"God is love and all who live in love live in God and God lives in them."
John 4:16
From the Principal
I wish to thank Mr Darren Parks and the Executive team for all their efforts in leading the College during my period of Long Service Leave. It is a very busy period of the year, made even more so by the pandemic. I had a wonderful time on leave and have returned feeling very refreshed and re-energised, and I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things as we move into the second half of the College year.
With the continued efforts to minimise the transmission of Covid-19, I wish to reinforce with all families a number of the most important strategies in place to ensure everyone's health and safety.
- Practice good health and hygiene habits, including the regular washing of hands.
- Students, staff and parents with any cold or flue like symptoms are not to attend the College and should seek medical advice. Testing for Covid19 is readily available and we encourage anyone displaying symptoms to get tested.
- Parents are not permitted on the College grounds and where possible all contact with the College Office should be done via email or phone. Parent meetings with staff onsite are restricted to essential matters only for the remainder of the term.
- Parents are asked to practice social distancing measures during 'drop off' and 'pick up' times and to leave the site immediately once they have collected their children.
We need to continue to be vigilant as recent events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane have highlighted how easily outbreaks can occur and how quickly the virus can spread.
I also ask all families to be very child safety aware when driving in and around the College, particularly during the afternoon pickup. I have noticed a number of unsafe practices in the last two afternoons, including people parking illegally and parents calling primary children from one side of the road to make a dash across to get in the car.
Please park your car safely and legally and walk to the 'pick up' point to meet your children. No amount of inconvenience is worse than the anguish caused by a child being hit by a car. Caution, patience and common sense are essential at all times to ensure everyone gets home safely.
Mr Robert Tobias
Principal
Off the Deputy's Desk
Just when we thought that we were moving back towards normal, the NSW Government had to make the tough decision to increase restrictions on school activities. Our staff has responded in a calm and open minded fashion to these new restrictions that I outlined to you in a letter home last Tuesday.
Our Year 12 students are still in the midst of their HSC Trial Examinations and our Year 11 students are gearing up in preparation for their final examination block. No doubt it is a time of excitement and stress for students in these year levels and we keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
At the other end of the school, Mr Cross has been working to develop a group of Year 5 students with the role of 'Helping Hands'. This process is designed to assist these students to develop their leadership skills and to promote peaceful and kind behaviour in the Primary playground.
Our Year 11 students are preparing to write leadership applications as they make the decision whether to put themselves forward for a significant College leadership role in the near future. I know that we have some excellent candidates and wish each of those who have the courage to apply every success in the process. I thank Mrs Middleton and Mr Raguse for their organisation of the leadership selection process.
I am going to be getting back out into classrooms now that I have returned to the Deputy's role, and in particular will be focusing upon student engagement, respectful behaviour towards staff and each other during the learning process. This is a very important part of the term and our students need to make the most of the learning opportunities available to them.
Finally, I thank all of our staff, students and families for their support over the past 5 weeks that I was Acting Principal. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome back Mr Tobias as he returns from his leave.
Reminders
Year 7 Immunisations - round 2 of immunisations will occur next Monday in the Library. This will involve second doses, catch up first doses, plus Year 10 catch up immunisations.
Year 9 Mental Health First Aid - Year 9 students will be involved in the Mental Health First Aid Program. This program needs parental consent so if you decline your child's attendance, they will be supervised at an alternate venue whilst your child's class will be involved in their presentation.
Year 11 Examination Block - students have been sent the examination timetable by Mrs Boyd.
Interhouse Cross Country - Mr Walker will be writing to families regarding the arrangements for this. The cross country will be held at the College and unfortunately parent spectators are not allowed.
