Student reflections

"Our journey started in the afternoon from Tallawong Metro to Wynyard station. We walked across Barangaroo, Walsh Bay and under the Sydney Harbour Bridge to take some photographs on the way to The Rocks. After spending about two hours at The Rocks, we decided to head back and walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to take some arial photography of the Vivid Sydney light installations and of the Sydney Opera House, before catching the train back to Tallawong".

(Akshar K)

"I was a part of my school's photography excursion for an exciting day in the city. I took photos of parts of the city, finding beauty in old buildings. As the sun set, Vivid lit up Sydney with bright lights and cool art. I took pictures of the Sydney Opera House, Milsons Point and Sydney Harbour Bridge, capturing all the colourful displays. I tried different angles to show both the old parts and the bright lights of Vivid. It helped me get better at taking pictures and understand city life more". (Carter)

"We went to Barangaroo and took some beautiful street photography of grandeur (photo from low angle high viewpoint), urban decay (urban life demolished or about be demolished), loneliness (photo from large depth of field and low light), chaos (photo of chaotic language with slow shutter speed and/or layered images) and utopia (photo of perfect world with perfect, clean lines and framing). After that, we walked through small piers and bays to Walsh Bay, Dawes Point to take bunch of photographs showing examples of grandeur, urban decay, loneliness, chaos, and utopia. We captured amazing photographs from milling machines, to reflected waters of a ship bay, terrace houses and small cottages. Then we started to make our way to The Rocks to set our cameras, tripods and bags to the best viewpoint of Vivid. We took photos of Julia Gutman’s Lighting of the Sails: Echo of the Julia Gutman and the Sea, Sand and Stars at Museum of Contemporary Art, and of simple LED coloured lights near the buildings and stores at Circular Quay. (Dharsh)

"The class took the train from Tallawong Metro to Wynyard station, where we took out our cameras and started to take photographs while walking around Barangaroo. The class then walked to the Sydney Opera House. Along the way, we were given the opportunity to take photographs focusing on urban places, light, shadows and reflections as a part of our unit of work. We then set up tripods near the Circular Quay cruise terminal and bought dinner while waiting for the light show to begin. Once Vivid commenced, we took photographs of the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Customs House. We then decided to walk across the bridge and take photographs from a high vantage point. The class then boarded the train at Milson’s Point and arrived back at Tallawong Metro". (Andrew)

"June 2024 marked the 15th anniversary of Vivid, this year's theme being humanity. We started our trip from Tallawong Metro, and after getting off at Wynyard station, we started to take photographs of our surroundings using our cameras and tripods. We walked around taking photos that displayed grandeur, urban decay, loneliness, chaos, and utopia. As the sun set, we watched the drones being set up to get ready for an amazing light show. We then started to make our way to The Rocks for the most perfect view of the show and to grab dinner. We then walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge for a better vantage point of the show, where the photos were even better than before! The show projecting on the Harbour Bridge opened our eyes to a whole new perspective. The theme for this year's Vivid was spectacular - Julia Gutman's work was so breathtakingly beautiful, and so significantly deep and special (in my opinion) that all of us lost track of time and missed our first train to get back, but we managed to get on the second train back. A beautiful and unforgettable experience, thank you to Mrs Tweed and Mrs Muthukuda from the art department for this amazing adventure". (Yasiru)

Don't miss your chance to witness the magic firsthand! Be sure to book your tickets using the link below and spread the word to your friends and family.

Make sure you follow our Facebook and Instagram pages for updates and behind-the-scenes footage in the lead up to opening night.

Save the dates below and reserve your seats today!

• Opening Night: Thursday 29th August (7pm)
• Friday 30th August (7pm)
• Saturday 31st August (2pm & 7pm)

We would like to thank our official sponsors so far for their generosity and for supporting our students, staff and community. Please support their business when you are out and about and help spread the word.

Click on the images below to find out more, or head over to our 'Community News' section for details and to download more information.

Sponsors wanted

Do you have, or know someone who has a business that would like to support RHAC Junior School students? Or are you a parent/carer, friend or family member of who would like to help your Junior School student aim for the stars?

You have the opportunity to sponsor the 2024 Junior School musical. This is an energetic production showcasing talents from students in Years 3 to 6. With your support, it is going to be amazing! It is also a chance for your business to advertise and connect with a large audience within the RHAC and wider communities.

Get in touch today to receive a copy of our musical sponsorship proposal [email protected] or call 8824 5844.

Please note: Once bookings are made and confirmed there is no changing or swapping of days booked.

Ensemble timetable

The ensemble timetable, as well as information on each of the ensemble, can be found by following the link below.

Please note that anyone who is participating in our instrumental ensembles (not Choir), they are expected to have private music lessons in or outside of the College.

Private Music Lessons

If you would like to sign up for private music lessons, please read the information on Private Music Tuition Brochure which includes the application form.

If you have any questions or issues with this, please contact Mrs Neralie Want [email protected]

Ensemble Fees

We will be running over 20 ensembles at the College again this year. To cover some of the cost of hiring external conductors, accompanists, new music, performance events and other related costs, students will be subject to ensemble fees. The fees will be added to the school account and will be charged twice per year. This will occur at the end of Term 1 and end of Term 2.

It is important to note that the fee structure is set at $75.00 per student per semester, equating to $37.50 per term. This fixed rate remains consistent irrespective of the number of ensembles a student chooses to participate in. Our intention behind this approach is to encourage students to engage in multiple ensembles.

