Susan Middlebrook - Principal 

After a wonderful year celebrating Tara’s 125th Anniversary, it is a little sad that the School year is approaching its end. As the year progressed and we have been able to welcome families and alumni to the School again, it has brought the real fullness of life back into the School. It is so good to be able to share the joy of the special events, celebrations, and achievements of Tara girls with our families and the support of the community for each event as the year has unfolded is very much appreciated. 

In recent days, the Tara Dads Club hosting of the Colour Run brought a new event to the School calendar. We had postponed the event three times during the year, once due to COVID restrictions and twice due to rain, but the Dad’s Club were determined to push on! Finally, with an enormous effort by the Dad’s club led by Mr Pascal Mouawad and considerable support from Tara staff, the day came. The real shock for me was the fine weather - at last. A great afternoon was had. Everyone was in good cheer, covered in colour and well fed. Thank you for a fun afternoon and to all the parents who cooked hundreds of sausages and hamburgers, served ice-creams and drinks and for the clean up at the end. We are most grateful for all the sponsors of this event and your support for our families.

The next, and almost final community event of the year is the return after three years of the much-loved Carols in the Colonnade on Saturday 26 November. The invitation has been sent to families and we hope that many of you will be able to come and share in the evening. Tara girls in all the various ensembles are rehearsing and looking forward to showcasing their talent on the night.

During the final days of the term, parents are warmly invited to the Celebrations of student achievement for the Junior and Senior Schools and on the last day of the term, the Christmas service where we celebrate the birth of Jesus and honour the true meaning of Christmas.

I pray everyone enjoys a joyous Christmas and break from the routine of the School term. I love the long days, the time spent with family, the opportunity to read books and in my family’s case, the celebration of several birthdays in the first few days of January. I hope it is a time of rest and recreation for you. In the new year, we are looking forward to the completion of the Aquatic and Fitness Centre and welcoming the students to the new academic year. We are hosting some events for parents in the first few weeks of the year as we gear up for another term of learning and opportunities for Tara girls to thrive.

Eloise R, Eva S and Lia N - Year 5 

During the past few terms, we have been working hard to create flower brooches and hair elastics in House colours to sell to Year 4 and Year 5 girls. We made them by finger knitting. We also designed some bookmarks to sell. On Friday 28 October and Monday 31 October, we set up a stall and sold lots of items. We raised $237 and decided to donate the money to Next Sense. 

What is Next Sense?

Next Sense is an organisation that helps people from all ages with hearing and vision loss by providing them with many useful resources such as cochlear implants.

Why did we choose to do this?

We chose to do this because we wanted to help others to grow and learn by being able to hear and see. We also love knitting flowers and we wanted to sell them for a good cause. We love knowing that we have helped others out.

On 28 September, Year 5 and 6 Tara girls had the privilege to attend Horrocks Hall at the King’s School for a dance. It was a fantastic event, which we were fortunate to have back on this year. We had so much fun learning the dances with our dance teacher Samantha. We had two special dance rehearsals to learn all the steps and techniques. We all loved dressing up and getting our hair done for the event. Horrock’s Hall was a huge space filled with laughter and fun and we cannot wait to do it again next year.

Here’s what some of the girls had to say about the special night:   

We liked the food, drinks and opportunity to be with our friends and make new friends – Jane, Tiana, Lareina and Aalisha 

It was a fun experience, trying new moves and dancing to songs with friends and teachers – Kavya 

The songs were joyful, fun and exciting – Armita, Nadya and Kylie   

I liked dancing to all my favourite songs – Tiasha 

I liked seeing everyone in nice dresses – Ava 

We enjoyed talking to and dancing with the boys because they were really kind – Carissa and Vellesca 

Dancing gave us an opportunity to express ourselves – Alyssa 

Kindergarten girls were so eager to set off on their excursion to the Royal Botanic Gardens and Sydney Opera House. Getting on the bus was an exciting start to the day, there were audible gasps as the bus drove over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House came in to view!

