Our thoughts, prayers and best wishes are with our Year 12 Class of 2017 this week as they commence their HSC written examinations. The students have prepared well, with most attending HSC preparation study blocks offered at EAC during the term break and also spending significant amounts of their time over the last few weeks undertaking past papers and writing practice responses. While you can never be fully prepared, I am confident that the students are ready for the challenge and we hope that they can remain calm and focused in order to demonstrate their very best.  Thank you to all of the teaching and support staff who have worked with the senior students this year. The examination will continue, in the Ezzy Centre, until November 7. Please continue to pray for the students throughout this time.

Our Chapel Service this week centred on Service and we were reminded of the Christian call to use the gifts and opportunities that we have been blessed with to support, encourage and give to those that are in need. We heard about the great work Anglicare and the many ways that organisation support people facing challenge and difficulty in their lives. As part of the service, we launched the EAC Anglicare Christmas appeal, which will involve both a hamper collection and an opportunity to make financial donations. There was also a presentation about the College mission immersion trip to Thailand and Cambodia next year. Participants in the trip will spend time working in a small mission school in a very poor community in Cambodia as well as a number of other mission opportunities.  Inspired by the message of the Service I set a challenge to the students to make Term 4 a Term of Giving!

A huge thank you to the Senior Primary Band and all their families who performed at the Biala Special School fair on Saturday. The performance was highly entertaining and involved a really diverse repertoire. There was plenty of toe tapping and raucous applause, which affirmed the quality of the performance. The performance lasted almost an hour and the students managed the demands of such a long performance like true professionals. Thanks to Mr Adam Holmes, Mr Justin Cleverly and Mr Dean Doyle for their preparation of the students and attendance on the day to guide the students. Biala Special School provides a wonderful service to our community and I am delighted that EAC was able to support them in such a positive way.

I have been working with the architects to finalise the documentation regarding the construction of Stage 2 of the Primary Classroom Development Project, which will be known as the Innovation Centre. This building will adjoin the Discovery Centre and contain 6 classrooms, a large collaborative space, an art and design space as well covered outdoor learning spaces and 6 toilets.  We are awaiting the outcome of our application for funding support from the Block Grant Authority. We hope to have confirmation of a grant by the end of the College year. The project will then go to tender and we hope  building work will commence very early in 2018. The project will deliver innovative, flexible and engaging learning spaces to support the primary school, freeing up other classroom spaces that will be refurbished to meet the needs of the ever growing Secondary school.

Congratulations to Lachlan and Joshua Mumford who both won silver medals at the NSW All Schools Athletics Championships in the 3000m Steeple Chase last week. Both boys are relatively new to the event which makes their achievements even more remarkable. Lachlan’s placing guarantees automatic selection to the NSW Athletics Squad that will compete at the Pacific School Games in November. We are still awaiting final team selections for Joshua’s age group. Congratulations to both boys on their outstanding performance.

Mr Robert Tobias
Deputy Principal