Secondary News

I am writing this newsletter update from sunny Canberra! The Year 7s are having an amazing time and we’ve been so impressed by how well they have coped with the travel and by their very considerate and respectful behaviour. It is very special that we are able to run so many camps and extracurricular activities for our students. This is largely due to the trust that we have in each of them upholding our values by being kind, respectful and by having a positive attitude.

Year 7 Canberra Camp

On Sunday, we arrived in Sydney and explored Manly Beach, before travelling on the ferry to Circular Quay to see the Opera House. We walked all the way across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, caught the train to the bus, ate lunch at Bondi Beach, then drove down to Canberra. We figured out that we had used most modes of transport: bus, plane, boat, walking and the train. The accommodation is fantastic and we all had a great sleep on Sunday night.

On Monday, we visited the National Museum, the National Gallery and the Australian Institute of Sport. We also did a driving tour of the embassies and some other landmarks. On Tuesday, we showed our respect to the Australian men and women who have served in war when we visited the Australian War Memorial. We also visited the CSIRO Discovery Centre and the High Court of Australia. Today (Wednesday) we role played a parliamentary debate at Parliament House and visited Floriade. We have an action packed week where we will learn so much about our national capital.

Interschool Athletics

A team of ACC athletes recently competed in the Associated and Catholic Colleges Interschool sports carnival in Perth. We had a number of athletes do really well in their divisions, and our team had its best ever result. A special congratulations to our DE student, Lauren Kelly, who smashed some long-held records in her events. The following students earned places in their events: A huge thank you to Mr Thomas, Mrs Pitavanik and Mr Downing for providing this incredible opportunity for our students.

Year 9 Camp

Our Year 9s enjoyed their Busselton camp. They took part in a range of activities at the campsite with Cru West. As a school, we love partnering with Cru West - they relate really well with the students, run some great games and deliver some really interesting Christian Discovery sessions. Our Year 9 adventurers also did some exciting activities in the Busselton region. They explored Giants Cave, walked the jetty and visited Cape Naturaliste. They were very brave and completed a high ropes course, plus they visited the ice-creamery and walked the Busselton jetty. A huge thank you to Mrs Downing, Mrs Lamble and Mr Thomas for their work in bringing this camp together.

Outdoor Education and Adventurous Journey

Last week, our Year 10s completed their Adventurous Journey with Mr Wiseman and Mrs Pitavanik. This hiking camp formed part of their accreditation for the Duke of Edinburgh award, an international qualification that can earn students credit toward their WACE. They had a great time exploring Walpole, despite having to cut the journey short by a day due to weather conditions.

While the Adventurous Journey was underway, the Year 11 and 12 Outdoor Education students completed their final expedition for the year. They hiked and went canoeing in Walpole, while working on their bushcraft and leadership skills with Mr Sephton, Miss Van Bergel and Mr Hunt. Congratulations to all of our senior students for their work in Outdoor Education this year.

Chess Winners!

We recently sent a team of secondary students to compete in the Great Southern School Chess Competition. This competition was held at North Albany Senior High School and involved six local schools: ACC, North Albany, Albany Senior High, Great Southern Grammar, Katanning Senior High and Bethel. Despite this being our first competition, ACC won, beating both ASHS and NASHS by one point! A special congratulations also goes to Riley Nash, who took out second place in the individual tally. Mr Wiseman has done such a great job in promoting chess in our secondary school!

Debating Winners!

Last week, Mrs Elliott took a team of debaters to compete in the Great Southern division of the Western Australian Debating League. Our team of Year 7 and 8 students competed at St Joseph’s College in the novice division and won all of their debates, taking out first place! Mrs Elliott was so impressed by the confidence and teamwork demonstrated by our students. Congratulations debaters!

Next Term

On the first Monday of Term 4, we will have an assembly at 9am at Living Water Anglican Church. We will be joined by a special guest, Rick Wilson, who will be awarding our Year 7 Canberra travellers with a certificate for having visited Parliament House. We will also enjoy some highlights from the Year 9 camp, the Year 10 Adventurous Journey and Year 11 and 12 Outdoor Education Expedition. We will also hear from the Debating Team. Parents are welcome to attend.

Year 12 Graduation

It is almost time for our Year 12 Graduation. This is always a very special event in our calendar. It is a chance to reflect upon the educational journey that our Year 12s have undertaken and to celebrate this important milestone with them. We start the day with a graduation ceremony at Living Water Anglican Church. In this event, students and staff share their memories, encouragement and hopes for students in a special assembly. This is followed by a graduation dinner, where our Year 12s will be dressing in their finest to share a meal at the Hilton with staff and parents. They will have professional photos taken and enjoy spending this special occasion with each other.

Early in graduation week, our Year 10s will be preparing a meal for the Year 12s to enjoy. This is a way for our Year 10s to honour our Year 12s and provide them with the opportunity to reflect on their educational journey before the big day.

ACC Athletics

Our ACC Athletics carnival will be held at North Road Ovals on Friday, 3rd November. This will be a great event, and Mr Thomas has been working with students to develop their technique. It would be a great idea to keep training over the holiday break.

Uniform

Next term is Summer Uniform. For girls, this will be the summer dress, school socks and black school shoes. For boys, this will be school shorts, a short sleeve shirt (no tie), a school belt, school socks and black school shoes. Please ensure that your child has the required items prior to the commencement of term.

Students wearing their uniform incorrectly may be required to complete detention or have their parents deliver the correct items before they can participate in lessons.