From the Head Master - Trinity
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2021 | Term 3 | Week 9
News
From the Head Master
September 10, 2021
During the course of this week, we heard more from the government as to the proposed path out of the current COVID-19
restrictions. While it is important for me to provide some commentary on the plan as it pertains to Trinity, I also want to note how
boring this topic is becoming for us all!
From the School’s point of view, the big reveal of the week was the schedule of Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams. Whilst
this has most immediate relevance to the half of our current Year 12 cohort who will gain their HSC, it will also have
implications for many others in the School community. Given that the decision to commence exams on 9 November had been
announced previously, the key question had to do with which subjects would be examined. NESA was contemplating
examining only the English subjects, examining a limited and selected number of subjects, and examining all the subjects. It is
now clear that all subjects will be examined.
I support the decision to examine all subjects, as this will allow the boys the best possible chance to show what they know and
can do in the examinations that they have been working towards in the summative assessment of their schooling.
However, I have serious reservations about some of the details around the plans. The School would have been best-placed to
conduct the examinations in a COVID-safe way if other secondary school cohorts were not onsite at the same time. Therefore, it
seems strange that the HSC examinations do not start until after the nominated return date for all secondary school cohorts.
While Trinity continues to be committed to following NSW Health guidance, it may be that the pattern and timing by which
students return to School varies from models which may be adopted by other schools. Given the length of time between now
and when students are permitted to return, the School will take some time to determine the best way forward, taking into
account the changing health situation and the other factors that must inform these decisions.
Another implication of the delayed start and finish of the HSC examinations is to push our Valedictory events, along with the
end of year prize-giving events for all Year groups, into the final week of the school year. While it appears possible that some or
all of these events may be able to take place onsite as gatherings of students and staff, it appears very unlikely that parents and
visitors will be able to be onsite also. We are exploring all the options that may allow us to conclude the year well and to
celebrate the boys and their achievements. More information will be provided in due course.
Finally, I note that NSW Health and NESA are strongly encouraging students who will be sitting HSC examinations, which in
our context also includes the IB Diploma students, to be vaccinated by the time of the examinations. It does not appear that this
will be mandatory for students, although it will be for staff and invigilators. However, vaccination of these students will help to
keep them and their peers safe, and the School adds its encouragement to that of the government and public health authorities.
I anticipate writing in the near future to the families of the boys who will sit final examinations, asking for an update on their
sons’ medical records to indicate vaccination status. This information will be sought in order to help the School manage risk
and to keep all of our community safe. The support of families in this matter will be very much appreciated.
Detur gloria soli Deo.
Tim Bowden | Head Master
Head Master’s Weekly Address
The Head Master, the Head of the Middle School, the Head of the Senior School and one of the Chaplains presents a piece to
camera each week during Remote Learning. They are in lieu of the Head Master’s weekly address to the Quad Assembly, the
Middle School and Senior School Assemblies and Chapel. View this week’s address from the Head Master below.
From the Deputy Head Master – Summer Hill
September 10, 2021
R U OK?
Six month wait times, distressed young people
turned away:
Demand outstrips supply at headspace1
This was the headline on the ABC triple j Hack yesterday and is representative of the media commentary on the growing
concerns about young people’s mental health over the last 18 months or so. Whilst I am of the view that some of this coverage
is, unsurprisingly, hysterical and unhelpful, because we don’t do young people a disservice by pathologising the ‘worried (…
bored, sad, disappointed or frustrated) well’, it is important to acknowledge that poor mental health can be a real illness, that it
can be treated, and that it ought not be ignored.
