HouseNews

I was delighted to share in the Secondary Assembly last Friday my appreciation of the initiative demonstrated by our Year 12 House Captains in arranging weekly competitions toward the House Cup 2020. Congratulations. As I noted in the Assembly, it is beholden on each HSC cohort and leadership team over the years to find their edge and tweak an existing activity or create something new; this is what drives our evolving history. Similarly, it does not fall only to the HSC cohort but rather everyone at Pittwater House to use their initiative and creative drive to ensure we are all making our School the richer for their engagement. In this vein it is good to see a new group of SRC representatives who will work with the SRC Prefects Callum and Duncan on a range of ideas emanating from each year group. These activities are all a part of us shaping our community with widespread engagement, team spirit and just a hint of competition!

Whilst this is proving the most challenging of years, requiring extreme vigilance, it is also a time when we should be practising gratitude and counting our blessings. Unity must sustain us, and we must all work together for the community’s benefit. The often-breath-taking beauty of the northern beaches should not be lost on us. I hope we all take every opportunity to look up as we go about our daily activities. The sea, sky, flora and fauna are all there for us to acknowledge and appreciate. Eyes off the screens! Let us celebrate our environment each day.

I have spoken of a return to a simpler life through this COVID period. I continue to urge each family to make time for conversation, exercise and activities as a family unit. I am confident such times will be treasured by your children at a point long in the future when, as parents themselves, they will reflect on coping skills you demonstrated and how special this time with you really was.

Please remember we are here to support you and your children. Do be in contact with us: Heads of School, Counselling team, Year level coordinators, Form or Class teachers if you are in any way concerned with your children’s wellbeing.

With my best wishes for all the coming weeks allow.

The Maths Study Centre for Years 7-12 occurs on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Library from 3:30 – 4:20pm. 

On Tuesday 4 August, the SRC encouraged students and staff to come to school dressed in their pyjamas to increase their awareness and raise funds for programs for young children who for one reason or another, are not able to live with their parents. The SRC student representatives will count the donations in their meeting time tomorrow.

Further opportunity for a change from school uniform will be presented with the annual Book Character Parade on 26 August, and, fingers crossed for fine weather leading up to our adjusted Athletics Carnivals on 11 August for K-2 and 13 August for Years 3-6.

The opportunity to zoom with the class teacher in the post report period is vital and I urge any parent who did not take the opportunity in Week 2 to meet with their child’s class teacher, to make an appointment to do so. Goal setting for Semester 2 is a great collaborative exercise between the teacher and parent, keeping the lines of communication open and future learning as the shared focus. 

What an exciting and inspirational start we have had to Term 3. Since we have returned to the 'new normal' we have had several talented musicians perform at our weekly assemblies. These students have presented repertoire from Schumann (1800) to Bailey (2000) on Trumpet, Clarinet, Saxophone and Piano. thank you to Yarra (C8), Luke (G7), Lara (C10) and Emily (C12) for their wonderful performances.

Major Production – High School Musical On Stage! (Years 7 to 11 in 2021)

High School Musical – Lead and Supporting roles announced. Congratulations to all the students who will be participating in our 2021 Major Production of High School Musical either on stage or behind the scenes.

This year we have had more than 120 students wanting to be involved with fifty students auditioning for a lead or featured role. These auditions were conducted in front of a panel of staff that represent the Performing Arts and TAS faculties as well as the Heads of School. The staff were impressed with the outstanding skill and professionalism that all the students displayed resulting in multiple call backs and many hours of discussion.

We are pleased to announce the following students have received a key role in the 2021 Pittwater House Production of High School Musical: Tessa (C10), Aiden (G8), Veronica (C8), Jayden (G9), Grace (C9), Zane (G10), Hannah (C9), Luke (G8), Josh (G9), Adele (C7), Imogen (C9) and Tony (G10).

In addition to these students we have several students from Year 6 to Year 10 in significant supporting roles.

We will be starting rehearsals very soon. Information about rehearsals will be communicated through Teams.

If you do not have access to the Performing Arts Ensembles Canvas Page or have questions, please contact performingarts@tphs.nsw.edu.au.

Ensemble Performance Showcase – September 2. Every year we like to showcase the talents of our Performing Arts Ensembles at our Junior and Senior Performing Arts Night. This year due to social distancing restrictions we are unable to present these as live events.

To ensure that our students have an opportunity to perform, we will be putting together a video for our school community to showcase their hard work.

All ensembles will be involved in this event. Communications about logistics will be communicated over the coming weeks.

Ensemble News
Performing Arts Ensembles – All Ensembles are back! Dance ensembles will be performing at the IRBD Eisteddfod on the weekend of September 25 to 27, which is during the school holidays. Once we have more information, the Dance Ensemble members will be notified.

Private Music Tuition Private Music Contractors commenced Week 1, Term 3.

If you are interested in having private music lessons at Pittwater House, during the day, please fill in the last 2 pages of this form and email to performingarts@tphs.nsw.edu.au.

If you have any questions, please email us at: performingarts@tphs.nsw.edu.au

Enrichment Opportunities
We are looking for students to perform in our Senior School Assemblies. If your child is interested in performing please email your child’s interest to performingarts@tphs.nsw.edu.au  

Congratulations to Isla (C9) for her amazing results this year in Athletics. Isla is only 14 years old and has broken both the U18 and U20 Javelin and Shot Put Athletics Australia Records at the Junior Championships. The new records Isla holds are

U18 - F35 Javelin with a new distance of 13.45m

U20 – F35 Javelin with a new distance of 13.74m

U18 and U20 F35 Shot Put with a new distance of 5.55m 

Congratulation Isla and good luck with breaking the U16 records later this year.

Term 3 Pathway Sports - Update

Junior School - All HICES and CIS Events - CANCELLED

Senior School - All CDSSA, AICES and CIS Events -CANCELLED

This means this year there will be no representative Athletics Carnivals.

Unfortunately the only inter-school sports available in Term 3 will be local inter-school competitions. 

Junior Boys Soccer v St Lukes 31 July – Draw 2-2
Junior Boys Soccer played St Lukes at Passmore Reserve on Friday. After a blistering start and 2 confident goals, Pittwater House went into half time feeling confident that the game would be theirs. The team spent most of the second half in the opposition’s half playing a skilful brand of the game. Unfortunately, 2 minor slips in concentration allowed St Lukes to score 2 goals. A great game was played. James and Oscar were our Players-of the-Match.

Senior Girls Soccer v Galstaun 31 July – Won 14-0
The lockdown was over, PISA sport was back! The Senior Girls soccer team were ready for action. The first game of the season was against Galstaun College.  After a tentative start the girls began finding their feet and driving up the field with some accurate passing. Minutes in, TPHS opened the scoring with a nice shot that sailed past the keeper, from there on it was an avalanche of goals, 14 in all. The midfield was excellent making scything runs and finding the strikers who were burying goal after goal. All 13 girls played their part in a fabulous first up victory.