Primary School Update - 22 August 2025

HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE Melanie Woods

Book Week 2025 at ACC Thank you to all who joined us for our Book Week festivities. This year the theme was ‘Book an Adventure’ - which was demonstrated in many ways! A number of activities were planned throughout the week to challenge and inspire our students in their love of literature. The Costume Parades were filled with book characters accompanied by fun and laughter. The Book Fair was sold out - thank you to the many families who donated a book to our Library. Our visiting author shared a reading from her books and the students were intrigued at the process of writing and publishing a book. A big thank you to our many parent helpers, Miss Reichardt and Mrs Jones from the Library, and to our families who made this year's Book Week a great success.

Partnering in Learning: Simple Ways to Support at Home At our College, we believe parents and teachers working together make a powerful difference in a child’s learning journey. You don’t need to be an expert to help at home - just small, regular moments can have a big impact! Reading with your child each day, asking them questions about the story, or encouraging them to read aloud builds confidence and comprehension. Try involving them in everyday tasks like measuring ingredients for cooking, counting change at the shops, or spotting patterns around the house to improve their maths skills. For STEM, encourage curiosity - explore how things work, build with LEGO, or ask “What do you think will happen if…?” during simple experiments. These shared experiences not only strengthen learning but also create special family moments where children see that learning is valued both at school and at home.

Science Week 2025 at ACC Week 3 was all about Science and Technology as we engaged in National Science Week for 2025. The theme in Australia was Decoding the Universe – Exploring the unknown with nature's hidden language. Mr Jordan, our Primary Science & Technology Teacher, and Mr Reid, carefully prepared Science experiments for our children and staff to enjoy which brought such wonder about God’s creation. 

Every Day Matters: Encouraging Strong School Attendance We believe every child deserves every opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive - and that starts with being present at school. In Australia, missing just one day of school a fortnight equates to a whole month of lost learning across the year. As the NSW Department of Education says, “It’s not okay to be away.” Regular attendance is not only essential for academic progress, but also helps children build friendships, confidence, and strong routines that support lifelong success. When families prioritise attendance, they send a clear message: school matters, and you matter too. By working together, we can help every student thrive - one school day at a time.

Uniform  We love our College uniform and encourage the children to take pride in how they are presenting themselves at school. Parents and carers, please ensure all uniform items are labelled, so that we can return lost property to their correct homes! We appreciate when students hand in clothing they have mistakenly taken as their own and our staff and students are diligent in ensuring they return lost items. 

A reminder to also follow our College’s Uniform Guide to ensure only the correct uniform is worn (please note that ‘extra’ clothing items may not be in line with our Guide). If you are unsure, please feel free to contact the Primary Student Hub and we can happily assist with answering your questions. Additionally, black leather lace up shoes are required all year round (Mary Jane buckled shoes are not permitted). Lastly, Term 3 continues to be formal winter uniform and winter sports uniform.

‘I See You, Star’ Morning Tea Every Face has a Place at ACC! We continue to encourage students that we know them and that we see them. We want the students to know that we see when they are kind, showing respect, being willing to learn, make Christ-like decisions and when they make wise and safe choices. To celebrate their hard work and efforts, select students are invited to attend an I See You, Star Morning Tea each week, hosted by Mr Parsonage, the Stage Coordinators and myself (Mrs Woods). This is an opportunity to spend quality time with them, thank them, and congratulate them for their good work!

The following students have been given an I See You, Star award and attended the Morning Tea over the last two weeks:

Jason A, Abraham K, Zander J, Aadhya B, Isaac B, Adira I, Amara M, Hayley K, Elliot B, Cayden L, Jabin C, Janice A, Dean S, Prital V, Andres Mi, Joseph V, Laila M, Samuel S, Indiana P, Aaron B, Inara G, Matthew J, Shay S, Nathaniel I, Ysabel P, Nicholas L, Atarah G, Vibhuh C, Raelynn O, Sophia O, Evaan A, Shlok P, Neevi P, Manasvi K, Isaac M, Hannah M, Grace M, Maisie P, Avyaan M, Aryan K, Ivan C, El Roi P, Deborah A, Aurelia S, Riley M, Amelia F, Hudson M, Arsh G, Sasha S, Aarnavi T, Hartlyn C, Angel S, Avantiga A, Anne D, Nyra M, Devaansh, Maggie-Lou W, Caleb C, Praanvi S.

