Primary School Update - 23 October 2026
PRIMARY SCHOOL UPDATE Mrs Katy Brierley (Head of Primary)
Welcome back to our final term for 2026! It has been a wonderful start to the term as we have continued to focus on character formation, particularly our ability to communicate with others in ways that reflect the love of Jesus.
We began the term with a K-6 assembly centred on our character attribute of being communicative. Together, we reflected on the words from James 1:19 “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” It has been encouraging to see our students putting this into practice as they look for opportunities to listen attentively to their friends and speak with kindness, patience and love. We are so proud of our Primary students and their growing desire to reflect the character of Jesus in their everyday interactions.
Splash! Swimming Lessons Are Back!
Our Years 1-6 students have enjoyed diving back into the pool for their weekly swimming lessons. Although the weather has not always been on our side, it has been wonderful to see the students embracing the opportunity to have a go, persevere and develop their skills in a variety of conditions. These lessons are an important part of building water confidence and developing essential water safety skills that will benefit our students for years to come.
Welcoming Our 2027 Kindergarten Families
This week, we were delighted to welcome our new Kindergarten students and their families to our first Orientation Day. Our 2027 Kindergarten students enjoyed a morning of games, singing, craft and stories in the classrooms, while their parents had the opportunity to relax over morning tea and begin building connections with one another.
We thank God for the wonderful parent community we share and pray that our new Kindergarten families will quickly find a sense of belonging and connection. It is a privilege to see the friendships and fellowship that develop among our families as they journey together, supporting and encouraging one another as their children learn and grow. We look forward to welcoming these families into our Primary community and partnering with them throughout their children's school journey.
A Reminder About School Hours
A gentle reminder that school hours are 8.00 am to 3.00 pm. For the safety and wellbeing of all students, children who arrive before 8.00 am must be enrolled in SmartPlay. Similarly, students need to be collected at 3.00 pm or enrolled in the afternoon SmartPlay program if they require care beyond this time. Thank you for your support and cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and caring environment for every child. We appreciate your partnership as we work together to ensure our students are well cared for and supported throughout the school day. May God bless our community as we journey through this final term of the year together.
MARSDEN BEAR’S ADVENTURES WITH 4C Mrs Judy Carlos
We have had a fantastic start to Term 4! Our very first surprise came on the first day back, when we discovered that Marsden Bear, our school mascot, would be staying with us in 4C for two weeks. He joined us for our learning and adventures, and we were delighted to have him in our classroom.
After exploring information texts in Term 3, we are now transitioning to persuasive writing. The note-taking skills we began developing towards the end of Term 3 will continue to be valuable, as effective notes are the building blocks of any strong piece of writing, helping us gather and organise our ideas.
On that same first day, we researched what Sydney looked like for the First Fleeters and shared our findings in History. It was wonderful to see such curiosity and teamwork as we worked together.
On Wednesday, the weather finally cleared after many wet-weather lunches, and we, along with Marsden Bear, flocked to the soccer field for some fun. Towards the end of the first week, we kicked off swim school, the first of six sessions this year. We were thrilled to get in the water, and we cannot wait to build our confidence and skills in the coming sessions.
We are making the most of every moment with Marsden Bear during his short stay. What an exciting term we have ahead of us!
STARTING TERM 4 WITH 5A Mr George Aydin
What a lovely start to Term 4. All our Year 5 students returned to school full of joy and ready to finish the year strong.
This week, Year 5 braved the cold and began developing the important skill of swimming. The students had a wonderful time in the pool and we look forward to the remaining weeks of swimming.
Our Year 5 students also had the opportunity to use their leadership skills by taking on the important responsibility of being buddies to our Kindergarten students. Both year groups had an amazing time reading books, drawing, colouring and sharing stories about themselves.
Finally, Year 5 participated in a live Chapel service together with our Distance Education students. We were reminded of the true meaning of Christmas and heard the comforting message that the God of the Bible is never far away; He comes close to us through Jesus.
‘RECF ROBOTICS ACHIEVE’ TOURNAMENT Mr Murray Garth
We are delighted to share a fantastic result for our robotics teams, who competed in their second RECF Robotics Achieve tournament at Pymble Ladies’ College on Saturday 17 October.
Our Year 5 and 6 students once again competed as 41133M Crusher and 41133J Guardian, joining 15 teams from Years 5 to 8. Each team competed in eight qualifying matches, working cooperatively with a randomly selected alliance partner to achieve as many points as possible.
After a full day of competition, Crusher finished the qualifying rounds in 2nd place, while Guardian finished in 7th place, with both teams progressing to the finals.
In the finals, Crusher teamed up with 96337A from Sydney STEAM Institute and produced an outstanding score of 350 points - the highest score of the finals - to be crowned Alliance Champions! Guardian partnered with 96337C and achieved an excellent score of 235 points to finish as Alliance Runners Up.
As a result of their success, Crusher has now qualified for the National Finals, to be held early next year!
Just as impressive as the competition results was the responsibility and maturity displayed by our students throughout the day. Competition rules meant that parents and coaches were not permitted on the competition floor, so the students independently managed their scheduled alliance matches, strategy meetings, solo matches, robot repairs and testing.
Both ACC teams also demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, generously sharing parts and equipment with other teams and celebrating alongside their fellow competitors through both their triumphs and disappointments.
We are incredibly proud of the way these young students competed, supported one another and represented Australian Christian College throughout the day. Congratulations to Crusher and Guardian on another tremendous achievement!