Mr James Harrison, Dean of Junior School

Back in May, the NSW Education Standards Authority ran its yearly selective high school and opportunity class testing. You may have seen in the mainstream media that there were some sizeable issues with the technology. At the time, I was struck by accounts of the testing fiasco and its impact on the students, in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald on May 26 by Jordan Baker. 

Just for a moment, climb inside the head of a nine or 11-year-old sitting this year’s selective education exam. 

A heavy responsibility sits on your pint-sized shoulders. You’ve spent years of Saturdays at tutoring, sacrificing chunks of your childhood to prepare for a test that’s desperately important to your parents, and that has consumed vast amounts of your family’s financial and emotional resources. You believe your future rides on whether you do well enough to win a place in a sought-after selective school or opportunity class. 

The day arrives. You’re racked with nerves. You cram as you’re driven to the test, like an athlete warming up for an Olympic qualifier. When you arrive, you’re enveloped by chaos. Computers crash, kids are crying, hundreds of frantic adults swarm, riot police push through the crowd, people are shouting orders into loudspeakers and staff search for lost children.  

Perhaps worst of all, you worry you’ve messed up the test.  

Read more, by clicking the link below:

Our much-loved Carols in the Colonnade will be held on Saturday, 22 November 2025, from 4:00pm – 9:00pm. 

This year, we are excited to once again include our vibrant Christmas Markets as part of the celebration. 

We warmly invite members of the Tara community who own small businesses and would like to take part in the markets to contact Jodie Doyle at jdoyle@tara.nsw.edu.au.  

Join us for an unforgettable evening of festive cheer, music, and community spirit. 

Expressions of interest for the markets close at the end of Term 3 – Friday, 26 September 2025. 

Thank you to everyone who has already booked for the upcoming Tara Hub Community Gathering. 

If you haven’t booked yet, there is still time. Event details are below.  

On the evening, our Principal, Mrs Adele Ramsay, will present key findings from the recent parent survey and reveal the new Tara Master Plan—an inspiring vision for the future development of our campus over the next decade and beyond.  

Event Details:

📅 Date: Tuesday, 26 August 2025
🕖 Time: 7:00pm
📍 Venue: Tara Chapel
📩 RSVP by: Monday, 25 August 2025
👉 RSVP here: Tara Hub Community Gathering - Tuesday 26 August

We look forward to welcoming you for an evening of valuable insights, exciting updates, and community connection. 

We warmly invite all fathers and father figures to join us for a special Father’s Day Breakfast, celebrating the important role you play in your daughter’s life. 

It’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy a relaxed morning together, connect with our School community and make lasting memories. 

Event Details: 

📅 Date: Monday, 8 September 2025 
🕒 Time: 7:30am – 8:30am 
📍 Venue: Main Oval 
RSVP by: Tuesday, 2 September 2025 
Booking here: https://www.trybooking.com/DEEJA 

We look forward to sharing this special occasion with you. 

All dads in our School community are warmly invited to attend the next Tara Dads Club meeting on Wednesday, 3 September at 6:00pm in the Glass Room (located next to the Uniform Shop). 

If you are looking to connect with other dads, share experiences, and be part of a supportive community, we would love to see you there. 

Come along and be part of the conversation.  

Kaitlyn Grasso’s passion for cooking and baking was evident throughout her time at Tara Anglican School for Girls. She thrived in the School’s exceptional Food Technology and Hospitality department, choosing both subjects for her HSC. Kaitlyn extends heartfelt thanks to Mrs Cropper and Mrs Madigan for their unwavering support and dedication to her learning journey.

After graduating in 2024, Kaitlyn faced a flood of exciting opportunities. Ultimately, she followed her heart and accepted an offer from Le Cordon Bleu, a world-renowned French culinary and hospitality institution with campuses in 20 countries.

