Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we come to the end of a wonderful Term, on behalf of our executive team I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our amazing school community for your continued support and dedication. It has been a term filled with growth, achievement and community spirit.

Going Above and Beyond Cards

We are very excited to acknowledge that 392 Going Above and Beyond (GAB) cards have been given out to Primary students! That’s 392 moments where students have been recognised for making great choices, showing kindness, being responsible, respectful, and having a positive attitude. As a special reward, students voted for their end-of-term celebration and on the last day of term, they will enjoy an extended recess from 10:00 to 10:45!

Primary Lunchtime Clubs

This term, we have introduced some new lunchtime clubs for our students to enjoy.

K–2 students can join the Art Club on Wednesdays with Mrs Calandra and Mrs McBurney. Students in Years 3–6 can take part in the Junior Choir on Thursdays with Mrs Ufagalilo and Miss Bocchino or get some extra support at Homework Club on Fridays with Mrs Ufagalilo. A huge thank you to these teachers for generously giving their time to support our students.

Excursions and Incursions

This term has been full of exciting learning opportunities beyond the classroom!

· On 13th February, Stage 1 students enjoyed a fun and active NRL Skills Clinic.

· On 10th March, students in Years 3–6 were thrilled to meet Royce Hunt during a special visit from the Wests Tigers.

· Stage 3 represented our school at the Rugby League Gala Day on 26th March

· Stage 2 participated in the Adventist Schools Soccer Gala Day on 27th March with both the boys’ and girls’ teams winning all their matches. What an achievement!

· Our Year 3 and Year 4 students explored the wonders of wildlife with visits to Taronga Zoo on 2nd April and 8th April.

· To top it all off, our Year 2 class took part in an engaging Science STEM Incursion, sparking curiosity and creativity.

We are proud of our students for their enthusiasm and grateful to staff and volunteers for making these experiences possible!

Home and School Meeting

A special highlight this term was our first Home and School Committee meeting on the 2nd of April. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect, collaborate, and share ideas that will continue to strengthen our school community. Thank you to all the parents who attended and contributed so positively to the discussion.

As we head into the break, we wish all our students and families a safe, relaxing, and joyful holiday. May this Easter season be a time of reflection, peace, and renewal for you all. Let me leave you with this encouragement “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.” Numbers 6:24–25. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our school. We are excited to see all the wonderful things that Term 2 will bring, and we are grateful to have you as part of our school community.

Kindest regards,

Fiona Fidow

The annual Athletics Carnival was once again a highlight on our school calendar, bringing together students, staff, and families for a day full of energy, encouragement, and unforgettable moments.

Held at Narellan Sport Hub, the day kicked off with clear skies and even clearer determination as students proudly represented their houses across a range of events, field and track events. Whether competing for points, personal bests, or simply the joy of being involved, every student contributed to the vibrant spirit that defined the day.

One of the most inspiring parts of the carnival was witnessing the incredible sportsmanship on display. From students cheering each other on at the finish line to volunteers offering support and encouragement, it was a powerful reminder of how sport can unite us and bring out the best in everyone. Each element added to the atmosphere and sense of pride in our school community.

A special thank you must go to our dedicated staff and event organisers who made the day run so smoothly, as well as the student volunteers who helped behind the scenes and along the track. Your hard work didn’t go unnoticed.

Congratulations to all who participated—whether you took home ribbons, overcame nerves, or gave something new a go. You should be proud of your efforts. The carnival wasn’t just about competition; it was about showing resilience, trying your best, and being part of something bigger.

The level of competition was amazing with the most amount of records being broken since 10 years ago.

