Jasmine (5 Alex):

I used to think Pilates was gymnastics.

I now think Pilates involves stretching your muscles, yoga poses and that it improves muscle pain.

My favourite part of the session was the eagle pose and spine stretches which prevent back pain.

Ella (5 Tuesday):

I used to think Pilates was modified yoga.

I now think it is another way of strengthening, stretching and relaxing. 

My favourite part of the session was the bent pencil poses. It strengthens your core and increases your flexibility. My friend next to me went all the way backwards.

Jada (5 Tuesday):

I used to think Pilates was using weights and that it was a speed workout.

I now think it is a way to stretch out your body and muscles.

My favourite part of the session was all of it!

I was excited because we were going on an excursion. We were going on a coach to Thornleigh Gold Centre and my mum was coming. It would be so much fun. It was also hard but the teachers were helping us so it turned out great. On the coach it was a bit bumpy. It took a bit of time to get the ball in the hole. Also it was still fun to try and get the ball in the hole. It was all the force I could do. The more force the further the ball went. I had so much fun. The ride on the coach was a little bit bumpy back to school. I had a great time. By Alexis (2 Zola)

Today I woke up at 7:14am and I was really excited. The reason I was excited was because my dad, came as a magnificent volunteer on our excursion.  When I got to school, we marked the roll. Next, we caught the bus to Thornleigh Golf Centre. When we arrived I was elated. At first, we sat together and were put into group one and group two. We did putt putt and it was as good as gold. After putt putt, we had recess and swapped groups. Next, we went to the driving range and I was partnered with Emma. For the driving range we used a big force. Our goal was to get our ball past the blue flag and I tried my best. Then it was over. When I went on the bus again to go back to school, I sat with Celine and we played a game called ‘I Spy’. We looked out the window for a dog, a church, a blue car and lots more. I had a wonderful and incredible day! By Harper (2 Sofia)

Congratulations to our Cross Country Champions and Runners-Up for 2022:

Sub Junior Champion: Eloise R

Runner Up: Diya A

Junior Champion: Chelsea H

Runner Up: Cleo F

Girls participated in preparatory activities in Mentor time, lessons and Year Meetings in Terms 4, 2021 & Term 1, 2022 including: gaining an understanding of Work, Health & Safety; understanding how to talk on the phone; planning their transport online; researching related tertiary courses; making a good first impression and planning appropriate attire. All girls received a personalised Work Experience Folder for their employer and were allocated a supervising teacher, whom girls contacted, if they had any concerns.

All girls returned to School safely, eager to talk about their week at work, some loving their experience and eager to focus on their studies and others not sure if that career is for them.

The success of the Program can be seen by the comments from many girls:

I loved it, I found this very useful and it opened my eyes to new career path.

I believe that work experience has made me see that there is a lot of preparation work to make something happen. The more preparation the better and smoother things go, so I think I will apply it to my school work.

It has confirmed for me that improving my studies over the next two years is extremely important to ensure I have as much choice as possible for career options.

I learnt that I would actually consider teaching as a future career, beforehand I never thought I would enjoy it.

I really liked work experience. I got to try every aspect of the science field and loved being able to handle actual tumour tissue, which was really cool. I did a variety of different activities at the lab including making my own cell lines, extracting DNA and RNA from tumour samples and more. I also watched a seminar, joined in on meetings and helped prepare teaching materials. I think it has influenced a more positive attitude towards work and my future.

I loved everything about it and also received a promotion to continue working there so I am very excited to continue on this path in Pharmacy. I had a great time learning new things which I can apply later in life. It has really motivated and also inspired me to work hard in School but also balance my life out. It has now made me want to work harder for what I want to achieve after School. I have learnt about hard work and dedication and that I can actually achieve things without having to doubt myself through the experience.

Many employers praised the girls' confidence, positive attitude, maturity and perceptive questions. See the following comments from employers and supervising teachers:

She was a pleasure to have here. She was enthusiastic, well mannered and up to any task we gave her. Her self-management was excellent as she was able to find things to do without being asked.

