HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE Jonathan Brayshaw
Dear Parents and Carers,
It is with great joy and thankfulness that I reflect on the progress and achievements of our students in the final few weeks of Term 2. The past few weeks have been filled with an abundance of opportunities for students to flourish spiritually, academically, socially and physically.
On Thursday 13 June, our Stage 6 students had the privilege of engaging in a seminar, ‘Sleep for Better Health, Resilience and Performance’. This workshop was facilitated by The Sleep Connection. Research presented revealed that approximately 70% of teenagers experience insufficient sleep, which can consequently impact learning, academic performance, mental health and resilience, behaviour and decision making, as well as physical health. During the workshop, students completed a sleep diary, and were able to understand the benefits of adequate sleep. This empowered them with practical strategies and tools to make informed decisions regarding their sleep health.
This week I had the pleasure of visiting Year 10 Camp. This particular camp is designed for students to demonstrate teamwork skills while exploring an unfamiliar environment. Students were based on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour, and engaged in an Amazing-Race-style chase around the CBD. They were also involved in a Community Service Program called Toys ‘n’ Tucker, run by Anglicare. It was rewarding to see students develop independence, problem solving and initiative during the camp.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents that we are holding Years 7-10 Parent/Teacher Interviews on Friday 26 July. It can be challenging to accommodate all parents and carers for interviews in one evening after a school day. Therefore, we are trialling this model on the final day of the July School Holidays to provide more availability across the day to meet with your child’s teachers. This event is for parents and carers who have children in Years 7-10 and will run from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm.
Finally, I would like to thank parents and carers for supporting us as we seek to work in partnership in helping each child grow and flourish. Our team looks forward to welcoming students back on campus on Monday 29 July, wearing their formal winter uniform. Detailed information for Term Two will be communicated to parents and carers during the school holidays. We pray that the school break is an opportunity for students and families to find rest, recharge and rejuvenate.
CHECKMATE! AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN COLLEGE HOSTS A WINNING CHESS TOURNAMENT John Picart
ACC recently hosted a highly successful Inter-School Chess Tournament on June 20, welcoming 143 young chess players from 14 Sydney schools. In collaboration with the Sydney Academy of Chess, the event received praise for its exceptional venue and warm hospitality, setting a high standard in tournament organisation.
The tournament showcased ACC's Primary Team, including Samuel H, Daniel H, Aaryan P, Deyaan G, Kavin K, Harihasrasuthan V, Orion A, Anay J, Mantra P, Pushkal P, Aadvik P, Arnav Yi, Kiaan J, Ruiqi L, Jackson G, Joseph V and Caleb V. Despite narrowly missing the Semi-Finals, the team secured a commendable 4th place, demonstrating courage and sportsmanship throughout. ACC's Secondary Team, featuring Sahasraamshu D, Manav S, Nathan T, Brian C, Divyansh S, Ekansh A, Damanpreet S, Shourya R, Gavriel P, Riya M, Yuval C, Eshwar P, Reyansh M, Rayyan F, and Aarav S, performed admirably by securing 3rd place, ensuring their participation in the upcoming Semi-Finals. The event received praise from the Sydney Academy of Chess and attending staff, who praised ACC for its ‘gold class in hosting chess tournaments’ due to our College’s warm welcome and exceptional hospitality.
The success of the tournament owes much to the collaborative efforts of ACC's teams and individuals. Special recognition was extended to Mr. Barton, Mrs. Hassaraty and the Community Connect Team, Maintenance Team, Tech Team, welcoming team (prefects), and traffic team. Along with the Executive Team, this collective effort ensured the smooth execution of the event. It was a celebration of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and strategic thinking, paving the way for future chess tournaments that promise to build on this triumphant event.
HSC MUSIC NIGHT Kaylie Neave
Once again, the HSC Music Night proved to be a resounding success! Students took advantage of this opportunity to showcase their final two HSC pieces. With the invaluable support of the Creative Arts team, student performances reached new heights, and the diversity within the Year 12 class was proudly on display. The evening was further enriched by exhilarating performances from both the Year 11 On Campus and Distance Education classes. The night was concluded by a stunning performance by our college alumni, Caroline Matthews.
YEAR 12 SCIENCES AT ACC Anji Smith
This week has been a busy one for Year 12 Chemistry and Biology students. Two unique opportunities allowed On Campus and Distance Education students to join together to participate in university experiences which support their HSC learning.
Year 12 Chemistry students had the fantastic opportunity to attend the Inorganic and Spectroscopy workshops as part of the Chemistry Kickstart program at the University of Sydney. These workshops provided invaluable hands-on experience and deepened the students' understanding of key concepts in inorganic chemistry and spectroscopy.
Throughout the day, students engaged in a variety of experiments and activities, exploring the properties and reactions of inorganic compounds. They also learned how to use advanced spectroscopic techniques to analyse chemical substances. The experience not only enriched their chemistry knowledge but also inspired many to pursue further studies in the field.
The Distance Education Year 12 Chemistry class had their last practical day on Wednesday where they completed the investigations into acids and bases. We completed a titration, made a buffer solution, measured pH and investigated the reactions of acids. We were sad to think that this was the last practical day together!
