Principal's Message
On Saturday 29th June, Macarthur Adventist College held it's first MAC Has Talent event, and it was definitely an evening to remember.
The aim of the evening was to raise funds for our Year 11 and Year 12 Mission Trip towards the end of the year, and what better way than to show off the amazing talent of our students and staff? There were a total of 20 acts during the show, ranging from singing and dancing, to comedy skits, wacky science displays and one very memorable Rubiks Cube routine. The winners for the night in the Student category were Roshana in Year 12 taking 1st place, Kavhneel and Ekam in Year 7 taking 2nd place, and Chelsea in Year 5 taking 3rd place. The winner for the Staff catagory was Miss Mene and the winner for the Class catagory was 4AG.
I am exceedingly proud of each and every student and staff member who performed on the night. It can be challenging to get up on stage and perform in front of a crowd and be judged by a panel, but our wonderful College community supported our students and staff through each and every act, cheering, clapping and encouraging each person on the stage.
Added to our performers was a further group of students and staff who were involved in sound and lighting, ushering, decorating the hall, running the silent auctions, cooking and preparing the delicious meals that were served, not to mention those who stayed behind after the event to help clean everything up. My heartfelt gratitude to the outstanding team of students, staff, parents and volunteers involved behind the scenes who helped make the evening such a wonderful and entertaining experience for our audience.
A huge thank you also to our amazing Home and School Committee, who worked long and hard in the weeks leading up to the event to procure items, events and experiences that the College could auction off during the evening to raise funds, we are thankful and grateful for all of their hard work.
Many hours of work goes into productions like this and I am exceedingly proud of the dedicated team of staff and students who made the night such a success. If the clapping and cheering was anything to go by, all of the hard work was well worth it and MAC Has Talent may yet turn out to be an annual event. You can view a highlight reel of the evening here.
On the 5th July, the College will also be hosting 24 students from Betikama Adventist College in the Solomon Islands, who will be part of a special assembly after recess on this day. The students from Betikama will also be taking the Church service on Saturday 6th July at Church in the Fields, so please come along and join us. There will also be a games night in our College hall on the Saturday evening.
With Term 2 now drawing to a close, I pray that our students are able to have a restful and relaxing break over the next few weeks, ready to return energized for Term 3.
Blessings,
Anna Calandra
Principal
What's On @ MAC
This coming Friday is a Pajama Day Fundraiser for Prep - Year 12. Students are to bring a gold-coin donation which will be collected in class. Below are some guidelines regarding what students are able to wear.
- No slippers to be worn. For safety reasons, students can wear their regular school shoes or joggers.
- Appropriate PJ's are to be worn, e.g no spaghetti straps, boxer shorts etc.
Dates for Term 3
Parent Teacher Interviews and Reports
Parent Teacher Interview and Report Night will be held this coming Tuesday 2nd July - 3:30pm – 7:00pm. Bookings can be made online at: www.schoolinterviews.com.au using the code: ym3mq.
Please ensure that you book in with the teachers you need to see. Bookings will close at 1pm on Tuesday.
The interviews will take place:
Primary - in your child’s classroom
Secondary – in the hall
School reports will be handed out on the night. If you do not have Internet access, please see the office staff to help with your online booking.
NAIDOC Day and Reconciliation Week
It is that time of the year where we celebrate NAIDOC Week, an emphasis on the Indigenous cultures of our country. This year’s theme is ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let’s work together for a shared future’.
Please join with us on Wednesday, 3rd July as we celebrate with a combined Chapel to be held at 9:30am followed by morning tea for elders and community members.
Activities for students include: Face painting, Indigenous games, damper- making and various craft activities.
MAC also recently celebrated Reconciliation Week, with their first ever Sorry Day Chapel, with Torres Strait Islander Dancers and a special flag raising ceremony.
Special guest speaker, Joan Quinlan shared her families experiences dealing with the Stolen Generation and the effect that it had on her family and the Community as a whole.
Her message was, while it is important to remember the past we also need to move forward together. This message and challenge, which was given to her by her Nan, was passed onto the student body.
Sandra Evans
Indigenous Support Worker
Family Fun Day / Open Day
Family Fun Day / Open Day is a way for us to showcase Macarthur Adventist College and what we offer our community. It's a wonderful opportunity for both current and prospective parents, and/or caregivers and their children to meet and talk with students and staff, view interactive and co-curricular displays and tour the College's facilities as well as enjoying the rides, petting zoo, face painting and more.
Unlimited Ride Wristbands can be purchased for $20 from the Office in the weeks leading up to Open Day, however if you purchase a wristband on the day of the event, the cost for the wristbands will be $30.
Please see the flier above for more information and please come along for what is sure to be a great day!
The USO Program
The USO program is part of a brand that was founded by a Seventh Day Adventist Pastor by the name of Ray Moaga. The brand is called ‘USO’. Pastor Ray created this brand to help empower the future generations through understanding key values and applying them to their lives. ‘Uso’ means brother in the Samoan language, this has a deeper meaning when worn by different cultures. We aim for our Macarthur family to be able to call each other brother and be able to rely upon one another for support when needed. This program represents Macarthur’s ethos and aids in setting up our students’ future success.