Our plan was to do some sketching in the Royal Botanic Gardens before going to our performance at the Opera House. We made the most of some drizzly weather and Ms. Rainy had scouted the perfect place for sketching undercover on the famous steps. 

We ended up making two sketches. The first was from the shelter under the eaves of the Opera House looking onto the city and gardens. The second was from the second level of steps (it had stopped raining by then) looking up towards the Opera House's iconic sail features. Students, teachers and parent volunteers learned how to do an air drawing first, carefully tracing the big shapes we saw. We then drew this on paper. Our drawings were really impressive!

With a short walk between levels to appreciate the design and ongoing upkeep of such a grand venue, we arrived at the performance space. Bulnuruwanha - Taking Flight is a contemporary Indigenous dance work exploring the Wiradjuri Dreamtime stories of the Magpie, Willy Wagtail, Kookaburra and Cockatoo and their roles in the creation of the land. 

The girls were eager to learn parts of the choreography and respond with their own reflections on animals and birds from their own country, primarily the lands of the Darug Nation.

The performance and workshop provided rich context related to key inquiry questions in this unit: What does Country mean? Why is Country special? How can we care for Country?

A fabulous experience in culture was made even more enjoyable with the kindness and assistance from our parent volunteers on the day. Kindergarten girls and teachers were very appreciative of their support.

Natalie E - Rowing Captain

Recently, Tara Rowing held the Year 6 Introduction to Rowing session. Year 6 came to the gym and enjoyed learning the basics of rowing, including a Tara Rowing video and some quick words from the coaches. They then had fun on ergs and boats on wheels rowing through the gym, led and assisted by volunteering senior rowers.

All of the girls caught on the motions very quickly and we look forward to welcoming a lot of new rowers into the Learn to Row program next term. 

Earlier this term, our Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics Teams travelled to the Rooty Hill Gymnastics and Aquatic Centre to compete at the IPSHA Carnival. Like most other sporting events, this was the first time this carnival had been held in two years so you can imagine the excitement from the gymnasts (and coaches!). The team dedicated a great deal of time outside of school hours, training after school as well as spending time during the school holidays, to prepare for this event. And didn’t it pay off! With some of our best results to date in both events.

The team of girls were a real credit to our school. They were respectful, well mannered, united, showed great sportswomanship, and were wonderfully skilled. They demonstrated tremendous balance, coordination and strength on a wide range of apparatus. Our sincere thanks to our Gymnastics coaches, Michelle Oakley and Rachel Weiner and their team of coaches, for all that they do for our girls. 

Congratulations to the 2022 Tara Gymnastics Team: Anabelle S, Bethany S, Cara K, Celine T, Celine Z, Cellena M, Chloe T, Eden Grace R, Elizabeth B, Eloise R, Eva S, Francesca B, Gabriella M, Harper Y, Jessica R, Larina N, Linda H, Madeleine M, Matilda A, Mirna I, Neve K, Olivia W, Paru S, Sarah S, Sofia C, Tiana G, Vellesca M, Yuna Lee 

Notable Artistic Results:

Division 2 Level 2 – 3rd place 

Division 2 Level 3 – 1st place 

Division 2 Level 4 – 1st place

Level 5 Bars Eva. S – 3rd place

Notable Rhythmic Results:

Division 2 Level 1 – 1st place

Division 2 Level 2 – 3rd place

Level 4 Hoop Yuna. L – 2nd place

Level 4 Ribbon Yuna. L – 2nd place 

Congratulations to our Year 10 Mooting team who placed in the top 4 teams on the day of the Western Sydney University Mooting Competition.

Congratulations to Marisa, Radha, Stephanie and Suhanya who mooted against Year 11 students on the day. 

Tara won first prize in the Western Sydney University Blueprint Competition that requires students to meet a need in the market with an entrepreneurial Business Plan.

Students won $5000 for Tara and $3000 for themselves. 

