"For those who have been given much, much will be expected."
Luke 12:48
From The Principal
As the community begins to emerge from the COVID-19 imposed hibernation and restrictions on movement and travel ease, I am conscious that many of our families have been under financial pressure and significantly impacted by the economic slowdown and the uncertainty that the stop-start nature of the lockdowns have had on the economy. College Council is also aware of this reality and has asked me to remind all our families that there is financial support available to those that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and are finding it challenging to meet all the costs of educating their children.
With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, College Council made a commitment to keeping our community together and established a financial assistance fund to support families affected by job loss and business downturn. College Council has continued the commitment to this fund in 2021 and so I wish to encourage anyone who is experiencing financial difficulty to make contact with our Finance Manager, Mr Peter Weingarth and he will outline the process for accessing financial support. The process is completely confidential.
As the Christmas Season approaches, I just wish to mention a couple of things about saying thank you to the teaching staff for all their work throughout the year. Teachers love what they do and treasure the young people they have the opportunity to work with. They do not expect to receive a gift and can sometimes feel quite uncomfortable when people purchase gifts for them. A simple hand made card or even a gift from the student can say more and be of more value than something purchased. I would ask that families do not arrange for groups of parents to pool money to buy a collective gift as people can end up feeling obligated or excluded and the good intention is lost. People end up hurt or disappointed and the teacher may feel that they have been a source of division. I always think that the adages 'it is not the gift, but the thought behind it that matters' and 'a gift made is a gift of yourself', give good guidance about how to say thank you. I appreciate your support with this matter.
Sadly, our Sport and Coaching Administrator, Mr Graham Walker, has announced his intention to resign from his position to take up a full time role overseeing the swimming program at the Alstonville Aquatic Centre. Graham has had an enormous impact on the growth and development of the College sporting program. His vision for sport, passion for giving students an opportunity to compete, level of initiative and attention to detail will be greatly missed. He should be very proud of all he has achieved. Graham feels the timing is right for him to take on another project and to give someone else the opportunity to shape the next chapter in sport at EAC. Graham will conclude his time at the College in early December. I am sure all the community join with me in thanking Graham and wishing him well with this next challenge. We have begun the recruitment process to find a high quality leader to fill the position and I hope to make an announcement about the new appointment prior to the end of the College year.
Mr Robert Tobias
Principal
Off the Deputy's Desk
As we reach the half way point in Term 4 it is timely to reflect on how far Emmanuel Anglican College has come in the past five weeks in ensuring that we return back to teaching and learning in an atmosphere of safety and calm. As many schools open up around the country after long periods of lockdown, here at EAC the students are focused on the activities in the classrooms and connecting with friends and teachers.
Mrs Jarrett's morning reading class with the Kindergarten students was a wonderful example of how our students revel in risk taking to improve their literacy. They approach each language challenge with enthusiasm and soak up new words with ease. I wish I had been so courageous a few years ago when I took Italian lessons, as adults we are more self conscious of our failings and fail to see them as learning opportunities.
It has indeed been a week of creativity in the Secondary school with students working on the Lego Challenge as well as a variety of 3D mobile wire sculptures. Watching them completely immersed in the conceptualisation, construction and frustration associated with their projects gives a terrific insight into their analytical and problem solving skills. These are just some of the teaching and learning opportunities occuring at the College to ensure that our students remain successful lifelong learners.
If students are arriving late or leaving early from the College, they require a note in their planner. Furthermore, if they are unwell in class or during the breaks they are required to speak to a teacher who will direct them to the Office for medical attention. If required, parents will be notified immediately. Students are not allowed to use their mobile phones during the school day and should not circumvent school procedures by texting parents if unwell. These procedures exist to ensure the wellbeing of our students. Thank you for your cooperation.