At Trinity, we take the welfare and wellbeing of your sons very seriously. One way this is reflected in the School’s procedures is
through the Welfare Teams. If a member of the staff or parent has a concern about a boy’s wellbeing or mental health, a referral
is generated and triaged at the weekly Welfare Team meetings at the Senior School, Middle School, Preparatory School and
Junior School. Each referral is handled individually, and a team approach is taken for each case. A referral may involve the
TESS Counselling and Psychological Support Service, it may involve the TESS Academic Support Service, or it may require a
referral and liaison with external professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational
therapists, paediatricians or community mental health teams. It is not unusual for a boy to remain on the Welfare Team
caseload for multiple weeks or until such time as the team is confident that his needs are being appropriately case managed. These teams continue to meet during Remote Learning. Because of our commitment to the welfare of your sons, Trinity Grammar School has built a Counselling and Psychological Support Service that is more comprehensive than any other school of my experience. Mr Tim Smith, Ms Sandi Bell, Ms Sue Boursiani, Ms Cara Chillari, and Mr Micah Boerma make up theTESS Counselling and Psychological Support Service Team. Your son may never require their services but, if he does, he will be in good hands. We mark R U OK? Day at this time each year to continue to destigmatise mental illness and poor mental health. It remains statistically significant that boys and young men tend not to seek help when they are experiencing a mental health episode or for a mental health condition. At Trinity, we are unambiguously of the view that a mental illness is regarded no differently to a physical illness, insofar as there is no stigma, and we are unambiguously clear that mental health episodes and mental illnesses respond to treatment and do not have to be a life sentence. Bradley Barr | Deputy Head Master – Summer Hill [1] https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/headspace-six-month-waiting-times/13532744
Eat well, live well, perform well: link to special event September 10, 2021 A reminder that our team of athletic performance and development specialists have lined up a special event for Trinity parents and students keen to understand how nutrition contributes to peak performance. Jess Spendlove, from the Health and Performance Collective, will present a livestream from 5:30pm to 6:30pm on 13 September called Nutrition for Performance in School and Life. Join the livestream via this link. Jess is an Advanced Sports Dietitian, Accredited Practising Dietitian, and co-host of the podcast, My Millennial Health. The livestream will cover: Food is fuel Study from home top health tips All the elements Meals Snacks How to eat for academic success Hydration Hero Foods There will also be a live Q&A.
Access the stream from a computer or tablet.
Join the livestream via this link.
13 September
5:30 to 6:30pm
Via Microsoft Teams livestream
From the Head of the Junior School September 10, 2021 Dear Parents and Friends of the Junior School, Thoughtful Thursday seemed to strike the right notes of appreciation, wellbeing and care yesterday, coming just in time for boys and teachers who are showing understandable fatigue after nine weeks of remote learning. A few similar activities will be spread across next week at teachers’ discretion to get boys through the final week of term. We suspect that even the most dedicated of our students will be running on empty by next Friday, so teachers are planning some reflective activities for the final morning. Specialist teachers will still post tasks in the afternoon but these should be considered optional. Yesterday, I also briefly updated parents on the outlook for Term 4, our intentions with Reporting and the importance of making the upcoming break a healthy break. If you are yet to watch yesterday’s update video, please use the link below.
Next week will also be Grandparent’s Week. One of the disappointments of this term has been missing the opportunity for K-2
boys to invite their grandparents to school for performances, time in the classroom and morning tea. This is always a very
special morning and has been much-missed. With no prospect of running this event later this year, we did not want to let such a
valued experience for boys and grandparents completely pass. So next week, we will encourage those boys who are able, to
reach out to their grandparents and do something creative together. We will provide some suggestions (many of them
achievable from a distance) but the activity does not really matter. We know that not every boy will be able to communicate with
grandparents – in these cases, maybe an uncle/aunt or elderly neighbour may fill that void. We are not restricting this activity to
K-2 boys – any boy across Junior School who wishes to participate can. Just like with Father’s Day, we’d love the boys to
share an image of their time with their grandparent/s via our Photo Wall and to tell others about it in class discussions.
We have arranged for Melba Photos to deliver class and individual portraits taken earlier in the year to homes. If you wish to
keep these, you do not need to do anything and payment will be processed through your School account. If you do not want
these photos, please let the Junior School Office know and we will not process the payment – you will be required to return the
package to the Office when your son returns to school next term. We have not yet completed all photos for the year but some
sport and group photos taken in Semester 1 are now available for viewing and purchase via this link to the Melba website.
(the password is triangle)
The Move-a-thon seems to be working! At the time of writing, we were already closing in on 1000 hours of moving and 164
boys had posted at least some movement. Keep it up! Parents, please give your son/s some guidance with getting sponsors
and please also keep an eye on the hours they are posting…we don’t want to question too many but have had to make some
polite enquiries about the size and accuracy of some early postings that demonstrated particular enthusiasm! The forecast
looks perfect to get outside and amass some more moving minutes over the weekend – enjoy!