14 Girls Discus – Kaliah Tiatia – 16.50m

16 Girls Long Jump – Ma’u Lokotui – 4.10m

15 Girls Long Jump – Abigail Foster – 3.65m

16 Girls High Jump – Natahlia Tautalafua – 1.40m

15 Girls 100m – Abigail Foster 14.83

16 Girls 100m – Ma’u Lokotui 14.76

18 Boys discus – 28.40 – Lupeni Tonga

12 Girls High Jump – Anastasia Foster – 1.00m

17 Girls long jump – Priya Singh – 3.58m

13 Girls 200m – Praise Nkem – 31.06

14 Girls 200m – Gabriell Lawton – 30.75

15 Girls 200m – Abigail Foster – 31.35

16 Girls 200m – Ma’u Lokotui – 31.84

14 Boys Shot Put – Samuel Akari – 23.90m

15 Girls Shot Put – Laniyah Tolo-Faaoloii – 8.10m

16 Boys 200m – Raphael Lawton – 25.33

13 Boys high Jump – Samrat Lama – 1.25m

14 Girls High Jump – Gabriell Lawton – 4.03m

16 Girls Shot Put – Natahlia Tautalafua – 8.40m

12 Boys Javelin – Arav Chavan – 18.23m

13 Girls – Javelin – Kaylani Tiatia – 15.81m

14 Girls Long Jump – Gabriell Lawton – 4.03m

17 Girls Shot put – Taimane Setu – 9.50m

13 Girls – 400m – Praise Nkem – 1.16.08

18 Boys Shot Put – Lupeni Tonga – 11.50m

16 Boys 400m – Raphael Lawton – 1.02.86

18 Boys 400m – Luis Santamarta – 1.03.33

Congratulations to our Runners Up and Champion students for each age division:

Yesterday 2 of our Year 12 students (Jordan Ramatai and Lupeni Tonga) attended the CSSA/SASSA Rugby Union trials down at Kiama. They trialled against 70 other students, participating in drills, skills and games. I have just received the email to say that both boys made the Open Boys CSSA/SASSA Team for 2025.

The Boys will assemble for the AICES Trials Wednesday June 4 th at TG Millner Field Vimiera Road, Marsfield NSW, Australia.

If you see them around please congratulate them because it is very exciting.

- Jordan Maua

ANZAC Day Service at Macarthur Adventist College

On the 9 th of April our college community came together to honour the courage, sacrifice, and service of our Australian and New Zealand defence personnel during our annual ANZAC Day service. This service was led by our primary and secondary student leadership team, who demonstrated maturity, respect, and deep reflection as they guided the school through moments of remembrance.

We were privileged to welcome several special guests

Australian Defence Force Personnel Chaplain, Padre Dave

From the Greater Sydney Conference Head office, Rhoda Belson and Craig Dwyer

And Greg Warren MP Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier

Whose presence added great significance to the occasion and their words reminded us of the ongoing importance of service, unity, and national pride.

We also extend our gratitude to members of the Australian Defence Force who joined us for the service. Their attendance helped connect our students with the real-life stories of service and sacrifice, reminding us of all of the values ANZAC Day represents—courage, mateship, and resilience.

Lest we forget

Dear [Parents/Guardians] ,

We know our students are amazing, so we’re giving them the opportunity to showcase and

celebrate their talents in the world-renowned ICAS competition this year.

What is ICAS?

ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge

their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies.

Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.

To learn more about this year’s exciting ICAS competition, visit: (icasassessments.com/products- icas/ )

How to participate in ICAS

If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please:

1. Read about ICAS subjects and prices here: (com/products-icas/ )

2. Read the Privacy Collection Statement

3. Read the terms and conditions here: (com/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/2023-ICAS-Assessments-Schools-TsCs_S2023.V6-1.pdf)

4. Go to the Parent Portal to sign up to chosen subject areas here: (icasassessments.com/pages/pps )

5. Enter our school’s access code – RLN884

6. Enter your child’s details, select the subject areas your child would like to participate in, then proceed to payment.

Please note that the ICAS subject areas shown for selection are at the school’s discretion. After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records.

ICAS results and certificates

All assessments will be conducted online, at school. We will notify you of the date(s) that we will run ICAS assessments, and when your child’s ICAS results are ready. Your child’s ICAS certificates will be delivered to school. Once we have received them, we will present them to your child to bring home. The back of the certificate will show your child’s ICAS results and the login details, “TAP ID and Pin”. - Use these to enter the Results Portal orti.icasassessments.com/ortiStudent.

Privacy collection statement

The following information is a privacy notification about how your child’s data is kept private and secure.

ICAS Assessment is owned by Janison Solutions Pty Ltd (We, Us, Our).

