Primary School Update - 7 March 2025

HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE Melanie Woods

Please see below, updates from our Head of Primary, Melanie Woods. 

Distance Education Elite Pursuits Program (EPP) Campus Visit At our Monday Assembly, students and families were dazzled by the extraordinary talent and skill of a group of Australian Christian College Distance Education students from our Elite Pursuits Program. The dance troupe entertained our On Campus Primary students, parents and teachers with seven amazing acts! These talented students showcased many different genres of dance, such as classical, hip-hop, jazz and contemporary. This privileged performance is a testament to the richness of our multimodal College. It was a joy and inspiration to witness the true talents borne of their hard work and commitment. 

NAPLAN Our students in Years 3 and 5 will begin NAPLAN next week. The students have spent time with their teachers getting familiar with the format of the tests so there is normalcy when it’s time to complete the testing. This will increase their ease and comfort, so they can concentrate on learning, rather than what the test 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. It is also good to make sure they are hydrated and have extra snacks to keep their energy up. Early bedtimes are also a good support.

Details about NAPLAN in Weeks 7 and 8 are as follows:  

• Wednesday 12 March - Writing

• Thursday 13 March - Writing Catch Up

• Friday 14 March - Writing Catch Up

• Tuesday 18 March - Reading

• Wednesday 19 March - Language Conventions

• Thursday 20 March - Numeracy

• Friday 21 March - NAPLAN Catch Up

All tests are completed on a NAPLAN app called ‘NAP Locked Down Browser.’ We would appreciate your assistance in loading this app to your child’s device as soon as possible.

NAP Locked Down Browser on the App Store

Year 4 Camp We have been counting down the sleeps till Year 4 Camp! This year our students will head off to the great bush location of Wedderburn Christian Campsite. This is the epitome of the Australian bush, where they are surrounded by big gum trees, wattle, sandstone, fun activities and even local koalas in the trees at dusk. The students will be kept very busy with rock climbing, trust games, a flying fox, strategy games, bush craft, archery and a good old fashioned campfire at night with singing and roasting marshmallows. Please enjoy the coming photos as you see the students enjoying their experiences with one another. Loads of special memories will be made. Take the time this weekend to get camp bags packed so they are ready for the week ahead. The Camp phone number (for reaching the teachers during Camp) will be shared in an update letter being emailed to Year 4 families soon.

‘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 and that we see them. We want the students to know 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’ morning tea each week, hosted by Mr Parsonage and myself (Mrs Woods). This is an opportunity to spend quality time with them, thank them and congratulate them for their good work.

Below are the following students who have been given an ‘I See You, Star’ award and attended the celebratory morning tea:

Agam S, Akshaya B, Alannah-Rose E, Amelia C, Anna S, Archie B, Ava C, Bran M, Elijah A, Elizabeth D, Elliana T, Emilie T, Emily S, Emma A, Grace B, Hrishika P, Ian C, Iliana P, Isabella T, Jacob D, Jacob L, James N, James T, Jeduthun V, Jeremy N, John Paul W, Jonathan L, Joshua S, Kabir K, Katherine R, Keeva D, Kenny J, Kiaan D, Kiana R, Macie Y, Madison A, Mrithula K, Nathan C, Nathaniel D, Nicholas M, Odin S, Oliver M, Pushkal P, Rayden J, Ria R, Roseanna S, Sahana C, Samuel S, Samuel W, Sarah L, Saskia A, Snow D, Sophia N.

Chapel and Assemblies Every Monday, we invite all our families to join us for our weekly Chapel or Assembly. These are held in the MPC each week from 9.00 am - 10.00 am. There is always a class performance, singing and awards to present. This is a great opportunity to gather and bond as a community during these special moments. In the coming weeks, 3M and 5P will be showcasing class performances, while sharing the importance of being grateful and humble (two of our student attributes).

Student Welfare Updates A lot can change from year to year and over the break. Your child may have needed to see a health professional for their physical, social or emotional health. In order for us to make sure your child receives the best support, can you please update myself (Mrs Woods, Head of Primary) and your child’s classroom teacher of any new changes to your child or family circumstances. We ask this so we can support them well and provide the best environment for them to thrive in.

My email address is melaniewoods@acc.edu.au. 

Secondary Students Supporting Primary Students There are many positives to being a part of a K-12 College, and our Primary students are presently benefiting from some of these! For all of Term 1, Year 1 students and teachers are being joined by 40 of our Year 11 students to support their learning. Miss Dikha has been very generous in sharing how the Year 11’s can support our students during their morning learning time and also working through the PeaceWise program. 

PeaceWise is a program we use across our whole College to explore the principles of conflict resolution that are taught in the Bible. We learn that repentance, confession and forgiveness are central to conflict resolution. I say ‘we’ because these principles apply to all of us – students, staff and parents.

The wonderful Year 11’s also played structured games with the students during recess, meaning all students from K-6 got to enjoy their company!

Recently, our Year 4 students have been working closely with Year 9 classes who are required to train and teach Physical Education classes as part of their studies. The Secondary students work with our Primary students to build rapport while completing their training. Our Primary students are benefitting from this activity as we see harmony, collegiality, respect and relationships grow.