EXPLORING INFORMATIVE WRITING: 4T’S JOURNEY INTO EARLY AUSTRALIA Billie Thorne

Over the past few weeks, our class has been exploring the world of informative writing. We’ve been learning about different text types such as recounts, procedures, and travel brochures, while also discovering how to organise information clearly and make it engaging for our readers.

To connect our English lessons with our History unit, we’ve begun learning about the early explorers and settlers in Australia. We’ve read about their incredible journeys, the challenges they faced, and the impact they had on shaping our country’s history.

Putting our new skills into practice, we recently followed a procedure text to make damper as a class. Just like the early settlers who cooked damper over the campfire, we measured, mixed, and kneaded our dough step by step. The best part, of course, was tasting our golden loaves once they were baked; with some classic golden syrup it was simple, hearty, and delicious!

Through these activities, we’ve discovered that informative writing is about more than just sharing facts, it’s about presenting ideas in an organised and interesting way. Using headings, step-by-step instructions, and clear language has helped us understand how important structure is when writing to inform.

While we’ve been exploring the stories of early explorers and settlers, we’ve also reflected on the biblical themes of perseverance, trust, and God’s provision.

When we made damper together, it reminded us of the simple foods God has provided for people throughout history, from manna in the desert (Exodus 16) to Jesus sharing bread with his disciples. These moments remind us that God is faithful and provides for our needs.

By connecting our learning to God’s Word, we are encouraged to see history not just as events of the past, but as opportunities to understand how faith, courage, and reliance on God have always been important in people’s lives.

Informative writing is helping us become stronger writers and researchers, and we’re excited to keep developing these skills as we continue our journey through early Australian history and beyond.

6B TRAVEL AGENTS EXPLORE THEIR CREATIVE IMAGINATIONS Chante Brand

During Book Week, 6B’s classroom was transformed into a bustling travel agency as students embraced the exciting challenge of becoming professional travel agents for fictional destinations. This engaging activity perfectly aligned with our current English focus on informative writing, where students are learning to research, organise information clearly, and present facts in compelling ways. Armed with their favourite novels and boundless creativity, each student crafted professional informative pamphlets designed to educate and inform readers about incredible literary worlds. From researching the climate and geography of Narnia to documenting the cultural customs of Roald Dahl's magical locations, our young travel agents discovered that effective informative writing requires careful research, logical organisation, attention to factual details, and the ability to present information that genuinely serves the readers' educational needs.

As students worked on their travel pamphlets, they quickly discovered that creating professional and informative materials required them to become experts on their chosen fictional destinations. The activity challenged them to think critically about how to organise and present information in ways that would genuinely educate their readers. Students found themselves asking important questions, such as: What are the most essential facts someone would need to know? How should I organise this information so it's easy to understand? What details would help readers learn about this place?

Through this hands-on experience, our Year 6 students began to appreciate the skill and thought that goes into quality informative writing, understanding that effective communication requires careful planning, clear organisation, and a genuine desire to help others learn - all qualities that reflect God's own heart for teaching and sharing wisdom with His children.

This enthusiasm was infectious as students dove deep into the research process, demonstrating all the key elements of quality informative writing we've been studying this term. They learnt to gather factual information systematically from their chosen texts, using specific details and examples directly from the original books to support their writing. Students then organised this information using the required six-panel pamphlet format, incorporating clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points to make their information accessible and easy to read. They discovered how to use descriptive language that helps readers visualise these fictional destinations while maintaining an informative tone throughout their writing. Most importantly, they learnt to present information in logical, helpful sections that would genuinely educate their audience about these literary worlds, mastering the essential skill of organising content in ways that serve their readers' learning needs.

The final presentations were a celebration of both literary appreciation and exceptional informative writing skills. Students proudly shared their professionally structured six-panel pamphlets, demonstrating mastery of effective layout. Through this comprehensive project, our Year 6 students mastered essential curriculum outcomes in informative writing while experiencing the joy of sharing knowledge about the literary worlds they love. 

BODY AND HEALTH TALKS (YEARS 5 AND 6) Grace Nassar 

At the beginning of Term 3, the Year 5 and 6 boys and girls participated in a Body and Health Talk, led by our wonderful College Nurse. It was a very informative session and students were engaged as she explained how to better care for themselves and their bodies as they grow into teenagers and learn to embrace these changes. 

In the Bible, it says: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14. Our Nurse reminded the students that each and every one of them was uniquely created by the God of the Bible, and that they are His creation - how special is that! At the end of the presentation, students had time to ask questions before receiving a care package (something they were very excited about) to help them celebrate and embrace the changes they are experiencing.