Primary School Update - 4 July 2025

HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE Melanie Woods

Term 3 New Recess Food Break Times Please note there will be changes to the recess time for primary students! This new change will commence from Term 3, Week 1. Please be advised our lunch times will remain unchanged. The new break times are as follows: 

• Recess: 10.20 am - 10.40 am

• Lunch: 12.30 pm - 1.10 pm (unchanged)

Semester 1 Academic Reports You should have received your students Semester 1 Academic Report as they have been emailed to families. In these reports a standards-referenced approach is used to capture student achievement in NSW. Achievement standards are based on what students are expected to learn and how well they have achieved these expectations.

The NSW syllabuses state the intended learning for students by the end of each year level. Teachers make professional judgments to decide which grade descriptions best match the standards their students have achieved. These decisions are based on evidence of achievement and information teachers have collected.

In these Semester reports there have been small amendments to the wording of grades. The term ‘sound’ is no longer recommended by the NSW Government for describing a student's achievement level when it relates to a ‘C’ Grade. In response, ACC has changed to utilising ‘competent’ to assist parents with better understanding their children's achievements in these academic reports. 

If your student receives a ‘competent’ grading, this typically means that the student's knowledge and understanding of the subject matter is at the expected level for their year. It indicates they have a good grasp of key concepts and can apply the required skills. 

This aspect of the grading system may require a bit of clarification at first, but please be assured the main goal is to understand that a ‘C - Competent’ grade is indicating your child is completing work and is competent in that work. If your child has received a ‘C’ grade then your child is achieving the expected outcomes. 

K-6 Parent / Teacher Interviews SAVE THE DATE - Tuesday 29 July 2025

On Tuesday 29 July, we are holding the Years K-6 Parent / Teacher Interviews. This afternoon presents an opportunity for parents to meet with their child's teachers to discuss their students' progress. To arrange a booking, please use the link sent to parents and carers in the Parent / Teacher Interviews Letter. 

Athletics Carnival Thank you for your understanding following the rescheduling of our Athletics Carnival due to the weather conditions. Please note, the carnival has been rescheduled to Week 1 of Term 3. We will be meeting at Riverstone Oval on Thursday 31 July, more information will be sent to parents and carers soon. 

Assemblies, Chapels and Dan Warlow A reminder that our Assemblies and Chapels are every Monday during term time. We encourage our parents and families to attend and join in on the celebrations with us. 

In exciting news, in the first week of Term 3, Primary Assembly has been rescheduled to Wednesday 30 July as we will be hosting the amazing entertainer and gospel singer Dan Warlow. For those who saw Dan last year, you will know he is a delight to watch. We invite you to this wonderful opportunity to hear a brilliant musician and entertainer

‘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: 

Aadvik P, Aarushi K, Aayan L, Adwita M, Aishini V, Akira P, Aleesha J, Alexander L, Arzoi A, Ayron W, Benjamin N, Bonnie O, Brightleigh B, Caleb L, Cassandra T, Cavell B, Chase H, Dia C, Elayna L, Elia S, Ella S, Elliotte K, Emillie B, Emma K, Ethan L, Harley A, Ian L, Idaa A, Inara G, Isabella C, Jackson H, Jagatth T, Jaimie L, Jayden N, Jayson D, Jericho Q, Joshua J, Kenan B, Liam B, Lonzo G, Luv S, Lydia P, Matthew T, Maysa K, Megan E, Megha J, Mira K, Olivia L, Raina D, Rebekah L, Ronni M, Summer H, Trinity N, Vashnie M, Veda K, Vihaan V, Vivaan N, Xhandrae N, Zoe L. 

K-2 PRIMARY MUSIC SHOWCASE Bethany Thomson

On Wednesday 11 June, the College community gathered to enjoy a range of memorable performances by our Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students at the Primary Music Showcase! This special event was a joyful celebration of the musical learning which has taken place throughout the year, and a beautiful reminder that music is truly a gift from God. Please enjoy our images and reflections of the event!

Kindergarten: Building the Foundations of Music Our Kindergarten students have been laying the foundations of their musical journey by exploring concepts such as beat, rhythm, and tempo. Throughout the year, they have been introduced to various untuned percussion instruments, including drums, guiros, castanets, and claves. During the showcase, students demonstrated their growing understanding by performing simple but engaging pieces that allowed each child to play a unique role within the ensemble. This experience helped them learn the importance of listening carefully to their peers and working together to create a unified sound. 

Year 1: Exploring Solfege and Rhythm Building on the foundations set in Kindergarten, our Year 1 students have continued to develop their musical knowledge through the solfege system. This method introduces students to the relationship between pitch and melody using syllables like do, re, and mi, helping them internalise musical concepts more effectively. At the showcase, Year 1 students performed a number of pieces on the glockenspiels, skillfully incorporating solfege syllables into their playing. Their performance of ‘Our God is a Great Big God’ highlighted not only their rhythmic abilities on the claves, but also their understanding of note values and durations. 

