Secondary School Update - 6 June 2025

HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE Jonathan Brayshaw

Dear Parents & Carers,

On Wednesday 4 June, a number of our staff had the privilege of meeting individually with each of our Year 10 students. These conversations were designed to explore each student’s future aspirations - discussing their interests, motivations, sense of belonging at school, and pathway planning. It was a rewarding experience for staff to hear directly from students about their goals and aspirations, and to offer encouragement as they reflect on their school experience and look ahead to what’s next. We trust it was a positive and valuable experience for our students as they begin to shape their future direction with greater clarity and confidence. 

Finally, I am pleased to inform you of two upcoming dates for Parent / Teacher Interviews:

On Wednesday 11 June, we are holding Stage 6 Parent / Teacher Interviews:  This event is for parents who have children in Years 11 or 12, and will run from 3.30 pm to 8.00 pm in A Block. To arrange a booking with your child's teachers, please refer to the link sent in an email from Secondary Hub on Monday 2 June. 

On Friday 25 July, we are holding Years 7-10 Parent Teacher Interviews: We recognise that it can be challenging to accommodate all parents and carers in one evening. Building on the success of last year, interviews will once again be held throughout the day. This approach allows greater flexibility for families to connect with their child’s teachers, either in person or via phone call, at a time that suits them throughout the day. A booking link will be sent soon to parents and carers of Year 7-10 students. We encourage you to take this opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about your child’s progress and learning journey. 

Arriving at School On Time Establishing consistent routines is crucial for nurturing discipline and responsibility in our students. Arriving at school by 8.25 am ensures students are present for Homeroom and Year Meetings. This is an important point of connection where students are able to check-in with teachers and peers, hear important announcements and be involved in discussions and daily activities. This part of the day helps shape a student’s sense of belonging. 

Thank you for entrusting us with the education and wellbeing of your children. 

SECONDARY SPORT UPDATE Melanie Kewley

Much has been happening in sport at ACC this term, with students competing in Volleyball, Football, Netball and State Cross Country events.

In Week 3, our students headed to Hawkesbury PCYC to participate in the CSSA Mixed State Volleyball Gala Day. While the Opens team fought hard in a tough competition, the U15s team won all their group stage matches without dropping a set. They then proceeded to compete in a very close Semi Final, where they were knocked out, losing by only one point to the competition winners. 

On Friday 30 May, 56 of our Secondary students were invited to participate in the CSSA State Cross Country event at Sydney International Equestrian Centre. ACC students ran their hardest against students representing 50 schools from across the State, with up to 180 students competing per race. A special congratulations to the Under 17 Girls, whose team of four placed 3rd overall. We would also like to congratulate Aarav R (12 Years Boys - 8th place) and Alysha C (18 Years Girls - 7th place) who qualified for the CIS Championships later this month. 

In Week 5 and 6 our students competed in the Met-West Zone Gala days for Netball and Football. This is an extension of our normal Interschool Sport on Tuesday and allows teams the opportunity to qualify for the CSSA State Gala Days and Finals later this term. At the Girls Gala Day, our U15s and Open Girls teams competed in Football. While the U15s fought hard, they did not make it through to the finals this year. The Open Girls team proceeded to the Grand Final only to be knocked out by Norwest Christian College. We wish Norwest all the best at the Football Finals later this term. Meanwhile, at the Boys Netball Gala Day, we had two Opens teams compete in very physically challenging competitions. Congratulations to the ACC Open Boys (Blue) Netball team, who made it all the way to the Grand Final, where they put up an excellent fight against Tyndale Christian School. This team will now proceed to the  CSSA State Netball Gala day to be held on June 17. At the Boys Football Gala Day our two U15s Boys teams, and Open Boys team also fought a fiercely competitive event. The U15s Blue team placed 3rd overall, while the Open Boys came 4th in the Zone.

YEAR 12 MOVIE NIGHT Kiah Cavens

This week, Year 12 enjoyed getting cosy after-hours and spending time together watching a movie! As we creep closer and closer to Trial Examinations and the HSC, it’s normal for students to begin to feel overwhelmed. It is easy to be consumed by assessment tasks, and the pressures of academic life, so it was lovely to have an evening free from distractions to be reminded to slow down and enjoy each moment!

YEAR 9 ALTITUDE DAY Kaylie Neave

Twenty-four Year 9 students, recognised for their emerging leadership potential, were selected to participate in Altitude Day: Sydney. This event aimed to inspire Year 9 students to embrace positive leadership roles within their schools and the broader community. Throughout the day, students engaged in meaningful networking with peers from other Sydney schools, exploring thought-provoking topics relevant to their age group. Our students proudly represented the College by confidently responding to questions on stage, sharing their perspectives, and posing insightful, intellectual questions to the guest speakers.

