Country To Coast

Principal's Address

The Joys of Choir, Community and Connection

I watch very little television indeed, hence it is all the more amazing that early in the Easter holidays, as a member of our family channel-hopped, we happened across what turned out to be the last 5 minutes of a week-old edition of the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ TV show, recorded just days before at a theatre in Birmingham, in the English Midlands.  The show is about to enter its 20th year and showcases a vast array of ‘talents’, from the ever-popular performing dogs to the inevitable knife throwers and escapologists, all interwoven with musicians of every imaginable type.  What captivated me from the outset was that as we tuned in, the act that was introducing itself to the panel of show business judges were all farmers! Thirty-seven farmers, to be precise, the Hawkstone Farmers Choir, founded by renowned former BBC Top Gear TV show presenter turned Oxfordshire farmer, Jeremy Clarkson (as close as any Pom might come to being a ‘larrikin’, I’d say), was centre stage, and ready to sing.   As the son of a now-retired, 88-year-old former dairy farmer (who is quite an accomplished violinist, coincidentally!), this was something not to be missed. The introduction speaks for itself, in the most eloquent and quite unexpectedly emotional way… Please make sure you click on this. For me, this is simply TV and musical magic:

For all of us in the close-knit community of the beautiful Bega Valley, the reason why the choir was formed is surely just as significant as the power, conviction and pure joy in their voices? Farming is one of the animating lifeforces that connects people and places here, and it, like other local industries, has suffered, but survived two centuries of challenges. While my family’s British farming history goes back even longer, the Australia of Dorothea Mackellar’s, My Country, ‘a wilful, lavish land’, has natural climatic extremes, and hazards never encountered in the country of my birth.

I love a sunburnt country,  A land of sweeping plains,  Of ragged mountain ranges,  Of droughts and flooding rains.  I love her far horizons,  I love her jewel sea,  Her beauty and her terror –  The wide brown land for me!

  On a less serious note, I was amazed and strangely reassured that the fashion choices made by my father for over 50 years persist in 2026! In fact, there’s a gentleman punching the air at the end that I genuinely thought was my Dad!

I have checked with my Mum, and she confirms that Peter Proudlove was at home watching TV on the night in question, not on it... as far as she can recall. One of the strands of our College’s strategic plan is to be regarded as an integral, and deeply valued part of the Bega Valley community. I have often heard how this was very much the case during, and in the aftermath of the 2019-2020 bushfires. How wonderfully heart-warming it was, in mid-March, to have a parent approach the College with the idea of a working bee to assist our incredibly dedicated, but always very busy maintenance crew; to bring our sprawling 24-hectare campus back to its glorious best after recent rains.

The P and F-led working bee duly took place on 19th April, just before Term 2 began, and a small army, well, at least a large platoon, hacked and cut, edged and blew the living daylights off banks and green spaces, stairways and driveways over a 5-hour period. With missions assigned by maintenance staff, the only pause was for the briefest, but obligatory P and F sausage sizzle, drenched in autumn sunshine. Total commitment, great company and the perfect way to build community and personal connections. The campus was transformed. My sincere thanks to everyone involved. And once the 14th of May’s Open Day has passed, non-flooding rains would be most welcome, even though I quite appreciate those of a dairying persuasion are hoping there’ll be a few solid soakings well before that. While it already feels like Term 2 is settled into a very positive groove, I hope, to borrow the first line of the Hawkstone Farmers Choir chorus, you have been able to, ‘Throw those curtains wide!’ on another exciting 10 weeks in the life of Sapphire Coast Anglican College.

David Proudlove College Principal

From Our Deputy Principal

This year, students in Years 9–12 are bringing their own devices to use for classwork. This coincides with the introduction of our new Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas. Over the next six months, we will be transitioning all classes to Canvas from our previous LMS, Google Classroom. This change will provide easier access to learning materials and, in time, allow parents to view assignments and student results. Rather than needing individual class codes, students will find all of their classes in one location at adcg.instructure.com and can log in using their College username and password. If you have any questions about students accessing Canvas, please contact the College. With greater access to technology across the College, we understand that families may have questions about online safety and security. The College has security systems and firewalls in place to protect students when they are online. These systems block websites containing inappropriate material, gambling content, and other unsafe content. Students in Years 9–12 who bring their own devices are required to install a security certificate that monitors internet usage while connected to the College Wi-Fi. Requiring students to use the College Wi-Fi—rather than hotspotting from their mobile phones—is an important measure that helps us ensure all students remain safe when using technology at school.

Jay Trevaskis Deputy Principal

Cross Country

Congratulations to all who took part in the recent cross country. Thank you to the Year 10 PASS students who assisted with the primary carnival. The junior students enjoyed running with and trying to beat the high school students. Thank you to our P&F volunteers for running the cake stall, and thank you to the families who contributed the tasty treats. Results Primary: Nicholls Secondary: Nicholls The SASSA carnival will be in Nowra on the 11th May.

Primary Grip Leadership Conference

Primary leaders attended the GRIP Leadership Conference in Canberra on Wednesday, 29th April. They had a fabulous time learning about how a leader should act and meeting leaders from other primary schools.  

The leadership conference was amazing because I learned so much about being a leader. It was really fun because I learned about how to be a good leader and what I need to know to be a leader. My favourite part was when I was writing the words down in the booklet. Ava 

The GRIP leadership event helped me realise that a good leader shows integrity during school and out of school. They also showed how we can show integrity in our everyday lives as leaders. It was easy to remember because they all start with the letter A: Always tell the truth, Aim for high standards, Apologise for mistakes, Act accordingly, and your Actions should always match your words. Phoebe 

Two things that the GRIP leadership conference helped me learn and reflect on were that school leaders help in the community, not just in school. The other thing that really made me think was the 5 A’s, but the one that stood out to me was Actions should match your words. If I tell people to wear the right uniform and I’m not, then I am setting a bad example. Jossie 

I really liked the part when we were watching how the kids made a game in the back of their classroom. My two favourite parts were the loud noise sessions because we got to play fun games and be competitive. My second favourite part was the skit when the kids did not want to do cross country and Julian King lied about winning. Pelumi  

I liked the GRIP conference because most schools don't get this, and it was a good opportunity to learn more about how to be a better leader and how to act as a leader. My two favourite activities were the loud noise because you got to dance, sing and yell. My other favourite activity was the one where you had to watch a little part of a movie, and had four sentences about how to be a leader that you had to match to a little clip. Lara  

The thing I love about the leadership is that they let you do teamwork with other leaders from other schools, and you learn how to be a good leader, and  if you don’t know what to do, they show you, make videos  and talk about it with other teams.  Bella-Rose 

At  the leadership conference, we learned that new ideas can sprout into something big. We also learnt to take opportunities as they come, and if you don’t, you won’t have that opportunity. Aiva My favourite thing at the GRIP conference was having to go around and ask people from other schools what their favourite interests were. It was a great way to meet new people. Duncan

The GRIP Student Leadership Conference was great! The chats, filling out the booklet, meeting new people, ‘Loud Noises’ (which were the fun brain breaks), and being able to learn how to be a better leader were all just awesome. It was such a privilege to be able to go, so thank you, Mrs Louie and Rachel, for taking us to this leadership conference. And everyone, make sure to remember that anyone can be a great leader. Clara  

See the conference photos below.