The program is run specifically around a contract that both parents and students have signed. The contract states:
As an active participant at Macarthur Adventist College I promise to:
- Keep my attendance above 75%
- Complete all class work and assignments on time
- Hold all my grades above 65% (C+)
- Be punctual to all classes and training sessions
- Wear the correct uniform to school on a daily basis
This contract gives the students the ability to be supported by the coaches, teachers and school as well as pushing themselves to achieve highly.
The program consists of 90 students participating in 4 different sports, Futsal, Touch Football, Netball and Basketball. Each sport trains each Thursday afternoon and plays on either a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday night. Since starting the program at the beginning of 2019, we have had a lot of success both inside and outside of the classroom. Students are understanding that being a ‘Student Athlete’ consists of them putting their education before their sporting ability.
It has been a pleasure working with the students during this program and all the coaching staff are excited to see what the future holds for our students.
Blessings,
USO Team
Primary News & Reminders
As we come to the end of Term 2, it feels as though the last 10 weeks have flown by. There is a saying that time flies when you are having fun and our Primary students have certainly had a term full of exciting learning opportunities, both here at the College and also off-campus.
With this Friday being the last day of Term 2, we wish all our families a safe and happy term break. Stay safe on the roads if you are heading away for holidays and if you are staying near home we pray that you have a relaxing and restful break.
Kind regards,
Fiona Vili
Primary Dates to Remember for Term 3
Sunday 4th August - MAC Open Day / Family Fun Day
Monday 5th - Friday 9th August - Primary SWAT Week
Monday 19th - Friday 23rd August - Book Week
Friday 23rd August - Book Parade
Friday 30th August - Father's Day Breakfast
Friday 30th August - Prep - Yr 1 Athletics Day
Sat 7th September - Multicultural Night
Saturday 21st September - Church In The Fields Visit
Thursday 26th September - Alphabet Day
Secondary News & Reminders
It is hard to believe that we are at the end of Term 2 already. The first half of the year has gone so fast. It has been an eventful term for secondary students with sporting events, camps, excursions and Mac Has Talent to name a few things that they have been involved in.
Wishing every family an enjoyable break and praying that you all remain safe over the holiday period. A reminder that Term 3 will start on Thursday 25th July and we look forward to seeing everyone back at school on that day.
Kind regards,
Renee Jones
Head of Secondary
Secondary Dates to Remember for Term 3
Monday 5th - Friday 16th August - Year 12 Trial Exams
Monday 12- Friday 16th August - Science Week
Thursday 29th August - Stage 4 STEM Challenge
Saturday 7th September - Multicultural Night
Tuesday 10th September - Year 12 Parent Teacher Interviews
Monday 16th - Friday 20th September - Secondary SWAT Week
Saturday 21st September - Church In The Fields Visit
Monday 23rd - Friday 27th September - Year 11 Exams
Wednesday 25th September - Year 12 Final Chapel
Friday 27th September - Yr 12 Breakfast and Deregistration and last day of Term 3 for all students.
Stand Tall Event 2019
Stand Tall is an inspiring day that our year 9 students experience. Every year it has a profound impact on how they view themselves, their lives and their futures. The generosity of the speakers in sharing their challenges is incredible. All the students come away from the day with a new appreciation of what it means to make the life you want.
Mr Maua
Netball Gala Day
On the 17th June, 2019 a team of girls attended the CSSA Netball Gala Day. In previous years the teams that had represented Macarthur participated in the competition and showed great sportsmanship. This year the girls represented Macarthur amazingly by not only showing great sportsmanship but coming 5th out of 20 teams. This is the first time that one of our Netball teams has come within the top 10 let alone the top 5.
A huge congratulations to the teams and the coaches that took them away on the day.
Mr Maua
Counsellor's Corner
Screen Time - By Claire Marsh - Psychologist at MAC
Chaplaincy News
Office / Accounts Reminders
Re-enrollment Forms
All of the re-enrollment forms sent out to our College families should by now have been returned to the Office. The purpose of re-enrollment forms is so that the College can be informed as to how many of our current students will be returning in 2020 and also so that we can allocate spaces for those students currently on our waiting list.
The College has experienced a surge in enrollments over the past 6 months and there is currently still a high demand for places at MAC for 2020, especially in Kindergarten and Year 7. As such, we ask that all families who have not yet returned their re-enrollment forms be diligent in returning them to the Office as soon as possible.
Lost Property
At the end of Term there is always a large amount of lost property in the Office. If your child has lost a jumper / jacket / lunch boxes etc that is clearly marked with their name please come down to the office and we will check lost property for you. All uniform items that are not collected at the end of Term will be sold through the Library from the beginning of Term 3.
Signing in for Chapel
A reminder to parents that if you are coming to the College to attend Chapel, please make sure that you sign in and enter through the office. Sometimes the doors to our auditorium are open to let the air in, but parents should still enter the College through the front office in order to sign in and collect a visitor's pass. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.