Dia dhaoibh
Mr Francis McGuigan
Deputy Principal
Term 4 Week 6
Tuesday 9 November
- HSC Exams Begin
- Primary Instrument Demonstration – Year 2
- Mountain Bike AGM in UCA 6.30pm
Wednesday 10 November
- HSC Exams
- Walker Chapel – online
Thursday 11 November
- HSC Exams
- Remembrance Day Service
- 12 Extension History Webinar
Friday 12 November
- HSC Exams
- Primary Chapel – Year 1 (online)
- FLL Training BEJ, SPJ, FOJ
Term 4 Week 7
Monday 15 November
- Primary Intensive Swimming Program (K,1,2,6)
Tuesday 16 November
- HSC Exams
- Year 7 HPV dose 2 - MCF
- Year 10 Minimum Standards Testing – BOL, SPJ, HAG (D1, D2, D3)
- Primary Intensive Swimming Program (K,1,2,6)
Wednesday 17 November
- HSC Exams
- Year 10 Minimum Standards Testing
- Primary Intensive Swimming Program (K,1,2,6)
- RRISK Seminar
- Japanese online exchange – periods 3-4 (L1, L2, 3)
Thursday 18 November
- HSC Exams
- Year 10 Minimum Standards Testing
- Primary Intensive Swimming Program (K,1,2,6)
- Kindergarten Orientation Day
Friday 19 November
- HSC Exams
- Year 10 Minimum Standards Testing
- English Extension Webinar - MCS
- Primary Intensive Swimming Program (K,1,2,6)
- Primary Assembly – Year 1A (online)
Anglicare Christmas Appeal
The annual Anglicare Christmas Hamper Appeal starts this week.
Each Primary classroom and Secondary PC room will have a box or basket for students to place their donations in.
We have been encouraged to send in pantry basics (remembering they will need to be long life!), toiletries, special Christmas items (please no chocolate!), as well as small gift items such as books, colouring books and stationery items. You may send in items of clothing, but we are unable to accept any second hand items.
The Emergency Relief team at Anglicare believe this will be one of the toughest Christmas seasons we have faced for some years. We have also been asked to remember the parents, and teenage boys.
Thank you in advance for helping our wider community to have a wonderful Christmas.
Peace.
Rev Sal
The Appeal finishes on Monday 29 November.
Sports Update
Primary Inter House Netball Tournament
On the 27 and 28 October in hot and humid conditions, the Primary School Inter House Netball Tournament was held.
Congratulations to all Primary students who participated in this event, your class teachers and I were particularly impressed with the high skill level you demonstrated after only 3 weeks of netball sport lessons this term. Students also demonstrated excellent House spirit and sportsmanship, as well as virtues of fairness, kindness and respect for teammates, the opposition and umpires which contributed to the tournament being such a fun day out for all.
A netball tournament such as the one you participated in requires umpires and therefore I would like to make a special mention to our volunteer netball umpires from Year 8 and 10 (Michaela Ayebale, Takiyah James, Lucia Mitchell, Indiana Campbell, Sophia Howlett, Lara Atkinson and Lola Saul).
Also a special mention to the Sport and Maintenance teams for their assistance and the Primary teachers for their contributions to the event.
The winning Houses and overall Primary School Inter House Netball Tournament trophy winners will be announced at the next Primary Assembly.
Mr Randall Evans
Sport Coach/Duke of Edinburgh Leader
Secondary News
Short Term Goal Setting Leads to Success
Over the weekend I received an email from a Year 12 student asking me for some help in setting out goals for their last week of study before the HSC exams. This got me thinking about the importance of goal setting, especially in the short term.
The goal for the HSC students at the beginning of Year 11 was to successfully complete their HSC. Some have expectations of ATARS or University courses that they would like to get into, others dream of travel. But with every long term goal we need to chunk our time into short, achievable timeframes.
Have you noticed that when the time to do an activity is less, and the timelines are strict, the work gets somehow done? Think about a time when you decided to do something and went ahead doing it, as it had to be done in a short period of time. What if you had infinite amount of time to get it done, and would you have done that in such a case?
Focusing on some specific action steps every week will help you make more visible progress toward your larger goals. As you move from week to week, you'll be able to recognise if there is a need to adjust your goals as you monitor your milestones and get a feel for whether or not your pace is realistic.
With weekly goals, anything you aren't able to accomplish in one month can be pushed forward to the first week of the next month. It's important to keep this flexibility in mind so you don't start to feel overwhelmed by the process. As long as you have a few definitive, actionable tasks to focus on every week, you will be able to get a feel for what you can accomplish in a week.
Why set weekly goals?
Completing weekly goals is one of your surest ways to success, as they make your larger goals more manageable and easier to measure. These smaller goals let you reassess and adjust your approach every week so you don't have to make a huge rush at the end or abandon your goal altogether. They also allow you to stay on track without falling behind if you have a few days of inactivity.
A week is a long enough period of time to achieve a handful of tasks, but also short enough to notice the areas in which you're progressing and those in which you're not.
Here are some other benefits of weekly goals:
- You have regular opportunities to check in on your progress.
- You can stay focused and present with short term milestones.