YEAR 11 DRAMA EXCURSION Liam Tomalaris

Year 11 Drama had the wonderful opportunity to watch the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of ‘Happy Days’ at the Wharf theatre at Dawes Point. Not to be confused with the sitcom of the same name, ‘Happy Days’ is a play by absurdist playwright Samuel Beckett, better known for his play ‘Waiting for Godot’. Similar to ‘Waiting for Godot’, ‘Happy Days’ is a challenging watch for those unfamiliar with the conventions and techniques of absurdism as it grapples with complex themes and ideas through seemingly senseless dialogue, and even more absurd circumstances. ‘Happy Days’ follows Winnie as she goes about her day, which might be very familiar and conventional were it not for her being half submerged within the earth for the entirety of the performance. It is a play that tackles suffering, relationships and finding meaning in a hostile and unforgiving world. This play supplemented our Year 11 study of a variety of theatrical styles in Term 1, and was a fantastic way for students to witness the conventions of absurdism in action within a professional depiction of Beckett’s work. 

JAPANESE BENTO IN LOTE CLASSES Narae Son

I am sure you are all familiar with what a bento is. Well then, are you familiar with something called a Hinomaru bento? In Japanese, it is written as 日の丸弁当 and its literal translation is “Circle of the Sun” bento - i.e. The Japanese flag bento. Hinomaru Bento is a traditional style Japanese lunch, with a red, pickled plum laid on the centre of plain, white rice to resemble the Japanese flag. It is common for Japanese high school students to pack this in their bags for school lunch, and our Year 10 Elective Japanese class had the opportunity to enjoy a taste of this bento as we study the unit on Japanese school life this term. 

Some students truly enjoyed the experience, clearing their entire bento box, while others were a little more hesitant about the taste. Regardless, we were all able to immerse ourselves in the Japanese culture and be a part of a typical Japanese school day. 楽しかったです！(tanoshikatta desu) - It was so much fun! 

EXPLORING THE FUTURE WITH NURANEXT Hezekiah Rose

On 27 May, students at the College were immersed in the cutting-edge world of artificial intelligence during an exciting visit from Neuranext. The interactive workshop provided students with a rare opportunity to engage directly with emerging technologies and explore the future of AI in education, industry, and everyday life. The session began with an insightful presentation on the evolution and role of AI, sparking discussions about the ethical use of technology, its capacity to extend human abilities, and the wide range of career paths emerging in this rapidly growing field. Students were encouraged to think critically about the ways AI is reshaping the workforce by taking over repetitive tasks and allowing humans to focus on creativity, strategy, and interpersonal work.

The hands-on elements of the workshop truly brought the learning to life. Students were captivated as they observed a drone that could track and follow human movement and took turns guiding a robotic dog across the hall. A highlight of the day was interacting with a humanoid robot programmed to respond in real time, prompting both fascination and thoughtful questions about machine learning and human-machine interaction. The experience not only deepened students’ understanding of AI but also inspired them to consider their place in a world where technology and humanity work side by side. The College thanks Neuranext for delivering such a dynamic and future-focused learning experience.

SECONDARY SEMINARS Brad Adams

In Week 5 the College hosted a visit from George Dansey, Wellbeing and Education Careers Officer for the Parramatta Eels. George spoke with the boys from Years 9 to 12 drawing from his experience of working beside the Parramatta Eels NRL team. He shared about the importance of a culture of respect and support, that helps to develop the talents and abilities of every person in that community. He encouraged our students to not be pressured to be someone who they are not, but to cultivate their own personal skills and talents. The boys appreciated George’s stories of the people he has worked with and the real life examples he shared. Many of the boys enthusiastically approached George at the end of his sessions to talk with him further.

While these sessions were occurring for the boys, Demi Spacavento, from Bright Girl Health,  spoke with all the girls from Years 7 to 12 over two days. Her message was focused on women's health, specifically increasing menstrual health literacy and recognising abnormalities to help reduce period suffering. Her bright and bubbly personality won over the girls and her informative sessions were really appreciated. At the end of each session there were many girls who were feeling informed and had a desire to know more.

These wellbeing sessions are designed to inform and educate our students about respecting each other and living in a supportive educational community. We received some lovely feedback from Bright Girl Health:

“I wanted to make sure to put into writing how wonderful the students were. Each stage group was polite and respectful. They were kind and welcoming to us, and it was great to see them participating in the activities so enthusiastically. Many of them made the most of the day by asking questions as well, both as part of the group, and some of them came to ask questions in private afterwards.”