Issue 4 2024
"You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip… Because God will be right there with you; he’ll keep you safe and sound."
Proverbs 3:23, 26
Postcard From the Principal
This week our Principal, Mr Robert Tobias, travelled to Japan along with Ms Jennifer Buddee, International Student Coordinator. Together they are visiting our existing Sister School, Tachibana Junior and Senior High School in Kyoto, as well as signing new Agreements with Kasukabe Kyoei High School, St Margaret's Elementary School and Bunkyo Girls High School in Tokyo.
The benefits of our International Program are significant for both our students and those of our international counterparts and we look forward to bringing our College community even more exciting opportunities to engage in the coming months.
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
HARMONY WEEK AT EAC
This week at EAC, we have celebrated Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into our community. It has been a time to cheer for inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.
Students and staff have come together during Pastoral Care time to play games from around the globe, to find out about the countries of origin of many in our community, and to sample some of the food that has become a part of our Australian palate.
Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Week as it traditionally signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. These ideas are never more important than in our era of social media and the capacity it has to build community or to create division.
Australia is a vibrant and multicultural country — from the oldest continuous culture of our first Australians, to the cultures of our newest arrivals from around the world. Our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is at the heart of who we are. It makes Australia a great place to live.
Some fascinating statistics about Australia's diversity that can be good conversation-starters:
- Nearly half (49%) of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was
- As a nation, we identify with over 300 ancestries
- Since 1945, more than 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia
- 85% of Australians agree that multiculturalism has been good for Australia
- Apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Italian, Greek, Tagalog/Filipino, Hindi, Spanish and Punjabi
- More than 70 Indigenous languages are spoken in Australia
Mr Francis McGuigan
Deputy Principal
Harmony Day in the Primary School was a heartwarming celebration of diversity and unity at EAC! Through the creation of a gigantic paper chain, students and staff came together to showcase the beauty of embracing diversity, multiculturalism, and being unique in our community. Each link told a unique story, reflecting our shared values of acceptance and inclusion. As well as listing reasons why everyone belongs at EAC! It was inspiring to see everyone working side by side, bridging differences, and building connections. The spirit of Harmony Day was infectious. Thank you to everyone who made this day truly special!
“The kindness people showed during Harmony Week was incredible.” Remy Clay
“I liked hearing about other people's stories. I also like the size of the chain and I felt EAC was extra kind this week.” Freddie Portela
“It was great to celebrate being Australian in a way that was different to how people usually celebrate Australia Day.” Luca Howard-Bath
“It takes all kinds to make the world and the stories we explored this week highlighted how different everyone is and that is a great thing.“ Brooklyn Walsh
“Learning about other people's stories and how they ended up living in Australia was pretty cool.” Shiloh Wilkins
”I really enjoyed learning about all the different ways we are different and what we all celebrate.” - Vivian Haupt
Sports Report
NCIS Secondary Swimming Championships
Tuesday 12 March saw the EAC Secondary Swimming team travel to Alstonville for the NCIS Secondary Swimming Championships. Another successful outing for our students, with EAC placing third in the overall points score, but once again claiming the percentage points score trophy, based on the number of students enrolled at our College.
At an individual level, we had a number of students place in their respective age championship, as well as 14 students qualify for CIS in May.
NCIS Age Championship
- Mila Manion - 3rd: 12 Girls
- Sarah Vanem - 2nd: 14 Girls
- Coco Robinson - 2nd: 15 Girls
- Amelia Atkinson - 3rd: 15 Girls
- Ellen Miller - 2nd: 17 Girls
- Finlay Stevenson - 2nd: 15 Boys
- Lachlan Trease - 1st: 17 Boys
- Finnigan Robinson - 2nd: 17 Boys
- Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School
- Bishop Druitt College
- Emmanuel Anglican College
- Emmanuel Anglican College
- Bishop Druitt College
- Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School
Mr Mike Ryan
Leader of Sport and Coaching
Tobias-Marquardt Cup / CIS Football Cup
Our 2024 Secondary Football Teams travelled to Kingscliff on Monday 11 March to face Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School in the Tobias-Marquardt Cup. A competition between our two Colleges, named after our respective Principals, Mr Robert Tobias and Mr Stuart Marquardt.
