Issue 1 Term 1 2023
‘I chose you and I commissioned you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last'
John 15:16
From the Principal
WELCOME BACK FOR 2023
It has been great welcoming our students back in recent days as we have commenced the 2023 College year. In particular, I wish to welcome all those students and their families who have joined the EAC community this year. I look forward to getting to know you and I am sure that in a very short period of time you will all feel part of our wonderful community.
At the commencement assembly for the Secondary School this week, I encouraged the students to think about some goals they might have to make 2023 a happy and rewarding year for all. I invited them to:
- Be the best learner they can be by developing good learning habits and enjoying the challenge
- Consider how they would grow their friendship groups, build on the strong friendships they already have and how they might go out of their way to welcome the new students, staff and families who have joined our College community
- Think about ways they could get involved in the extra-curricular life of the College
While the start of the school year is always filled with much excitement and frenetic activity, this was especially true for our 2023 Kindergarten class. On their first day there were lots of smiles, a few anxious looking faces and even a couple of tears (from the mums!) but the students looked great in their uniforms and were very proud of their new hats, shoes, lunchboxes and classrooms. Special thanks to Mrs Kelvin and Mrs Smith for helping make the transition to Kindergarten as smooth as possible for all.
I am very much looking forward to meeting new families, catching up with established families and watching all our students grow and learn in 2023.
Mr Robert Tobias
Principal
WELCOME TO OUR NEW TEACHING STAFF
We have a number of new teaching staff who have joined the highly talented and motivated EAC team.
Each of these people bring with them many gifts and talents and I am sure they will prove to be great assets to the College.
What's On
CALENDAR
For your personalised Calendar of Events, simply log in to Parent Lounge HERE.
Stay up to date with EAC announcements and news by following us on Facebook HERE.
SchoolStream APP
Canteen orders, absentee notices, important notifications and more can all be found on EAC's app, SchoolStream which you can find out more about HERE.
WEBSITE
The EAC website is a treasure trove of valuable information including forms, publications and in depth information, all of which are available HERE
WHAT WEEK IS IT?
To help clarify our College Weeks, we've created a printable quick reference guide available HERE.
Off The Deputy's Desk
KINDERGARTEN WISDOM
Welcome to 2023, another year where we are hopefully older and wiser.
I hope that you have had time over the break to connect with family and friends - those relationships are important to help us recharge. I hope that you also took time to do the things you enjoy.
With the return of students to EAC, the College campus is once again filled with energy and excitement for the year ahead. As I said to the students at our assembly this week, “If you are feeling a little anxious then that is a good thing because it means that you are moving forward and that is what we encourage and support you to do each day.” To manage that anxiety, this week I reminded Students that all they needed to know they had already learned in Kindergarten.
- Share everything.
- Play fair.
- Don't hit people.
- Put things back where you found them.
- Clean up your own mess.
- Don't take things that aren't yours.
- Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
- Wash your hands before you eat.
- Flush.
- Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw some and paint some and sing some and dance some and play some and work some every day some.
- Take a nap every afternoon, (maybe save that one for the weekend!).
- When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
- Wonder and never stop asking 'Why?'.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere which you can apply to the year ahead. Each one is a simple guide that you can apply to making you a better you and a more supportive and caring community at EAC.
And for the studies... now that the holidays are over it is time for students to reset, refocus, reprioritise and reimagine what it is they want from their time here.
Reset to the expectations of the College with regards to uniform, punctuality and respect for themselves and others.
Refocus on your learning which is what brings us all together.
Reprioritise being actively involved in class and learning.
Reimagine what we are each capable of achieving, when we apply ourselves to the best of our ability and make best use of the support EAC has to offer.
Mr Francis McGuigan
Deputy Principal
Sports Report
BAILEY SOARS TO THE HIGHEST OF HEIGHTS
Congratulations to Bailey Wilson from Year 12 and our Purcival House Captain, who recently competed at the NSW Athletics Country Championships in Dubbo. Bailey jumped a whopping 2m to win the event and qualify for the Australian U20 Athletics Championships in Brisbane on 30 March.
Bailey will also be competing in the NSW Junior Athletics Championships in Sydney on 24 February in the lead up to Nationals.
All of us at EAC are very excited for Bailey and wish him all the best at his upcoming meets.
SWIMMING CARNIVALS COMING UP
The 2023 EAC Primary and Secondary Swimming Carnivals are coming up quickly on the calendar.
The Primary Swimming Carnival will be held on Thursday 16 February at the Alstonville Aquatic Centre. The Primary Swimming Carnival will be attended by students in Years 2 to 6. Kindergarten and Year 1 will remain at the College and enjoy a regular school day albeit with a playground to themselves for the day!
