Term 1 | Week 5 | 24 February 2022
‘Ask and it will be given, search and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened to you’
Matthew 7:7
From The Principal
The Lions Youth of the Year Quest commenced this week and we have five wonderful students involved this year. I congratulate William Lane, Oliver Payne, Eliza Grosser, Jade Harris and Judah Wright for committing the time and effort required to participate in this great program.
The quest has been running since 1964 and in 2022 is a truly national competition designed to celebrate the talents, efforts and hopes of young people. It is open to students who are 16 years and older. The Quest to identify the Lions Youth of the Year involves three parts. Firstly, participants in the Quest are required to prepare a portfolio outlining their hopes and goals, their personal achievements and their community involvement.
Secondly, they must meet with an interview panel of three to answer questions about what they have presented in their portfolio. Finally, they must attend a speech evening and present a prepared 5 minute speech on a topic about which they are passionate and they must also speak for two minutes about two impromptu topics.
We certainly wish them well and look forward to hearing about their achievements in the quest.
Once again, I remind all families of the need to show a very high level of caution and care when dropping off and picking up students at the College. Please follow all of the signage and line marking both on the road and when on College grounds. I particularly remind parents of the need to park both safely and legally. I appreciate that space is a premium and sometimes parents need to park a little distance from the College when collecting or dropping off students, however, I stress the need to always be safe and to follow the signage and line marking. It is a busy and dynamic time and children are not always attentive or even sensible, so please compensate for this by exercising the utmost caution, common sense and care.
Thank you for those parents who have offered to take on the role as a Class Parent in 2022. We are still looking for some parents from Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5 to volunteer for the role of Class Parent. There is plenty of support available to help you set up a chat or class page if you are a little unsure about how to do this. If you are interested in being involved, please email Mrs Kate Jenkins, College Registrar on kjenkins@eac.nsw.edu.au
Mr Robert Tobias
Principal
off the deputy's desk
“The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.” Garry Kasparov
What an air of excitement we have had all over the College these past weeks as the new IT devices have been rolled out to students, and shortly to staff. So much eager expectation - it is almost like the night before Christmas. This uniformity of devices will further enhance our teaching and learning practices at the College ensuring better engagement, comprehensive compatibility and great efficiency in tech support.
But with this IT renaissance at EAC also comes the need for greater understanding and critical awareness of the place of technology in learning. With language such as disinformation, fake news, false flags and click bait becoming a part of our contemporary vernacular, there has never been a more important time to ensure that our students have the critical literacy tools to activate their critical thinking and recognise the power of language to shape, control and shift the status quo.
Right across the school teachers work to empower their students in critical literacy, the ability to find embedded discrimination in media. This is done by analysing the messages promoting prejudiced power relationships found naturally in media and written material that go unnoticed otherwise by reading beyond the author's words and examining the manner in which the author has conveyed his or her ideas about society's norms to determine whether these ideas contain racial or gender inequality. Ultimately this enables students to develop their ability to understand the messages found in online articles and other sources of media such as news stations or journalism through careful analysis of the text and how the text is presented. Looking around the world today and the events that are unfolding, never has this been a more important skill to develop in our children.
EAC previously supplied Malwarebytes Antivirus to the students' BYO Devices. Since we no longer run the BYOD program we have let that license expire and we have moved to another program. The previous app is no longer functional. Therefore, we are in the process of loading the new software for the current Year 12 students.