K-2 SWIM DAY Lara Dikha 

On Wednesday, our K-2 students participated in our annual K-2 Swim Day at the beautiful Richmond Swimming Centre. Students made their way into the venue with great anticipation and excitement. After a small Crunch and Sip break, they moved into their five rotation activities. Students worked in teams to fill up buckets of water by carefully handling filled cups down a line. They completed relays with wet sponges between their knees, elbows and on their heads. Students danced around in the sprinklers and played a whole class game of limbo. They were filled with glee and delight as they completed pool noodle relays in the kids pools. It was such a joy to see their smiles, hear their laughter and see parents gathered around to celebrate this wonderful day together.

YEAR 2 MUSIC UPDATE Nancy Hassaraty

In Year 2 Music lessons this term, our focus has been on exploring the foundational elements of beat, tempo and rhythm, while deepening their understanding of solfege. As we learn, we are reminded of the beauty and order God has placed in music and how we can use our musical gifts to glorify Him.

Our students learnt that beat is like the heartbeat of music—it remains steady throughout a song and provides the structure for musical pieces. To help internalise this concept, they participated in activities such as clapping with their teacher, marching to the beat and using claves to play with recorded music. These exercises allow students to connect physically and aurally to the beat, strengthening their musical foundation.

In each lesson, students practice playing the glockenspiels, which helps them explore changes in pitch and pitch patterns. We have also been using claves to refine our sense of rhythm and timing. 

As part of our Music studies, we have been refreshing our understanding of solfege, a system that helps students recognise pitch and develop their singing skills. Students have been practising hand signs and learning the names of solfege notes (Do, Re, Mi…), which support their ability to read and perform melodies. 

One of the most meaningful aspects of our Music lessons is recognising how music reflects God’s order and creativity. In Psalm 150:6, we are reminded, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!" Music is a fantastic way to worship; through our lessons, students learn how to use their voices and instruments to honour God. Whether clapping a steady beat or playing an instrument, each musical activity allows students to develop their talents in a way that brings joy and glorifies our Creator.

Through these experiences, the students are developing technical skills and gaining a deeper appreciation for the role of music in worship and everyday life. We are proud of our Year 2 students' enthusiasm and progress this term. Thank you for your ongoing support in fostering their love for music.

PRIMARY MINISTRY UPDATE Vivian Lee

Hello! My name is Miss Vivian Lee and I have the privilege and joy of providing opportunities for our Primary students to hear about and engage with Jesus during their week. Thank you so much for praying for and partnering with us!

Jesus Over Lunch Time (JOLT) Our Jesus Over Lunch Time (JOLT) groups have started with great excitement! Our UP JOLT (Years 5 & 6) has about 50 students regularly attending on a Monday; our Junior JOLT (Years 3 & 4) has about 40 students regularly attending on a Tuesday; our Mini JOLT (Years 1 & 2) has between 90 - 120 students attending on a Friday. 

We have been looking at the series ‘Uncover Jesus’, where students get to read through Luke’s gospel in the Bible to see Jesus meeting a number of different people. We have considered how Jesus is the promised Saviour who brings hope, how Jesus has complete power over evil spirits and how Jesus calls His followers to follow Him in every area of their life.

It has been such a huge encouragement seeing students excited to attend and come with questions about Jesus. We welcome every student to attend JOLT each week! 

Primary Chapel Our Year 6 Ministry Leaders have been leading our Primary Chapels with confidence and humility. This term, our Primary Chapel series is ‘Come and Meet Jesus’. So far, we have heard about how Jesus finds the lost and welcomes them home, and how Jesus takes away our shame and replaces this with honour. We kindly invite all our parents and carers to join us for Primary Chapels at 9.00 am on Mondays, fortnightly.

Thank you once again for partnering with us! We are so thankful for the support of our families at ACC. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

1A CLASS UPDATE Lorna Agda

In 1A, we learn and have fun together! Here’s a glimpse of what happens in our class:

When students arrive in the morning, they unpack their bags and choose a book for our silent reading time. We have a class library with a variety of age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction books, children’s Bibles, Bible stories and Christian books. The students love this time because they can pick a book that interests them and enjoy five minutes of quiet reading while the roll is being marked.

After devotion and prayer, we focus on learning to read and spell words correctly. Using our whiteboards, we practise spelling, with a special focus this week on tricky words like should, would and could.

During fruit break, we watch our PeaceWise lesson. We’ve been learning how to become peace-makers instead of peace-breakers or peace-fakers. We’ve discovered that conflict isn’t always a bad thing; it can give us opportunities to put God first, be more like Jesus, and show kindness to others. Recently, we explored how we can use the ‘peace-making pizza’ to handle conflict—by discovering what God wants us to do, admitting our part in the conflict, asking the other person what they did and why, and working together to settle things.

This term, we are focusing on writing recounts and crafting super sentences. We’ve learned that super sentences: (1) begin with a capital letter, (2) end with a full stop, (3) describe someone or something, (4) make sense, (5) use finger spaces between words, and (6) feature neat handwriting.

In Mathematics, we’re having fun learning how to add groups of objects using pictures, number lines, and manipulatives.

Thursday is a special day for 1A because we get to go to Gymnastics! We enjoy the bus rides, warm up exercises and enthusiastic engagement in various activities during our allocated sessions.

This term, we’ve also been blessed with help from our Year 11 Peer Support leaders. They have supported us in writing a recount about the storybook ‘Rosie’s Walk’, showing us how to draw beautiful pictures and patiently assisting us in writing sentences to describe them. At recess, they took us to the playground and played games with us. A big thank you to the Year 11 students for making our day super fun and special!