The Secondary Swimming Carnival will be held on Friday 24 February at the Alstonville Aquatic Centre.
Parents and Carers are welcome to come along to cheer and enjoy the day, however, please note that all students will be bused to and from the Alstonville Aquatic Centre. Regular College drop off and pick up procedures will be in effect on these days.
Students are welcome to wear House colours to and from school on Swimming Carnival days.
EAC HOUSE COLOURS
Brockington Purcival Smith Walker
Top of the Arts
Library Lowdown
Canteen News
WELCOME TO 2023!
The College Canteen is open each school day. From time to time, usually at the end of Term 4, the Canteen may close. Parents, Carers and Students will be made aware of these closures with as much notice as possible.
Orders for the Canteen are best placed using the SchoolStream App and need to be processed prior to 8.30am on the day the order is required.
Over the counter orders can also be placed at the times below with both cash and EFTPOS facilities available;
- 8.30am - 8.45am (orders in only, no food available for purchase)
- 10.48am - 11.48am (for both Primary and Secondary First Break)
- 12.58pm - 1.58pm (for both Primary and Secondary Second Break
Primary students are welcome to place online orders for First Break. Should students require food and drinks at Second Break, they are able to order and pay for these over the counter.
Secondary students are welcome to place online orders for both First and Second Breaks.
If a student is away from College on a day they have made an online order, the order can be held over until another day or refunded. In these cases, please contact Reception by phoning 02 6681 5054 or emailing enquiries@eac.nsw.edu.au.
The College Canteen wishes the entire College community a delicious 2023!
Friends of EAC
FRIENDS ARE BACK!
Friends of EAC have a great year planned with a focus 'friend-raising'. There'll be some terrific social events with great ways to get involved and have some fun.
If you're new to EAC or looking to get more involved with our College community, come along to a Friends meeting (they're friendly and fun) and be sure to save the date for our 2023 events.
SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP
How to EAC
HOW TO NOTIFY THE COLLEGE OF STUDENT ABSENCES
The safety and wellbeing of our Students is a paramount priority for the College and with this in mind we encourage Parents and Carers to notify Reception with as much notice as possible regarding Student absences.
To make the process as easy as possible, EAC provides numerous avenues for notification. These are;
By Text to 0416 906 263
By Phone to 02 6681 5054
By the SchoolStream App which can be downloaded HERE
By email to attendance@eac.nsw.edu.au
In person at Reception open 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday
Early Learning Centre Corner
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
The ELC has been such an exciting place of late with new children joining, new friendships sparking and new equipment being put to immediate use. 2023 is already shaping up to be a busy one with the team busily planning activities, engaging with families and nurturing the children as they discover new friends and reconnect with familiar faces.
Starting a new routine can be tricky and the ELC staff are well experienced in helping to settle children (and their parents and carers) when separation anxiety takes hold. If you or you child needs a helping hand at drop off time, please let one of our friendly team know so we can support you both.
We're looking forward to all our adventures in 2023 and are so glad to have our ELC families walking with us throughout the year ahead.
Ms Nicole Wilson
Director of the Early Learning Centre
Primary Pulse
AND WE'RE OFF!
It has been a wonderful start to the year for our Primary Students. The sense of excitement from our students (and their parents and carers) as they bounded through the gate on Tuesday was a joy to see. It was particularly lovely, after so many years of restricted access due to the pandemic, to see families join us in helping to settle the kids into their new classrooms, have a quick chat with teachers and leave knowing their children were safe, welcome and ready to learn.
PRIMARY WELCOME EVENING - 6PM WEDNESDAY 8 FEBRUARY
We invite parents and carers of students in Years 1 to 6 to join us at the College next Wednesday 8 February at 6pm for our Primary Welcome Evening. The night will provide information about all that your child can look forward to in 2023 and explain how you might best support your child and their teachers to ensure a smooth and productive year.
WELCOME TO BIG SCHOOL!
Our new Kindergarten students started their schooling life with gusto on Wednesday and look to be a terrific bunch of kids. They have been busy exploring their new surroundings, showing wonder and awe to all that is presented to them.
LUNCHBOXES AT LUNCHTIME
Students are given 10 minutes at each break to eat from their lunchbox. If they have not finished after this time, students in Kindergarten, Years 1, 2 and 3 are asked to stay in the undercover area to finish their lunch. Students in Years 4, 5 and 6, are asked to take their lunchbox with them to the front oval to finish eating there. A reminder that online orders for the College Canteen are available for Primary students at First Break only.