Happy to have her back anytime! She presented with a positive attitude every day.

A great worker who worked quietly and offered to help with other tasks. A quick learner and very efficient.

She showed enthusiasm in her early childhood career path as she wanted to know the qualifications required to work in this sector. She showed confidence and understanding of her work experience requirements.

She proved adept at taking on new tasks and was eager for exposure. She has proven to be a likable and clever girl, who has the world at her feet. We feel confident she will accomplish great things.

It has a pleasure to host this student for her work experience. She has been enthusiastic about the many aspects of the Library’s work. One thing that stood out, was her capacity to shift between tasks quickly. She has impressive listening skills and good humour. We hope this is the beginning of a long engagement with the Library.

She was an exemplary student. She was willing and flexible to fit into a difficult production week for us, she actively contributed to work and took initiative on tasks.

Her appearance, attitude and flexibility in a range of environments were remarkable. She demonstrated a high level of enthusiasm and knowledge in a variety of tasks. She went above and beyond in any way she saw possible and brought a positive energy that was noticed by all staff at the school.

She was great with animals and staff alike, polite with the public and proactive even on menial tasks. She will be a great addition to any work team.

I am very proud to have coordinated this invaluable learning experience. I wish to thank the parents of Year 10, Mrs Chaiban, the girls' Mentors, Mr Baker, Mrs Haddad and Mrs Strauss for their contribution to this exciting program.

The Tara Basketball teams that had indoor games were thrilled to get back on the court for Round 1 after a long hiatus. The Tara 2nds had a great start to their game against Frensham. Charlotte M demonstrated her versatility on the court, playing a key role both offensively and defensively, frequently getting steals and creating fast break opportunities. Rhema C and Marisa S also had had a great game, both showing off their fancy footwork to get around the defence. Unfortunately, the team were unable to come away with a win against a well experienced opponent. In the Junior 1st Leila O and Jemima B were a brilliant duo offensively, frequently weaving around the strong defence. Chelsea C also played a key role with her short and sharp passes, ensuring that all her teammates were involved in the game. Towards the end of the game the opponents were able to pull away and unfortunately the game ended in a loss. The 1st Year 7 team had a fabulous game against MLC with a win by 30 points! The depth of the team was on display with several girls scoring for the team. Ella J, Sukhmani K and Nikki Y were incredibly efficient offensively and Christine M was brilliant at stopping the opponent from scoring. I look forward to seeing how all our teams begin to improve in the coming weeks as they become more confident on the court.

Basketball Round 2

• S02 Tara 1 vs Pymble 2, Loss, 27-40
• S08 Tara 2 vs Kincoppal Rose Bay 3, Loss, 7-32
• S11 Tara 3 vs BYE
• S12 Tara 4 vs SCEGGS 3, Tara forfeit
• S15 Tara 5 vs BYE
• J03 Tara 6 vs Pymble 9, Loss, 21-40
• J09 Tara 7 vs Meriden 10, Win, 50-12
• J11 Tara 8 vs Meriden 11, Win, 29-2
• J12 Tara 9 vs Ravenswood 11, Loss, 14-32
• J14 Tara 10 vs Ravenswood 12, Loss, 8-26
• J15 Tara 11 vs Abbotsleigh 30, Win, 26-8
• J15 Tara 12 vs Ravenswood 14, Loss, 16-19
• Y704 Tara 13 vs Wenona 12, Loss, 8-36
• Y707 Tara 14 vs Danebank 7, Loss, 16-22

The Tara 1st team improved immensely during their second game against Pymble. Whilst the team started off a little slow due to the cool temperatures, by the second half we were on fire! The team was highly successful offensively with 5/6 of the players scoring. Anika P had a brilliant game defensively, learning throughout the game to position herself between the offensive player and the basket, ultimately deterring them from scoring. Keisha R was unstoppable offensively on multiple occasions breaking the full court press and driving in towards the basket. Olivia H also had a fabulous game, chasing down the defence during fast breaks and diving on any lose balls to ensure that we gained control. 