- You will stay motivated as you track your small efforts that are leading to larger results.
- You will be inspired to keep working as you frequently check off boxes on your to do list.
Goal setting does not only relate to completing tasks but also to help us see improvements in our lives. Most people want to see some kind of change or improvement in their lives from time to time. Setting goals is an effective way to increase motivation and to help you to create the changes you want. It can be used to improve health and relationships, or improve productivity at work.
Once you've decided your goals, the SMART theory of goal setting might help you to achieve them. Below are the 5 criteria of SMART goals that should give you the best chance of success.
- Specific. Be clear about what you are aiming for - your goals should include specifics such as 'who, where, when, why and what'. For example, rather than 'do more exercise', your goal could be to 'walk for 30 minutes five days a week'.
- Measurable. Set goals that you can measure. Your goals should include a quantity of 'how much' or 'how many': for example drinking 2 litres of water per day.
- Achievable. Set goals that you are able to do. Setting a harder goal might lead to a better outcome, but only as long as you can achieve it. Goals that are too difficult can be discouraging and could lead to you giving up.
- Realistic. Set goals that are practical for you and your circumstances. Walking an hour a day might be difficult if you don't get home from work until 8pm every day.
- Time related. Set a timeframe and have an end point. Deadlines can motivate your efforts and prioritise the task above other distractions.
In order to keep yourself accountable, create 3-5 weekly accountability statements and having a regular discussion with a friend can support you in meeting your short term goals.
Let's think and pray for the Year 12 cohort as they do their final preparation for the HSC exams. Support them in their short term goal setting so that they can meet the goals they set at the beginning of Year 11.
Mrs Amanda Middleton
Director of Secondary
Year 9 Elective History
On Thursday 28 October, Mrs Holmes organised a zoom webinar with the Sydney Jewish Holocaust Museum for our Year 9 Elective History class. We have been studying 'Film as History' with a focus on the film "The Book Thief". As part of our topic, we have analysed the purpose and usefulness of historical film to our understanding of history. This has included the context of Germany during WW2 and a brief introduction to the Holocaust. We met with Sandy Hollis (via zoom) who talked us through the significance of the story of "The Book Thief" with close references to the Holocaust. We had a great time and were able to interact during the presentation, asking questions as well as developing our own ideas and conclusions based on the information given. It was a great way to learn more about this topic and I would highly recommend this experience for all students studying the history course.
Thanks for a great lesson Mrs Holmes!
by Olivia Mills
First Lego League - Cargo Connect
This year we have five teams preparing to compete in the First Lego League. The students have been creating and using their critical thinking and imagination to explore how cargo is transported, sorted and delivered to its destination. The program has activated and harnessed their natural curiosity to build habits of learning, confidence and team skills.
We would like to wish them all the very best for their competition day.
Mrs Julie Beavis
Mathematics and Computer Teacher
Primary Update
Around the Grounds
Thank you to all parents who have adapted back to the 3pm finish time for our Years 1-6 students. We have noticed less congestion at these times as parents stagger their collection, and with the Kindy students continuing to come a little earlier from 2.50pm. It can be busy around drop off and collection and we ask in the Primary that you walk younger children to and from the gate. Older students may exit their vehicles from the right hand footpath side and go along the fence to the gate. It is dangerous when students alight from the door that leads directly into the driveway in which cars drive through. A tip in the morning is to take the furthest park along the driveway to save cars reverse parking in this already congested zone.
Primary Swimming Intensive
We are looking forward to swimming starting in Week 7 and remind you of the timetable and the program outcomes below.
Week 7 Monday 15 November to Friday 19 November 2021
Swimming for Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 in the 25m pool and Year 6 in the 50m pool
Week 8 Monday 22 November to Friday 29 November 2021
Swimming for: Year 3, Year 4 and Year 5 in the 50m pool
Swim Program Focus
K to Year 3: Swimming lessons and stroke correction in groups based on ability level.
Year 4: Swim and survive
Year 5: Lifesaving skills
Year 6: Water polo
SRC Fun Week
The SRC and House Captains are busy at First Break this week trying to provide some fun and alternative activities for their peers. See the poster below.
Online Gaming
I was fortunate enough this week to attend an online event that featured a session with Kellie Britnell, the Education and Training Manager for eSafety. She spoke about the current trends in the world of eSafety, including the amount of online gaming that kids across Australia are playing. Some statistics you may find enlightening:
81% of children aged 8 to 17 have played an online game.