The Open Boys and Girls matches also doubled as the opening fixture in the CIS Football Cup.
Unfortunately, the Open Boys and Girls both went down to LAGS, the boys in convincing fashion, but the girls in a much tighter affair. The U15 Boys managed a 0-0 draw, despite numerous chances to take the lead, and our U15 Girls also suffered their first loss for the season.
Despite the results not falling our way, we look ahead to the next fixtures:
- U15 Boys - Bill Turner Cup (Rd 1 match report below. Rd 2 v Richmond Christian College on Tuesday 2 April)
- U15 Girls - Bill Turner Trophy (Bye in Rd 1. Awaiting result of Ballina Coast and Evans River match)
- Open Boys - CIS Football Plate (Second-tier competition. Round 1 v St Columba Anglican School postponed from Friday 22 March. New date TBC)
- Open Girls - NCIS Secondary Football Championships (Wednesday 15 May)
SENSATIONAL START FOR FOOTBALL COMP
Our U15 Boys got off to a flying start for their 2024 Bill Turner Cup campaign, defeating Ballina Coast 11-0 this week. From the opening kick off our boys dominated possession, constantly pressuring the opposition defence.
An early double to captain Finley Thomson set the scene for what proved to be a rock solid performance from our boys. A highlight of the match was a long cross from George Morgan which Jack Cohen brilliantly headed into the back of the net. Goal scorers were Finley Thomson (3), Thomas Bazar (2), Jack Cohen (2), Henry Drew, Edward Neto, Paco Schultheiss, Louis Visser.
The team now progresses to Round 2 against Richmond Christian College on Tuesday 2 April.
Mr Mike Ryan
Leader of Sport and Coaching
Interhouse Football Results
A great two days of soccer was had last week by all Houses. Exceptional moments were noticed like Lola Cross (Brockington) scoring a great goal and chanting for her House all day long, Liam McNamara (Walker) and Charlie Walshe (Smith) making save after save in the finals to keep their team in the game, and Year 3 Purcival House stealing the show with some fantastic goals and winning game after game. However it was Walker House who eventually topped the table by 3 points to win the Interhouse Primary Soccer trophy for the 4th time in 6 years.
1st - 30 points - Walker
2nd - 27 points - Purcival
3rd - 25 points - Smith
4th - 22 points - Brockington
Mr Tony Lancashire
Primary Sport Leader
Primary Sport Achievement Awards
Our EAC Primary Sport Achievement Awards give all students an opportunity to be recognised through sport, not only for their achievements, but largely for showing character and qualities based around EAC’s values of Courage, Creativity and Compassion. Our Term 1 winners are listed below.
Harvey Raguse
Harvey is a very keen soccer player and recently represented EAC at NCIS Football in our mixed squad. He narrowly missed out on making the boys team which he was initially disappointed about, but Harvey continued to show up to every training, game and Sport lesson with a smile on his face and delivered his best effort. We wish Harvey well as he continues to exemplify a great attitude that will see him grow and excel as a person and an even better sports player than he already is.
Meg Churton
Meg is in Year 5 and new to EAC this year. She has shown great character and bravery right from the start. Every Sport lesson Meg tries her best, participates in all activities, supports others and even made it into the EAC Football team earlier this term. Some people may think starting at a new school would be a very nervous thing to experience, but by observing Meg, especially in sport, you wouldn’t notice. She is in the centre of the action and shows great examples of leadership for other new students at the school.
