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COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

Easter is a season of joy and hope. Christ’s death on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice — made for us. Through his resurrection, the gift of eternal life is offered to everyone. ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.’ John 11:25-26

As we celebrate Easter, we are reminded of the power of God’s love and the miracle of the resurrection. We are filled with hope and gratitude for the new life promised to us through His son, Jesus Christ. We are offered a new beginning, a fresh start, and the promise of eternal life. As we reflect on this Easter season, we ask for God’s guidance in being the kind of people that Jesus calls us to be: people filled with compassion and love for those around us, and servants of each other with humility and grace.

May this Easter season be a time of renewal and transformation in our lives, embracing the new life offered to us and sharing that hope with others.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL (TEACHING & LEARNING)

Mrs Kat Elliott

This week, our SACE students engaged with the Checkpoint program to help them gauge their progress and set goals.

As goal setting has become more commonplace, some people might have begun to lose sight of how important it is to do so. However, without goals and strategies, we run the risk of wasting opportunities – or worse, we could end up where we did not want to go.

Highly successful American football coach, Dabo Swinney, said that “the goals that we have achieved pale in comparison to the daily commitments it took to get there”. In this way, academic work is like any sport or athletics – once you have set your goals, you need to consistently work to achieve them. The training that goes before the game is often the action that determines who wins or loses. Similarly, the rehearsals before the performance ensure that all actors and musicians can perform their very best for the audience.

Using Checkpoint, ���������ϲʿ������ students are encouraged to set clear goals based on good information. Once we have set these goals, we need to work hard to achieve them, and consistently check back on our progress.����

The Checkpoint program is a framework for our students to use, providing an opportunity to reflect, set targets and, with the support of teachers and family, create realistic strategies with which to achieve their academic goals.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL & HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mrs Mandy Hore

Harmony Day��

Since the late 1990s, Harmony Week has been celebrated in Australia. First introduced by the Australian Government in response to the Eureka report, Harmony Week recognises diversity and inclusion and aligns with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.��

Harmony Week is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism and the successful integration of migrants into our community. It is a time to highlight inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.

At our Junior School Assembly today, dressed in a touch of orange, Reception to Year 5 students learnt more about Harmony Day. We celebrated and acknowledged the strength and benefits that the diversity within our community brings. With the very simple message of ‘everyone belongs’, I explained the origins of the word ‘harmony’. ‘Harmony’ is derived from the Greek word hamos, meaning ‘joint’ and the Latin harmonia, signifying ‘agreement’, and when we think of something being in a state of harmony, we often think about components or parts coming together to produce a pleasing whole. We may think of old and new architecture blending in harmony, or science and nature working together, or perhaps, most commonly, the sound of harmony when we listen to music.

In the Junior School, Harmony Day served as another platform for meaningful conversations that promote understanding and acceptance. It was a chance to cultivate empathy and respect and explore different perspectives. It reminded us of the wealth of cultures, languages and traditions that enrich our lives every day. Very simply for us, it is a day to have kindness, respect and compassion foremost in our minds and to practice these.��

These are a hallmark of a ���������ϲʿ������ student and essential qualities for navigating an increasingly interconnected world.��

I see these in action every day and am proud to watch our little learners embrace diversity in their daily interactions, seek understanding in moments of misunderstanding and celebrate the unique identities of their peers.

HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

Mrs Eliza Buckoke

Well done to all our Year 7 and 9 students for completing the NAPLAN testing. NAPLAN has been a significant event in the life of our Middle School over the past week, and we are proud of the efforts of students and staff throughout the testing period.

This week, we have acknowledged ‘Waste Free Wednesday’, an initiative led by our EcoForce extra-curricular group, who meet on Thursdays at lunchtime, under the guidance of Ms Kerri Kirkham.

Our theme for this week in Home Group and Community lessons has been ‘Diversity’. This has given us a framework for some celebrations of Harmony Week, which also included our Tuesday morning Worship service.

HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Josh Willis

We know our students live extremely busy lives and we also understand that it can be very challenging for them to balance their competing priorities and personal responsibilities. On Thursday, 14 March, we hosted a morning tea for Year 12 students with a focus on supporting them with their time management. Students engaged in their first ‘Elevate’ seminar for 2024 during the morning tea. The presenters from Elevate gave the students tips and tools for managing their time effectively and ensuring they are keeping balance in their lives while staying focused on the academic goals they have set for themselves this year.��

Some key messages came out of the session:��

STUDY ROUTINE��

• Develop a study routine that allows for socialising, sports and extra-curricular activities, but still ensures academic productivity.��
• Research has shown that every past paper practice you do throughout the year can significantly improve your performance in the final SACE exam.
• Students should have already engaged in past paper practice questions at this time of year.
• Goal setting and breaking goals down into smaller parts will reduce feeling overwhelmed.
• Creating daily checklists (full of the smaller parts) and then celebrating mini victories when ticking these off to keep you motivated.

WORKING SMART��

• During study sessions, students should focus on tasks (not time) to engage deeply.
• Students should (of course) study without their phones nearby. The presenter talked about a highly effective app called ‘Focus Me’, a study tool that can block social media for short periods of time.

STUDY GROUPS��

• Forming subject-specific study groups can be very powerful, and there is a benefit of peer learning.

During the morning tea, students shared their experiences and strategies for conquering time management challenges, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. It’s fantastic to see our students embracing the importance of balance and productivity as they strive for excellence in both their academic and personal endeavours. We look forward to more seminars throughout the year across all the Senior School cohorts.