Dia dhaoibh
Mr Francis McGuigan
Deputy Principal
TERM 1 WEEK 6
Monday 28 February
- NSW CIS Knockout v LAGS 10am
- NSW CIS Knockout v LAGS 12pm
- U15 Girls Soccer training 7.15am-8.30am
Tuesday 1 March
- Shrove Tuesday
- Year 9 Camp
- Primary Girls' Soccer Training 7.15am-8.30am
- NCIS Primary Soccer - Coffs Harbour
Wednesday 2 March
- Ash Wednesday Services
- Year 9 Camp
- U15 Boy/ Girls Touch Training 7.15am-8.30am
- Open Boys/Girls Touch Training 7.15am-8.30am
Thursday 3 March
- Year 9 Camp
- Primary Boys' Soccer Training 7.15am-8.30am
Friday 4 March
- Year 1 Picnic Postponed until further notice
- Year 9 Camp
- Year 12 Music Task 1
- U15 Boys Soccer Training 7.15am-8.30am
- Open Boys Soccer training 7.15am-8.30am
TERM 1 WEEK 7
Monday 7 March
- U15 Girls Soccer training 7.15am-8.30am
- Open Girls Soccer training 7.15am-8.30am
- ACIES Rugby Trials U16 Boys
- Year 7 Immunisations
- Year 9 Marine Studies Excursion
Tuesday 8 March
- Primary Girls' Soccer Training 7.15am-8.30am
- NCIS Secondary Touch Football
Thursday 10 March
- Primary Boys' Soccer Training 7.15am-8.30am
- CIS Primary Girls Netball Trials
Friday 11 March
- U15 Boys Soccer Training 7.15am-8.30am
- Open Boys Soccer training 7.15am-8.30am
- Just Like You Incursion
- Year 12 Ext History Task 1
- National Day of Action Against Bullying
Chaplain's Chat
Agh! February has caught me out again! All those things that were not until March…yikes – that is next week! Rude really.
But next week does mean a change of season. Yes, we move into autumn, we also move into the season of Lent. In the Anglican Church our year is broken into seasons that reflect the stories of God’s people, and the stories of Jesus. Each season has it’s own, well, vibe!
Lent is one of the quieter times of year, a season of reflection and thoughtfulness. A time when we clear out the deep recesses of the cupboards in our hearts and minds, making room for the celebrations and joy of Easter.
Next Wednesday (March 2) is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Traditionally this has been a day of prayer and fasting to symbolise that there is nothing more important than God, putting aside all distractions to be deeply present with God and to God. Fortunately for the students – we won’t be asking them to uphold the fast! We will however be creating an opportunity for each student to enter into the time of Lent as far as they feel able.
Ash Wednesday gets its name from the tradition of burning the small palm crosses that were distributed the previous year on Palm Sunday. It is a stark reminder for us that we so easily go from being the people who cheered and welcomed Jesus as King, throwing palm branches and cloaks to smooth his entrance into the city….to those who cried ‘crucify him!’ in the stories of Good Friday.
We wear the mark of the ashes, not as a mark of shame, but as a mark of our desire to start again….and during the season of Lent, as I said – we make time to ask ourselves the tough questions like what is getting in the way of my relationship with God? What stops me from being the person God desires me to be? Perhaps we could ask, what is stopping me living into my full potential of kindness, compassion, forgiveness and generosity.
It is through asking these questions that we come to yet another tradition, the one of giving something up, or taking up something for the season of Lent. Often we hear of people giving up chocolate, maybe alcohol…or coffee…(Seriously no one wants an un caffeinated Rev Sal!) But, the real challenge is to respond to those questions – what stops me from being the person God sees that I could be? Then we might use Lent as a time to practice the skills and disciplines needed that we might grow.
Lent is an awesome time of year. It can be hard – because it is hard to be very honest with ourselves, but it comes with the promise of joy at the end of the 40 days.
More on that next week though….
For now, I offer you this prayerful reflection as we turn our minds towards Lent:
The desert waits
(an invitation to Lent)The desert waits,
ready for those who come,
who come obedient to the Spirit’s leading;
or who are driven,
because they will not come any other way.The desert always waits,
ready to let us know who we are -
the place of self-discovery.And whilst we fear, and rightly,
the loneliness and emptiness and harshness,
we forget the angels
whom we cannot see for our blindness,
but who come when God decides
that we need their help;
when we are ready
for what they can give us.Ruth Burgess, ©2004 ‘Eggs and Ashes’.
Friends of EAC
Friends of EAC Annual General Meeting
Calling for Nominations
Friends provides an integral role in supporting the endeavours of the College.
Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month within the school term. The meetings are held in the Ezzy Centre at 6.30pm with everyone in the school community welcome. It's a great way to learn about school events, general information, school activities, fundraising opportunities and to make new friends.
We aim to foster a cooperative, supportive and connected community by creating events where parents and families of our school can come together to have fun fundraising and friendraising.
