HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE Melanie Woods
Dear Parents and Carers,
The rain has been a lovely change and a well needed resource to replenish and refresh our school play areas and gardens. Our students play hard and fast during break times and it is a joy to see all their creativity as they design, make games to play and use their imaginations in their play. Play is very important for their growth as they negotiate, take turns and communicate. It improves the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and young people. Through play, children learn about the world and themselves. They also learn important skills imperative for future study, work and relationships.
Over the holidays as you have some time to think about uniform, please ensure if a student is wearing a garment under their clothing it is only a white singlet. Other colours, long sleeve shirts or skivvies are not suitable. For girls, the Mary Jane buckle or velcro shoes are not a shoe option in the uniform guidelines. Leather lace up shoe is required for all students. We also request that colourful sport shoes are avoided. Students need to wear predominantly white shoes - small extra colour features are acceptable.
Remember: in Term 4, the College blazer is not worn - the ACC woollen jumper or vest can be worn on cooler mornings. In order to keep our students safe, we ask that any form of bracelet, bangle, wrist tie, anklet or necklace not be worn. Our students look so smart in their uniforms; thank you for all you do to keep them looking well presented with polished shoes and tucked in shirts.
Please look out for a letter in the last week of the holidays about Term 4 activities and reminders. If you have not yet submitted a swimming permission form for our weekly Swim School lessons starting in Week 1 of Term 4, please do so ASAP. Learning to swim is a skill for life, it reduces fear of the water, improves fitness and teaches life saving. We have kind and experienced swim instructors who do a wonderful job in sharing the necessary skills of swimming to our students while they laugh and have fun.
Primary Hub Email For ALL correspondence for Primary Student Hub, please use the following email: primaryhubmp@acc.edu.au. You can continue to email teachers directly if it is a question for the class teacher.
Family Showcase: Years 3-6 Last week our families joined our Year 3 to Year 6 classrooms for our Term 3 Family Showcase. Our students and staff were excited to welcome families into the classrooms. Family Showcases are an opportunity for families to come and enjoy what happens in the classroom. The students have amazing work and enjoyed the opportunity to showcase and share this. The teachers demonstrated what Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) looks like, and families saw how this supports our students’ learning in and out of the classroom. Families also enjoyed looking at classroom work, participating in daily routines, while some competed in a Kahoot and hopefully learnt something new!
Clubs
Year 3-6 Choir - We are thrilled to be able to announce that our Year 3-6 Choir is up and running! They even performed at our last Assembly for the Term. They sang two songs and kept us all entertained with their tuneful and enthusiastic voices. This Choir is run during lunchtime on Thursdays, and is another Club initiative for our students.
K-2 Signing Club - The room is full with this Thursday club! The students have been learning sign language while performing with music. I had a sneak peak at the children recently as they were busy preparing for a Term 4 performance. Sign language allows children to communicate with a wider range of people, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, sign language gives children the ability to communicate their needs and wants from a young age, which helps them develop better social and communication skills.
Our Year 12 Prayer Buddies Have Graduated! Our students have prayed for peace in the Year 12 students' hearts, that they have clarity of mind and that they end their time here at ACC well. This week, our Primary students were part of the Guard of Honour on Year 12 Graduation Day, creating an arch for the Year 12 students to run through. Our students cheered loudly with joy and waved ribbons in celebration. We were excited to be a part of this special time for our Year 12 students as they begin study and exam time, and from there, embark on all new adventures in life.
Blacktown Library Pop up Shop in Elara Blacktown Library are thrilled to inform us that they have a pop up Library in Elara. This is another wonderful opportunity to engage your children with books and embrace the wonder of reading and knowledge. The Library is located in the Elara Shopping Centre. During Primary Library time, students are welcome to speak to our Library Staff to request an application form that will have a special stamp on it, so the joining process is faster and simpler. The Library is open on Wednesdays (10.00 am to 6.00 pm) and Saturdays (9.30 am to 12.00 pm).
I See You Star Morning Tea Every Face has a Place at ACC and we continue to embed into the lives of all our students that we know them, that we see them. We want the students to know that we see their kindness, we see them being respectful, we see when they are learners, we see when they make Christ-like decisions and when they make wise and safe choices. To celebrate their hard work and efforts, students are invited to attend an ‘I See You Star’ Morning Tea each week, which is hosted by Mr Parsonage, the Stage Coordinators and Mrs Woods. This is an opportunity to spend quality time with them, thank them and congratulate them for their good work.
Week 8 & 9, Term 3 - ‘I See You Star Awardees’: Ella F, Matthew J, Willow N, Carissa N, Michael C, Dylan R, Neevi P, Michael (Ratu) J , Riley M, Aryan K, Summer H, Akshith K, Miriam W, Nathan C, Pawel D, Jamie-Lee W, Taiana P, Ify E, Maggie-Lou W, Savi K, Isabella S, Chi Chi L, Rainbeau C, Karice A, Diondre Y, Orion A, Evelyn G, Nathaniel I , Orville O, Dheeksha Z.
