Tara students proudly took part in commemorations across Sydney this ANZAC Day, honouring the service and sacrifice of those who have served our nation.

At the Parramatta Dawn Service, Head Girl Ellie and Deputy Head Girl Sarah had the incredible honour of delivering the Prayer for the Nation and the Prayer for the Australian Defence Force. It was a meaningful opportunity for our student leaders to represent Tara and contribute to an important community event of reflection and remembrance.

We extend our sincere thanks to Head of History, Christine Abadier, for helping secure this special opportunity for our students, and to Principal Adele Ramsay for attending the service in support of the girls.

We were also proud to have other Tara students involved in ANZAC Day services across Sydney, demonstrating respect, gratitude and a strong sense of community.

ANZAC Day provides an important moment for us all to pause, reflect and remember the courage, sacrifice and service of those who came before us.

Winterfest 2026 is fast approaching, with excitement building for what promises to be a fun-filled day for the whole family. Taking place on Saturday 20 June, planning is already well underway, and our dedicated Class Representative parents are busy preparing a wonderful range of stalls to delight the community.

Guests are encouraged to keep an eye on Tara Connect, with the food booking form set to open soon ensuring everyone can enjoy the delicious offerings available on the day.

Winterfest is a significant fundraising event for Tara Hub, and in 2026 we are proud to be supporting an exciting outdoor furniture project. This initiative aims to create welcoming and functional outdoor spaces with comfortable seating areas for students and the wider school community. These spaces will enhance everyday student life and provide opportunities for outdoor learning, lunchtime activities, long lunches, and year-level gatherings. Funds raised will also contribute to improvements within the Junior School, helping to create vibrant shared spaces for all to enjoy.

We warmly invite our community to support this important initiative. Contributions can be made through a tax-deductible donation to the Tara Anglican School for Girls Foundation Building Fund. For those interested in a deeper level of involvement, a range of sponsorship packages is also available.

If you would like to support Winterfest 2026 or learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jodie Doyle at jdoyle@tara.nsw.edu.au .

We look forward to seeing you there for a fantastic day of community spirit, celebration, and giving back.

On Thursday 30 April, Senior School students and their parents gathered in the Chapel for Beyond the Gates 2026, an inspiring evening designed to support students as they begin to consider life beyond school.

The event opened with a warm welcome, reflecting on the school’s commitment to encouraging, equipping and empowering girls to achieve, serve and thrive. At the heart of this vision is the aspiration that Tara students grow into women of substance, individuals of strong character who make a meaningful contribution to their communities and the wider world.

Guests then enjoyed an engaging panel discussion, expertly hosted by alumna Hannah Meagher (Class of 2006), an accomplished journalist and senior producer with the ABC. Hannah led a dynamic and insightful conversation with a diverse group of alumnae spanning multiple graduating years and career paths.

Panelists shared honest reflections on their journeys since leaving Tara, emphasising that career paths are rarely linear. From pivots across industries to unexpected opportunities, each speaker reinforced the importance of curiosity, resilience and a willingness to embrace change. Students heard that it is not necessary to have all the answers early on growth often comes through experience, challenge and exploration.

A recurring theme throughout the evening was purpose. While some speakers described clear vocational direction, others spoke candidly about still discovering their path. This honesty resonated strongly, reminding students that fulfilment can evolve over time and that success is not defined by a single trajectory.

The panel also highlighted the value of character - perseverance, adaptability and integrity, as essential qualities for navigating both professional and personal challenges. Alumnae reflected on how their time at Tara helped build the confidence to take risks, face setbacks and continue moving forward.

Following the panel, students and parents had the opportunity to engage more personally with Alumnae, asking questions and gaining further insights into a wide range of careers and life experiences.

Beyond the Gates once again proved to be a powerful and inspiring event, leaving students encouraged to embrace opportunity, remain open to possibility and step confidently into their futures.

