdom, and everyday support they share with their grandchildren.

The children were thrilled to welcome their grandparents as honoured guests for our Grandparents’ Day concert. Dressed as their favourite book characters, they proudly paraded across the stage, bringing beloved tales to life with colour, enthusiasm and imagination.

Following the concert, grandparents joined us in the classroom to spend time with the children and appreciate their creative learning. A visit to the Book Fair added an extra layer of excitement to the day. Not even the rain could dampen our spirits!

A big thank you to our parents whose efforts with the costumes added to the vibrancy of the day, your care and love never go unnoticed.

Book Week in Prep

Our Prep students arrived at school dressed as their favourite book characters, proudly showcasing their creativity to friends and teachers throughout the day. The excitement in the classrooms was shared by all, with each costume sparking conversations, smiles, and a shared love of storytelling.

What an amazing couple of weeks we have had. So many special occasions.

Book Week was a lovely celebration with students diving into the magic of literature through a range of engaging activities. The highlight was our Book Character Parade, where the school came alive with costumes, creativity and a shared love of reading.

Grandparents' Day was a truly special occasion. It was heartening to see our students proudly sharing their school experience with their grandparents, creating memories that will be treasured for years to come. The staff and students loved having so many visitors on campus enjoying the celebrations. Not even the rain could dampen the enthusiasm. 

As the saying goes, "A picture tells a thousand words". Please enjoy the photographs.

This week, I have the privilege of representing Tangara at the APPA National Conference where school leaders from across Australia and New Zealand come together to share insights and explore new ideas. It’s an invaluable opportunity to learn from others, reflect on our own practices and bring back fresh perspectives that will benefit our school community. 

The virtue we have been focussing on in the Junior School is Forgiveness.

Definition:

Forgiveness means actively choosing not to hold someone’s negative actions or behaviour against them, even if you don't condone them. Even without an apology, forgiveness chooses to release resentment or anger and move on with life.

Why do we need it?

Forgiveness prevents us from being weighed down by negative emotions such as anger and irritation and allows us to release it in order not to carry offense against others. Understanding their point of view, even if you disagree, is a great way to show true value for others. Harbouring unforgiveness and bitterness will only make you feel miserable inside and hold you back from growth. 

I am practicing forgiveness when I:

· Remember that everyone makes mistakes

· Take responsibility for my mistakes

· Correct my mistakes

· Accept someone’s apology without holding grudges

😊How do I react when people hurt or offend me?

😊How could forgiveness impact my life and others around me?

😊 Is there someone I need to forgive today (perhaps even myself)? What’s stopping me?

It is with great pleasure that I share Tangara’s participation in the IPSHA Art Show 2025. This national showcase brings together the creative talents of students from over 30 independent primary schools across Australia and we are proud to see our students’ work featured among them.

A heartfelt congratulations to our exceptional Primary Art teacher, Mrs Denahy. Her passion, dedication and care for each student are beautifully reflected in the artworks on display. 

Many of you may have already enjoyed a preview of the exhibition during Grandparent's Day in the Yarra Foyer. 

I invite you to explore the Virtual Art Show and celebrate the creativity of our students.

https://www.ipshavirtualartshow.com/

https://www.ipshavirtualartshow.com/ Password: IPSHAart2025

What an exciting start to Term 3 it has been for Year 4 Navy! I am so proud of the way the students have returned refreshed, enthusiastic and ready to learn. Term 3 is always such a special one, as I get to witness tremendous growth not only in their learning but also in the way they approach challenges and support one another. It has been wonderful to watch them blossom as they demonstrate patience, respect and courtesy while learning to serve others and their future selves.

We have enjoyed so many memorable experiences already this term. The Planetarium incursion gave students the chance to marvel at the wonders of space and deepen their understanding of the universe beyond them. Soon after, excitement filled the air for our Book Parade, where students delighted in dressing as their favourite characters and celebrating their love of stories. This experience was enriched even further with a visit from award-winning author Katrina Nannestad, who inspired the children to embrace their creativity and continue developing their own storytelling voices. This inspiration flowed beautifully into our classroom learning as students refined their narrative writing skills and grew into confident young authors.

SECONDARY STUDENTS ONLY

Get ready for a flavour-packed, fun-filled day as our talented Year 9 Commerce students transform the playground into a bustling marketplace for Market Day 2025! This exciting event is part of their Running a business unit. The students have been working hard to plan, budget, and market their stalls just like real entrepreneurs.

Even better, every dollar you spend goes to Mary’s Meals, a charity dedicated to providing life-changing school meals to children in need.