For families that have more than one child participating in ensembles, the sibling discount will apply for second child and any subsequent children, at a rate of $50.00 per child, per semester ($25.00 per term).

These charges apply to all students participating in instrumental and vocal ensembles, with the exception of the Stage 1 Choir.

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.

Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to access subject teachers and support and assistance for work or assessments that are currently completing. Students do not need to book a place but should arrive to the listed rooms at the times included in the below grid.

If you are currently learning an instrument or like to sing, it is not too late for you to join an ensemble. Please email Mr Tyler Barnes [email protected]

Please see the ensemble timetable below for the rehearsal times, as well as information on each of the ensembles that are offered at the College.

Private Music Lessons

If you would like to sign up for private music lessons, please read the information on Private Music Tuition Brochure which includes the application form.

Also, if you have signed up for Instrumental Hire, you should have received your instrument on your first private lesson or at your first ensemble rehearsal. Again, if you have any questions or issues with this, please contact Mrs Neralie Want [email protected]

Ensemble Fees

We will be running over 20 ensembles at the College again this year. To cover some of the cost of hiring external conductors, accompanists, new music, performance events and other related costs, students will be subject to ensemble fees. The fees will be added to the school account and will be charged twice per year. This will occur at the end of Term 1 and end of Term 2.

It is important to note that the fee structure is set at $75.00 per student per semester, equating to $37.50 per term. This fixed rate remains consistent irrespective of the number of ensembles a student chooses to participate in. Our intention behind this approach is to encourage students to engage in multiple ensembles.

For families that have more than one child participating in ensembles, the sibling discount will apply for second child and any subsequent children, at a rate of $50.00 per child, per semester ($25.00 per term).

These charges apply to all students participating in instrumental and vocal ensembles (with the exception of the Stage 1 Choir in the Junior School).

Thank you and I look forward to a wonderful year of music making with your children this year.

Our Early Stage 1 leader and Kindergarten teacher, Mrs Claire Sullivan , finishes at the end of this term. Mrs Sullivan is sad to be leaving and I am very thankful for the excellent contribution she has made to RHAC. One of our existing Junior School teachers, Ms Prishanta (Prish) Govender , has been appointed to be the new team leader of Early Stage 1. Prish is a committed teacher, has many years of experience and I am confident that she will be a wise and thoughtful leader. At the time of writing, the College was part way through the recruitment process to find a new Kindergarten teacher.

Sadly our Head of Visual Arts, Mrs Jackie Sposobin , has resigned due to ill health and will finish at the end of the term. I trust and pray that her health will improve, and that she will be well enough to contribute to the school in some capacity in the future. I thank Mrs Sposobin for her commitment to the College since 2017.

One of our current Visual Arts teachers, Mrs Sondrine Glendenning , has been appointed as the new Head of Department. Mrs Glendenning is a well-regarded teacher and I’m confident she will be a capable leader. The College has advertised for a new Visual Arts teacher.

The Head of HSIE, Mrs Rachel Taylor , will return from maternity leave at the beginning of next term. Mrs Susie Grice very ably filled in for Mrs Taylor over the last 9 months and I thank her for her work. Mr Robert Souksavath covered Mrs Taylor’s classroom teaching responsibilities in her absence, and I thank him very much for his work.

One of our part-time Junior School teachers, Mrs Natasha Walkerden , will start maternity leave in early Term 3. I am confident of being able to confirm her replacement when a decision is made on the new Kindergarten teacher.

What is ICAS?

ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee and Digital Technologies. Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals.

How to participate in ICAS

If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please:

1. Read about ICAS subjects and prices here
2. Read the terms and conditions here
3. Go to Parent Portal to purchase tests here
   
4. Enter our school’s access code – NNB002
5. Enter your child’s details, select the tests you would like to purchase, then proceed to payment.

Please note that the ICAS tests shown for selection are at the school’s discretion.

After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records. The Parent Payment System and registrations for ICAS 2024 will close on Monday the 29th of July. ICAS will be held in Term 3 from the 5th - 30th of August.

College Shop Hours (eff. 26/10/23)

Uniform fittings are by appointment only. Over-the-counter sales are available throughout.

For holiday hours (eg. term holidays, Easter, Christmas/New Year), please check for notices under College News of the newsletter.

2024 Trading Hours

Normal trading hours resume week commencing 05/02.

• Monday – Wednesday: 8:00am - 12:00pm
• Thursday – 12:30pm - 5:30pm
• Friday: CLOSED

College Shop Contact Details
[email protected]
Ph: 8814 3518

This year, we're excited to announce the Spring Fair, a major fundraising event in the 2024 calendar. We welcome your support in planning and participating throughout the year as many hands make light work. Businesses interested in sponsorship or supplying goods or services are encouraged to reach out.

Family Support Meals

From time to time, fellow families at the College are hit by unforeseen stresses (physical, emotional, financial, etc.). The RHAC P&F, through your support, facilitates a way for those families to access quality meals in their time of need to simply ease a bit of the pain during difficult times.

You can help by donating a store-bought meal, or by donating as little as $10 by clicking the link below which would be greatly appreciated. If you can provide a store-bought meal for the freezer, slices / banana breads / muffins (lunch box fillers) and desserts are also most welcome and may be dropped off with Mrs Sharon D’Agostino at the College main reception.

Get Involved

To get involved in the P&F, contact us at the email below.

Warm regards,
Matt Perry
President – RHAC P&F Association
[email protected]