“As part of Year 10 Commerce, we had the truly amazing opportunity to compete in the Blueprint Competition, run by Western Sydney University. ‘Blueprint’ is a business, entrepreneurial competition, that makes students push their thinking by composing a business that solves a consumer issue. This competition was such a great experience, giving us all a glimpse into the future, helping us unleash innovative ideas. We would like to thank the Social Science staff at Tara for the assistance and valuable insight on improving our business ‘Peer Fit’." -  Inika, Maleeha, and Vanessa (Year 10) 

Many thanks especially to Heather Liney who spent hours supporting these students in their business concept. 

Grace, Sophia, Jemma, Jasmine and Janice - Year 10  

On 9 November, we (5 Year 10 students) had the privilege of attending Professor Sharon Lewin’s seminar ‘From HIV to COVID-19 and beyond: being better prepared for the future’ at Westmead Institute of Medical Research.    

During her presentation, we gained a deeper understanding of how science is applied to critical real life scenarios and the impact of it. We were able to better understand the ‘behind the scenes’ of how the COVID-19 vaccines were made and how we will be better prepared for future diseases. Our science lessons about Biotechnologies came in handy for understanding how CRISPR-cas13, a type of RNA editing which could potentially be used to treat COVID-19, worked, having previously learnt about the similar technology CRISPR-cas9 in class. 

Professor Lewin's engaging and thought-provoking seminar focused on her own experiences as an expert in HIV, and how she was able to translate that knowledge into working on COVID-19. As director of the Doherty Institute, she was heavily involved in some of the most important work with the virus, developing a vaccine and in providing advice to the government. She also explained the lessons we can take from our pandemic response and how it could be improved for a similar event in the future.

After the seminar we had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A lunch session with Professor Lewin and other local high schools. This allowed us to ask about certain aspects of her talk and experience in more detail, as well as the field of medical research in general.

The trip also entailed an informative and engaging tour of the Institute with two PhD students as our guides, who were able to give us a more personal tour since they could tell us about their own interests, PhD projects and experiences in the lab. We were given a close look of laboratories and specialised machinery such as incredibly powerful microscopes, specifically cancer research as well as general collaborative spaces. 

Overall, the experience was extremely valuable and gave us all an insight into what exactly goes on in a medical institute and an idea of different career paths we can take in the future, as well as the learnings from the seminar itself.

Here are some individual reflections from the day:

Jasmine  - Professor Lewin’s seminar gave a direct insight into a medical institute’s experience during COVID-19. The Doherty Institute contributed to the first establishment of a COVID19 PCR test and diagnosis in Australia. From this, I could really see how fundamental medical research is to the benefit of society and its contribution to such prevalent modern day issues e.g COVID. With an already existing interest in STEM, I found it interesting to see the significant influence medical researchers have on our lives and in the tour, how collaborative and open WIMR’s work environment was. As a whole, our trip to WIMR was eye opening to another valuable and rewarding career path of medical research. 

Janice - My experience regarding the WIMR excursion provided me with a deeper understanding of medical research professions. The tour was especially engaging, thanks to the two PhD students serving as our tour guides. Along with the insight we gained into the real working environment of medical researchers, the guides explained much about how their degrees and courses worked, and what they were currently working on, providing information about the PhD journey that I previously was not aware of. Professor Lewin's seminar was highly informative, not only about her life but also about current events regarding COVID, and much was learnt regarding how Australia managed the pandemic, especially from a professional's perspective. What surprised me was the fact that many who achieved highly in the medical research area actually served in higher, decision-making jobs, such as Professor Lewin, who was the director of the Doherty Institute.

Jemma - Professor Lewin's seminar opened my eyes to what a career as a medical researcher could look like and the wide variety of different paths that exist in medicine aside from just working as a doctor. It was informative to see the ways in which data analysis and scientific knowledge can combine in real-life situations. I was particularly inspired by the ways in which science can be used to benefit people's lives.

Grace - Professor Lewin’s work with COVID and HIV has been inspiring in how she has worked hard to save lives here in Australia and in Kenya where she worked with HIV patients. Her seminar on her research has introduced me to new branches of medicine, a career I was already thinking of undertaking. Her presentation was encouraging and motivating to me to pursue a career in medicine.