To deliver assessment products, Janison will require your child’s School to obtain your consent to provide Janison with certain personal information of students. Janison will collect, store, use, disclose and otherwise deal with such personal information in accordance with its privacy policy (below). We are aware of our responsibility to protect personal information related to children and students from being disclosed when we deliver an ICAS Assessments product. Unless you, as the child’s legal guardian consents, we will not:

- collect any personal information or data of children other than the information we need for the successful completion of an assessment, test, or exam.

- transfer any personal information we obtain from a child in the delivery of assessments and tests to any jurisdiction outside of Australia.

-share any personal information relating to children with any third parties (except for those third parties necessary for us to carry out our Services or provide our Products g., medal engraving).

- use any personal information or data relating to children for marketing

You can view our full privacy policy at https: //www.janison.com/privacy-policy/.

We may retain personal information and data relevant to a child for their future purposes or for research purposes by Janison for the duration of the school life cycle of the child. However, if you or your child at any time wish to have their personal information or data removed from our systems, they or you may opt out by simply contacting our Privacy Officer at [email protected] or by contacting [email protected] .

We are excited to be offering ICAS to our students this year and look forward to celebrating their achievements. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions.

Kind regards,

Directors of Teaching and Learning

Macarthur Adventist College

Year 2 Blasts Off at the Ultimate Space Day!

This term, our Year 2 students launched into an exciting intergalactic adventure right here in our school hall as they took part in Beyond the Beanstalk’s Ultimate Space Day Circuit!

The immersive STEM incursion transformed the hall into a buzzing space station filled with discovery, curiosity, and hands-on learning. With eight interactive stations, students explored the wonders of outer space through science, engineering, and creative problem-solving.

From building kinetic energy alien robots that could draw, to racing solar-powered robots, students experienced the magic of energy and motion firsthand. They ventured inside a geodesic dome to learn about constellations and galaxies, then crafted their own constellation projectors to take home.

The adventure continued with remote-controlled moon buggies, thrilling centrifuge experiments, and hydroponic planting to simulate life beyond Earth. They also experimented with solar sail propulsion, explored the science of magnetism, and discovered how materials behave in space-like conditions.

The day was a fantastic fusion of fun and learning, sparking curiosity about space, science, and our universe. Our young astronauts returned to class brimming with excitement and newfound knowledge—ready to launch into their next learning adventure!

What an out-of-this-world experience!

Our Stage 2 students had a fantastic day at Taronga Zoo, building on what we’ve been learning in Science about living things and their environments. As they wandered through different animal habitats, students had the chance to observe animal behaviours up close and see how creatures are perfectly adapted to survive in their surroundings. They also took part in an immersive habitat experience where they explored life cycles, discussed the importance of conservation, and reflected on how we can help care for the natural world. It was a fun, hands-on learning experience that really brought our Science unit to life and sparked lots of curiosity and great conversations!

Year 12 Advanced English Excursion: The Tempest – Live Performance & Symposium

“…be not afeard, the isle is full of noises…”

On Thursday 3 April 2025, our Year 12 Advanced English students had the opportunity to take part in an unforgettable theatrical and academic experience – a live performance and analysis symposium of Shakespeare’s The Tempest , presented by the renowned theatre company Sport for Jove.

This immersive excursion allowed students to engage deeply with the play’s rich themes of power, freedom, revenge, and forgiveness, brought vividly to life through dynamic performance and expert-led discussion.

As part of their Module A Comparative Study, students also explored connections between The Tempest and Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed , considering how Atwood reimagines Shakespeare’s text for a modern audience. The event offered students fresh insight into adaptation, context, and interpretation – all of which will greatly support their analytical writing and critical thinking in upcoming assessments.

This excursion enriched students’ appreciation of Shakespearean drama and its continuing relevance in today’s world.

Year 12 camp

Accompanied by Mrs Kumar, Mrs Naicker and Mr. Benson, our Year 12 students had a two day camp at Avondale University up at Cooranbong near Morissett on Lake Macquarie on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

The purpose of the camp was to introduce our Year 12 students to the Avondale University campus and for them to listen to presentations and consider courses that are available to them when they finish their HSC studies.

In between presentations and looking around the campus, our students had time to play pool, ping-pong and even watch some competition basketball in the incredible auditorium on campus, not to mention go-karting in Newcastle and bubble soccer at Charmhaven.