All Friends Office Bearer positions will be declared vacant at our AGM on Tuesday 8 March 2022.
Nominations are sought for the following positions:
- President
- Vice President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Committee Member (10 required)
For further information please see the attached nomination form or contact friends@eac.nsw.edu.au.
Friends AGM Office Bearers Nomination Form 2022
Mrs Jodie Manning-Hayter
President, Friends of EAC
PRIMARY NEWS
Assembly
Last week, 6C hosted our first Virtual Assembly of the year. Grab a cuppa and enjoy viewing the assembly from the comfort of your couch.
22/2/22
You may have noticed our Primary Leaders and staff wearing tutus at school on Tuesday. For a bit of fun, we decided to dress up and celebrate this rare occurrence! In class, students were involved in a variety of activities that centered around the number 2.
Year 5 Camp
Sylvie Thomson - Year 5
Last week all of Year Five travelled to Lake Ainsworth for an incredible two day camp.
To start each day, we went off to our first activity in our class groups. On the first day, we had sailing and archery (aka: perfect combo!). They were my favourite ones and sailing was especially fun because almost nobody had any idea what they were doing so it was a new experience for everyone. For lunch we also got the most AMAZING and MOUTH WATERING hot, chicken wraps! The following day we did kayaking and a thing called 'initiatives', which was figuring out lots of problems and solving them as a group. It was extremely fun but also very tricky! We also had burgers for lunch.
When we were sailing, we were in groups of four or five. We were directed to sail around big red buoys with coloured dots on them. At one point, we stopped at a small beach where our instructor showed us how to flip our boat back the right way up if it capsized.
Next, during archery we played a few games and some people even got a couple of bullseyes (including me)! Our coach was really funny (and good at archery of course!). He called the first people Robin Hood, second people Maid Marions and the third people Friar Tucks!
The next day we did kayaking where we paddled around playing games and also got to swim around a bit! The water was very refreshing since it was one of the hottest days we’ve had this summer!
Finally, we did the awesome initiatives course and my favourite one was called the claw. To do this one you had to stack at least three milk crates on top of each other using a sort of pulley system! It was tricky but my group got there in the end!
I learned heaps of stuff and had an awesome time hanging out with my friends and having a fun time away from school! I hope that we’ll get to more amazing things just like it during the rest of my school career!
Jewellery
Can I remind parents and students to ensure that jewellery worn to school is in line with the College Uniform Policy as outlined on Page 10 of the Student Planner. As we have settled into the year, we have noticed that some students' earring choices do not reflect the Uniform Policy. For your convenience please see the excerpt below.
General Notes
No decorative jewellery is to be worn to College. Jewellery includes all items introduced to the hair such as beads, feathers, etc, but excludes subdued coloured clips and pins.
Watches may be worn. Smart watches are to be set to airplane mode.
Girls with pierced ears are permitted to wear plain studs or simple sleepers only without stones or adornment or other visual feature. One stud is to be worn per ear and is to be worn in the lower ear lobe.
Boys are not permitted to wear earrings to College nor are plugs or spacers designed to keep the piercing open allowed to be worn.
Necklaces of a particular significance are to be worn under the uniform so that they cannot be seen.
Nail polish and cosmetics are not to be worn to College.
Nails are to be short enough so that they cannot be seen when looking at the palm of the hand and are to be kept clean and trimmed.
Clear lip balm is allowed.
Student Representative Council (SRC) Selection
Next week students in Years 2 – 6 will elect a member of their class to represent them on the College’s Primary Student Representative Council.
Nominations will open on Monday 28 February. Students who are interested in being SRC members must make a short speech to their classmates outlining why they think they would be a good SRC member. The speeches will be held in class the following week.
If your child is interested in nominating please take time to discuss the expectations of SRC members with them.
As a member of the S.R.C a student is required to:
- Be respectful
- Try their hardest all the time
- Attend regular SRC meetings
- Write newsletter items
- Look after others
- Initiate and plan opportunities and activities for students
S.R.C students are responsible for:
- Helping people
- Showing new people around the College
- Taking care of College property
- Organising and running student based initiatives and opportunities
- Making sure everyone is included in College activities
- Sharing equipment
- Sharing S.R.C information with the rest of their class, at assemblies and with other teachers and staff members
Following the selection process, Mr Tobias will write to the successful candidates and they will be officially sworn in at the Foundation Day Chapel Service on Thursday 31 March.