Mark Dunn | Head of the Junior School
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2
From the Head of the Preparatory School September 10, 2021 RUOK Day Mental health and wellbeing have increasingly garnered the attention of the wider community as this current period of lockdown has extended. Being separated from our usual contexts and having less contact with friends and family has been challenging for all of us, particularly as these things help to fill up our wellbeing buckets. As the period of remote learning has continued, this has been prominent in our thinking and has been the motivation behind Wellbeing Wednesdays and the whole school focus days and activities. These days and activities have given the boys something different to look forward to and engage with. They have reminded the boys about the importance of balance and provided them with a sense of belonging to something bigger such as their House or the wider School community. This week, our Wellbeing Wednesday coincided with RUOK Day. Across the day, the teachers encouraged the students to check in on one another but also to reflect on the things that we do to make ourselves feel ok, or to lift spirits, or to fill up our wellbeing buckets. It was lovely to see the videos the boys added to FlipGrid. Here is a selection that I hope helps to lift your spirits and make you feel ok. Click here to see what makes the Prep boys ok. The teachers also got in on the act and had some fun. Click here to enjoy. Another reminder that I am sure will lift everyone’s spirits is that we only have one week left in this term before we can all enjoy a break from remote learning for two weeks. I have been incredibly impressed by, and proud of, the students’ engagement and learning throughout the term. I am also very grateful for the strong sense of partnership that has been present as you have supported your son in his learning and provided regular encouragement along the way. Needless to say, the teachers have
done an amazing job providing the platform for the boys’ learning. As such, I am certain the holidays will be a welcome relief
from remote learning when they come at the end of next week.
Father Son Camp
Last weekend a great number of our boys embraced the opportunity to camp out in the backyard or somewhere inside their
house, with their dads. It was great to see the creativity and fun that was had by all that got involved. I trust the dads felt special.
Click here to see a short video of the Father Son Camp.
Return to School in Term 4
I am aware that many parents are eagerly anticipating further announcements from the School about what the return to face to
face learning may look like in the middle of next term. As has previously been stated, the School is not rushing to confirm
anything at this stage as we continue to wait for clarity and further information from the NSW Government, the Department of
Education and the Association of Independent Schools about what the return to school might look like. We are also very
conscious that a week (or in this case nearly two months) is a long time in the middle of a pandemic. Rest assured that we will
continue to prioritise the health, wellbeing and learning of our students in this process. As soon as concrete decisions are made
about what this will look like, they will be shared with parents.
End of year Reports
Whilst it is still a long way off, we have begun to consider what, if any, changes might be required to our Semester 2 reports in
light of the significant amount of time spent in remote learning across this semester. For the most part the reports will remain
consistent with previous semesters, with the possible exception being Specialist areas of the curriculum including Art, Music,
STEAM, Mandarin, PE and Christian Studies. Throughout this term we have been very aware of the differing home situations
each of our students and families have operated under. Accordingly, we have encouraged families to use discretion about the
students’ level of engagement in areas of the curriculum beyond the expected learning in English, Mathematics and Units of
Inquiry. As a result, there has been a significant discrepancy in the quantity and quality of the learning produced across the
student body in the Specialist areas of the curriculum. This sits very comfortably with the school and is in line with NESA’s
(NSW Education Standards Authority) expectation during this period of remote learning. In response, we will only be providing
a report in Specialist areas of the curriculum if students have meaningfully engaged on a semi-regular to regular basis across
the semester. If students haven’t done so, this page of the report will simply not appear as it will be impossible (and unfair) for a
teacher to assess their learning. This will have no impact on a students’ ongoing learning, nor will it impact their transition to the
next year. If your son hasn’t meaningfully engaged in these areas of the curriculum up until this point, and you would like a
report on them, please encourage him to complete these learning experiences from this point forward.
5 Minute Insights
This week there are two new episodes of 5 Minute Insights. Mrs Hitz-Morton provides parents with guidance about
encouraging the students’ development in the PYP Approaches to Learning during remote learning. Click here to view
this episode. This link will take you to some supporting documentation about the Approaches to Learning.
Mr Lever speaks about maintaining students’ motivation and engagement during remote learning. Click here to view this
episode.
