Read more to hear from our Head of Primary, Year 4 Camp, Zone Swimming and lots of Year 2 news.
HEAD OF PRIMARY SCHOOL UPDATE
Melanie Woods
NAPLAN
The students spent time with their teachers getting familiar with the format of the tests so there was normalcy when it was time to complete. This hopefully brought ease and comfort for them so they could concentrate on the learning rather than what it looks like or how to manipulate their technology to answer the questions. Please be mindful during this time to provide extra cuddles, comfort, fun and reassurance. These tests are only a snapshot of one test per day for four days every two years.
‘I See You Star’ Morning Teas
‘Every face has a place’ at ACC and we continue to embed into the lives of all our students that we know them and 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 have been invited to attend an ‘I See You Star Award’ Morning Tea each week which is hosted by Mr Parsonage and myself. This is a time to spend quality time with the students, and congratulate them for their good work.
Below are the students who have been given an ‘I See You Star Award’ and attended the Morning Tea.
Term 1, Week 7
Aarin D Riley G Rayka Anne J Daniel H James D
Armaan D Anne D Varuni B Lydia B
Kenny J Mateo H Gracelyn FB Keira G
Ryder B Hartlynn C Navya V Amelia F
Hrishika P Nathan S Eden D Sophie L
Yuna C Ethan G Antonia S Prakul B
Jacob D Oliver K Amelie P Micah B
Term 1, Week 6
Shivaan P Armin S Shreyaan P Roseanna S Shayne P
Samrita S Prem S Ronith N Jacinta S
Lljana G Eliana G Abhijay R Shasshwitha M
Rishaan S Vishwani R Navya V Alsa P
Shimron B Jaimie L Katherine R Hudson L
Emaanvir S Jeremiah P Samuel S Alwande N
Nehan R Avyukt S Michelle N Samuel P
Chapel and Assemblies
Every Monday, we invite all our families to come and join us for our weekly Chapel or Assembly. These are held in the MPC each week from 9 - 10am. There is always a class performance, singing, and awards to present. This is a great time to gather and join as a community during these special moments.
Health Updates
A lot can change from year to year and over the break. Your child may have needed to see a health professional either physically, socially or emotionally. In order for us to make sure your child receives the best start, can you please update me and your child’s classroom teacher of any new change to your child or family circumstances so we can support them and provide an environment for them to thrive in.
My email address is melaniewoods@acc.edu.au - I look forward to hearing from you.
Family Showcase
In Week 10 on Thursday 4th April, all our Primary families and carers are invited into the classrooms to see how our teachers teach and enjoy an example of what happens in a lesson. It is always a joy to have so many of our families see the amazing work that our teachers and students have completed over the course of the term.
The teachers demonstrate a lesson and showcase student work, with an explanation of the specific teaching pedagogies they use every day in the class.
At ACC we have three ‘Signature Pedagogies’ which are:
Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) - strategically planned lessons that explicitly teach new concepts to mastery.
Explicit Frequent Feedback (EFF) - designed to plan the next steps towards achieving learning goals. Providing frequent and ongoing feedback is significant to improve achievement in learning and assist the learner to reflect on their learning.
The Writing Revolution (TWR) - which seeks to expand thinking through writing.
The Showcase ends with parent/student quizzes and games and the families enjoy the ‘I See You Wall’ which is where weekly work is hung up for every child and showcased.
We look forward to seeing you at our next Showcase event! Please see details below.
Date: Thursday 4 April, 2024 - Week 10
Time: 1:40 pm - 2:40 pm
Where: In the classrooms on campus
Who: Parents/Carers and family members to come and see what happens in the classroom and celebrate their child’s work and efforts.
YEAR 4 CAMP
Kelly Mitton
From 14 - 15 March, Year 4 embarked on an unforgettable journey to Wedderburn Campsite accompanied by 11 dedicated teachers. Over two days students challenged themselves to do things they may have never thought possible, building deeper relationships with others along the way.
Our first day kicked off with bush craft activities, with students making everything from jewellery to cardboard koalas. Next came the heart-pounding flying fox, where students showed off their best dance moves as they soared through the air. The excitement continued with everyone conquering the rock-climbing wall.
As the sun set, the skies opened, and a slow shower began. This meant that our worship around the campfire was changed to worship and a movie night. It wasn’t long before students were ready for bed, and they quickly fell asleep after such a big day.
As day two rolled around, students geared up for another round of adventures. The highest challenge was undertaken, tree climbing in the Aussie bush. Mrs Mitton and Mr Kwok raced up the tree accompanied by cheers from the students. Our final activity before returning to ACC was the H2O Skirmish, where water battles and strategic manoeuvres were aplenty.
Giant chocolate chip cookies and a delicious lunch were enjoyed by all before we all boarded the bus for home. The bus trip home was calm and peaceful, with most students sleeping from sheer exhaustion.
Wedderburn Camp will be one that Year 4 will always remember.
PRIMARY ZONE SWIMMING CARNIVAL
Shawn Parsonage
After a nice early start, 33 primary students travelled to Blacktown Aquatic Centre to compete at the Western Sydney Christian Schools (WSCS) Zone Swimming Carnival. All of the students were fantastic representatives of the College throughout the day, displaying excellent behaviour and encouraging their teammates at every opportunity. As a Primary team our students performed exceptionally well, narrowly finishing in 2nd place overall behind Toongabbie Christian College.
We had a number of fantastic performances, with many personal best times achieved, and even an age group record broken. I am pleased to report that 14 students recorded times that qualified them for the CSSA State Swimming Carnival as representatives of WSCS Zone at Homebush Aquatic Centre on Thursday 7 March.
Well done everyone!
Performances of note:
James Notley - 8 Years Boys Age Champion
Samuel Tuckerman - 9 Years Boys Age Champion
Thomas Kruijer - 12 Years Boys Age Champion (Equal 1st)
Samantha Aberca - 8 Years Girls Age Champion
Adelaide Biermann - 11 Years Girls Age Champion
TEDDY THE TURTLE VISITS 2D
Lara Dikha
This week in 2D we had a very unexpected visitor. He was about the size of a fifty cent coin. He had a long neck and black shell. He had four wiggly arms and a tiny tail. He was a little shy and absolutely adorable.
Maybe you have guessed it: we had a visit from a sweet little baby turtle. Not just any turtle but a local native baby turtle, an Eastern Long Neck Turtle to be exact. He was found roaming around our beautiful campus by some students who let Mrs Clark know of their discovery. This little guy quickly became famous around ACC as he visited a few lucky classes. 2D was one of them.
The room went silent and the spelling lesson paused as our little friend entered the room. We sat in a circle, very quietly so the little shy turtle could come out of his temporary tank to say hello to us. We learned some special things about this turtle and gave him our own name, ‘Teddy the Turtle’. We learned that while Teddy is only the size of a fifty cent coin now, he will grow to reach the size of a dinner plate. We also discovered that he doesn’t just eat plants but also insects, which means he is an omnivore. As much as we loved having Teddy in our class, 2D were very curious to know what would lie next for Teddy. Mrs Clark explained that, as nice as it is to have Teddy in his temporary tank home right now, he would soon be returning to the dam where he came from at the lower end of our campus.
Later that day, 2D took the opportunity to draw some drawings of our sweet little friend, Teddy the Turtle.