Here’s a sneak peek at the deliciousness waiting for you:

🍢 BBQ pork skewers with rice– Juicy, smoky, and perfectly grilled to perfection with fluffy white rice. A sizzling sensation that will make your taste buds dance.

🌮 Mexican Mania– Zesty, colourful, and bursting with flavour. From tangy toppings to mouth-watering fillings, every bite is a fiesta.

🍔 Sliders– Mini burgers, big flavour! Soft buns, tender patties, and all the trimmings for the ultimate bite-sized treat.

🧇 Waffles– Golden, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and drizzled with irresistible toppings you’ll want more of.

On Friday 15 August, students from Years 7 to 10 celebrated Science Week by taking part in a range of hands-on STEM activities.

Year 7 students took on the challenge of building and comparing two water filtration systems using everyday materials. This activity demonstrated their understanding of water purification. They also used spaghetti and sticky tape to build a tower to compete in the tallest tower challenge.

In Year 8, students explored binary code by de-coding messages and creating personalised binary bracelets. By encoding meaningful words into their designs, they combined computer science with creativity in a fun and practical way.

Physics met engineering in the Year 9 marble maze activity. Students designed and built intricate mazes, putting their problem-solving and design skills to the test. Students were challenged to build mazes with the longest track with the most design features such as bridges, ramps and tunnels.

Meanwhile, Year 10 students stepped into the role of engineers by constructing wind-powered cars. They collaborated to build vehicles that raced with impressive speed, showcasing both teamwork and technical skill.

Last Friday evening, we gathered in McArthur for the annual HSC Soirée, an event that highlighted the creativity and dedication of our Year 12 students in both Music and Visual Arts.

The night began with an exhibition of outstanding artworks from our HSC Visual Arts students. Families, friends, and staff admired the diverse mediums and the thought-provoking themes explored in each piece.

This was followed by a series of performances from our HSC Music students. Each performance reflected the many hours of rehearsal and commitment invested in preparing for their final examinations. From powerful vocal solos to expressive instrumental works, the audience was treated to an impressive program of repertoire.

The evening provided a wonderful opportunity for our Year 12 students to share their talents with the community in a supportive environment before their upcoming HSC examinations. We congratulate all students on their achievements and thank the staff, accompanists, and families whose support has been instrumental throughout this journey.

Last Sunday, our Concert Band proudly represented Tangara at the Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival (ASBOF), held at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

The band has been rehearsing diligently in preparation for this event, and their efforts were rewarded with a Silver Award in their division. This is a wonderful achievement and a testament to the commitment, teamwork, and musical growth of our students.

Competing in such a professional environment provided the ensemble with valuable experience, and performing on stage at the Conservatorium was an excellent opportunity for all involved. The students are commended not only for their wonderful performance but also for the way they supported one another throughout the day.

Congratulations to our Concert Band on this fantastic accomplishment!

Tangara reclaims the Tangara Montgrove Cup!

On Tuesday 19th August, Tangara proudly welcomed Montgrove students for the highly anticipated annual Tangara Montgrove Cup.

After a tough loss in 2024, Tangara was determined to bring the trophy back home!

The day kicked off with Senior Basketball, where Montgrove came out strong and edged out Tangara in a thrilling 1-point victory. They carried that momentum into the Junior Basketball, securing another solid win.

Tangara hit back in the Futsal, dominating from the very first whistle to claim a commanding 4–0 victory.

That left everything riding on the Netball. To win the Cup, Tangara needed to defeat Montgrove by at least 6 goals - and they rose to the challenge in spectacular fashion. With precision, teamwork, and determination, Tangara powered through to win the match by well over the required goals, clinching the overall victory and reclaiming the Tangara Montgrove Cup!

A huge congratulations to all students who competed with such spirit and sportsmanship. We look forward to next year’s rematch!

A huge congratulations to all the students who proudly represented Tangara at the HZSA Primary & Secondary Athletics Carnivals. Your dedication, enthusiasm, and sportsmanship were truly inspiring!

A special shout out to Serah Silva (Year 5), who broke two HZSA records in the 11 Years 100m and 200m - an incredible achievement!

We also congratulate Yumin Oh (Year 9), who was awarded the Age Champion Runners-Up Medal for her exceptional all-round performance.

Best of luck to our talented athletes who have progressed to the next level of competition:

CIS Athletics (Primary): Miriam Grzech, Serah Silva & Sienna Castelino

AICES Athletics (Secondary): Maria Arentz, Felicity Barbero, Esther Bou-Samra, Erene D'Souza, Taylor Jane Haifa, Anastasia Limbers, Yumin Oh, Liana Perisa, Vanessa Sarkis, Sophie Setoh, Olivia Siau & Clare Tanna

We are so proud of all our athletes. Well done, Tangara!

