Tara staff have been working hard to organise events so that the achievements of students can be celebrated safely. In recent times our regular opportunities to come together to do this as a school, such as weekly Assemblies, termly Prizes and Awards Assemblies, House Meetings, Year Meetings, and Chapel, have been adjusted to keep everyone safe. Strategies such as breaking into smaller groups, using different venues, and utilising technology have provided the best possible acknowledgement of students and ongoing celebration of our cultural artefacts. The creativity and resourcefulness of Tara staff and student leaders to ensure we can still celebrate all things ‘Tara’ has been astounding and a testament to their amazing abilities.

We are approaching the time of year when traditionally some of our most significant events are held. The Leadership Commissioning Service for Year 11 students formally transitions Tara young women into leaders of the Senior School student body for the coming year. Also, we farewell our Year 12 students through Valedictory events as they end formal day to day schooling and make final preparations for their HSC Examinations and life beyond Tara. Planning for these events has been impacted by the current restrictions placed on us by health and safety guidelines associated with COVID-19. But just as we have done with so many other Tara events, we are holding these celebrations in a manner that honours Tara students and maintains the safety of all.

The Leadership Commissioning Service will still be held as scheduled on 16 September. At present we are unable to have parents and carers on site for this. It will be held in the Tara Chapel and involve most of the traditional rituals associated with this important acknowledgement of their new role in the school, with some modifications to cater for the safety restrictions in place. The entire event will be recorded with access provided to parents and carers shortly after the conclusion of the service. 

As previously communicated, the Year 12 Valedictory Dinner and Year 12 Formal have been postponed to 11 and 16 November respectively, after the conclusion of the HSC Examinations. We are hopeful these events will progress as planned, however, the Valedictory week at the end of this term still promises to be a wonderful time of celebration for Year 12. With the greatest of care most of the ‘in house’ events traditionally run during this week will still take place and generate wonderful memories for Tara students. The culmination of the week, a student only Assembly, will be held outside in the beautiful Senior School Colonnade and feature many of the ‘rights of passage’ associated with Year 12 leaving Tara, as well as some creative additions. Parents and carers are unfortunately unable to attend, however, the event will be recorded and access provided to parents and carers shortly afterwards.

All of our planning continues to be updated as changes to guidelines and restrictions are made available to us. We will keep everyone informed as scheduled events evolve in response. Thank you for your support as we strive to celebrate safely and provide the young women of Tara with the best possible experiences at such important points in their lives.

Monday highlighted the value of Making Connections with family, friends, teachers, and members of the broader community. Interactive team games promoted this concept through cross House Mentor Groups.

Tuesday activities involved the creation of a Gratitude Garden designed to elicit from both students and staff a personal reflection on positive aspects of their lives. These responses were expressed as “planting” a paper flower. For some, adding “bling” to their flowers provided an opportunity for further personal expression and creativity. Sunshine, winter warmth and music on the Colonnade throughout the day provided positive conditions for the Gratitude Garden to flourish and grow.

Wednesday shifted emphasis to the value of Physical Activity as a means to promoting a sense of healthy wellbeing as well as being an effective stress buster! By wearing sports uniform for the day, students were well placed to participate in a range of physical activities on the Colonnade. Involvement in “Just Dance” proved to be the focus of activities while throwing balls, kicking balls, running, basketball and even some form of Irish Dancing were also part of this day.

Thursday emphasised the importance of Self Care and allowing time for relaxation. A populist option with students was the chance to watch “Frozen Two” on the big screen in the Colonnade area. 

Friday focused on the value of Serving Others hopefully promoting positive outreach and personal satisfaction. In conjunction with the conclusion of the Winter Campaign in Chapel, Year 10 girls from the SRC distributed cards developed by SRC members. The cards were supplemented with treats planned to highlight the key themes of the week and hopefully bring joy to Senior School students through this act of service.

At a time when there is an increased focus on the importance of fostering healthy wellbeing, there is no doubt that Wellbeing@Tara Week was a timely and positive experience.

The following article by Sienna E, member of Year 10 SRC, provides a student’s perspective on Wellbeing@Tara Week 2020.

"Throughout the week Tara students have been celebrating ‘Wellbeing @Tara Week’. Mental, physical and spiritual welfare are fundamental in order for the girls to thrive both academically and socially. Monday came under the theme of ‘making connections’, switching up mentor groups for the day in order to initiate new friendships and promote the importance of building positive relationships for our mental health. On Tuesday the girls exercised gratitude, another endorphin releaser, creating a beautiful flower garden by writing something they were grateful for on each flower. Critical for both physical and mental health, the students worked up a sweat by doing Just Dance on Wednesday, followed by taking time for self-care via watching a movie at lunch on Thursday. To end the week, together we promoted the Tara value of Service, altruism not only helping others but increasing our own happiness, concluding the Love Your Neighbour Winter Campaign." 

Each Mentor Group has been exploring an aspect of this section with a view to creating a video to be presented to their cohort outlining key points and helpful ideas in the following areas:

• How Do I Manage My Time?
• How Can I Prepare For Exams?
• How Can I Improve My Time Management?
• How Do I Organise My Study Sessions?
• What Are Some Useful Study Strategies? 

Parents and guardians are encouraged to learn more about the material provided in this section of “Managing Me” with a view to assisting those in their care in establishing effective habits in managing their studies.

The following graphics, taken from the “Focusing on Academics” section provide a brief insight into the types of information available as part of this resource.   

As always, Mentors, Year Coordinators, the Dean of Learning 7-10, the Wellbeing Facilitator as well as the Director of Student Wellbeing are always available to support the girls as they navigate these aspects of their High School experience at Tara.

He is determined to live his best life and complete his HSC in 2020 despite missing nine months of school.