Our Year 1 students recently enjoyed an exciting excursion to Buffalo Creek Reserve, where learning extended beyond the classroom and into the natural environment.

Throughout the day, the girls explored the reserve with curiosity and enthusiasm, observing the plants, wildlife and natural features around them. The excursion provided a valuable opportunity for students to connect their classroom learning with real-world experiences and deepen their understanding of the environment.

Students also enjoyed spending time together outdoors, asking questions, making discoveries and sharing in the experience as a group.

It was a wonderful day of learning, exploration and connection with nature, and a memorable experience for our Year 1 students.

Day 2 commenced with a visit to Government House, the residence of the Governor-General, where students learned about the four key roles of the Governor-General: ceremonial, community, constitutional, and Commander-in-Chief. Visits to the Museum of Australian Democracy and the National Electoral Education Centre further enriched their understanding, as students explored leadership, people power, and the importance of every vote in Australia’s system of government. An audience with the Ambassador at the Spanish Embassy provided a valuable opportunity for our girls to showcase their Spanish language skills and learn more about Spain. The day concluded with a fun visit to the movies, where we had the entire cinema to ourselves.

A highlight of the final day was a visit to Parliament House. Students toured the House of Representatives and the Senate before taking part in a parliamentary role-play, turning a bill into a law. This engaging experience brought their classroom learning about representative democracy vividly to life.

On several occasions during our trip, members of the public commented on the exemplary behaviour of the Tara girls, while venue presenters praised their knowledge and ability to ask thoughtful, relevant questions. Throughout the excursion, our students represented Tara with maturity, enthusiasm, curiosity, and kindness, embracing every opportunity to learn, explore, and reflect on their role as informed young citizens.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians visiting the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families with the cost of the excursion, the Government contributed $30 per student to our school through the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program. This rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion and has been deducted from the overall cost of the trip billed through the Activities and Resources Levy.

Congratulations to our Tara girls: Chelsea, Stefeni, Mia and Emilie who competed at the NSWPSSA Swimming Championship combining every school from the government, Catholic and independent sectors in NSW.

Not only were these girls the first ever Tara relay team to make NSWPSSA, but they also placed 3rd. All of the top 3 teams broke the previous NSWPSSA record for the Junior Girls Relay with the Tara girls swimming 2:16:19, smashing the previous record of 2:18:24.

Chelsea also competed individually in the 8-10 years 50m Butterfly and placed 4th overall. She will go through to the SSA (School Sport Australia) National Championships to compete in Melbourne in November.

This is such a huge achievement, as girls have had to progress through the highly competitive IPSHA and CIS pathways to make NSWPSSA. We are so proud of you girls!

Congratulations Nataliya (Year 6), for her incredible achievement in Rugby League, making it in the IPSHA Rugby League team. We are particularly excited for her, as she is the first Tara Student to make it to this level!

Our first Dignity Dishes cook for Term 2 saw approximately 18 girls from Years 9-12 come and prepare 80 meals for those disadvantaged in our community.

Tara's association with Dignity is in its 5th year and we are fast approaching 2000 meals!

This year we have been extremely fortunate to receive sponsorship from some local businesses in the North Rocks area who have come on board to help us with the cost of ingredients.

In the past, we have relied on the generosity of others through fundraisers within the School.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the following businesses from North Rocks Shopping Centre who are supplying us with ingredients free of charge each fortnight:

With the price of groceries on the rise, these donations have been very welcome.

The need in the community is increasing each year, and we wanted to give a "shout out" to these businesses for their generosity & support.
As always, we are very appreciative of all the girls, including Ms Lachet, who give up their free time each fortnight to ensure that this service activity continues to grow here at Tara.

Our Year 11 Drama students recently presented a performance of The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race by acclaimed Australian playwright Melanie Tait.

Set in a small country town, the play explores themes of equality, tradition and community through a story filled with humour, heart and strong character dynamics. It provided students with the opportunity to engage with contemporary Australian theatre while developing their skills in performance and characterisation.

