Our Stage 1 students (Years 1 and 2) traded their uniforms for mufti clothes for an exciting, action-packed Day Camp!

The day began in The Lighthouse Theatre with a lively, inspiring presentation by Quizworx. Through engaging storytelling and music, they shared the Christian message of "The Greatest Swap in History"—explaining Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross.

The Motiv8 Sports team then took over the Top Oval, leading classes through high-energy team-building rotations:

Year 1: Enjoyed the SS Race, Treasure Hunt, Bucket Cove, and Titans of Time.

Year 2: Took on Panic Stackers, Sector 8, Flagball, and Japanese Blindfields.

The afternoon finished with a giant whole-stage Rope Wars competition, followed by a Closing Ceremony with awards recognising fantastic sportsmanship. Thank you to our visiting providers and dedicated Stage 1 Teachers for making the day such a wonderful success!

Mrs Carmen Etherington
Stage 1 Leader

Monday 21st September, Year 3 had to arrive at school by 6.15am ready to leave school by 6.30am to depart for our Day Camp on the Port Hacking River. Feeling excited and ready for an exciting day we boarded the buses and after a long and loud bus trip which took one and half hours we arrived at the camp site.

When we arrived our Youth Work Leaders greeted us with friendly smiles and hand waves. We got off the buses and moved to undercover area, where they introduced themselves and explained the rules. We were divided up into our groups and were told the activities that we would be doing. Our first activity was wilderness adventures and after very long bush walk learning about local wildlife, trees and plants we collected firewood ready to make delicious damper coated with yummy golden syrup. After our adventure we returned to camp and had tasty lamingtons for recess.

After recess the boys and girls parted ways to their changerooms, we got changed into our swimmers and waterproof shoes we walked down to the dock to put our life jackets on. We boarded a boat (the fastest I had ever seen) and set off to a mangrove island. The boat went so fast we had to hold onto our hats and seats as the boat crashed over the waves. We arrived at the island and while we were there, we built sandcastles and learned about the mangroves and how they grew and the local environment. We also noticed some crabs moving around but finally we returned to the boat and made our way back to the camp site ready for lunch. After lunch our final activity was navigation, this involved reading clues and using a map locating the answers around the site.

After a long and exhausting day, we said our final goodbyes and boarded the bus ready to return to school. Looking around I noticed that many students were sleeping due to being so tired. Year Three camp was a great experience, and I would like to thank all of the Year Three Teachers.

- Senuka A and Madeleine M (Year 3)

In Week 9, our Year 5 students participated in the Aspire Higher Leadership Workshop, presented by Unleashing Personal Potential (UPP). The engaging full-day program challenged students to think about what it means to be a leader and how they can make a positive impact within our school community.

Throughout the day, students explored the concept of leading through example, influence and kindness, worked together in the exciting Epic Race team challenges, and reflected on their own strengths and the strengths of others. The workshop encouraged teamwork, communication, resilience and self-awareness, while highlighting that leadership is not limited to those who hold a badge or formal position.

Our Year 5 students had a fantastic time and embraced every challenge with enthusiasm and positivity. The day provided valuable opportunities to develop leadership skills that will support them both in the classroom and beyond, and we look forward to seeing these lessons put into action throughout the remainder of the year.

Year 6 students recently enjoyed a valuable visit from the State Emergency Service (SES) as part of their Geography and Science learning about natural disasters and the organisations that respond to them. Students gained firsthand insight into the important role the SES plays in preparing for, responding to and supporting communities during emergencies such as floods, storms and bushfires. The visit helped students make real-world connections to their classroom learning and deepen their understanding of how people and agencies work together to manage the impacts of environmental events.

We thank the SES volunteers for sharing their time and expertise with our students, and for their ongoing service and dedication to keeping our community safe.