It was impressive to see a number of girls staying back after their first game to fill in for the Tara 4s team who unfortunately had several players away. Whilst the game was ultimately a forfeit, all girls played as if it was a grand final putting in 100% effort. Toby W is a future star on the court, showing off her advanced dribbling skills throughout the game. Tess M also had a splendid game, frequently jumping over the defence to pull down the rebounds for the team. Thank you to all the girls who stayed back to fill in, we all appreciate your sportsmanship!

The Tara 7s team had a cracker of a game successfully beating Meriden by 38 points! The whole team demonstrated their defensive ability keeping the opposition to just 6 points. Diya H was a standout player scoring a large proportion of the goals and Holly M showed off her passing ability. The Tara 12s also had a successful game with both Taylor J and Maia L demonstrating their ability to outsmart the opposition by getting several steals. Gemma W had a brilliant game rebounding and Amy R was unstoppable offensively. The game was a nail biter for all spectators and unfortunately the girls lost by just three points, going down to Ravenswood 16-19.

The Tara 13s were up against a strong Wenona, but were able to maintain their composure throughout the match. Nikki Y completed her layups to perfection on the court and Agatha H showed off her stamina sprinting up and down the court even in the last few minutes of the game. Ella J and Wynne Y were both outstanding offensively, often working together to outsmart the defence. 

All teams should be extremely proud of how they played, especially as it has only been our second week. All the best for the coming rounds!

Basketball Round 3

• S02 Tara 1 vs Kambala 1, Loss, 12-37
• S08 Tara 2 vs Kambala 2, Win, 16-10
• S11 Tara 3 vs Kincoppal Roswe Bay 4, Loss, 16-43
• S12 Tara 4 vs BYE
• S15 Tara 5 vs Ascham 3, Win, 24-17
• J03 Tara 6 vs Kambala 5, Win, 34-20
• J09 Tara 7 vs PLC Sydney 8, Win, 52-22
• J11 Tara 8 vs SCEGGS 7, Win, 28-10
• J12 Tara 9 vs Pymble 14, Win, 46-4
• J14 Tara 10 vs Loreto Normanhurst 23, Loss, 2-51
• J15 Tara 11 vs Loreto Normanhurst 24, Loss, 10-45
• J15 Tara 12 vs Ravenswood 13, Loss, 10-52
• Y704 Tara 13 vs Brigidine 12, Loss, 12-24
• Y707 Tara 14 vs BYE

Sarah D - Basketball Captain

Football Round 1

• S04 Tara 1 vs Frensham 2, WET
• S08 Tara 2 vs Frensham 5, WET
• Y702 Tara 3 vs Frensham 10, WET

Football Round 2

• S04 Tara 1 vs St Catherine’s 2, Win, 2-0
• S08 Tara 2 vs Abbotsleigh 6, Loss, 0-9
• Y702 Tara 3 vs Danebank 4, Loss, 0-9

On 7 May, Tara football participated in IGSA Pinks Socks Sports round. This is an IGSA wide initiative in hopes to spread awareness and raise money for the Breast Cancer Network Australia. It was great to see so many girls support this foundation through wearing their pink football socks. The Tara 1st Football team had a tough first game at Tara against St Catherine’s. It was a close match up the whole game, but Tara was able to pull away with a two goal lead; both of which were scored by Navika G. Then it was the Tara 2nd’s and 3rd’s team first time playing together as a team and they worked hard to communicate with each other on the field. Faith W made some awesome saves in the goal in Team 2 and both teams fought incredibly hard to stay in the match, but however weren’t able to get a win this week. Congratulations all teams for your hard work and good luck for your matches in the coming weeks. 

Football Round 3

• S04 Tara 1 vs Kambala 1, WET
• S08 Tara 2 vs Pymble 6, WET
• Y702 Tara 3 vs Ascham 7, WET