Welcome back to all our staff and students for Term 4. I hope all those that had holidays enjoyed their break and the beautiful north coast weather!

During the break, I had the opportunity to travel to Japan to connect with our sister schools, Meitoku Gijuku and Tachibana Elementary School, and meet with the Principal of Kasukabe Kyoei Junior and Senior High to discuss forming a sister school relationship between our two schools. Students from Kasukabe have visited EAC for the last three years and this time last year, EAC student meet up with students from Kasukabe in Tokyo. The trip to EAC grows in popularity each year and many of the students and their Australian homestay families have kept in touch. The Principal of Kasukabe, Mr Uno said that the bond growing between the schools continues to strengthen and so he has recommended to his school board that they invite EAC to form a sister school relationship.

Mrs Bergan and I also visited Tachibana Elementary School in Shizuoka, which is near Mt Fuji. Tachibana is a primary school who has a vision for education very similar to EAC. They have a very significant music program which involves all students undertaking tuition to learn an instrument which feeds into their band program. They also have a choir program and a focus on technology in their curriculum. All students from Year 1 to Year 6 learn English and the school is also a similar size with approximately 350. Students and teachers from Tachibana have visited EAC each year since 2014 and in 2016, EAC students spent a day in the school as part of their international study tour. We also spent time at Meitoku Gijuku in Kochi on the southern island of Shikoku. It is a secondary boarding school of 1200 students. Students have the opportunity to be involved in a range of after school clubs that practice a number of traditional Japanese arts including Sumo (wrestling), Shodo (calligraphy), Kendo(the way of the sword), Taiko (drumming) and Ikebana (flower arranging). Remarkably though, the school is most famous for its success in producing Stars for the national baseball league. Mrs Bergan and I interviewed three students who would like to undertake Year 10 at EAC in 2018 to improve their English language skills and learn more about Australian life and culture.

In visiting each school we were also making plans for the next EAC educational and cultural study tour of Japan which will take place in the Term Three break in 2018.

Term 4 is always a very busy term with a number of significant events and celebrations. I encourage all families to view the calendar at the end of the newsletter and to note the dates of those significant events so that you can place them in your diary to assist with planning during this busy time of year.

I invite all our families to join the College at St Mary’s Anglican Church next Tuesday, October 17 to celebrate the commencement of the term.

On Thursday 19 October, Year 11 Reports will be distributed. Parent and Teacher Interviews will take place for Year 11 and the College will hold the HSC Assessment Information Evening in the Ezzy Centre.  This is a very significant evening for Year 11 as they commence their HSC studies.

I ask all our families to keep Year 12 in their thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks as they commence their HSC examinations on Monday 16 October. We pray that they can remain calm and focused and that all their study will ensure that they have prepared well and will be able to demonstrate their best. The examinations will continue until early November.

Have a wonderful term!

Mr Robert Tobias
Principal