The bus trip up to Avondale University and back was a memorable one and demonstrated that our students have great musical and singing ability, and a very diverse taste in music, which was only outflanked by Mr Benson’s exceptional play list, not to mention his technical ability to over-ride the Bluetooth speaker.

Our students were blessed to hear a message about choices from the senior pastor of Avondale University, Pastor Norman who, inspired by that great text in Proverbs 3:5-6*, impressed upon them the theme of his brief sermon which was that the principle of the path dictates that “it is not your intention, but your direction that will determine your destination” ~

*Trust in the Lord with all your heart … He will direct your path.

We pray that our Year 12 students seek God’s guidance when they make their decisions about their direction in life, and that they will trust in God’s plan for their lives.

Mr Benson

Visual Arts Students Immerse Themselves in ARTEXPRESS and Cao Fei at the AGNSW

Our Year 10, 11, and 12 Visual Arts students recently had the incredible opportunity to visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) for an inspiring and thought-provoking day of artistic exploration.

The highlight of the day was experiencing ARTEXPRESS, an annual showcase of outstanding HSC Visual Arts bodies of work from across NSW. Students were captivated by the high level of conceptual and technical skill on display, gaining insight into the creative possibilities and expectations of the senior Visual Arts course. For our Year 12 students, it was especially motivating as they saw firsthand the level of dedication and refinement required for their own major works.

Students also engaged with the Cao Fei exhibition, a striking collection by the internationally renowned Chinese artist known for her immersive multimedia installations that blend reality and fantasy. Through video, photography, virtual worlds, and sculpture, Cao Fei explores themes of globalisation, technology, identity, and urban transformation. This contemporary exhibition challenged students to reflect on the rapid changes of modern society and how audiences can interact with artworks.

The visit offered a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the Conceptual Framework from the Visual Arts syllabus, while broadening their appreciation of diverse artistic practices and cultural contexts.

Raising Boys | Macarthur Adventist College

Raising Girls | Macarthur Adventist College

Article

Brand new uniforms for sale!

Summer skirt size 5-12 $54.99

Hair accessories $5.99

Summer scrunchie $5.99

Slouch hat $18.99

Sport polo size 4 $35.99

Sport shorts size 4 $33.99

Summer dress size 4 $58.99

Soft shell jacket size 4 $74.99

School bag $65

Please contact reception to purchase

Secondary Uniform expectations:

- Blazers to be worn daily - students are required to wear blazer when cold (a MAC jumper may be worn under the blazer if extremely cold). Blazer is the outer most item to be worn when cold.

- Students are required to wear blazer every day, PCG teachers will be checking, it is required during assembly/chapel when formal uniform is worn.

- Softshell jacket is to be worn with sport uniform only.

- Scarf can be worn must be navy blue in colour (no patterns)

ANZAC Day Dawn Service

We are honoured that one of our School Captains, Mission Smith, will deliver the ANZAC Address at this year’s ANZAC Day Dawn Service. Our Primary and Secondary Student Leadership Teams will also be in attendance to represent our school community.

We warmly invite all families who wish to join us in commemorating this important day. The service will take place at the Memorial Garden Complex, 70 Chester Road, Ingleburn NSW 2565, and will commence at 4:45 AM on Friday, 25 April 2025.

Let us come together in remembrance and respect for the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women.

At MacArthur Adventist College, we are deeply committed to the well-being and safety of all children and young people under our care. We aim to provide an environment that supports their education and personal growth, helping them lead meaningful, joy-filled lives, build strong friendships with God, and develop the character traits of kindness, service, and integrity.

As part of our commitment, we want to reaffirm that the safety, welfare, and well-being of every child at our college is of the utmost importance. Our dedicated staff work tirelessly to ensure that MacArthur Adventist College remains a safe and nurturing environment, free from harm and abuse.

We hold a zero tolerance for child abuse and view our child protection responsibilities as one of the highest priorities. The college is fully committed to complying with all relevant child protection laws and regulations, ensuring both physical and online spaces remain safe for all students.

We appreciate the trust you place in us and work alongside families to support our children and young people in their journey of growth, with a strong foundation of Bible-based values and selfless service to their communities.

Together, we can create an environment where all students are protected and empowered to thrive.

Thank you for your continued support in making MacArthur Adventist College a safe and loving place for every child.