Prep Walkathon
The Prep Walkathon concludes today! On Wednesday Henderson House was the first to reach Perth but the race is still on until6:00pm this afternoon. It’s not too late for the boys to have one last ditch effort that might be the difference of their House. The following students have randomly been selected as the winners of a $50 Rebel Sport gift voucher that has been donated by the Prep Auxiliary. Vouchers will be sent in the coming week. 1. Marcus Yu (2C) 2. Isaac Lin (2C) 3. Michael Lee (6S) 4. Dominic Zou (PKS) 5. Aiden Qian (2G) 6. Luke Obaid (3G) 7. Jonathan Cassar (3G) 8. Marcus Nguyen (5H) 9. Devon Yan (3H) 10. Oliver Le (KB) Whilst it has been great to encourage the boys to become more active, an additional aspect of the walkathon has been the opportunity for families to make a donation to support people in the Inner West who are in need during this difficult time. We decided to support The Exodus Foundation as they work with people who are sleeping rough in the local area by providing them with food and shelter. I am pleased to report that Prep families have so far donated $1430. The good news is that it is not too late to contribute. If you would like to make a donation, it can be done at this link. Families are encouraged to include ‘Trinity Prep’ in the notes section so that we can celebrate the difference we have made as a community. Athletics Carnival Our final big event of the term occurs next Thursday…our Athletics Carnival. Spring boarding off the success of the recently held Prep Olympics, we thought it would only be appropriate to hold a virtual Athletics Carnival. More details will be shared via Seesaw in the coming days. Thursday 16th September will be dedicated to House competition across a range of events. There will be no learning tasks set on this day. Chris Wyatt | Head of the Preparatory School
Academic News from The Arthur Holt Library September 10, 2021 One of our favourite quotes here in The Arthur Holt Library is former US President Harry S. Truman’s observation that “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” We reckon that makes the honour roll of students who managed to complete this year’s Premier’s Reading Challenge a list of ones to watch! Despite the obvious challenges, an impressive 26 Year 7 students earned their certificates. They are: Bailin A. (Founder’s); Peter B. (Stephenson); Jaydon B. (Henderson); Dominic C. (Archer); Christie C. (Archer); Jackson D. (Young); Geronimo D. (Founder’s); Hesham E. (Latham); Lachlan E. (Young); Ethan E. (Weeks); Carlo F. (Dulwich); Edward G. (Young); Toby J. (Latham); Daniel J. (Murphy); Alex K. (Murphy); Memphis L. (Kerrigan); Thomas L. (Latham); Alejandro M. (Kerrigan); Benjamin M. (Weeks); Owyn N. (Kerrigan); Christian N. (Wynn Jones); Alessandro R. (Latham); Dara R. (Holwood); Jackson S. (Holwood); William S. (Wilson Hogg); and Aakash V. (Taubman). All three of the boys who completed this year’s challenge from Year 8 are in Stephenson House: James D.; Tom E.; and Jacob G. It’s an accolade of which Middle School Housemaster, Ms Hronopoulos, will undoubtedly be extremely proud. There were also four boys in Year 9 who completed this year’s challenge: Daniel D. (Founder’s); Matthew N. (Murphy); Dylan R. (Holbrook); and Cristiano S. (Taubman). For these boys, this marks the culmination of a long and fruitful history with the PRC and we would like to offer them our particular congratulations. We know these students will act as an inspiration for staff who are still struggling to complete their own Library Bingo reading challenge!
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” ― George R.R. Martin
Library News | Preparatory School September 10, 2021 Street Libraries This past weekend I was out walking in my LGA and noticed an abundance of Street Libraries. For those of you who are unsure what they are, they are small little libraries placed in people’s front gardens. When you visit, you are free to take the books without signing them out, read and then either return or pass them on to a friend. If you have any books you no longer read, you can always pop them into a Street Library so that others may enjoy your books. In a time of COVID where we are separated from our normal libraries and have limited options for books, Street Libraries are a great alternative. Why not jump onto their website, find your local one and then enjoy a walk with the family to find some new books. Better still, you could start your own! There are tips and tricks on the website. If you do create your own, we would love to hear from you, with a picture of course!
