“For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me; naked and you clothed me; sick and you visited me; in prison and you came to see me; for whenever you did this for the least of mine, you did it for me”
Matthew 25:35-40
From The Principal
I am delighted to announce that construction of Stage 2 of the Primary Classroom Development Project will commence during the April term break. This building will complement the Discovery Centre and include six classrooms, a large shared learning space, an art space and 7 student toilets. The building will encompass many of the fantastic design features of the Discovery centre and provide contemporary, flexible and inviting spaces for student to learn and grow. The project will also include the construction of covered walkway to allow all staff and students to move right around the College under cover. We will also develop a drop off/pick up zone in the area that is currently the overflow parking area at the northern end of the College. A refuge island will also be added to Horizon Drive to improve safety for those children and parents who cross that road each day.
This wonderful project has been made possible by the very generous support of the NSW Government who have provided $850 000 to support the project via the Block Grant Authority. We are in the final processes of awarding a construction contract and I hope to announce the successful tender in the next week. The project is anticipated to take 30 weeks and will be completed in October 2018.
Congratulations to the four committed and highly skilled soccer teams who ventured west to Armidale to compete in the NCIS Soccer championships last week. All our sides were very competitive, each winning games on the day. Congratulations and thank you to Mr Graham Walker, Mr Mason Brenton, Mrs Roxanne Kent, Mrs Debbie Wilson and Mrs Mel McClelland for attending the trip and managing the teams. Thank you also to Mr Troy Taylor for attending the trip and coaching the squad in the lead up to the event. A very special mention to the Primary Girls squad who were crowned Champions for the third successive year.
Last week students from Year 6 through to Year 11 travelled to Coffs Harbour to compete in the HICES Northern Division Debating Competition. It was a wonderful afternoon with all schools involved undertaking two competition rounds. All the students involved were incredibly enthusiastic and the standard was very high. Debating is a wonderful activity as it develops the students confidence, capacity to think on their feet and ability to develop articulate and considered opinions and ideas to argue a point. All the EAC teams did themselves very proud, with our Stage 3 and Stage 4 teams winning both their debates. Congratulations to all the students and to Mr McCotter, Mrs Regan and Mrs McLintock who travelled with the teams to Coffs Harbour and coached teams in preparation for the event.
Mr Robert Tobias
Principal
Off the Deputy's Desk
The term is well and truly zooming along as we move towards the Easter long weekend. Last week, I began my first round of classroom visits starting with the Primary. In Year 5, I watched Mrs Johnstone’s class do multiplication grids where the importance of striving for accuracy came to the fore. In Mrs Weingarth’s room the students were studying place value of large numbers and this involved them applying knowledge of place value patterns with smaller numbers to larger numbers. I had the pleasure of working with Mr Falvey and Mrs Wilson in their Mathematics rotations where one group was learning about multiples, another was involved in problem solving tasks and the third was involved in Mathletics activities using iPads as a tool for learning. There were some great examples of having to communicate in a mathematically precise and clear manner throughout this lesson. In Mrs Kelvin’s classroom, the students were immersed in a STEM lesson where they had to construct a model of a famous landmark-there were many Eiffel Towers being built. This activity developed the habits of persisting as well as thinking flexibly in order to look at problem in another way. On Friday, I had the absolute joy of joining Mrs Kent and Ms Baker in Kindy for Maths Mania where the students were investigating the concept of length. Up in Year 6 Mr McCotter was teaching the structure and techniques of persuasive writing. Mrs Cahill was using the thinking routine of 'partner ping pong' to develop and understanding of risky/unhealthy behavior in PDHPE. In Year 4, I witnessed some wonderful usage of small group learning in Mathematics from Mr Christensen and Ms Smith as they focused upon the habits of thinking and communicating with clarity and precision and striving for accuracy. I will share further news of the rest of my classroom visits over the course of the rest of this term.
The Habit of Mind that I wish to introduce you to this week is striving for accuracy. Striving for accuracy can be defined in a number of ways. These include the following: Check it again! Always do your best. Setting high standards. Checking and finding ways to improve constantly.
Costa, 2008 expands upon these short definitions with his description of this habit. Whether we are looking at the stamina, grace, and elegance of a ballerina or a carpenter, we see a desire for craftsmanship, mastery, flawlessness, and economy of energy to produce exceptional results. People who value truthfulness, accuracy, precision, and craftsmanship take time to check over their products. They review the rules by which they are to abide, they review the models and visions they are to follow, and they review the criteria they are to use to confirm that their finished product matches the criteria exactly.
These people take pride in their work, and they desire accuracy as they take time to check over their work. Craftsmanship includes exactness, precision, accuracy, correctness, faithfulness, and fidelity. For some people, craftsmanship requires continuous reworking.
Some students may turn in sloppy, incomplete, or uncorrected work. They are more eager to get rid of the assignment than to check it over for accuracy and precision. They are willing to settle for minimum effort rather than invest their maximum. They may be more interested in expedience rather than excellence. As we are in the midst of Mid-Course exams for our Year 12’s it is an opportune time to remind all of our students of the importance of striving for accuracy.
Congratulations to Kiana Hale in Year 9 on her achievement in receiving The Australian Scout Medallion. The Australian Scout Medallion is the highest award earned by Scouts, the 11-14 year old members and achieved by only 5% of Scouts in Australia. This award takes an enormous amount of work, planning and commitment if it is to be achieved. Well done on your very significant achievement, Kiana.
