Secondary News

Newsletter T4 Wk 1

It is so good to be back in Albany and ready for such an exciting term. At the end of Term 3, I had the privilege of accompanying the Year 7s and their teachers on the Sydney and Canberra tour. While the entire experience was fantastic, I was particularly struck by the stately, elegant feel of Canberra. It is a city that was designed intentionally to be accessible, transparent and representative of Australian values. Our parliament house building is the most accessible parliament house in the world, and it is set into a hill to emphasise its service to the people. From streetscapes to buildings, to the width of streets to the use of colour and symbols, this recurring theme of leadership through service was really impressed upon me. We all came away from this camp feeling so proud to be Australian.

In a similar way, this is what I believe is so special about our community at ACC. Leadership in our community is enacted by serving others. This year I have seen the Year 12s setting a fantastic example of leadership through serving others - they have cooked sausages on Fridays, run sports activities during their breaks and even helped staff with the smooth running of school activities. However, it isn’t only the Year 12s who lead in this manner. On the Year 7 Canberra camp, I saw the Year 7s leading when they tidied the bus after each day, when they cleared the tables for their peers after meals, when they participated in discussions and thanked their tour leaders, or even when they showed kindness to their friends.

Year 7 Canberra Trip

While the Year 7 Canberra Trip was a lot of fun, it was also part of our Civics and Citizenship curriculum. Students visited a number of venues including Parliament House, the Museum of Democracy, the National Gallery, the National Museum, and the National War Memorial. They also visited the CSIRO, the National Institute of Sport, Questacon and even the Floriade Flower Festival. Throughout these experiences, students focused on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $1275 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

While we learned a lot about our nation, we also learned a lot about ourselves. The Year 7s learned to manage tiredness, look after their luggage, travel by plane, bus, train and even ferry. We were so proud of the incredibly high standard of behaviour from our students and the enthusiastic way that they engaged with activities, asked questions and interacted with our tour guides.

At our assembly on Monday, our MP for O’Connor, Rick Wilson, presented each of our Year 7 participants with a certificate to commemorate their visit to Parliament House. Well done Year 7!

Year 12 Graduation

The Year 12s are on the home stretch! School-based ATAR examinations are complete, final assessments are submitted and students are getting ready to graduate on Thursday 19th October by completing their Legacy Week. During Legacy Week, Year 12s will be visiting primary and secondary classrooms to provide assistance, join in activities and share their wisdom before they finish up their journey at ACC. Next Monday, our Year 10 students are serving the Year 12s lunch at Albany Baptist Church.

The Year 12 Graduation Assembly will be held at 9am on Thursday 19th October. All are welcome to attend to honour our Year 12 students and share in this joyous occasion. In the evening, Year 12s and their parents, along with staff, will be celebrating with a formal dinner event at the Hilton. Year 12s will be dressing in their finest and posing for professional photographs before sharing speeches, gifts, food and fun as a final farewell.

The final external ATAR examinations will be held from the 30th October. We pray that our Year 12s will feel calm and confident in the lead up to these examinations.

Duke of Edinburgh Award - Parent Information Night

Mr Wiseman will be hosting a Parent Information Night to provide further information on the Duke of Edinburgh award on Monday 23rd October at 5.30pm. The Duke of Edinburgh award recognises the citizenship of of young Australians as they learn new skills, volunteer in their communities, undertake physical recreation and complete an Adventurous Journey. The Duke of Edinburgh award provides one credit toward the WACE and can be used as part of a portfolio of evidence for entry to some universities.

If you will have a child in Year 9 or above in 2024 and you would like some more information, please come along on Monday 23rd October.

RAC Project Roadsmart

Next Tuesday, Year 10, 11 and 12 will be attending the RAC Project Roadsmart at the Albany Entertainment Centre. This event will explore the impact of road trauma while emphasising the responsibilities and risks associated with using our roads. We are looking forward to this invaluable opportunity.

Teen Mental Health First Aid

Later this term, our Year 10s will be working toward certification in Teen Mental Health First Aid. They will complete three lessons with a visiting school psychologist, who will teach students how to respond if they are concerned about the mental health of a friend. Students will be taught how to seek assistance and how to refer support services.

Athletics Carnival

Our ACC Athletics Carnival will take place at North Road ovals on Friday 3rd November. Start training now!

Year 7 Orientation

This term, our Year 6s will undertake a range of activities to assist them with the transition to secondary school. Year 6s will be joined by our new students on Tuesday 31st October as they get to know one another and learn a little about life as a high school student.