Mr Darren Parks
Deputy Principal
Term 3 Week 7
Monday 31 August
Year 7 Immunisations - 9.30am - Library
HSC Practical Drama Marking
Tuesday 1 September
Year 12 Elevate Workshop - 9.00am - Via Zoom
Year 9 Mental Health First Aid Course - Lesson 1 - Periods 1-3
Wednesday 2 September
Secondary Chapel - 9.08am
Friday 4 September
Interhouse Cross Country - Periods 1,2 - Secondary 7-12;
Periods 3 and 4 - Primary 3-6; Period 5 - Primary K-2
Secondary Sport Years 7-10 - Periods 5 and 6
Term 3 Week 8
Monday 7 September
Year 11 Examination Block - Ezzy Centre
Tuesday 8 September
Year 11 Examination Block - Ezzy Centre
Primary Netball Training
Year 9 Mental Health First Aid - Periods 1-3
Primary Assembly - 9.08am - Sent to class teachers via Screencast
Friends of EAC Meeting - Via Zoom
Wednesday 9 September
Year 11 Examination Block - Ezzy Centre
Secondary Chapel - 8.48am - Sent to PC Teachers via Screencast
Thursday 10 September
Year 11 Examination Block - Ezzy Centre
Secondary Chapel - 8.48am - Sent to teachers via Screencast
Friday 11 September
Year 11 Examination Block - Ezzy Centre
Secondary Sport Years 7-10 - Periods 5 and 6
Secondary News
Fun, Joy and Wellbeing
Being a teenager should be a most satisfying and enjoyable time in students' lives. Safely negotiating new relationships, risk taking activities, having fun and learning about what their best possible self could look like are stimulating experiences. The natural highs students get from having fun in person with groups of family and friends, come from the brain's feel good brain chemicals serotonin and oxytocin. No electronic pleasure comes close in intensity to being with other people.
Humour is a wonderful thing to enjoy for students to lighten up. It creates opportunities to look on the bright side of life, have fun and laugh, which boost positive emotions that nurture feelings of optimism and hope for the future. Everyone has mirror neurons which imitate the expressions and emotions of those around us. By encouraging students to be on the lookout for the funny things in life, they can unconsciously use mirror neurons to benefit their and others' wellbeing through the release of feel good brain chemicals into their bloodstream.
The best tonic when they are feeling a little down is to do something kind for someone else, or have fun with other people. Being with others in person is what most humans need.
Acknowledgement: McQuaid & Kern
Year 9 Mental Health First Aid
Year 9 students have the opportunity to participate in the Mental Health First Aid program starting on Tuesday 1st September. Safer Communities is presenting this course to support students in understanding the signs and signals of mental health issues and gain a deeper understanding of how to get help and support. The course discusses mental health problems, talks about helping a friend who is in crisis and discusses how to help peers who seem to be developing a mental health problem.
Year 11 Student Leadership
During Pastoral Care lessons this term, Year 10 and 11 students have been learning about servant leadership. Students have learnt about the values, attitudes and skills required to be a student leader at EAC. During this week, students have the opportunity to nominate themselves as a leader. This process requires them to reflect on their skills and the type of leader they want to be at Emmanuel Anglican College. Student applications will then be shortlisted through an interview process before they have the opportunity to present a speech to their peers. Please keep the students in your thoughts during this time.
e-Safety Commissioner Parent Webinars
The Office of e-Safety is offering a range of webinars which cover topics such as popular apps used by young people and where to find help and support. This webinar looked at TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. Each webinar is one hour in length. Further information can be found on the eSafety website.
Mrs Amanda Middleton
Director of Secondary
SCU STAR Early Offer Program
Just 3 weeks to go, don’t miss out!
The STAR program allows you to secure your place in a Southern Cross University degree before your Year 12 results are even released. It’s designed to remove some of the pressure from Year 12 and give you a pathway directly into university study. Applications are free and direct to Southern Cross University at www.scu.edu.au/star.
Check out the below flyer for further information and how to apply.
SCU STAR Early Offer 2021
Primary Update
Year 6 Science
On Tuesday 18th to Friday 21st, 6B, Mrs Sculley's class, were asked to become engineers for science week. We were on a mission to create and design a boat that floats and a submersible that can pick up items 30cm under water. We were paired up in a group with up to four students of our choice, then given ideas on materials that could be used to retrieve metal clips, wool, containers, magnets and weights. We had to research how draglines and cranes work to start brainstorming what we were going to use to collect the objects. Then we made a list of what floats, what sinks and what all submarines, submersibles and underwater gadgets had in common, to get ideas for when we started designing our boats and submersibles.
Designing was the next step. There were so many ideas we had for submersibles, it wasn't funny. Here were some of the ideas that came to mind during our brainstorm: magnets, hooks, nets, scoops, tongs, string, fishing lines and plastic claws. After that we had to do a design and sketch of our boat and submersible and a materials list.