Following a tour and interview at Le Cordon Bleu, Kaitlyn was stunned to learn she had been awarded a $40,000 scholarship to study the Diplôme de Pâtisserie (Certificate III in Patisserie)—the first scholarship the institution had offered in over 20 years. This rare honour was a testament to her exceptional talent and passion.

Kaitlyn is loving every moment of the course, which blends theory and hands-on learning across three days each week. She has already created a variety of delicious pâtisseries, including apple fritters, citrus pound cakes, raspberry-filled choux pastry, and sticky rice pudding. She is inspired by the world-class chefs and grateful for the opportunity to learn from their expertise.

Kaitlyn also appreciates the flexibility of the course, which allows her to balance her studies with work commitments. She invites the Tara community to follow her culinary journey on Instagram at @kgs_kitchen, where she shares her latest creations and experiences.

“This journey has been incredible, and I truly believe I’ve chosen the right path. I’m so grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way.”

The Tara Old Girls’ Association warmly invites you to attend the upcoming Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, 19 August 2025 at 7:00pm, held in the Glass Room (located next to the Uniform Shop).  

We are delighted to welcome Lauren Baikie, recipient of the 2024 Joan Waugh Award, as our special guest speaker. Lauren will share insights into how she has used her scholarship and what she has been working on since receiving the award—an evening not to be missed. 

The meeting agenda and nomination forms are available on the Tara website, please use this link Community - Tara Anglican School for Girls 

If you would like to attend, please RSVP via email to taraoldgirls@tara.nsw.edu.au. 

We look forward to seeing you there. 

We celebrated our 2nd Birthday on the 17 July 2025!

Reflecting on this past year fills us with joy as we’ve watched out program flourish and our students excel with every lesson! 

Here’s to another year of thrilling progress and fun at Swimming@Tara! 

On Friday 25 July 2025 it was World Prevention Drowning Day, a crucial time to highlight the importance of water safety and reducing preventable drowning deaths. At Tara, we prioritise safety through our learn-to-swim programs and biannual safety weeks, teaching vital swimming skills and water awareness. Did you know that nearly a quarter of a million people worldwide lose their lives to drowning each year and tragically, almost 82,000 of them are children. The early we get our children in the water and learning these essential skills the safer they will be around water!  

 Find out what's coming up in the Aquatic Centre, by clicking below:

Our squads at Tara Aquatic Centre are going from strength to strength—and much of that success is thanks to the leadership of our Squad Coach, Peter.

With over 45 years of coaching experience, Peter brings a wealth of knowledge to our Squad program. He holds an Advanced Silver License in coaching and has assisted coaching State and National swimmers to success.

He has also been Head Coach for the Special Olympics swim team, where he played a pivotal role in the development of athletes with special needs.

Since joining the team, he’s played a key role in developing our squad swimmers—helping them grow in technique, confidence and competitive focus. From building strong foundations to preparing swimmers for the next level, Peter’s influence is being felt across the pool. 

We’re proud of how far our squads have come and excited for what’s ahead. 🎉 

From the first line to the final bow, our Junior School girls from Years 3 to 6 brought energy and enthusiasm to every moment of Playful Tales. The audience was treated to four entertaining plays — The Most Epic Birthday Party, The Grunch, I’m an 11-Year-Old, Get Me Out of Here, and The Next Big Step.

Each production showcased the talent, creativity and commitment of our Junior School girls, who worked hard to bring their characters and stories to life. From comic timing to heartfelt moments, the performances reflected not only the students’ developing skills in drama, but also their teamwork and confidence on stage.

We extend our thanks to the Class Teachers for their guidance and encouragement, and to our Coordinator of Performance, Ms Mann, for leading the program and helping every student shine. 

Playful Tales was a celebration of storytelling, collaboration and performance — and a wonderful reminder of the creativity and talent within our Junior School.

Over the past two weeks, students from both Tara and The King's School have come together to participate in a range of activities that aim to build confidence, social skills and creativity.