Premier’s Reading Challenge A huge congratulations to all students and their families for completing the challenge this year. We know this year has not been easy, but that hasn’t stopped our boys! It is now over, but that doesn’t mean reading is over. Please continue to read and reach out if you need help accessing books during this time. Results and statistics on the challenge will be shared early next term and certificates will be handed out once they arrive at school and we are back onsite. Author spotlight- Nathan Luff I’m one of five boys and we all grew up on a farm outside of Yass, New South Wales. I’ve always loved books and now I get to write them! Chicken Stu was my first book, and it is inspired by the antics I got up to with my four brothers on our home farm. It was followed in 2013 by Bad Grammar, a story set at a remote boarding school for rough boys. 2021 marks the release of a new junior series called The Nerd Herd in collaboration with the very talented illustrator, Chris Kennett. Individually they’re meek, mild and soft. But together, with their combined talents, they’re a herd. The Nerd Herd. Abigail Nel | Inquiry Learning Integrator
Frog Pond Design Competition | Winners announced September 10, 2021 Kermit was overjoyed to receive 76 entries for the Green Patch Day’s Frog Pond Competition. Together we have delighted diving into the details of each design and have gathered a whole range of ideas to include in the final design. Not only will the pond provide a lovely habitat for our local amphibians but also an observation space as part of Green Patch lessons. There were so many worthy entries that Kermit has created a few different categories in which to award his prizes…inspired by his mate Freddo Frog. The winners are: Most Exciting Designs: George (Year 6) and Kian (Year 3) Best Detailed Video Design Presentations: Krishna (Year 1) and Timothy (Year 6) Fabulous Graphic Techniques: Andrew (Kindergarten), Paddy (Year 3) and Terence (Year 4) Best Models: Tommy and Leo (Year 2) Interesting Ideas: Luca (Year 5) with his night light to attract insects Max (Year 2) for his window cut into the wall below to see into the pond
Mateo (Year 5) for his Frog Spa Congratulations boys …..your prizes should arrive in the post soon. Well done everyone and many thanks for all your effort, Kermit and Mrs Bargwanna
Awards for the Week September 10, 2021 Congratulations to this week’s Junior School Award winners… KW Arjun Kanesalingam Yoojune Lee 1K Reuben Dhar Cristian Kuman Spencer Rose 2R Jacob EL-Hayek Merlin Nguyen Forbes Prentice 3B Tom da Silva Ethan Jin Daniel Zhang 3N
Hugo Purkis Arjun Roy Zihao Xi 4C Maximus Botros Leon Liu Shanaay Mehta 4J Finley Askew Alec Bailey Terence Ho 5B Jordan Armenis Arles Hanning George Halvagi Owen Li 5C Lachlan Davies Maxwell Leung Raj Reddy Oscar Yang 5T Anthony Gittany Nathan Jones Jack Maclean 6H Luke Farrow Oscar Hannan Harry Ingram Lachlan Stewart 6J
Dash Isaacs David Martin Harry Volikas 6T Joshua Quibell Ruairi Rafferty Christian Viola ART Jacob Bechara Zihao Ji Hugo Purkis Omar Zreika CHRISTIAN STUDIES Sam De Alwis Noah Girgis Elijah Harding Luke Holani Xavier Jabbour Owen Kingham Ryan La Owen Li Hudson Lyttle Oliver Tucker LIBRARY Patrick Cornell Charlie Earthrowl Mohammed Hijazi Waseem Hijazi Mateo Lazanja Spencer Rose Aydin Saeed Allan Shaba
MANDARIN Timothy Buultjens Dewey Chen Jonathan Chu Reuben Dhar James Fang George Mavromatis Waseem Hijazi Cooper Mitevski Merlin Nguyen Justin Wang Jayden Yang MUSIC Aaron Cherian Benjamin De Lany Terence Ho Remy Humphreys Christian Jones Maxwell Leung Lucas Lieu Ethan Newling Charles Russell Arjun Roy Allan Shaba Ezekiel Turner Vito Zhou PE Rahid Chowdhury Dimitri Karlos Gabriel Karlos Rafael Karlos Max Lamb
Ryan La George Mavromatis Jimmy Zhao STEAM Alex Anastasi Skyler Guo Leo Hoang Mimo Kim Nicholas Lim Mason Shi Kobi Vickery Jayden Yang
Library News | Junior School September 10, 2021
The Junior School library has many helpful, age appropriate books that can help start or continue conversations about mental health and wellbeing for our primary school boys. Many of these books address the range of feelings that we all experience in different situations and circumstances in life. These books are helpful as they provide thoughtful suggestions for managing these feelings and moving forward in healthy and productive ways. The night before Archie starts his new school, Worry Monsters appears in his bedroom. Soon Archie feels to anxious that his head hurts, his tummy flutters and his heart pounds. Worry Monster just keeps getting bigger and bigger! Can Archie find a way to challenge his fears and make Worry Monster go away? Everyone cries, everyone laughs, everyone sings – everyone. A celebrated illustrator explores the universality of feelings.
An activity picture book to encourage children to pay attention to their moods and learn to express their thoughts and feelings rather than hide them away. Top tips help young children to identify their emotions, while mini science sections explain simply what happens in their brain and body. Have you ever felt you should act a certain way or do certain things, just because you’re a boy? This book encourages young boys to broaden their ideas about what it means to be a boy and encourages them to feel free and proud to be who they truly are. Helps children to normalise, understand and even develop their own tools for dealing with their feelings. Little Mouse draws pictures of some of the many things he is afraid of, including creepy crawlies, sharp knives, and having accidents, and provides the correct scientific name for each of his fears.