Sophia - The work that was put in behind the scenes of COVID-19 was very surprising and being able to know a first hand experience from Professor Lewin was incredibly interesting, regarding how quickly the scientist were able to work out what they needed to create to help save peoples lives in Australia. My understanding of career opportunities has changed as I now understand how there is such a large variety of careers in medical research which involves studying cells, making vaccines and medicines. I have always wanted to do something that impacts lives but I never thought about do something in the medical research aspect of science because I'm not a fan of medical related stuff, but now I know you have such a variety of things you can work on.

What a day! Many students and staff told us it was the best Market Day ever. This is a testament to the time, effort and hard work our Commerce students invested in Market Day, 2022.

Market Day is a simulated business experience where our students learn how to run a business. The point of difference from a real business is that all cost of goods sold were generously donated from these students and their families and all profits will be donated. 

The food was plentiful ranging from, Greek Souvlaki, home made Italian pasta, churros, choc dipped strawberries, ice cream sundaes, loaded fries and much more. 

These talented Year 10 Commerce students will donate over $3000 to the Parramatta Womens Shelter. 

Krystal W & Kate H - Waugh House Prefects

On Friday 11 November, Senior School hosted the Year 7 Orientation Day for the incoming Year 7’s in 2023. They started off the day with 4 periods of AAS testing, which all girls diligently completed under test conditions. Followed by that was lunch and the much-anticipated introduction of the Senior School House Prefects for 2022/23!

The afternoon was filled with fun games and activities, which were led by the House Prefects and Staff in House groups. The rotations included, “Burning Questions”, “Get to Know You Games”, “Bag Tag Creation”, and “Drama Activities”. In particular, Waugh House enjoyed the games played in the gym where we encouraged teamwork and communication through two types of active games. We ended the afternoon by all heading to the Chapel foyer where the House Prefects performed our parody of the song “Time of our Lives” by Ne-yo. The House Prefects spent weeks preparing and memorizing lyrics, but it all paid off in the end where we saw the smiling faces of the Year 7’s afterwards and their enthusiasm. We then sadly had to part ways for the day, with many of the girls saying goodbye to their new-found friends and heading home with their parents with gift bags in hand. We would like to say a huge thank you to all the teachers who were involved with the detailed planning for the day, as it was a huge success.

Hannah - Community Prefect 

World Kindness Day is celebrated each year on November 13. The purpose of the day is to help everyone understand that compassion for others is what binds us together. This understanding has the power to bridge the gap between nations to create a unified world. 

To celebrate this day, I composed a poem that aims to spread the simple yet important message of Tara’s culture of kindness and the impact it has on others’ lives. Girls and staff from both Senior and Junior school were featured in the video sparking much surprise, enjoyment and thoughtful musings surrounding the importance of kindness. The bloopers shown in Tara Tube were also a highlight! Below is the poem - hope you enjoy.

The culture here at Tara

At its very core

Is one of love and kindness

Shown by all to all.

Once the seed is planted

Its roots reach far and deep

Yet all girls know that kindness

Can sometimes take a leap.

Though sometimes we lack courage,

And all seems but in vain

We rise by lifting others

Towards our common aim.

Kindness costs no money,

Yet sometimes its quite rare,

So here we try to act it out,

To show we truly care.

It always makes a difference

No matter how big or small

Even really rainy days,

Have rainbows after all.

So, a little bit of kindness

Sprinkled by me and you

Makes a world of difference

So that’s what we choose to do.

Imogen - Liaison Prefect 

On Saturday 12 November, twelve Tara Tigers volunteered to help at the Tara Dad’s Club Colour Run. The event was a great success with the girls throwing colour on participants, making fairy floss and popcorn as well as running around the course themselves. Certainly, getting very colourful in the process. Groups of girls were placed around Mouleric to throw the different colours on both children, adults and dogs! This was a really fun event for the girls to relax after their busy exam period and to support our community. 

The Tara Tigers team was a new initiative for the leadership team this year and has been successful for girls to attend events in support of the school and their peers. Tara Tigers is open for the senior grades as a way to foster school spirit by attending a variety of debating, sporting, musical and other community events. The Colour Run is just one of the many ways the Tara Tigers support the school and our peers. 