We would like to invite the Tara community to join in the Ride with Richter Fitness Challenge to help purchase vital equipment and modify his home for wheelchair access. 

Please register now for this three week challenge which started on 29 August at the events page of ridewithrichter.org 

Choose your own fitness activity and set your own goals. A great way to get the whole family active and support Alex to live his best life.

Hear from Alex here.

Students can collect a participant pack from the Junior School Library.

Students are asked to seek sponsorship for the books they read during the readathon.

Sponsors are asked to make all payments online at https://readathon2020.tear.org.au/tara 

All proceeds go to the work of TEAR Australia, in particular projects that support basic education. 

Unit 1, 4 Solwood Lane, Blackburn VIC 3130 

Post: PO Box 164, Blackburn VIC 3130 

Phone: 03 9264 7000 or 1800 244 986 (Free call) 

For further information on student participation please refer to the Readathon letter here.

For information on TEAR Australia please click here.

The Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is home to the Powerful Owl, Australia’s largest owl and a current member of the threatened species list. 

During our visit to Bobbin Head, we split into “COVID safe” groups to work as scientists to learn about the features of the Powerful Owl, its habitat and its role in the natural environment. We explored three different forest types and used a range of scientific tools to investigate the physical environment and how adaptations of livings things, including the owl, help them to survive there. 

We decided to take an informal approach towards this competition, where topics revolving around current issues such as “Quarantine: A blessing in disguise?” and “Is Kylie Jenner a self-made billionaire?” allowed girls to think outside the box and incorporate personal experiences and perspectives into their speeches. A phenomenal standard of speeches were produced and Ms Divitale, Charlotte and I have enjoyed listening to the topics. A big congratulations to Isabella (Junior) and Serena (Senior) for winning their divisions. 

In June and July of this year, students from Year 10 and Year 11 also had the opportunity to represent various countries in the EVATT Mini - Model United Nations Competition in an  online format. 

The girls worked on a range of theory activities, covering content on the classification of injuries, sports policies and the various demands of specific athletes. They also had the opportunity to practice sports taping techniques on one another, specifically focused on the ankle, wrist and thumb. We thank Paula for sharing her expertise and all students are commended on the level of enthusiasm and energy they maintained throughout a long and busy day! 

Jessica reflects on her choice of Mr David Janzen as her subject (Head of Christian Studies and Science teacher).

“When I was in Year 7, I used to catch the bus most afternoons. I was curious, inquisitive and naïve. I had so many questions about the world, and no one to ask them to! But Mr Janzen was a teacher that authentically answered all my queries about the world, with honesty and hope. I appreciated the fact that he treated all his students with respect and care, even when we were not the most focused students! 

Mr Janzen is leaving Tara at the end of the term, I’m going to really miss him. I’m going to miss the deep conversations, the Covid Chats, the memes and the memories. DJ is truly a one of a kind teacher, whose kindness and heart for others transcends beyond the marking criteria or assessment task. 

My work aims to reflect the kindness that DJ shows to his students, through my colour palette and use of impasto medium to provide texture and warmth to his face. He has left a significant impression on me as a learner and I wish him all the best in his new role.”

Elaine reflects on the creative process and the choice to paint her father.

“I decided to paint my dad for this assessment, because he has always been a huge inspiration for me, in every area of my life, so naturally, he became my muse for this artwork. I learnt so much about painting, and I was able to improve my skills with the help of Mrs Kamanga. I am proud of my development in visual arts this term.” 

Sydney reflects on her artwork subject.

“I have chosen to paint my grandmother as she has always brought a warm presence to every stage of my life.  She has played a large role in my life and I wanted to thank her for her kindness with this portrait. 

Throughout this unit, we have developed our portraiture skills and how to communicate the subject’s character through composition, colour and style.”

It was difficult at first, but we kept coming up with new strategies and finding patters which helped us solve the problem. We observed that:

• One of the cubes will be in the middle where we can’t see it.
• The cubes in the corners will be on 3 faces and the ones in the middle will be on only one.
• If a colour was in a corner, the next row it would be the edge piece. Except for one diagonal row where it would take turns being in the middle.

After puzzling over the cubes for a while, we finally came up with a solution! It was interesting to see all the different approaches to solving the cube. Some girls modelled it, some drew each perspective and one person created a net.

“Our strategy was to initially create a base with all the colours. After this we came to the realisation that each cube had to be shown on six faces in total. For example, we put a black cube on two corners which totaled to six faces. For example, we put a black cube on two corners which totaled to six faces. With the third black cube, we put that one in the exact center which meant it wasn't seen. For other colours such as pink we put it in random spots such as an edge (two faces) and a corner (three faces) and then the middle (one face). By ensuring that these cubes were shown on six faces in total, it allowed for us to solve the problem correctly.”

The Year 10s, including Lara, Emma, Cherie, Georgia, Guinevere ( Year 10 B), Jessica,  Sienna, Evelyn and Jessica S (Year 10 A)  debated the topic of 'John Howards legacy should be centered around his economic achievements,' with both teams winning and progressing to the quarter final rounds! This was the girls first history debate, in which they learnt impromptu analytical skills, as well as the value of historians in a debate.

The Year 11 teams debated that 'Cleopatra betrayed Egypt," with the Tara A team (Siena, Aneesa, Dhara and Alexandra) progressing to the quarter finals as well! Both Year 11 Tara A and B (Alana, Zoe, Sophie and Mary-Claire) learnt about the bias of ancient Roman sources, while challenging ourselves to question history and its accuracy as time progresses.

Both teams had prior mock debates against each other in preparation, which worked in favour for both teams, as we learnt to collaborate, and interact with possible opposition points to anticipate the nature of the real debate. 

Best of luck to all of the teams in their future debates!