Our HZSA Volleyball team is off to a fantastic start in the Semester 2 Competition, with two wins out of three games and currently sitting third on the ladder!

Wishing the team the best of luck for the remainder of the season - keep up the great work!

On Thursday 28th August, our Under 16’s represented Tangara at the Basketball NSW Schools Tournament held at Hills Basketball Stadium.

The team put on an outstanding performance, going undefeated all day and securing a convincing Grand Final victory!

A huge thank you to Reg Banez for his dedication in training and coaching the team in the lead-up to the tournament.

With this win, the team has now qualified for the State Championships, which will take place at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre on 17th & 18th September 2025.

Good luck, girls - we’ll be cheering you on all the way!

We are delighted to welcome Natalia Kirichenko to the Library team as our new Library Assistant. Natalia, who has a background in photography and IT and is finishing her Library and Information Studies Diploma, has already proved a huge asset to the team, starting with us at the busiest time of the Library year. Natalia will be working Mondays and Wednesdays in the Library.

Oh, what a week we had with the Book Fair! Every Infants and Primary class had the opportunity during the week to explore the Book Fair and create a Wish List of books they might like. Before school and at lunch, girls excitedly came in to nab their favourites, especially the books by Katrina Nannestad, who visited on Monday.

Then on Thursday and Friday, we welcomed all our wonderful parents and grandparents, who so generously purchased books for the students. Thank you especially to those who donated to the Library. Your child will be the first to borrow them, once they are processed.

Adding in online purchases, we sold over $11,700 in books over the week, resulting in about $2,000 for the Library.

We have processed all the back orders and sent them to the supplier. As soon as they arrive, they will be distributed to your children in their classrooms. Please be patient as this can take a good couple of weeks.

Thank you all for your support. We hope the students enjoy their books.

To have the Secondary students involved in our Book Week activities and using the theme - Book an Adventure, the library ran an Egyptian themed Escape Room at lunch time. It was extremely popular! 12 groups of up to 5 girls were enclosed in a room and had to work out various puzzles to solve the answers. The puzzles involved using their brain power and knowledge of Ancient Egypt, cutting towers and deciphering hieroglyphs. Clues were slipped under the door as requested by the students. They all agreed it was a lot of fun!

After having a break for several years, primary students were excited to dress up as their favourite book character for our Book Week Parade on Monday 18th August. Everyone went to an amazing effort to create some outstanding costumes and parade with the book or an image of the book. Characters included Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Thing 1 & Thing 2, Ming & Mo, Hermione, Paddington Bear, Bananas in Pyjamas and Percy Jackson just to name a few.

Students were able to showcase their costumes and admire their friends as they paraded around Jacaranda. After the parade, students went back to their own classroom where they were met by a Mystery Teacher, who read them their favourite picture book. Following this, students in Years 3-6 were enthralled to listen to our Book Week author Katrina Nannestad.

We were thrilled to have Katrina Nannestad, author of books such as All the Beautiful Things, We Are Wolves and Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief and series Lottie Perkins, The Girl the Dog and the Writer in..., Olive of Groves, come to visit on Monday 18 August. She captivated the children's interest by having some students dress up as a character from one of her books. Katrina was also honest about the fact that after publishing her first book, it took another 8 years and LOTS of rejection from publishing houses before her second book hit the shelves! Students lined up to have their own copy of her book signed and her books were very popular at our Book Fair.

On Thursday 14 August, we had a very exciting day with our Infants students, who came over to the Library for a series of adventures. The children received a Passport which they completed over the course of the day. In the Safari adventure, students listened to the poem, Safari Action, and played a board game with Mrs Kirichenko. In Space, they completed a digital puzzle with Mrs Ellis. Then, on to Under the Sea, where the children created jellyfish and listened to the book, Jelly Boy, with Mrs Beard. Last but not least was a scavenger hunt for insects in the Library with Mrs Rooney, at our Microbeasts adventure, based on the shortlisted book, One Little Dung Beetle.

It was a wonderful "Book an Adventure" start to Book Week for us all!

We have several items in the lost property basket that have not been labelled with your daughter's name.  Would you please encourage your daughter to come down to the Administration Office and claim any lost items.  All items that have not been claimed by the end of Term 4 Week 6 will be donated to a charity.

We ask that all personal items be labelled with your child's surname and first initial, to enable us to return any items that are misplaced.