“The SES visit was very exciting. We got to see tools that they used and even showed us an alphabet where each letter stands for something like x=xray.” - Audrey Year 6

“We had the SES visit our school; it was a fun time, and we learnt lots, including the phonetic alphabet. They showed us what they do and in certain situations and even what to pack in an emergency” - Knox Year 6

“We did little activities that helped us to understand what they do when they are doing their job.” - Lucy Year 6

In Week 7, a group of Year 6 students attended the HICES Gifted and Talented Camp at AGH Camps, Sydney. The camp ran for five days and was accompanied by Miss West. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to collaborate in a range of challenging and stimulating activities beyond the day-to-day classroom. Students were able to engage with their passions and interests through enriching experiences in intensive, deep-learning sessions. There were also many other activities such as the Trivia night, Disco and cabin time to make new friends.

Here is what students had to say about their time at camp:

Talitha: I loved G and T camp because of my Core class, being an author, and spending time with my cabin. Although we had ten people in our cabin, we had a lot of fun and became great friends. My Core class was fun because we got to write and illustrate a book by ourselves or with a partner.

Grace: My favourite part of camp was going on the high ropes and learning about finding and displaying evidence in my Core class (investigative journalism).

Elizabeth Grace: In my Core class, I had the opportunity to create an illustrated children's book which was donated to the Cancer Council. I met so many new people and it was so fun.

Rebecca: My favourite experience during the HICES G&T Camp was the outdoor activities where you could socialise and meet new people while having fun, as well as all the electives where you could work together with those same people.

Neev: My favourite was free time where we could play soccer and meet new people. The best Core class was outdoor or bridge building. The food was also amazing, and my favourite was the burger.

Avyan: My favourite part about camp is the GIANT SWING right over the river because you also get an amazing view of the valley. Another astonishing thing about camp is that my Core class, Minecraft Coding, as I got to learn to code a house, and to command the Minecraft agent to place the building blocks.

Last week thirty-nine Year 9 students involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Award were accompanied by six staff to complete their Adventurous Journey component for the Bronze Level of the Award. During the single day journey, students were upskilled on campcraft, mode of travel, cooking, and navigational skills involving compass bearings and map reading. It was an incredibly stunning day, where students were able to take in the sights, smells and sounds of the great outdoors, enjoy collaborative planning and a laugh or two along the way. Staff were appreciative of the student’s capacity to work in a mature and measured manner to ensure outcomes were successfully met. Whilst the larger group was split into two hiking groups, it was during the middle of the day that all students could connect for some downtime whilst at Euroka Campground. Equally impressive was their attention to, and actioning of, the “Leave No Trace” principle. My thanks to the staff who attended and supported students throughout; Mrs Price, Mr J Wright, Mr A Wright, Mr J Noakes and Ms Oakley. I look forward to future adventures and watching as they progress, hopefully moving onto the Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award next year.

Mr Ben Ryan
Director of Operations (P-12)
Duke of Edinburgh Award Leader

This term, Year 9 STEM students have stepped into the world of electronics and robotics, designing and building their own working devices around the Arduino Uno microcontroller. Working both individually and in small groups, students created an impressive range of projects: remote-controlled cars, animatronic eyes that blink, sensor-operated rubbish bins, automatic pet feeders, traffic light systems, ultrasonic distance detectors and water-level alarms each one requiring them to wire real circuits, write and upload code through the Arduino IDE, and see their programming come to life in a physical object. Along the way, students learned how sensors, motors, servos and LEDs actually communicate with a microcontroller, how to read a circuit diagram and translate it into a working breadboard, and how to trace a fault to its source when something did not behave as expected whether that turned out to be a loose wire, a reversed component or a stray semicolon in the code. Troubleshooting across both hardware and software proved to be one of the most valuable lessons of the unit, teaching persistence, logical thinking, and the habit of testing one change at a time. More than anything, this experience has opened a door for students: they now understand that the technology around them is something they can build, not just use, and many have already begun asking what they could make next. It has been a rewarding term, and we look forward to seeing where their curiosity takes them.