The keen readers in Senior School have been collecting mini book covers on a keyring to showcase their 2022 Personal Reading Journey. Forty-five students participated along with a few staff members, and almost 700 books were read in total. 

Congratulations to Year 7 who had the most participants of any year group.

The following participants have the most submissions in their year group:

Year 7: Kha-Thi

Year 8: Diba

Year 9: Holly H

Year 10: Kashvi

Staff: Mrs Carr

We encourage students and staff to create their own Personal Reading Journey next year. Keep a record of any books you read during the holidays and be ready to start submitting your entries at the start of Term 1, keep an eye on the Oliver home page for the submissions button.

Congratulations to Mila, Class of 2022, who has been successful in receiving an offer for the Bachelor of Accounting CoOp Scholarship at UTS starting in January 2023, valued at approximately $55,000.

Over 800 students applied for 28 positions. We are delighted with Mila’s hard work which has culminated in this prestigious offer. Mila took every opportunity that was available to her at Tara, including winning the Western Sydney University Blueprint Business idea competition when she was in Year 10, placing 3^rd in the State competition Plan Your Own Enterprise in Year 11, and serving Tara as the Community Prefect in Year 12.

A special thanks to Mrs Michelle Williams who helped Mila with her application. 

Cameron K - Touch Football Captain

Round 4

S02 Tara 1 vs Frensham 1, Loss, 0-9

S09 Tara 2 vs Pymble 7, Loss, 1-6

J03 Tara 3 vs Frensham 8, Win, 2-1

J07 Tara 4 vs Ravenswood 12, Draw, 2-2

J10 Tara 5 vs Pymble 14, Win, 5-2

Tara 01 - This week, the firsts team took the long trip to Frensham where we played a hard game of solid defence and improved attack. Next week we look to further develop attacking skills and strengthen defence.

Tara 02 - This weekend's game our team fought hard and played our best implementing all the skills and tactics we have been practicing at training. Communicating great on the field and showing our teamwork skills. This game was tough but allowed us to work as team incorporating the different skills we have been working on.

Tara 03 - Our game on Saturday had a great outcome. The game started off slowly but quickly sped up, our defence is an area of improvement for next week but we overall had a great outcome.

Tara 04 - Junior team played exceptionally at our game against Ravenswood. The score tied at 2-2, however the girls showed great teamwork and communicating skills with one another, as well as having a fun and challenging game.

Henrietta M-H - Water Polo Captain

Round 4

S04 Tara 1 vs Kincoppal Rose Bay 2, Loss, 3-13

J04 Tara 2 vs Ravenswood 3, Loss, 3-9

J06 Tara 3 vs Abbotsleigh 4, Loss, 0-17

Y703 Tara 4 vs PLC Sydney 5, Loss, 2-20

The Firsts - The waterpolo firsts had a very challenging game, Isabella K did a fabulous job holding up the defence whilst also helping the attack. Georgia H also saved some fabulous goals!

The Junior Firsts - Team 2 had a hard and demanding game, versing a rough opposition. Camille MH scored majority of the goals, whilst Gemma P and Diya H had some amazing saves!

Junior Seconds - The Junior seconds side worked hard throughout the entirety of the game resulting in lots of improvement in defence compared to last week

Year 7 - Our Year 7 team showed major improvement this week, working together and putting up a strong fight against a hard opposition, with Claire D scoring there goal!

Natalie E - Rowing Captain

On Saturday 12 November, the Tara Rowers competed in their first regatta of the season, the MLC School Regatta held in Iron Cove. With new crew selections (and a new Head Coach) we weren’t quite sure what to expect but we had our hopes high, which showed in our amazing results. The results included multiple second and third places and Year 8 Ella and Sinyee placing first in their double race. A huge congratulations to all of the girls for completing the first regatta of the season and we’re looking forward to seeing all of the fantastic results to come.  

All girls in Years 7-12 are encouraged to read this newsletter every week on the Canvas Careers page.

Careers Newsletter -  1 June 2023

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