Mr Tony Lancashire
Primary Sport Leader
CIS Individual Sport Trials
EAC is an affiliate member of the New South Wales Combined Independent Schools Sports Council (NSWCIS). There are a number of sports where the representative pathway for students is a direct individual trial for selection in a Combined Independent Schools (CIS) team. Parents/carers of students wishing to trial for a CIS team should familiarise themselves with the CIS website, where details of trial dates and locations can be found: https://www.cis.nsw.edu.au/
SCHOOL SPORT REPRESENTATIVE PATHWAY
For those new to the College or to New South Wales, we thought it handy to refresh how students progress through the Representative Pathway for sports right through from 'school sport' to elite national titles.
College Sport
Students are selected to represent Emmanuel Anglican College.
North Coast Independent Schools (NCIS)
Depending on the sport, students will attend NCIS team events as part of an EAC team or an NCIS individual trial.
NSW Combined Independent Schools (NSWCIS)
Again, depending on the sport, students can attend NSWCIS events as part of an NCIS team or some sports are individual nominations directly to CIS level.
NSW All Schools (Secondary) / NSW Primary Schools Sporting Association (Primary)
For secondary students, NSW All Schools, also known as State, is where the three NSW educational sectors all meet, NSWCIS, NSW Combined High Schools (CHS) and NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC). Students from EAC have the opportunity to represent NSWCIS at All Schools events.
For primary students, NSWPSSA is essentially the same as NSW All Schools. Students from EAC who are selected to represent NSWCIS will compete at NSWPSSA events for a place in the state team.
School Sport Australia
This is the highest level of representation, where students who are successful at NSW All Schools are selected to represent NSW against the other states.
Top of the Arts
“Well Begun is Half Done.” Mary Poppins
We are now just weeks away from tickets going on sale for our 2024 EAC production of Mary Poppins The Musical. Now is the time to mark your calendars and get your group together as tickets are expected to sell out quickly.
Tickets will be $35 for adults, $25 for students and children aged 18 and younger. A Family Pass for 2 adults and 2 students/children will be $100. Delicious snacks will also be available for pre order when purchasing your tickets.
Show dates and times are listed below, so 'spit spot' and get ready for take off!
- 5pm Thursday 16 May | Family Show
- 7pm Friday 17 May | Opening Night
- 2pm Saturday 18 May | Matinee Performance
- 7pm Saturday 19 May | Evening Performance
- 5pm Thursday 23 May | Family Show
- 7pm Friday 24 May | Evening Performance
- 2pm Saturday 25 May | Matinee Performance
- 7pm Saturday 25 May | Evening Performance
CHAPLAIN CHAT
EASTER 2024
The following reflection comes in the context of Gaza, March 2024, a graveyard for children. Will it also be a graveyard also for international law?
How about a Purge?
What if it worked? A purge that is. What if it were possible to remove hate and fear and violence through one great violent purge? What if targeting one group and projecting onto them our full, repercussion-free animosity and venom, secured peace? What if this had the power to liberate society and cleanse it of ill? This is the premise to a popular horror film franchise of the same name. It also describes an inclination in human nature. “You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed” (recorded in John 10.50 speaking of Jesus).
This horror film is fiction, but our inclination is not. There is a pervasive narrative in our culture that features in our films, playgrounds and the halls of power. It is the myth of redemptive violence. Whatever the problem is, violence is the preferred pathway to redemption and restoration. Again and again we are told the strong arm leads to security and wealth. But this comes at the cost of countless innocent lives, will only ever work for a precious few, and never for any length of time.
Jesus enters human history and a radical new imagination breaks in. Shockingly, we find God at the centre of violence. Not as the agent of it, but its victim. Jesus becomes the lamb! Jesus is killed, not to satisfy a need for violence in God, but to stare down humankind’s inclination for purging. Easter is the final, necessary killing – where God says to humankind, ‘if you must have blood, then have mine’, exposing our inclination.
That God does this is scandalous. But rather than hiding this embarrassing shame, the Christian church holds it up. Rather than smoothing over the scandalous shame of the cross, the Christian faith holds it up. All the things designed to reduce a person into a pizzling, demonised, pitiable, criminal wretch, and are embodied in the crucified Jesus and are held up by people of faith as marks of the eternal heart of God.