Year 12 Biology students from both modes visited the Museum of Disease at the University of NSW to explore Module 7 and 8 (Infectious and Non-Infectious Disease). This was a great opportunity to see the UNSW campus, and also learn more about disease processes, and view many specimens that would not be ordinarily viewable in a school setting. The museum is a great place to ask questions and learn about the way the human body responds to disease, physical trauma and complications of health.
It was great to bring our students together and learn more about the fields of Chemistry and Biology in a university context.
SECONDARY SPORT IN TERM 2 Melanie Kewley
School Netball and Football (soccer) seasons are beginning to wrap up, with the finals of the CSSA Met West Zone Term 2 weekly sports competitions taking place this week. The Girls U15s and Opens Netball teams have trained diligently and demonstrated incredible determination and spirit throughout the term, with their netball and teamwork skills drastically improving. Likewise, the Boys Football teams have also demonstrated fantastic improvements thanks to the regular training and assistance from the coaching team. Congratulations to the Open Boys team who, captained by Hugo Barker of Year 11, played in the Grand Final this week.
Both the Netball and Football squads have also participated in Gala Days throughout the term. The Netball teams participated in the CSSA State Netball Gala Day on June 18 and were joined by a Stage 5 boys team at the NSW Schools Netball Cup on June 13. The Boys Football teams have also participated in the CSSA Met West Football Gala days, alongside the U15 and Open Girls teams. While all teams played well and represented the school proudly, the Open Girls came 2nd, only losing by 1 in penalties.
Meanwhile, ACC has been represented by numerous students at the CSSA State Cross Country carnival. Thank you to all the students who came along and represented our school and congratulations to Jarari D, Charles D, Shay D and Alysha C who competed at the CIS Cross Country Championships on June 6.
We would also like to congratulate Imogen Perry, who competed in the Level 7 WAG CSSA State Gymnastics competition, achieving an amazing result of 4th overall.
Congratulations to all the students who have represented the school proudly in Sport this term. We look forward to seeing more in Sport during Term 3!
CHAPEL/SYMPOSIUM Alex Jacobi
At our last Secondary Chapel, students had the opportunity to hear a keynote talk from Dr Luke Barnes (Senior Lecturer in Physics at Western Sydney University) at our Science and God Symposium. The Symposium was proposed to help students understand the compatibility of faith and reason, whilst providing them a safe forum to engage in Live Q&A with Dr Barnes on the topic of ‘Science and God’. The forum encouraged students to understand that asking hard questions is a part of a healthy and intellectually engaged faith.
Australian Christian College also welcomed guest worship band IDMC who led our time of worship and performed the song ‘So Will I’ by Hillsong. This song reflects the truths found in Psalms 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" whilst capturing the essence of our ‘Science and God’ theme this term at Chapel. Through the Symposium, students were encouraged to know that the Christian faith has a positive place for science, and were urged to continue exploring the world of God, for God’s glory.
RYAN LUKER
Congratulations to Year 10 student Ryan L who next week is competing in a Baseball Australia college showcase in Queensland. He was selected to attend this event, where there will be MLB scouts from around the world present to watch his performance. Congratulations Ryan!
YEAR 8 EXCURSION TO MANLY RESERVOIR Brad Adams
Year 8 Geography students travelled to Manly Dam on Wednesday 19 June. The group made measurements of water quality, soil depth and quality, height of trees, field observations, and map work. Between the moments of fieldwork, students learnt about the history of the reservoir, management practices of Aboriginal people and Europeans as well as the impacts that people have on the water reservoir. The highlights for the students included catching insects and fish in the creek to measure water quality, meeting the local wildlife including a large water dragon, and using new equipment to make various measurements. The students were able to determine the pollution level of the Manly Reservoir as well as find evidence of soil creep at a number of sites.
Some student comments are below.
Year 8's excursion to manly dam was fun and engaging. The bus ride was very exciting as we anticipated the day ahead and saw the city around us. Upon arriving we started our activities, which included, walking across the dam, exploring the bush, measuring the trees and moisture of dirt and my personal favourite activity was fishing in the dam, finding small bugs and shrimp. Thank you. Ruby
The excursion for Year 8 was an amazing opportunity to expand our knowledge in the geographical field of work. Even though there were some scary things to do, it was an adventurous excursion to try something new. I personally loved catching the creatures in the Manly dam. Yuval
The Geography Excursion to Manly Dam was a very fun, adventurous, and educational experience for all of the students, and especially in my group. On the excursion, we got to travel across the dam, bushwalk over the ridge and explore below the valley. We examined the presence of soil creep using multiple devices and found that soil creep was indeed present, as deeper and more moist soil was present in the valley, compared to the ridge. Afterwards, we got to spend time capturing creatures along the creeks of the dam and shores of the reservoir. This was my favourite part because my team captured many small insects. We did a range of other tasks and activities afterwards, overall the entire excursion was an exceptionally educational trip and extremely enjoyable expedition to Manly Dam. Chris