This term, Year 10 STEM students have been putting their programming skills to the test in the air, coding CoDrone EDU drones in Python to complete a series of increasingly challenging flight missions. Students began by mastering the four fundamental movements of flight: throttle, yaw, pitch and roll and quickly discovered that programming a drone is as much about mathematics as it is about code: converting distances and angles into precise flight commands, calculating turning sequences to trace out squares and triangles, and reasoning about height limits and timing to keep every flight safe and controlled. From there, they moved on to loops and functions to fly repeated patterns efficiently, programmed the onboard buzzer and LEDs to signal waypoints, and used the drone colour sensor to follow colour-coded paths across the floor. The highlight for many was the obstacle course, where students navigated their drones through hoops and finished with a coded flip, a genuine test of sequencing, spatial reasoning, and nerve. Along the way, students developed real skills in debugging, iterative design and teamwork, learning that a program rarely works first time, and that careful testing and small adjustments are what separates a crash from a clean landing. It has been a pleasure to watch the class grow in confidence and independence, and to see abstract programming concepts come to life in such a tangible way.

The Year 10 Vietnam Incursion gave students the opportunity to broaden the knowledge they have learned in class on Vietnam by hearing Vets talk about their experiences. Students also experienced a performance by an international performer Brett Hunt whose Father served in Vietnam and was brought to national attention through the lyric ‘Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon’.

Term 3 TAA saw the introduction of a new activity for Secondary Students: Lego Creations. Students explored different styles of set builds, including technic, botanicals, vehicles, retro gaming stations and animals. They also got to experience set designing through Stud.io and even got to build a model designed by one of the students in the group. Part of the activity also involved a group build of an Amusement Park utilising the 3-in-1 sets and then designing extra rides on their laptops.

Showcase of Music - Praise Him with…

Congratulations and thank you to all the students and staff involved in the Showcase of Music on Thursday 17 September. The concert was a spectacular presentation of the hard work, dedication, and God-given talent of our students, nurtured by our expert team of music staff and tutors.

From the energy of our ensembles to the sensitivity and skill displayed by our soloists, the evening was a wonderful celebration of music-making at the College. Students from Year 1 to 12 performed with confidence, creativity and excellence, demonstrating the growth that comes through consistent practice and commitment.

The theme Praise Him with… reminded us that music is ultimately a gift from God and a means by which we can honour Him. Through singing, playing and creating music together, students reflected the creativity of our Creator and used their talents to bring Him glory, and enjoyment and encouragement to the audience.

Thank you to the many families, friends and staff members who attended and supported the event. We are also grateful to the Music staff, student hosts, and theatre manager Mr Jake Nauta whose efforts behind the scenes ensured the evening ran smoothly.

Above all, we give thanks to God for the opportunities He provides, the gifts He entrusts to our students, and for the joy of making music together. We look forward to seeing these talents continue to flourish over the next year.

Music Ensembles in Term 4

All music ensembles will resume rehearsals as normal in Week 1, preparing for performances at our end of year events. It is important that students continue to attend all rehearsals punctually for the rest of the year.

Dr Christian Watson
Head of Performing Arts

Family members and friends are welcome to attend the 2026 Drama Showcase.

Please note that some performances may contain themes that are not suitable for younger children.

Congratulations to the 16-strong team who represented PAC at the CIS Athletics Championship, coming home with a haul of medals!

Gold – Owen M (Year 9) – 14s 100m

Silver – Tim H (Year 10) – 15s Long Jump & Triple Jump; Owen M – 14s 200m; Xander O (Year 7) – 12s Triple Jump; Caleb R (Year 9) – 15s Javelin; Jaxson W (Year 10) – 16s hurdles

Bronze – Adelaide G (Year 10) – 16s Hurdles; Caleb R – 15s Shot Put; Olivia T (Year 7) – 12s High Jump

PAC couldn’t be prouder of these outstanding results!

Congratulations to our Year 7 Netball team, who were runners-up at the CASA Gala Day! The girls fought hard on the court all day, and played with passion and a great team spirit in the Grand Final against TIGS. Special thank you to our four student umpires, Charlie C, Hannah D, Ivy L, and Grace N, all from Year 9, whose command on the courts assisted with the smooth running of the day. The future of Netball is in good hands for PAC!