DANCING WITH THE STARS IN 6S Sarah Thompson
In 6S this term we have been exploring dance as a form of expression. We have viewed and performed cultural dances and have analysed a range of styles, noting the elements of movement and the messages or stories that each style conveys.
In groups, the class has composed their own dance moves and sequences. Students have enthusiastically and actively participated when learning new choreographed steps and they have persevered to refine these. They have loved dancing to a vast array of songs, expressing themselves using a wide range of movement sequences to suit the music, audience and mood.
It has been a joy to watch them use their God-given gifts in dancing as they develop their skills and work collaboratively, enjoying the creativity and joy dance brings.
YEAR 5 MATHEMATICIANS + WATOTO VISIT Grace Nassar
In Mathematics the past couple of weeks, Year 5 have been looking at how to use the formal division algorithm to solve mathematical problems. As a fun way to reinforce this topic, 5N completed a long division scavenger hunt around the classroom. There were both number and word problems hung around the room which students needed to work out and record their answers on their individual recording sheet. This activity enhanced student’s teamwork and communication skills while letting them practise what they had been learning in a fun, engaging way. It was great to see students work together with their partners and help each other out when they could see someone struggling to remember the long division steps.
In other news, the Watoto Choir came to visit the school and the students thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Some students were moved to tears as the children shared their stories and sung to Jesus. Isla was also chosen to represent the girls in a student vs teacher dance off, which was very fun to see! It was also encouraging to see a handful of students in 5N decide that they wanted to invite Jesus into their hearts. Here are some things the students had to say about the morning:
"I liked the girl who shared her story and then the song she sung afterwards" - Aquilla
"I liked the stories they shared, they were very moving and the songs and dances they did were very cool" - Mackenzie
"I enjoyed the dances and the beats. The music touched me" - Ronith
"All of it was cool. It was nice that they interacted with the audience" - Adelaide
"It was touching because of the testimony that was shared" - Annika
WATOTO CHOIR INSPIRES 1D Micah Diaz
Last week, our school was blessed by the visit of the Watoto Choir, a group of young people from Uganda who have overcome hardships through faith. The Watoto Choir captivated us with their joyful praise, sharing vibrant music, dance and powerful testimonies of God’s love, moving many to join in worship. Personal testimonies from the Watoto children touched hearts deeply. They spoke of Jesus bringing them from despair to hope, inspiring our students with stories of faith. The visit concluded with a moving prayer time, uniting our school community with the Watoto children in Christ.
Class 1D had a particularly meaningful experience. After the performance, they reflected on what they had seen and heard. Afterwards, the students wrote about their gratitude and how to maintain hope in Jesus. This activity helped our young learners personalise the choir's powerful messages. The experience was enriched when Watoto choir members visited 1D’s classroom. Our students had the opportunity to chat with these inspiring performers, asking different questions, such as ‘what’s your favourite colour’, ‘what is school like for you?’ and ‘what do you love about Jesus?’ to learn about their lives and faith journeys.
We are grateful for the Watoto Children's Choir's visit. This experience has challenged us to trust in God's faithfulness and to shine His light brightly in our daily lives. Have a read of 1D’s reflections:
“Today, the Watoto Choir visited ACC. I loved how they spoke about Jesus and God. I felt my heart open up like a shop because they sang amazingly. I thank God for taking care of those kids. Jesus is my only saviour and the ultimate peace maker.” – Miriam W.
“Today, the Watoto Choir visited ACC. I loved how my tummy was vibrating when they sang. I felt so happy that I started to cry because I felt so amazed. I thank God for my life.” – Tamiranashe M.
“The Watoto Choir visited ACC. I loved how they sang songs to Jesus. I felt so happy I cried because I felt the Holy Spirit. I thank God for blessing me with my family.” – Ithiel G.
“Today, the Watoto Choir visited ACC. I loved how they taught us how to dance. I felt Happy. I thank God for them. Jesus is our present and our friend and we are safe in his heavenly hands.” – Aurelia N.
HOCKEY LEGEND ABIGAIL!
ACC Primary student, Abigail, was chosen to represent the Sydney Bears U9s at the 2024 Coffs Harbour Skirmish (Hockey) Tournament. Abigail’s position is Goaltender. This was an intense 5 Day Ice Hockey tournament, with Abigail and her team making it to the finals, taking 2nd place!
Ice Hockey is a tough sport: you need to skate, learn stick and puck handling, learn the rules, have strong communication skills, and most of all, have a brave attitude. Well done Abigail - what a great achievement at such a young age!