We breathe deep and expand like the galaxy, We breathe out many thousands of stars, And if ever we start to feel panicky, This reminds us of just who we are. The perfect soothing read for quiet time, Happy gently encourages young readers to explore their emotions and the beautiful world around them. This poetic journey to a place of happiness and calm will inspire and empower your child to enjoy the practice of mindfulness. Within the pages of I Think, I Am! kids will find out the difference between negative thoughts and positive affirmations. Fun illustrations and simple text demonstrate how to make the change from negative thoughts and words to those that are positive. Encourages positive behavior by using the concept of an invisible bucket to show children how easy and rewarding it is to express kindness, appreciation and love by ‘filling buckets.’ Updated and revised, this 10th anniversary edition will help readers better understand that ‘bucket dipping’ is a negative behavior, not a permanent label. It also explains that it’s possible to fill or dip into our own buckets. Don’t forget to make your bed, and wear socks that fit your feet. Don’t forget to care, to play, to run, to laugh. Sometimes, we need to remember all the things we can do to be part of the world. Small things, like offering a smile. And bigger things, like hoping, dreaming, imagining.
Exam stress? Friendship issues? Panic attacks? It’s not just your body that should be fit and healthy – your mind needs to be, too! This is the go-to guide for achieving a balanced mind and strong emotional well-being. With immediate, heart-of-the-matter advice and a chatty yet honest tone, Anna Williamson addresses all of the key issues affecting children today. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, relationships, phobias, bullying, peer pressure, self-esteem, and much more. Meet 29 icons and discover how they have dealt with mental health issues to live inspiring lives. So, whatever you are going through learn why it’s ok not to be ok with these perfectly imperfect stories. Our minds are beautifully complicated and brilliant machines. For much of our lives, these machines run efficiently with minimal maintenance. However, just like our other organs, they do require some proper attention every now and then and recognising thins at an early age can help as children progress into adulthood. This is a guide designed to help children become more aware of their emotional needs and examines a range of topics that might give their minds difficulties. We explore a range of common scenarios encountered by children and talk about some of the very best ideas to help deal with them. Hopefully these books are helpful for boys as they navigate their way through school and provide some comfort and direction as they learn to manage their feelings and mental wellbeing. Nikki Bowden | Teaching and Learning Librarian.
Co-curricular Mock Trial Report September 10, 2021 On the evening of Friday 3 September, Trinity’s Mock Trial team, consisting of Will M, Josh P, Dylan W, Keith K, Daksh C and James H, set out to solidify our qualification into the elimination stage of the NSW Mock Trial Competition by facing the opposing team from Knox. We were set the task of defending a father named ‘Harry Sutton’ (played by Keith), who had been charged with affray. We set out to do this on the grounds that Harry acted in self-defence, or more specifically to defend his son, Julian Smith (played by Daksh). During the Prosecution’s questioning of their first witness, 1st Barrister Will successfully made many objections, immediately placing pressure on the opposing counsel. In his following cross-examination, Will managed to draw several important concessions from this witness, which further supported our case. Likewise, 2nd Barrister Josh made several important objections during the examination-in-chief of the Prosecution’s second witness. Even more significantly, Josh undermined the credibility of this witness during his cross-examination, and was also able to draw valuable concessions from them, further solidifying our case. At this point, Will delivered the opening address for the Defence, scoring 29/30 points for this. The focus then shifted to the examination of Harry Sutton by both the Defence and Prosecution. Under significant pressure, Keith performed excellently, scoring an almost perfect score of 36/40 for his execution of this role. Similarly, our second witness, Julian (ie. Daksh), kept his
cool even under increasing pressure from the Prosecution. Accordingly, Daksh earned 37/40 points for the team. However, those who spectated the trial would all agree that the highlight of the night was the closing address delivered by Josh. Across fifteen minutes, Josh articulately broke down the components of the case, seamlessly integrating evidence from the various witnesses throughout. Josh then made a compelling referral to legal precedents, before forming a final submission to the magistrate that she should find Harry Sutton ‘not guilty’. Not only did Josh score 28/30 points for this, but the magistrate commented during her closing remarks that Josh’s closing address was among the best she had ever heard across years of experience adjudicating state and national mock trial competitions. At this point, mention must be given