Primary News

What???? Gold??? That was the reaction of local media to the exciting news that our sport’s teacher, Rachel Bresanello was part of the three Albany women who won a Gold medal at the Aussie National Surf Life Saving carnival. This event brought together over 300 clubs from across Australia. Rachel Bresanello was part of the board relay. They trained hard leading

School Development

I am excited to share with you the latest news from my recent visit to Australian Christian College - Marsden Park in Sydney. I had the opportunity to present at the National Education Improvement Summit, which brought together instructional leaders from our 12 campuses across Australia. Our school showcased our use of data for educational improvement and student learning. I was proud to report that some of our initiatives such as our reading groups, big run, and times tables groups inspired ACC Singleton

We collect data in our primary school through formal and informal methods. Academic data is measured with the benchmark reading tests conducted at the end of each semester this gives a reading level which is then used to place the child in a leveled group for the Monday - Wednesday program. ACER tests inform us of where the child is at and the growth the child achieves in comprehension and numeracy. The ACER tests also give an indication of the child’s ability compared to 1.5 million students worldwide in the same age bracket. The data we collect help us to evaluate the programs that the school teaches.

NAPLAN

We have just completed the NAPLAN tests for 2023. This is another way we analyze our educational improvements across the school. The students in Years 3 and 5 did not seem to find the tests too demanding partly due to their familiarity with test procedures. I was particularly impressed with the Year 3 narrative writing skills. Our results in recent years prove that the explicit instruction approach is effective in meeting a wide range of students’ educational needs. The teaching staff and educators that provide the intervention programs of Multlit and Bondblox are encouraged by the data.

Harmony Day

Harmony Day was a huge success this year, with an impressive turnout of 30 children wearing traditional outfits that reflected their multicultural backgrounds. It was heartening to see the children sharing stories about the rich culture and history of their families, and it was a fantastic opportunity for them to learn about diversity and cultural awareness.

The parade seems to be growing every year, which is a testament to the increasing value our school community places on celebrating diversity. We hope to continue this tradition in the future, and we look forward to even more children participating and sharing their unique cultural perspectives.

The learning and celebration did not end with the parade, as teachers continued the conversation about cultural awareness in their classrooms. A range of engaging and educational activities were organized to deepen the children's understanding of different cultures and promote cross-cultural understanding.

Year 6 Camp

The Year 6 Growth camp was blessed with excellent weather, thanks to God. On the first day, the students climbed Castle Rock and explored the nearby caves. They even dug Fox Holes in anticipation of the night's activities. One of the many benefits of attending a camp at ACC is that it gently challenges the children to face situations that may make them uncomfortable. This provides them with the opportunity to learn and grow in self-confidence. The Year 6 students were incredibly supportive of one another, despite having different fears and concerns. Some were worried about heights, while others were anxious about being away from home or facing endurance activities. The students grew in independence as they took on the responsibility of self-catering for the camp. They cooked, cleaned, and served each other, which helped them to recognize their strengths and weaknesses. Through their collective efforts, they realized that they were stronger as a group, and this further increased their self-confidence.

Earth Day

The Year 5s participated in Earth Hour for schools on Friday the 24th. They developed their knowledge about Earth hour and what it achieves by watching a short documentary on Earth hour and a timelapse video of the polar ice caps melting. The Year 5s already have a strong desire to look after the planet that God created. They are continually being Earth warriors by being a recycling hub for the school for bread tags, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bottle tops, and batteries. They collectively agreed to use minimum power for the whole day, instead of just an hour. This was a wonderful collaborative agreement that saw them all work together during the day to remind each other if what we are using is actually necessary. The Year 5s are amazing, conscientious students who continually strive to do their part in lowering their carbon footprint, eliminating waste, and being caring Earth lovers.