The Year 5 students involved in Write A Book In A Day took part in an inspiring workshop with renowned author, Belinda Murrell. During the session, Belinda shared her expertise and offered valuable tips and tricks to help students develop their creative writing. From building rich characters to structuring engaging plots, the workshop provided practical skills that students can carry into their upcoming writing challenge.

Year 4 students came together to perform songs they have been learning together over recent weeks. The special assembly at Tara was a wonderful opportunity for students to share their music with an audience, showcasing not only their developing musical skills but also the connections and friendships built through this collaborative program.

These programs reflect the spirit of Through the Hedge—connecting students across schools, fostering creativity, and offering authentic opportunities to learn from and with others.

Read about what Year 3 got up to in the next article!

Tara and King's Collaborate for a Creative Drama Encounter! 

On Monday, 11th August, Year 3 students from Tara and The King's School came together for an engaging and energetic drama workshop experience. Led by a dynamic team from NIDA, the day was filled with laughter, imagination, and collaboration.  

Read more about their fun morning, by clicking below

Last week, our Year 10 students visited the Refugee Camp in My Neighbourhood activation at the Whitlam Institute in Parramatta—an immersive, guided experience led by people with lived refugee or asylum-seeker backgrounds.

As students walked through simulated experiences of displacement—covering shelter, food, legal processes and life in camps—they were given a real-world insight into the challenges faced by millions around the world.

This experience helped build empathy, global awareness, and a deeper appreciation of the resilience of people from refugee backgrounds. 

Here’s what some of the students had to say:

“It was a great way to build understanding and raise awareness in order to create a more accepting and diverse community.”
“It gave me gratitude for my life where I am safe.”
“It was confronting and was really eye-opening to things that really happen in the world. It also makes me feel much more grateful for the things I have and the area I live in.”
“It was heart-warming but sad to hear these unfortunate stories.”

We thank our students for engaging with the experience with maturity and openness—and we are grateful to the community voices who made this learning possible.

Last week, 16 students from the Year 7/8 and Year 9/10 teams showcased their skills at the Gateway8 Academic Challenge. Designed around Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, this dynamic competition encourages students to draw on a range of strengths including language, logic, creativity and interpersonal skills. Throughout the day, teams participated in a series of scored subject-based tasks in English, Science, Music, History, Mathematics and Creative Arts & Design, interspersed with varied activities to promote collaboration and problem-solving. It was an enjoyable and rewarding experience for the girls, with all teams performing well. The Year 9/10 team achieved excellent results, placing 2nd in Science, 2nd in History and equal second overall in the competition.

At Tara, our international programs and exchange opportunities give students the chance to connect, learn, and grow through authentic cultural experiences. This term, we were fortunate to welcome students from both Tosajuku, Japan, and St. Swithun’s, England, into our community.

Our visitors from Tosajuku participated in everyday School life, joined a Year 8 Japanese class, and treated us to a wonderful performance during our Obento Lunch. They also explored some of Sydney’s iconic sights, experiencing the culture and beauty of our city. We now look forward to sending a group of our own students to visit Tosajuku during the upcoming holidays, where they will experience Japanese culture and school life firsthand.

As part of our cultural exchange program with St. Swithun’s, three students from England stayed with host families in our community. Their Australian adventure included viewing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, visiting our stunning beaches, and even snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. Our Tara girls enjoyed welcoming them into their lives—both at home and at school—and are excited to reunite with their exchange partners when they visit St. Swithun’s next term.

International programs like these are an important part of a Tara education, helping our students to develop independence, global understanding, and lasting friendships that stretch across the world.

Chloe (Year 7) had a great day at competing at Arndell's Equestrian Carnival in Open Show Horse Ring.

She received:

3rd - Best Presented
2nd - Handler
Reserve Champion Show Horse

We congratulate Chloe for her outstanding results!

There are some great events and opportunities coming up! Learn more about them via the links below. 

 Careers Newsletter for 18 August 2025

 For more information please contact Mr David Berridge via email - dberridge@tara.nsw.edu.au