The horrifying marks of state sanctioned ritual humiliation run deep: the stripping naked, the flaying with a whip, the fake crown made of thorns and the faux worship made of taunts, the caravan through town carrying the wood of torture, the hanging up as an accursed criminal, the death by asphyxiation through excruciating, pain induced weakness. This is the story of Good Friday. But Sunday ushers in a new reality: resurrection. The scandal of Friday is held up by the Church as a window into the eternal character of God.
The heart of God was and will always be, inclined towards costly, unconditional love. This is call Passion. Purging never works and is not required. If we allow the Passion of God to enter our hearts, it is possible that our inclination can turn away from ‘othering’, away from blooding, towards peace making and the practice of being a neighbour. With the Crucified and Risen Lord, we can participate in the healing and transformation of this world. This is God’s desire. May it be ours.
Every blessing and peace be yours.
Richard
Rev Richard Browning
Chaplain
SUSTAINABILITY CENTRAL
WE ARE WASTE FREE WONDERS!
A huge thank you to all our students, parents, carers and staff for making our Clean Up Australia Waste Free Week such a great success. The improvement in our landfill was significant and we are confident that the learnings from that week will help us continue to reduce waste at the source.
Ms Kathryn Ashdown
Leader of Curriculum (TAS/VET)
Library Lowdown
EASTER BOOK HUNT
During the autumn school holidays, the Joan Pickup Library will be doing a stocktake of the library’s collection. There are currently more than 700 books overdue or missing from the library. We would like your help with an Easter Book Hunt!
The challenge for our students, and families, is to have a look at home, under the bed, behind the couch, in the car, propping up the dining table or being used as a laptop stand.
If you find any EAC library books, students can return them to the library in exchange for a chocolate, sweet treat or surprise. Dairy free and gluten options are available.
I appreciate your help and look forward to seeing what comes back.
Ms Amy Quitoriano
Library Resource Centre Manager
Friends of EAC
WHATS APP GROUPS
Our Friends of EAC are working on ways to help our community connect better.
One of their initiatives is the establishment of a WhatsApp group for each cohort.
Groups for Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 6 have already been established and can be joined by scanning the QR codes above.
QR codes for other groups will follow soon.
For queries, please email friends@eac.nsw.edu.au.
EAC ESSENTIALS
Welcome to the World Ruby Blue
Congratulations to Ms Alyssa Marshall, teacher of Year 5, and her partner Mitch on the safe arrival of their baby girl, Ruby Blue.
Ruby was born last Friday 15 March and all are in great health and high spirits.
Happy Birthday Amber!
Emmanuel Anglican College's beloved therapy dog, Amber, is turning 5! Today, Friday 22 March is Amber's birthday and our Primary students have been marking the occasion with colouring in and cuddles.
Amber brings boundless joy and comfort to students and staff alike. A gentle Australian Cobber Dog, Amber has become an integral part of our College community, providing emotional support and a furry friend for those in need. Whether it's helping students alleviate stress during exam periods or offering a listening ear (or rather, a wagging tail) to those going through tough times, Amber's presence is invaluable. With her warm, compassionate nature, she exemplifies the essence of unconditional love and empathy.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A FREE PRINTABLE OF AMBER'S BIRTHDAY COLOURING IN PAGE
STUDENTS WELCOME AFTER 8.15AM
With the exception of organised and supervised College activities, students must arrive at EAC no earlier than 8.15am each school day.
At the end of the day, again with the exception of organised and supervised College activities including After Hours College Care, all students must vacate College grounds by 4pm.
Thank you for your understanding and support of this important College policy.
The Wave 2023 | Copies Available
We have copies of our 25th Anniversary edition of The Wave available for pick up from Reception.
This publication is free for all EAC families and a great momento of 2023.
Our Reception is open 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday excluding Public Holidays.