Throughout the rehearsal process, students worked hard to bring the script to life, refining their stagecraft, collaboration and confidence as performers. Their dedication was evident in the final performance, which entertained audiences while also encouraging reflection on the play’s important themes.

Congratulations to our Year 11 Drama students on a thoughtful and engaging production.

Our Year 9 students recently took part in a dynamic PDHPE Day, exploring different forms of movement as they prepare for their upcoming unit, The Greatest Show.

Throughout the day, students participated in sessions including wheelchair basketball, circus arts, hip hop and self-defence. Each experience challenged students to think differently about the ways the body can move, perform and adapt.

The program encouraged students to step outside their comfort zones, try something unfamiliar and build confidence through new experiences. It also provided a valuable foundation for their upcoming studies, helping students connect practical learning with the themes of their unit.

It was wonderful to see students approach the day with enthusiasm and an open mind, embracing every opportunity to learn and participate.

Check out our socials to see this awesome day AND MORE!

Isabel, Eden and Ella, 2026 FPS Captain
Mr Mark Swainson, Gifted Education Coordinator

Throughout Term 1, 13 teams from Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 completed the first Practice Problem of the Future Problem Solving FPS 2026 season. Working within a future scenario in which invasive species had come to dominate the environment, each team identified sixteen key problems emerging from this world. The girls then analysed these challenges to determine the most significant underlying issue and developed sixteen innovative and futuristic solutions to address it.

The girls demonstrated excellent achievement this term, with seven of the 13 teams placing first in their booklet category and a further five teams placing second. In addition, two individual participants were ranked first and second respectively in their booklet category. We are extremely proud of all participants, particularly our newer teams, for their sustained effort, strong collaboration and thoughtful problem solving throughout the term.

Tara Anglican School for Girls proudly celebrated the participation of its students in the Harvard World Schools ANZ Debating Competition 2026, held on April 18–19, where our debaters joined over 55 teams from across Australia and New Zealand in a highly competitive and intellectually rigorous tournament. Across the two days, our Year 8B team demonstrated impressive growth in their confidence, critical thinking, and collaborative skills, rising to the challenge of impromptu topics and fast-paced preparation. Their engagement in this prestigious competition not only showcased their developing rhetorical abilities but also highlighted their capacity to think globally, argue persuasively, and perform under pressure, marking a significant step forward in their debating journey.

Whilst out debaters did not make it through to the finals rounds they enjoyed a fabulous opportunity!

Congratulations to Zoe (Year 10) who competed at the 2026 Junior Track National Championships towards to end of March. She raced amazingly, achieving the following results:

We wish Zoe all the best in her races to come.

Huge congratulations to our Tara girls who competed in the 2026 Australian Youth Water Polo Championships in Brisbane over the school holidays!

With more than 240 teams from across the country, this incredible event showcased the very best of youth water polo. We are so proud to have had four Tara students representing their clubs at a national level: Bella (Year 7), Scarlett (Year 8), Carissa (Year 9) and Lia (Year 9).

A special shoutout to Lia, who was the number one goal scorer of the entire competition—an outstanding achievement!

Our Swimming@Tara Team would also love to extend their congratulations. Bella, Carissa and Lia do extra water training session 3-4 times week with Coach Peter who helps keep their swimming fitness levels up in Squads and Power Hour!

Three Tara dance students recently took part in an exciting dance experience, working alongside industry professionals to choreograph and perform four dances across two days at the IGSA Dance Festival.

Throughout the program, students had the opportunity to learn from experienced performers and choreographers, developing their skills while gaining valuable insight into the creative process. Their commitment and enthusiasm were evident as they collaborated, rehearsed and prepared for the final performances.

The result was an outstanding showcase of talent, energy and hard work. It was wonderful to see our students embrace the opportunity and perform with such confidence.