Secondary School Update - 5 September 2025

HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE Jonathan Brayshaw

Dear Parents and Carers,

On Wednesday 3 September, our Secondary School participated in Excelencia, a national livestream event organised by our parent company, Christian Educational Ministries. The event celebrates student work and achievement across all ACC schools. To mark the occasion, our student leaders hosted a BBQ, providing every student with a free sausage sandwich and drink. It was a wonderful time of celebration and connection for our community.

Our Year 11 cohort commenced their Examinations on Monday 8 September, which will continue throughout Week 8. We ask that you join us in praying for all of our Year 11 students as they navigate this important time in their academic journey. 

Our Year 12 students are nearing the end of their schooling. We are incredibly thankful for the way they are finishing this chapter with such dedication and integrity. We look forward to formally celebrating their achievements together with their families at the upcoming Graduation Ceremony and Valedictory Dinner in the final week of term. 

Over the next two weeks, our Year 9 and Year 10 students will be participating in two workshops with Matt Purcell, founder of Social Kung Fu. This innovative program equips adolescents with verbal, social and emotional skills to increase resilience, combat bullying and improve mental health. Matt is joined by Professor Caroline Hunt, who is the Head of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sydney and President of the Australian Clinical Psychology Association. As part of Professor Hunt’s research study, our Year 9 and Year 10 students are contributing to an evaluation of the program’s effectiveness. 

Thank you for your continued support as we work together in helping each child grow and succeed in whatever God wants them to do. 

BIOLOGY EXCURSIONS Isabel Barton

For Stage 6 Biology students, August was a busy month, filled with exciting excursions. The first was to Longneck Lagoon in Scheyville National Park, where students undertook fieldwork on Sydney’s microbats, exploring their ecological roles and adaptations. Some of the scientific investigations saw them undertaking vegetation transects and herbivory profiling to assess plant health and animal interactions, using quadrat sampling to observe species distribution and abundance. Students also conducted a range of aquatic and terrestrial parameter tests, including measuring soil pH, texture, temperature, canopy density, light intensity, leaf litter, and herbivory in the terrestrial zones.

The second excursion took place at Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens, where students participated in a full-day interactive program developed by the Australian Museum, the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, and Taronga Zoo. Across a series of engaging sessions, students examined fossils, live animals (including a very cute Shingleback Lizard and a not so cute Murray Darling Python), and plant specimens to deepen their understanding of biological diversity and the Theory of Evolution. From investigating divergent evolution in Eucalypts, to exploring natural selection through Australian animals, to analysing fossils and DNA evidence, these experiences brought classroom learning to life in the field.

ONLINE INTER-SCHOOL SEMI-FINALS CHESS TOURNAMENT John Picart 

On Friday 29 August, ACC Marsden Park competed in the Online Inter-School Semi-Finals Chess Tournament. This marked the first time our high school students experienced an online chess competition, offering a rich, sometimes tense, but ultimately rewarding opportunity to test their strategic thinking and resilience.

Eighteen high schools participated in the event, including Cranebrook High School, William Clarke College, St Columba Anglican School, Castle Hill High School, and Maitland Christian School. Our ACC team displayed courage, tenacity, and excellent sportsmanship throughout the seven intense rounds of play.

Representing ACC were Manav S, Sahasraamshu D, Nikhil B, Nathan T, and Ekansh A. Each student demonstrated impressive strategy and skill, earning valuable experience in competitive chess.

After 7 rounds and a total of 89 players, ACC’s students achieved strong results: Sahasraamshu D placed 8th overall (5/7), Ekansh A 43rd (4/7), Manav S 55th (3/7), Nikhil B 61st (3/7), and Nathan T 64th (3/7), helping the College secure 8th place overall out of 18 schools.

The tournament highlighted not only the players’ skill and strategy but also their resilience and sportsmanship in navigating the challenges of an online format. ACC Marsden Park looks forward to building on this experience in future competitions, confident that these students will continue to grow as both competitors and ambassadors of the College. Well done, Team!

CSSA STATE ATHLETICS Jonathon Skelly

After a successful day at the Secondary Met West Zone Athletics Carnival, 32 of our ACC students qualified to compete at the CSSA State Athletics Carnival on 28 August. It was a beautiful day at Sydney Olympic Park with amazing weather and great vibes amongst our students. The competition was tough, with State records being broken but our students gave their very best effort. We are very pleased to report that six of our students have qualified for the next level and will compete soon at the Combined Independent Schools (CIS) State Carnival.

HSC SHOWCASE - MUSIC Matt Woods

This year’s HSC Showcase was such a celebration of talent that it spanned across two evenings, highlighting the incredible creativity and dedication of our Year 12 students across Music, Visual Arts, Drama and TAS.

In Music, students presented outstanding performances on vocals, guitar and drums, impressing the audience with both their technical skill and expressive artistry. Each performance reflected the hard work, perseverance and passion that our Year 12 musicians have poured into their craft.  A special thank you goes to Madi, our Distance Education student, for joining us and sharing her beautiful vocal performance. Her involvement added something very special to the evening, and we are grateful for her contribution.

We would also like to acknowledge our Year 10 and 11 students, who accompanied, performed, and worked as professional stagehands to ensure the success of the event. Their support and dedication behind the scenes made a huge difference.

The evening was further enhanced by our incredible Studio team, who facilitated a livestream from Studio 1 to the Lumination Lab. This not only elevated the audience experience but also allowed us to showcase Micah K’s stunning classical piano performance in an innovative and immersive way.

We are so proud of the way our students not only showcased their individual talents but also supported and encouraged one another throughout the event. Their professionalism, enthusiasm and teamwork truly did the Music Department proud.

Congratulations to all involved!