It’s a turbulent time in our world, to be sure. The threat of coronavirus dominates the news and requires that we formulate a response. As a school, we want to keep our students and staff safe, busy and gainfully occupied. Children need a sense of normality in order to feel secure and learn well. Thus, we are continuing to provide the very best learning environment we can, while making thoughtful and careful plans in the background, should the worst happen, and the College is forced to close temporarily. Fortunately, our ICT capability is advanced, and our teachers have access to many resources to continue to deliver our curriculum and engage with our Years 3 to 12 students online. They are making plans to do just that if it becomes necessary. Of course, provision will be made for our youngest students to continue their education in a paper-based format.

The exciting news of the moment is that our new Principal, Mr Steven Morris, will be present on Wednesday 18 March and will be the Guest of Honour at a Meet the Principal event to be held in the Rosewood Resource Centre on the Secondary Campus starting at 6pm. Following that event will be the Annual General Meeting of the Parents and Friends’ Association, which will begin at 7pm. We hope that parents will attend the Welcome function and stay for the AGM. Steven Morris is travelling from Townsville especially for this event and we hope to have a good turnout to welcome him to TSAC.  The details to RSVP to these events can be found at https://tsac.qld.edu.au/event/pfagm.

Our students have made an excellent start to this term’s sporting program and have shown plenty of courage, enthusiasm and good sportsmanship along the way. They continue to represent the College with pride.

It has also been gratifying to see a rise in the standards of personal presentation of our students and I thank them for their co-operation and encourage them to keep going.  Uniform-wearing in a school is never just about the uniform. It is so much more about attitude, respect and that old-fashioned concept: discipline.

Our no-devices policy at morning tea and lunch is also bearing fruit, with more students interacting with each other rather than their phones. I believe there is still work to be done in this area, but I am encouraged to find that students generally understand the benefits of putting away their devices.

Student leaders at all levels continue to impress the staff with their energy, helpfulness and contribution. They play a major part in developing and maintaining a positive and happy culture at TSAC.

Wendy Ashley-Cooper

Interim Principal