Welcome to Term 2 from Mr Storrie - Head of Primary

It is wonderful to be a part of such a caring, thoughtful and dedicated community. I am constantly encouraged by what I see, hear and know about what happens around our College.

The end of Term 1 was challenging and tiring for everyone; families, students and staff. As exhausted as I was by the end of term, the rapidly changing times highlighted to me, a staff that was dedicated to continuing to provide a quality education, whilst maintaining prayer and concern for the students and their families. When things got hard, all the staff stepped up; Aides, Admin, Grounds Staff and Teachers. Everyone! Teachers had to adapt quickly to the changes and learn new skills overnight. I am grateful for what they have done and achieved and continue to achieve as well.

Most of the staff were able to have a break (of sorts) and recharge ready for Term 2. The teachers have also used the time to refine and improve their use of Schoolbox, as they continue to provide consistent, thoughtful learning opportunities for all students, whether at home or the College.

There are still unknowns ahead of us and as a College we will continue to keep you updated on any changes. We are journeying this together. It is here that I can honestly state… I am proud of my colleagues. I am proud of how the students have demonstrated resilience and have rolled with change and I am grateful to our parents and families for the support they have shown us. I am proud to be a part of this community.

Mr Rob Storrie

Head of Primary

Welcome to Term 2 from Mr Green - Head of Secondary

It has been exciting to learn of the possibility for our students to return to school for Term 2 very shortly. I have had many teachers express how much they are missing their classes, and nearly every student I have spoken to have expressed that they much prefer learning face to face at school in the ‘normal’ way. I trust families were able to refresh a little over the holidays and continue to pray for protection over our society from COVID 19.

I would like to thank all parents for your tremendous support in doing your absolute best to keep your children engaged in learning in the best way you could. We look forward to working with you again this term, to educate and help in the development of your children. Thank you again for entrusting Taree Christian College to work with you in this very important task. May God bless all families during Term 2. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me throughout the term.

Wayne Green

Head of Secondary

A big thank you

There has been a hive of activity on the College grounds, not only with the building works but also our hardworking maintenance staff have had their heads down in the holidays. The College grounds and gardens are looking wonderful. A big thank you to Nev, Tim, Merle, William and Sue for your dedication and hard work in keeping us safe and getting our College looking so wonderful.

Works Progress

The rain has pushed back the new Primary Building finish date until Oct 2020
The new Primary toilets will be finished by Week 2
Painting of the roofs is now done. Painting of external buildings has commenced and the painters will be here throughout the term. They will be finished by July.
Gardens have been weeded and the grounds are looking good
Some trees have been removed and new ones will be planted

Learning@Home

We return to Learning@Home for the beginning of Term 2. We have had around 70% of students Learning @ Home over these first few days of term.

Snippets from home -

From Students

Will completed some great work last term

Asa working from home last term

From Administration

Hard copy material is available for the beginning of Term 2, your child's teacher will have emailed you if this applies to your student. The Front Office is open from 8:30 am until 4:00 pm each day. If you are unable to make it during those hours, please phone the Front Office on 6539 0100 and we will assist where possible. Parents are not permitted to enter College grounds with the exception of the Front Office.

Remember we are here to help, don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher or the Front Office should you need assistance with Learning@Home.

Financial Update from Mr Kent- Business Manager

Since the onset of the Covid – 19 pandemic, the College has continued to operate and be available to our students and their families. Currently, there is a story doing the media rounds about the Commonwealth Government funding payments. Just to make it clear, we are receiving no additional funding but the regular funding normally paid each July will be received earlier, in two lump sums in May and June. We are of course grateful for this consideration.

During this difficult time, we have worked hard to continue to support our families whilst also meeting the College’s financial obligations to staff and creditors. The answer is a little more complex than just giving fee relief.

While we may save some costs in utilities etc. we have also incurred substantial additional costs in cleaning materials, casual cover for both academic and cleaning staff, and also additional educational resources such as software programs for online learning. Further to this, our salary obligations to staff continue despite the pandemic. As a College, we are not eligible to access new government support packages, including Jobkeeper. While we expect to see some minor savings in certain areas, these are unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in overall costs.

While many families have retained the ability to pay their fees, we are aware of a number who are struggling financially. Our desire is to provide support to those in our community who need it most. We are currently supporting families in need by offering to reduce or freeze payments for a period of time until we see what the future holds. We will continue to monitor this evolving situation. It is not our intention to increase debt burdens for families if at all possible.

We have also decided to honour all our contracts for our new building and improvements. Should you have any concerns regarding fees, please don't hesitate to contact our Family Accounts Manager, Melissa Thornhill.

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Schwenke

Our lovely secondary English teacher, Miss Tiernan Baldwin married Tom Schwenke on the 18th April at All Saints/ANeW Anglican Church New Lambton, in an online wedding with online interaction with their guests due to COVID-19 restrictions. We at TCC wish them much happiness and God's richest blessing on their marriage.

Secondary students have the opportunity to purchase something special for Mum this year

Creative Kids

More recipes from TCC to try with the kids

Thanks Keely for your recipe

Winter Uniforms

After the beautiful Autumn days we have had during the holidays the forecast is for cooler weather on the way. As in previous years, Week 1 and Week 2 are a transition time between uniforms. Students attending the College may wear either Summer or Winter uniform. However by Week 3 all students are to wear full Winter uniform.

You can purchase uniforms at WorkWise Clothing by vising their Taree store or their website www.workwiseclothingshop.com.au . In the interest of health and wellbeing, Workwise are encouraging use of their online order system. They offer 'In Store Pick Up' at either their Taree or Wingham shop fronts, delivery to the College or standard postage for all orders. The store is still open and operating as normal as possible during this time.

We at TCC appreciate working with WorkWise Clothing and we know they will continue to serve you.

Car Park and Kiss and Drop Works Finalised

The new Kiss and Drop and car park work is almost finalised, with only landscaping and final clean up to be completed. We are looking forward to when we return to full capacity and you can all see the improvements in action.

New Kiss and Drop student waiting area

New paths

New roundabout

The old Kiss and Drop is now a loading zone and for buses only

New disabled parking provided outside the Administration Office

School Banking

Message from Commonwealth Bank

The health, safety and wellbeing of our communities and our people remains our highest priority. Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, the School Banking program will remain on hold. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed with any updates including how we will be managing Dollarmite tokens for students.

In the meantime, here are some handy online resources for parents who wish to maintain momentum with their child’s financial education:

Start Smart: these resources have been created to improve children’s money management skills, and is aligned to the Australian Curriculum and the National Consumer Financial Literacy Framework.
The Beanstalk: offers videos and fun activities for children to learn about money.

TCC Diary

Week 1 - Silver Week

Week 2 - Gold Week

Week 3 - Silver Week