Primary Pulse
PRIMARY PARADES, PICNICS AND PLAY PERFECTION
Last week saw the opening of the Friends of EAC Mini Village in the Gunundi playground. The idea of a mini village at EAC came to me when I first moved to the Northern Rivers and spent many a Saturday morning with my then much younger children at the Newrybar Mini Village. Just like the Newrybar village, we worked with Castle and Cubby to design an inspiring space where students learn through play based experiences. In its first week, the students have used their imaginations to transform the cubbies into pop up food stores and treated students and staff alike to all sorts of cuisine. My personal favourite was the tacos (made from rocks and bark)! This exciting space was made possible by the generous donations from our EAC Primary families as part of Friends of EAC events such as the Colour Run and Freaky Friday. I hope this space will continue to inspire our students to hold onto the wonder and awe that play based learning inspires.
Speaking of the Colour Run, the 2024 Colour Run will be held on Friday 12 April from 1.30pm on the front oval. All Primary families have now received instructions on how to fundraise so our Friends committee can continue to support initiatives such as the Mini Village into the future.
Our annual Easter Bonnet, Boot and Belt parade will be held next Thursday 28 March at 9.30am in The Lindsay Walker Centre. Families of students in Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 are invited to this event to watch their little ones proudly promenade their creations down the catwalk!
This week our ELC students came for a special morning tea in their honour hosted by our Kindergarten students. Teddies were brought along as their 'plus ones' and we even had a chance to read a story and sing a few songs. This event is a part of the Kindy Links program that aims to familiarise our ELC students with the Kindergarten Program, the Primary staff and, most important, their friends who learn on the big school side of the fence.
We had close to 70 students trial for the EAC primary chess team this week. From here I have a top 30 students who I will invite to a second trial on Thursday 28 March, to then send our top 15 into the Gardiner Chess competition on Thursday 4 April. Please keep an eye on your inbox for more information.
Finally, I remind all families that the Primary playgrounds are not supervised until 8.15am. Please do not send students to school early on days where their siblings have band or sports commitments. For some events this can be almost an hour before a teacher is on duty. Any student on site before 8.15am is to sit in the undercover area until the duty teacher arrives. Please also note, that even if parents are present, the Mini Village is not to be accessed before school and the play equipment is for our Kindergarten students only.
Mr Wayne Cross
Director of the Primary School
If you want to change the world… Don’t Be Afraid of the Circus
In this term's Mental Fitness program, students from Year 4 to Year 6 have been exploring the profound impact of seemingly small actions on our lives and the world around us.
During last week’s session, inspired by Admiral William H. McRaven's 'Make Your Bed', students delved into the concept of overcoming failure and obstacles to build inner strength and character. They were encouraged to view mistakes as valuable opportunities for growth and improvement. Learning to persevere and maintain positivity in the face of challenges was emphasised.
Using the circus metaphor from Navy SEAL training, students learned to embrace difficulties as catalysts for personal growth, change and resilience. By confronting challenges directly, students can cultivate the mental strength necessary to overcome obstacles.
Embracing the 'circus' instils resilience, adaptability, and a growth mindset. A crucial life skill that propels students toward success. Let's heed Admiral McRaven's advice and remember: to change the world, we mustn't shy away from the circus!
Mr Daniel Walsh
Primary Pastoral Leader (Year 4 to Year 6)
Australian History - It's Dramatic!
This term in class, Year 5 and Year 6 are investigating early Australian History, such as the Goldrush and migration. To encourage empathy and a deeper understanding of the topics, our drama integrated lessons have been focusing on the experiences and emotions of people living in the past. Using the skill of improvisation, our Year 5s have been exploring the living conditions and daily life of mining towns in the 1850s. Year 6 students were asked to compare the experiences of Australian-born citizens to that of people from migrant countries, by devising a series of still images depicting everyday activities. Through these interactions with Drama, our students are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge in new ways and to consolidate their understanding of what they learn in class.
Ms Mechelle Anderson
Teacher of Creative Arts, Drama and Visual Arts
Northern Rivers News