to Dylan, who served as the instructing solicitor for the Defence, keeping a detailed record of the most important evidence that was revealed throughout the case, which proved invaluable when Josh was constructing his closing address. Special mention should also be made to James, who undertook his duties as Court Officer excellently. In the end, our team was awarded the victory in the case, meaning that Harry was indeed acquitted. More importantly, we were also awarded the victory in the Mock Trial, with a final score of 282 points compared to the 258 points earned by Knox. Seeing that we have now won all three of our trials in the round-robin, with an overall for/against score of +86, we are in a very strong position going into the ‘Round of 16’, which will be held early next term. Will Martin | Barrister 1
Sinfonietta Eisteddfod Successes! September 10, 2021
Sinfonietta performing at the Gala concert earlier this year. Great news for Trinity’s finest string group, Sinfonietta, for continuing their Eisteddfod successes by placing second in this year’s competition. A last-minute recorded entry of the Britten Elegy, which they later performed live to an even more spectacular level in the Gala concert, earned comments from the adjudicator, well respected conductor and repetiteur from Opera Australia, Simon Kenway such as “this is an extremely high level of musicianship on display”, ” the ending was thrilling” and “this group is superb and this is a credit to all involved and to the school… Bravi tutti”. High and well-deserved praise indeed! We only hope that Sinfonietta can continue their run of success with a live performance at the Eisteddfod in 2022. As you can see Trinity was up against some formidable talent: Winner Pymble Ladies’ College Chamber Strings (Pymble) 2nd Trinity Grammar School Sinfonietta (Summer Hill) 3rd MLC School Chamber Orchestra (Burwood) Highly Commended The Scots College Chamber Strings Ensemble (Bellevue Hill) Highly Commended Meriden Chamber Strings (Strathfield) Highly Commended Barker College Middle School Orchestra Red (Hornsby) Highly Commended Barker College Chamber Orchestra (Hornsby) Highly Commended 12 John Paul College Sinfonia (Daisy Hill, QLD) Highly Commended 16 PLC Sydney Senior Chamber Orchestra (Croydon) Highly Commended 18 Arden Secondary Chamber Orchestra (Epping). Kate Morgan | Head of Strings/ Master of Chamber Music Below is a video of Sinfonietta’s performance at the Gala concert.
Eat well, live well, perform well: link to special event September 10, 2021 A reminder that our team of athletic performance and development specialists have lined up a special event for Trinity parents and students keen to understand how nutrition contributes to peak performance. Jess Spendlove, from the Health and Performance Collective, will present a livestream from 5:30pm to 6:30pm on 13 September called Nutrition for Performance in School and Life. Join the livestream via this link. Jess is an Advanced Sports Dietitian, Accredited Practising Dietitian, and co-host of the podcast, My Millennial Health. The livestream will cover: Food is fuel Study from home top health tips All the elements Meals Snacks How to eat for academic success Hydration Hero Foods There will also be a live Q&A.
Access the stream from a computer or tablet.
Join the livestream via this link.
13 September
5:30 to 6:30pm
Via Microsoft Teams livestreamMusic News | Preparatory School September 10, 2021 Increasing Performance Confidence Tips: Drink Water for brain clarity and resonance Denham Court Scholarship Application forms for the Denham Court Scholarship for 2022 for students in Year 5 2021, who have attained 3rd Grade or above on an orchestral instrument are now available from your son’s Instrumental Music Teacher or upon request to Mrs Campbell. Applications will close on Friday 29th October with the auditions to be held on Tuesday 16th November. No late entries will be accepted. If you have any queries please contact Mrs Campbell gcampbell@trinity.nsw.edu.au Breathing Exercises Mr Malyusz has prepared a series of breathing exercises that are available to all boys involved in the Year 4 Band Program (Yr 4 Weekly Canvas Page) and Concert Band Members (Time for More – Concert Band Canvas Page). I would encourage all students to engage with these activities. Geraldine Campbell | Director of Preparatory School Music
Music News | Junior School
September 10, 2021
“Come, let us sing for joy.”
– Psalm 95:1
Music Leader News
During this RUOK week, I thought it would be great time visit the benefits of us practising music to help us stay positive and
focus on what we’ve been learning about PERMA in the Trinity Growth Programme. PERMA stands for Positive Emotions,
Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.
Over the past few weeks, on top of completing schoolwork, many of us have continued to practise diligently. Because of the
COVID lockdown, it has become extremely challenging for many of us as all instrumental lessons have been moved online
instead of face to face.
This is my take on music during lockdown and I hope it inspires all the Junior School students to keep practising and your
Music PERMA alive during these strange times.
There are some difficulties during lockdown. Actually, the most annoying thing is that I can’t do face-to-face lessons anymore.
