From Mr Marsh 

The start of Term 3 was highlighted by the performances of students in our two musicals. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Secondary School) and Seussical Jnr! (Junior School). They were outstanding productions in so many ways. The commitment and time given to the musical by the staff and students did not go unnoticed and certainly set the tone for the busy term that followed.

One of the highlights for me this term has been visiting the Junior School. The vibrancy and enthusiasm displayed by the students and the staff has been uplifting. I will leave Kylie Chacon to inform you of the many Term 3 events, but I would like to share a message I received from the Principal of a well regarded Sydney independent school after the IPSHA Music Concert in which TRAC was one of the few regional schools represented. Post the conference the principal took the time to send me an email. Here is part of the message:

 I was at the IPSHA performing arts concert last night at Sydney Town Hall. The performance of three of your girls (with their teacher accompanying) was the stellar performance of the night. They were humble, courageous and incredibly talented. They had the whole room silently stunned at the power of their performance. It was very moving. 

Well done to all at the Junior School for such a great term of fun and learning.

Term 3 is always an intense term academically for the older three years of the Secondary School. Congratulations to our School Captains and Vice Captains for 2023, who were presented to the school at the Principal's Assembly in Week 8.

Vice Captains -  Aleah Stone & Lachlan Wilknison

Captains - Boston McLeod & Rio Weidemann

Year 12 HSC and IB students completed their Trial Examinations and final assessments. Major works, oral examinations and performances  have been completed and/or submitted. They were farewelled in the last week and are now in the final stages of preparation for HSC and IB Examinations. 

Year 11 students completed their Preliminary Examinations and Year 11 IB Examinations. Essentially Year 11 return as Year 12 next Term and are now in their final 12 months of secondary schooling. Leadership voting took place towards the middle of Term 3 and all leadership positions will be announced at the Leadership Induction Service to start Term 4.

Year 10 students have chosen their subjects for Year 11 and 12. This is an exciting time for Year 10 because they are given the flexibility to choose nearly all of their subjects. They will complete their Year 10 courses early next term, sit their examinations and then begin the process of preparing for Year 11 and 2023.

Our Year 8 & 9 students have begun to settle into the rhythm of a “normal” school year. It is worth noting that due to the pandemic the first few years of high school for Years 8 & 9 have been disjointed and disrupted. This was a discussion point at a recent state-wide Principals conference. Many schools have noticed the increased demands on the need to socialize and support these year groups. TRAC Year 8 & 9 students have been no exception. I want to thank the staff and parents for all their work with these two cohorts over the last term. We are beginning to feel ‘back on track’ and are looking forward to working with Year 8 and 9 in Term 4.

Year 7 are beginning to settle into and feel more comfortable with College life. Contributing to their homeroom groups, classes and the school more broadly, they are beginning to form their own identity as a group and as individuals. Staff have collected and analyzed the performance data we have on Year 7 and targeted grouping will start to occur in some subject areas as they move into Year 8.

Year 8 students and parents attended an Information Evening focussing on elective choices for Year 9 & 10. This was a great chance for students to think about their preferred subject areas, consider their options, meet staff, and ultimately choose their electives for Year 9 and 10. These classes are nearly finalized and will be communicated to students and parents next term. 

We were hoping to have an update on the timeline for the next stages of the Masterplan ready for this newsletter. There has been a frenzy of activity behind the scenes and we intend to communicate the next stages of the projects as soon as we are able. Thank you for your patience, particularly as it relates to the school car park, drop-off and pick-up.

Finally, I wanted to thank all Secondary School parents in advance for their support of our approach to uniform for Term 4 and 2023. We understand that there has been and still are a range of views in our community on this issue. The school is now settled on our approach to uniform which will help staff and parents moving forward. 

Thanks to all for your ongoing support of our school and most importantly our students.

As always, have a safe and relaxing break.

Geoff Marsh

College Principal