TOGETHER WE CAN
As your child settles in for the year, we thank you for your ongoing support of the College by ensuring uniform standards are met, homework is complete and students are prepared for the day’s lessons with any equipment they may need. Students in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 can refer to their Student Planner for clear details around College expectations regarding uniform, appropriate hair and jewellery and more. Our Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students will be gently guided by their teachers to ensure College expectations are met.
NO HAT, NO PLAY
We take sun safety very seriously here at EAC and remind parents to ensure that the students have applied sunscreen before they come to school each day. The College provides sunscreen for reapplication around midday. If you child has a preferred sunscreen, please pack in their school bag for them to use as required. EAC is a 'No Hat, No Play' school and insist students sit in undercover areas if they do not have their hat.
PEAK HOUR AT PARENT PICKUP
Afternoons at Parent Pickup are always busy in the first few weeks. Please remember that students are available to be collected at Parent Pickup until 3:20pm. Usually 'Parent Pickup Peak Hour' has dissipated by around 3:10pm. Our staff ensure that we sight each parent or carer before allowing students to leave the gate and we appreciate your patience as we ensure the safe return of each student at the end of the school day.
SWIMMING AND SOCCER AND MORE!
We have our Primary Swimming Carnival coming up soon on Thursday 16 February with students in Years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 participating. On the day of the Swimming Carnival, students are welcome to wear their House colours to and from school. Next week, students will be able to nominate which races they'd like to participate in which is always an exciting time. Our Primary Swimming Carnival serves also as trials for the NCIS Swimming Carnival which will be held on Thursday 23 February at Alstonville. Enjoy the lead up to this great event!
EAC HOUSE COLOURS
Brockington Purcival Smith Walker
Out of the pool and onto the field... selection trials for NCIS Football (aka Soccer) for students in Years 5 and 6 will commence next week. Boys Trial 1 will be held at 7.30am on Monday 6 February with callbacks for shortlisted players at 7.30am on Wednesday 8 February. Trials for the Girls Team will be held 7.30am on Tuesday 7 February. All trials will be held on the EAC sports fields adjacent to The Lindsay Walker Centre. From the trials, two Year 5/6 Girls teams and two Year 5/6 Boys teams will be selected. The NCIS Soccer competition will be held on Wednesday 1 March in Coffs Harbour.
Read more about these exciting events and opportunities in our 'Sports Report' section of this Newsletter HERE.
Secondary Scoop
BACK TO SCHOOL
Many students will find getting back into a routine a challenge after the Christmas break. People manage change in different ways. Some students are excited about getting back into a routine and spending time with friends as well as learning new skills whilst others may be disappointed as they have to wake up earlier. Gone is the sleeping in until lunchtime and staying up talking to friends late at night. So how do we support students in re-establishing a routine? Here are some tips to help;
- Get enough sleep: Teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep a night. It is important that they establish a good sleeping routine from the beginning to ensure that they have the energy to learn at school.
- Electronic Devices: Encourage your teen to avoid electronic devices the hour before bed. Also encourage them to place their device on 'Flight Mode' and not in their room whilst asleep.
- Be Prepared: Encourage your teen to get prepared the night before so that the morning is as stress free as possible.
- Make a Plan: Develop a weekly schedule. Having a schedule of what activities they are participating in during the week and when tasks are due helps to remind teens what the plan is and improves the chances of them sticking to it.
- Use visual prompts: having a school timetable up is a visual reminder of the subjects that they have each day.
The College will continue to work with students to support them in developing their routines in 2023.
UNIFORM EXPECTATIONS
Just a reminder that EAC has clear expectations regarding uniform. These requirements can be found on the College website HERE.
Please ensure that you support the College with these expectations especially the length of hair for males and the amount of jewellery worn for females.
GET SET FOR STUDY SKILLS SUCCESS
Students in Years 7, 11 and 12 will be participating in Study Skills sessions on Friday 10 February.
These sessions will support them with their organisation skills and support their success as they transition to secondary school and to their HSC studies.
All other year groups will be completing Study Skills sessions during Wellbeing Lessons.
CHARLIE WOWS AT SAE WORK PLACEMENT
During a recent work placement at SAE Creative Media Institute which was coordinated by EAC, Year 11 student Charlie Roberston showed off his enormous talents when tasked with producing a behind-the-scenes look at SAE's courses in action.
SAE considered his video so good they are now featuring it in their marketing campaigns.
Congratulations to Charlie for his excellent work and thanks to SAE for making Charlie's work placement so worthwhile.
You can watch Charlie's video HERE.
Northern Rivers News