Mr Darren Parks
Deputy Principal
Upcoming Events
Week 9
Monday 26 March
Year 6 Peer Support Training
Tuesday 27 March
Whole College Assembly-UCA
CAT Competition
Touch Football Trials
Wednesday 28 March
Touch Football Trials
Year 7 2019 Experience Day
Year 9 PASS Tae Kwon Do excursion
Secondary Concert Band Rehearsal Battle
Thursday 29 March
Touch Football Trials
Friday 30 March
Good Friday Public Holiday
Week 10
Monday 2 April
Easter Monday Public Holiday
Tuesday 3 April
Year 10 Natural Ability Introduction
Bill Turner Knockout Cup Girls vs Mullumbimby HS at Mullumbimby
Thursday 5 April
Primary Interrelate Bullying Awareness Presentations
Friends of EAC Primary Disco-UCA
Friday 6 April
Primary Interrelate Bullying Awareness Presentations
Secondary Sport
Primary News
National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence
Friday 16 March was National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. School communities were asked to stand united and share their BIG IDEAS for a world free from bullying.
Primary classes discussed bullying and how they can work together to stop bullying occurring in our College. The photos are some examples of how students’ feel about bullying and the canvas works that each grade created to illustrate their stand against bullying and violence.
“You can stop bullying by being kind. You can stand up for peace by walking away from a bully or telling the teacher about it."
Annabel and Monique – Kindergarten
In Year 3 we talked about bullying, what it is and how it made us feel. We talked about what we would rather have at school and at home – peace!
Mrs Wilson cut out a template of a Peace symbol and we stuck it to the canvas. Next we took it in turns to print two fingerprints on the canvas as our ‘pledge’.
Wilson and Braith - Year 3 SRC Representatives
Year 6 students believe in Peace. When we are resolving differences with our friends we should always try to act in a peaceful way. Being at peace with each other helps to stop violence and bullying. We enjoyed putting our fingerprints on the dove. The dove is a symbol of peace and our fingerprint affirms that we support Anti Bullying.
Alexander Keir and Sindi Malaba – Year 6 SRC Representatives
The students of EAC believe bullying and violence are never okay, standing together against bullying!
We invite you to view the Primary anti-bullying canvas displays in the display cabinet in the tunnel next to the Staff Cafe.
Merilyn Mule’ Paul Christensen
Welfare Leader K-2 Welfare Leader 3-6
Year 3 Chapel
This week, Year 3A was responsible for leading Chapel. Our theme was Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It marks the beginning of Holy Week and always falls on the Sunday before Easter Sunday. The day is called ‘Palm Sunday’ because the people of Jerusalem threw palm leaves to the floor as a greeting when he arrived. Palm branches were seen as a symbol of peace and victory, and in Biblical times were often thrown before the feet of a conquering hero in homage. Sadly by the end of the week these same people were demanding his death. Jesus' followers abandoned him in fear. None of his close followers had really understood the events of Palm Sunday and Holy Week until after Jesus returned. They had all expected Jesus to be an earthly king, but God had given them something so much better – an open door into a Kingdom that would never end.
3A should be congratulated for doing a super job delivering the message that God still loves us, and because of Christ we can be forgiven.
Mr Tod Falvey
Year 3 Teacher
japanese language lessons
To further support our student based Japanese Language Program we will be offering introductory Japanese language lessons for adults during Term Two. We hope that the provision of lessons for parents will provide further opportunities for our students to practice their Japanese language skills at home. This is a follow up program to the highly successful program ran in 2017 and original attendees are welome to return.
The course will again be delivered by Mrs Julianne Crichton who is a qualified Japanese Language Teacher and an employee at the College. The program is being funded by a grant the College has accessed through the Association of Independant Schools and is free for all participants.
The program will run for 7 weeks during Term Two, commencing on Monday 7 May at 6.30pm in the Ezzy Centre. It will continue each Monday until 25 June. The language focus will be basic introductory and conversational language skills.
If you would like to register for the program, please email Mrs Patsy Downes on pdownes@eac.nsw.edu.au. We would like all responses to be received by Friday 23 March 2018.
Mr Darren Parks
Deputy Principal
Canteen
EAC Canteen operates 4 days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, with special lunches on Tuesdays, canteen is open on Tuesdays for general sales at LUNCH only.
Canteen opens at 8.30am and the Menu is available here:
Hot Cross buns now available $2
Traditional, chocolate, choc chip
Sushi Dates: April 3
Subway Date: April 10
Noodle Box – Tuesday 27 March
Noodle Box from “Noodle Box” at Ballina Fair, will be available from the canteen next Tuesday, 27 March. If you would like to order Noodle Box for your child’s lunch next Tuesday please complete the order form then attach your order to a paper bag with your payment enclosed. This should then be put in the canteen basket on Monday morning, 26 March . Order forms will be sent home but are also available at the canteen, office or online.
PRIMARY LUNCH ORDERS
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 child’s lunch please provide two (2) bags. Please remind your child to place their lunch/recess bag in the class tub NOT directly to the canteen.
PLEASE DO NOT STAPLE / TAPE BAGS CLOSED, FOLDED IN 4 APPEARS TO WORK WELL
BAG 1: Name, Class, Teacher, Lunch Order (John Smith, 5A, Mr Falvey, 1 Junior Pie)
BAG 2: Name, Class, Drink/Cold Order (John Smith, 5A, Mr Falvey, 1 Orange Juice)
Any change required will be placed in the bag for return with the child’s lunch order.
Christine Hall
Canteen Supervisor
0414 811 668