64% have played a multiplayer online game with others.
52% have played with people they did not know.
17% have experienced bullying or abuse while playing a network game with others.
34% have made an in-game purchase and this rose to 45% when they played a network game with others.
The eSafety website offers this advice for parents to create a safer gaming environment for their child:
Prepare
- Locate the computer or games console in an open area of your home, or if your child is playing on their handheld device, get them to do it in the family room.
- Install current security software on all devices to protect against viruses, malware and other online threats.
- Activate parental controls and safety features on the device or in the app or browser. These controls can help restrict access to certain content and limit spending on in-game and in-app purchases. See our advice on taming the technology.
Build good habits
- Help your child to protect their privacy online — get them to use a screen name that does not reveal their real name.
- Teach your child not to click on links provided by strangers, like ‘cheat’ programs to help with game play, which might expose their device to viruses or malware.
- Agree on strategies to help them to switch off, like a timer that signals game time is nearly over, with consequences for not switching off.
Stay involved
- Talk regularly with your child about their gaming interests and who they play with online. Help them understand the risks.
- Play alongside your child to get a better sense of how they are handling their personal information and who they are communicating with.
- Monitor the time your child spends online and keep a look out for any changes in their activity, school or social behaviours.
- Encourage your child to tell you if they experience anything that worries them or makes them uncomfortable.
Be aware of what they are playing
- Games vary in their level of violent or sexual content, and may contain themes, language and images that are unsuitable for your child.
- You can check the age guidelines and classification for an individual game on its website or product packaging, or from the Australian Classification Board’s public database.
- The Australian Classification Board also has useful information on violent video games to help parents and their children decide what video games are appropriate for them.
- Useful information about games ratings can also be obtained from the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) and the US Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).
- Review sites can also be a good source of information about age appropriate content – check out the Australian Council on Children and the Media, Kiwi Families (NZ), Common Sense Media (US), Parents’ Choice (US) and Ask About Games (UK).
Empower your child
- Wherever possible, help them make wise decisions for themselves, rather than tell them what to do.
- Try to provide them with strategies for dealing with negative online experiences that will build their confidence and resilience. Our online gaming advice for young people may be a good starting point.
During the meeting, a question arose as to how much time is appropriate to spend on gaming. The eSafety website states that there is no magic number of hours, but your child may be spending too much time playing games if their gaming starts to have negative impacts on them or your family.
Look out for signs such as:
- Less interest in social activities like meeting friends or playing sport.
- Not doing so well at school.
- Tiredness, sleep disturbance, headaches or eye strain.
- Changes in eating patterns.
- Reduced personal hygiene.
- Obsession with particular websites or games.
- Anger when being asked to take a break from online activity, or appearing anxious or irritable when away from the computer.
- Becoming withdrawn from friends and family.
- In some cases, setting firm limits as a family may be enough to help address too much gaming. But there may also be underlying problems like depression and anxiety that are linked to problematic internet use.
The eSafety website offers this and further advice on topics such as:
- Grooming and Bullying through online gaming.
- Limiting in-game purchases.
- Dangers relating to the increased presence of gambling in the online gaming world.
Mr Wayne Cross
Director of Primary
Canteen
Last week for Fresh Campaign
Fresh for Kids
Eat Fresh & Win campaign is on again. The campaign promotes ‘Fresh’ fruit & vegetables and offers students the opportunity to win prizes.
Each student is rewarded for making a fresh fruit or vegetable choice. Students will receive a token card to fill out and will receive a stamp for their card for each fresh fruit or vegetable choice they make (1 per day max). It MUST be fresh not fruit sticks, dried fruit etc. The campaign will run for three (3) weeks starting Monday 18 October until Friday 5 November.
Class teachers will collect the token cards and send them to the canteen for verification and then minor prizes will be issued (while stocks last). Token cards will then be forwarded to Sydney Markets to participate in the major draw.
Canteen Menu 2021
The Canteen menu complies with the NSW Healthy School canteen strategy. Further items will be added as the year progresses and the Winter Menu will be available in terms two and three.
Please note that items change in price from time to time.
Online Canteen Ordering
We are excited to be able to offer online Canteen ordering via the 'School Stream' app. 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.
Emergency Lunch
At times, for various reasons, students may require an emergency meal (basic sandwich), this will be provided with a canteen note sent home requesting payment, please send in the money to the Canteen ASAP.
Christine Hall - Canteen Supervisor
contact: chall@eac.nsw.edu.au
Community News