Year 2: Deepening Musical Knowledge and Expression Year 2 students brought a wonderful blend of vocal and instrumental music to the stage. They performed pieces on the glockenspiels which demonstrated their ability to play a variety of notes and adapt to changing tempos, reflecting their more advanced technical skills. Vocally, the students performed songs that combined solfege with meaningful lyrics, sharing messages of Jesus’ love through both melody and words. This combination of instrumental skill and vocal expression highlighted their deepening understanding of music as a powerful form of communication and connection within our community.

The Primary Music Showcase was a vibrant and uplifting event that celebrated the progress and talents of our youngest musicians. Thank you for coming along to encourage and support the students!

LIBRARY UPDATES Nerida Reichardt

During our Library time, K-2 classes have been working through the InitiaLit Storybook Lessons program with Mrs Jones. Our focus has been on building vocabulary, reinforcing parts of speech and engaging with stories at a deeper level.

This term, the Year 1 program asked us to study some poems by A.A. Milne (who wrote the Winnie the Pooh books). Students have been working in groups to identify rhyming words in the poems, then writing their own rhyming poems. Some groups were very creative and thought of their own rhymes, while others skillfully built suggested rhyming words into their poems. 

It has been so exciting to see our students engaging with books and language in this way!

In our Years 3-6 library program, there is a mix of library skills and read-alouds with Miss Reichardt. In particular, our Year 6 students have been focusing on learning new research tools and developing their research skills, aligning with their classroom Geography lessons. As a creative end to this term’s learning, we finished with two sessions of map-drawing.

In the first session, each group was given a cup of rice and a piece of paper. Pouring out the rice and tracing the shape it formed, as the base of each map. Students were then asked to name their map, and plan for common landmarks. The second session picked up where they left off, imaginatively adding mountains, rivers, cities, and deserts

It has been encouraging to see both our students’ creativity and their learning from Geography lessons this year.

KG’S PARENT SHOWCASE Amy Gruszka

Students in KG recently took part in the exciting K-2 Parent Showcase!

Our parents came into the classroom to experience what a lesson in Kindergarten is like and to see the amazing things we’ve been doing since the beginning of the year. We proudly shared our growing knowledge of letter sounds from the InitiaLit Program, showed off our sentence writing skills, and chatted about all the fun things we’ve been learning in Kindergarten.

It was a special afternoon where we had fun learning with our families and celebrating how far we've come together. 

CREATIVE AND CURIOUS LEARNERS IN 2R Sarah Roberts

2R have been creative and curious learners this term! A particular highlight of our week is always art, where we have been learning how to construct 3D sculptural forms using the context of the Biblical account of creation. It’s so amazing that as we reflect on the great works of our Creator God, we can use our gifts and talents to respond with thanksgiving through our works of art. 

We are extremely grateful to our parents and carers who were able to join us during the K-2 Family Showcase for an art lesson which focussed on the fourth day of creation. On the fourth day, God separated light from darkness and gave us the sun, moon and stars to govern the passing of time. We learned about the art style of the Ancient Aztec people, who settled and ruled over central Mexico around 700 years ago. We then used what we learned to create sun sculptures out of clay. When our clay had properly dried, we were able to paint our amazing models. We were very proud of our efforts and results! 

2R are also creative and curious about maths! We have been spending a lot of time learning about different strategies for combining and separating quantities, using our increasing knowledge of a whole number to help us. We are learning to show how our brains are thinking with a numberline and are building our confidence with expressing our ideas and reasoning with excellent mathematical language! 2R are thankful for the ways the Lord has blessed us with the capacity to think critically and for the joy it is to grow in our learning each day!

3P NARRATIVE WRITING Denia Priestley

3P has been very busy this term, working hard to become more confident and capable writers! We’ve enjoyed reading Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda and have been studying Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown in class. These novels sparked rich discussions about what makes a narrative engaging for readers, and the different features that contribute to a great story.

As part of our learning, students explored how to craft narratives that capture and hold their audience’s attention. Together, we practised writing stories as a class and even created our own story prompts.

Students also brainstormed creative ideas for their personal writing projects and began planning their stories for success. Their outlines included a sizzling start to hook the reader, followed by backfill to introduce interesting characters and settings. They developed problems that build tension, and wrapped up with an exciting ending.

After completing their drafts and making thoughtful edits, students published their stories using Google Docs and Slides on their iPads. They also learned how to insert images and use a QWERTY keyboard to enhance their digital presentations.

3P has really enjoyed the process of being creative, sharing ideas, and supporting one another. They’re now looking forward to presenting their finished stories to their peers at the end of the term!

6W LEARNING ACHIEVEMENTS Rebekah Wallace

This semester, our students have embarked on an exciting artistic journey that has seen them explore diverse materials, techniques, and cultural perspectives. Through hands-on experimentation with different mediums, students have developed their skills in creating intentional artistic effects, while learning to represent their ideas in realistic, imaginative, and symbolic ways. 

A highlight of our program has been the exploration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artistic traditions, where students have gained valuable insights into how cultural knowledge and protocols continue to influence contemporary Indigenous artworks. We have also ventured into the fascinating world of assemblage art; creatively combining diverse materials to construct meaningful mixed media pieces with intricate pattern designs. Throughout the semester, students have developed their visual literacy by analysing how different artists convey meaning through signs, symbols, and artistic conventions, while also learning to appreciate how artworks can be interpreted in various ways by different audiences.