But even online, a great advantage is your teacher can check the dynamics which is really crucial for music because it adds a
lot of expression to the piece. Also, your teacher can help with the concept of duration to get the rhythm correct and finally themost important benefit of face-to-face lessons is that your teacher can help with your finger movements. The lockdown makes exercise and talking to friends more challenging. A solution to the lockdown was watching the Olympic and Paralympic games which was fun because all the athletes did an outstanding job. Personally, I also got to practice basketball outside in my backyard, drew some awesome pictures, and I got to text my friends on my phone. I got to read lots of my favourite books too. Now I’m going to talk about the most exciting thing: doing an online exam! I did the Piano for Leisure Grade 5 exam. I did my exam online which means I had to play 4 pieces and I had to film all my pieces in one take. I was challenging because if you play one part wrong, you have to refilm the whole take. My 4 pieces that I played were: Beethoven’s Für Elise, and arrangements of Mancini’s The Pink Panther, Orff’s O Fortuna, and finally Morricone’s Gabriel’s Oboe from the film, The Mission. Doing the exam was fun because it felt like I was going to school when I put on my full winter School uniform including my blazer. Doing an online exam was all worth it because it ended with accomplishment. I got a satisfying announcement from my piano teacher Ambre. My little brother, Felix, and I both got A on our Grade 5 exams. We were extremely happy and proud. All in all, I think that adds up to PERMA. On this RUOK week, I really recommend you set a goal and set out to achieve it. I miss you all. Lockdown is a challenge, but it is also an opportunity for us to get better at everything we do. With great support from our teachers, parents and friends, I’m sure we will overcome the challenges and difficulties of lockdown and I’m sure we can all see each other again soon. I’m looking forward to it. Charlie (6Fo) | JS Music Leader
Instrumental Programme for individual lessons Online instrumental lessons are available on Microsoft Teams. The Director of Co-Curricular Music (PreK-12), Dr McGregor has communicated with families about the protocols in place for lessons. If you have not received the communication, please contact your Instrumental (individual tuition) teacher. Hungry For More? Music Co-curricular Ensemble activities are posted each week in Hungry for More Music in Canvas. Mr Adams will post activities for the Junior School Choir, Mrs Korjenvsky will post activities for the String Orchestras and Mr Mályusz will post activities for the Concert Bands. All students can participate in the Annual Junior School Practice Challenge. Participation in the various activities is entirely voluntary and not a compulsory commitment. Simply visit Canvas and navigate to Hungry for
More. If you have any music news to share, please visit this link to let us know. If you have any further inquiries for music, please contact the Music Department on 9581 6042. Trevor Adams | Director of Junior School Music
Sports and Co-curricular Photos September 10, 2021 Photos can be ordered from www.melbastudios.com.au Select: school sports Password: TRIANGLE Select: 2021
Events Eat well, live well, perform well: link to special event September 10, 2021 A reminder that our team of athletic performance and development specialists have lined up a special event for Trinity parents and students keen to understand how nutrition contributes to peak performance. Jess Spendlove, from the Health and Performance Collective, will present a livestream from 5:30pm to 6:30pm on 13 September called Nutrition for Performance in School and Life. Join the livestream via this link. Jess is an Advanced Sports Dietitian, Accredited Practising Dietitian, and co-host of the podcast, My Millennial Health. The livestream will cover: Food is fuel Study from home top health tips All the elements Meals Snacks How to eat for academic success
Hydration
Hero Foods
There will also be a live Q&A.
Access the stream from a computer or tablet.
Join the livestream via this link.
13 September
5:30 to 6:30pm
Via Microsoft Teams livestreamDates for the Diary September 10, 2021 For full details of co-curricular programmes, please click on this LINK
Community Student Absence Notice September 10, 2021 The preferred channel to report an absence is via the School app. If your son requires a leave of absence from school, please continue to request leave in advance by writing to the relevant Head of School for permission. To download the Trinity School app, please visit the Google Play store for Android, and the Apple Store for Apple iOS devices.
Trinity Prayer Group | Summer Hill Campus
September 10, 2021
Parents and friends continue to pray for our boys and the Junior and Senior School. In Term 3, we will meet via Zoom until we
can again meet at the Summer Hill campus:
When: Tuesdays | 8.30 – 9.15am on the even weeks of term (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8).
Where: via Zoom
So grab a cuppa and please join us for a time of encouragement, community-building, thanksgiving and to sincerely bring the
needs of the School community before our gracious God. Dates for Term 3, 2021:
Tuesday, 14 September
Contacts:
Greg Webster | Senior Chaplain, Summer Hill
email gwebster@trinity.nsw.edu.au
Kerry Vickery (Summer Hill)
mobile 0408 119 187Preparatory School Traffic Management Plan (Strathfield Campus) September 10, 2021 Click here to read the Preparatory School Traffic Management Plan (Strathfield Campus).
Traffic Management Plan (Summer Hill Campus) September 10, 2021 Click here to read the Traffic Management Plan (Summer Hill Campus).
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