After completing our sketches and plans, we were ready to start building. During the process, we came across some problems, like straws were not sticking to the boats, so we went back, thought about it and used another idea. We persisted through the problem and used the NED mindset (never give up, encourage others, do your best) to fix and solve our problems. Another problem that we encountered was that one of the boats was too heavy on one side of the boat and not heavy enough on the other side. The way that the group solved the problem was to keep adding pool noodles to the heavy side, until it was even all around the base.
Finally it came to testing time. We had an 'm&m' container, magnets, copper wire and magnetic hooks to pick up with our submersibles. We were not allowed to put our hands in the water, so it didn't come so easy.
Everyone had so much fun testing their submersibles. Most of the submersibles worked really well, but some boats needed some improvements. We took them to our class room, fixed up the minor problems, and tested them again. Surprisingly, all of our boats floated and our submersibles worked!
Written by Julianna Addenbrooke and Olivia De Marco
Helping Hands
Last week, our Year 5 students completed a short training course to take on the role of a Helping Hand. A Helping Hand is a student volunteer in the playground that can lend a hand to any student in need. They will endeavour to help out with students who have no one to play with, need any small conflicts resolved, or just need a friendly ear. As part of their training, the Year 5 students were taught to:
Spot it Out (keep an eye out for any unkind behaviour or rough play)
Speak it Out (listen to the students involved and give their advice on any issues, or to know when it needs to go straight to the duty teacher)
Stomp it Out (model good behaviour to stomp out any unkind behaviours on the playground.
You will recognise the Helping Hands by their high vis orange flouro vest, as opposed to the yellow vest of the duty teacher. We anticipate that this program will be of great benefit not only to the students in the playground, but also for the development of leadership skills in our Year 5 cohort. They also feature in this week's virtual assembly if you wish to see a short Q&A with some of our Helping Hands.
Mr Wayne Cross
Director of Primary
Primary Assembly
Early Learning Centre News
We are learning about Australian animals and the Bundjalung names for some of these animals. We have been researching koalas, looking at the 'Friends of the Koala' website for relevant and local information. This study has morphed into a particular interest in birds and we are trying to identify the birds we see around Ballina and preschool.
We can tell you that it is pre-spring - according to the Nyangbal seasonal calendar. This means that the jubals are ready for eating, the echidnas are coming out of hibernation and the coastal wattles are in bloom.
There has been a lot of role play, in particular police officers. These police officers are 'closing the border', stopping cars and taking the temperatures of drivers. Children make meaning of their world through play. Children are keen observers of their surroundings and display awe and wonder for the natural world.
Mrs Natasha Livock
Early Learning Centre Coordinator
Library News
Welcome to our new Library Monitors
The commencement of the Library Monitor Program was delayed this year due to Covid-19, with applications open in Term 3 for Year 5 students to become a Library Monitor in 2020.
Library Monitors are responsible for helping to keep the library a safe, welcoming place where students can come to work, read a book, play a game or be with friends.
They have rostered duties in the Library at lunch times and shelve books, keep the Library tidy and provide assistance to other students to find resources and use games.
The following students were presented with their Library Monitor badges by our Principal, Mr Tobias, at the Primary Assembly on Monday 24 August 2020.
Congratulations!
Mrs Wilson-Jones
Library Resource Centre Manager
Canteen
All orders must be received at the canteen before 9.15am.The canteen will operate Monday to Friday.
All orders must be received at the canteen before 9.15am.
Please place the money in a paper bag of sufficient size to fit all of the lunch items.
If you are ordering a drink with your 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 RECESS, you must have a separate recess bag.
RECESS: Name, Teacher, PC Class, Recess Order
John Smith, Mr Falvey, 3A
Recess
Cheesymite Scroll
Pack Sultanas, Small
LUNCH BAG 1: Name, Teacher, PC Class, Lunch Order
John Smith, Mr Falvey, 3A,
Lunch
1 Snack Pie
LUNCH BAG 2: Name, Teacher, PC Class, Drink Order
John Smith, Mr Falvey, 3A,
Lunch
1 Orange Juice
Any change required will be placed in the bag for return with the lunch order.
Christine Hall
Canteen Coordinator
Community News