Colour Run
Thank you to the families who have already signed up to the Colour Run fundraising app. We look forward to a great event on Thursday 31 March as part of our Foundation Day celebrations. As you will see in the brochure or on the App, the students can earn a variety of prizes for their fundraising efforts. All proceeds of the fundraising help FRIENDS support our new Lindsay Walker Centre.
Secondary News
Mission Australia 2021 Youth Survey
The Mission Australia Youth Survey is the largest annual survey of young people in Australia. Now in its 20th year, the Youth Survey aims to identify the values, aspirations and issues of concern to young people. In 2021, 20,207 young people in Australia aged 15 to 19 years participated in the Youth Survey including over 100 students from EAC.
In response to questions in the Youth Survey 2021, young people continued to demonstrate a strong civic awareness and concern about a range of issues. They nominated COVID-19, the environment, and equity and discrimination as key issues that Australia needs to address. These issues were also reflected in the top concerns for young people personally, the most important of which were coping with stress, mental health and school and study problems.
The Youth were asked about the barriers to their studies. Mental Health has been identified as a barrier to many students being able to meet their goals.
When the Youth were asked about the amount of time they spent on their screens and their sleep habits it can be seen that the youth of today spend a large amount of time on computers or phones and do not engage in a large amount of exercise. When we look at the results from EAC, there is a higher amount of youth engaged in exercise but sleep and screen time are always of concern.
The College uses the data from these programs to design a range of wellbeing initiatives to support students. If you are interested in seeing the full report, please go to the Mission Australia website.
Mrs Amanda Middleton
Director of Secondary
Photography excursion
Who? Mrs Raguse and Year 9 Digital Media (Photography) elective class.
When? Thursday 17th Feb
Where? Shelly Beach and surrounds, Ballina
What? Excursion to apply our newly acquired skills of digital SLR camera operation
(Below images shot by Mrs Jessica Raguse - see end of article for student images)
Year 9 elective Digital Art (Photography) enjoyed a glorious Ballina day at Shelly Beach on Thursday. This half day excursion was an excellent opportunity for our emerging photographers to put their new skills to the test in a new, challenging environment. I was thrilled to witness students responding to the ever-changing light conditions, managing their exposure to capture some wonderful photographs. Take a look at their impressive captures that demonstrate their growing repertoire of camera operation skills! Mrs Galletly-Salisbury and I are so proud of you all!
Mrs Jessica Raguse
Second Hand Uniform Shop
The Secondhand Uniform Shop is now open weekly on a Tuesday from 2.30pm - 3.30pm.
Please call the Office on 6681 5054 to book an appointment time.
Canteen
Volunteers are urgently needed for Fridays!
Please contact Mrs Christine Hall in the Canteen if you are able to volunteer on a Friday in the Canteen.
Canteen Menu 2022
Canteen Coordinator
Online Canteen Ordering
We are excited to be able to offer online Canteen ordering via the 'School Stream' app. Please refer to the recent letter to all families with instructions on how to download the app to your phone, tablet or computer.
Once the app is installed you will be able to view and select from the canteen menu by clicking on Canteen. This will bring up the canteen order form where you will be able to enter the child's details and select desired items from the dropdown lists under the relevant headings and pay. You will be prompted to tick which break you require your selection for.
All online orders must be completed and submitted prior to 8.45am on the day they are required, to enable Canteen staff enough time to prepare and distribute orders.
Manual Canteen Ordering
If you are unable to use the 'School Stream' App please place the money in a paper bag of sufficient size to fit all of the items. If you are ordering a drink with your child’s lunch, please provide two (2) bags. Please write the information on the LOWER half of the bag. If money is short we will substitute items to the value received.
REMEMBER, if ordering at both breaks, you must have a separate bag for each break.
Any change required will be placed in the bag for return with the child’s order.
All orders must be received at the canteen before 9.15am.
Christine Hall - Canteen Supervisor
contact: chall@eac.nsw.edu.au
Community News
