Term 1 | Week 4 | 2026
College Principal's Address
New Ideas and Recognising Teachers
If anyone had asked me, in the days since arriving back from accompanying the Head of Year 12, Clair Hopkins, our College Captains and four of our Prefects, to the Anglican Diocese’s Year 12 Leadership Gathering in Wagga Wagga, ‘what will you remember most about the place?’, I would have had to say it was the horses. Now, one colleague had suggested, rather unkindly, before we departed for what was my inaugural visit to the metropolis on the Murrumbidgee, that it is a bit of a ‘one-horse town’. I beg to differ, as I almost collided with half a dozen very early on a Monday morning as I scooted about in the College’s 24-seater bus, heading from a CBD hotel to The Riverina Anglican College, where the event was based.
There was no other vehicular traffic as I drove along a suburban road next to what was obviously the racecourse, so on seeing this sign, I presumed that as the driver of the SCAC ‘big rig’, I should be alert to the off chance of encountering equestrians. What I hadn’t expected was six very imposing horses, complete with jockeys (of considerably less imposing stature) suddenly darting across directly in front of me as if they owned the road, taking the shortest possible route between stables, on my right, to the verdant green, white-railed track, on my left, without the slightest pause to check for Mitsubishi Rosas, or similar. One advantage of having a rather underpowered College bus, with aerodynamic styling based on that of a mud brick, is that it stops more willingly than it goes; so an accident was averted, but I was very taken aback. Horses and riders definitely take priority, at least in that part of Wagga Wagga. Our student leaders did their families and the SCAC community proud during the gathering, demonstrating their own brand of country courtesy and charm when interacting with staff and students from the other seven Diocese schools. A variety of activities were undertaken to encourage assimilation and mutual appreciation, focusing on developing leadership traits and ending with an ‘Amazing Race – Wagga Style!’
I looked hard, but despite occasional cries of, ‘Is that the beach?!’ I left without experiencing the delights of the legendary landform that Tourism Australia’s Brad Farmer declared the '9th Best Beach in Australia' back in 2020.
Back in Bega, there’s so much creativity and innovation to celebrate even in the first few weeks of Term 1. My sincere thanks to those making good things happen, including Languages @ Lunch Time, our already prize-winning cattle and sheep judging show team, silkworm ‘farming’; casting, rehearsing, designing and manufacturing all that will be a sensational Beauty and the Beast production, our St John’s-based program for very little people, Little Lights, MacqLit classes to provide essential support literacy in Secondary English and the Vine Register to extend the most able, even the advent of a taskforce of staff and students to discuss and implement a totally fresh approach to what Year 11 and 12 life could, and should be like here. If there needed to be more, we are only weeks away from making our own, SCAC-branded plastic goods from recycled bottle tops with top-notch equipment supported handsomely by a Bega Group grant! And finally, also on a note of thanks, writing after the most recent P and F meeting on 11th February, I have taken an extract from a much longer parent message: ‘I am outspoken when staff are doing the right thing, going above expectations. I genuinely believe acknowledgement matters just as much as accountability. I have really appreciated the shift towards a stronger, positive reward system for students. It’s been noticeable, and I think it’s a great move. Last night, however, it did make me reflect on whether those same shifts are being intentionally applied to staff as well'. As I always do, I shared this wonderful, positive feedback at our staff meeting last Wednesday, and one or two of the wittiest attendees latched on to that final sentence, suggesting that future Presentation Evening events might include something akin to the annual Academy Awards ceremony, with golden ‘Oscar’ statues being bestowed upon staff who have achieved particular greatness that year! While my contribution to that meeting had predictably descended into good-humoured farce (not an uncommon outcome!), the idea was so generous and genuine that we would love to engage the community in considering how we might better recognise those who do go ‘above expectation’. Please let me know if you have ideas, other than 24ct gold-plated bronze statues.
David Proudlove College Principal
Year 12 Leadership Camp
On Sunday, 8th and Monday, 9th February, the Year 12 Leadership Team ventured to The Riverina Anglican College in Wagga Wagga to develop their connections with other student leaders in the Anglican Diocese. We began the activities with a Chapel Service at St John’s Anglican Church, then ventured over to TRAC for the evening, where we explored Indigenous artefacts, ate pizza and played trivia.
The following day, we met Amanda Norris from the RAAF, who gave an inspiring leadership talk, examining topics like emotional intelligence, kindness, accountability and communication. Students then spent the rest of the morning playing The Amazing Race and exploring Wagga Wagga with their peers before heading back on the bus.
"Leadership isn't just a position; it's how you make people feel. It's being a good human." - Wing Commander Amanda Norris, RAAF.
Swimming Carnival Success
Thursday 12th and Friday 13th February saw the Bega Memorial Swimming Pool overrun by our SCAC swimmers who enjoyed their carnivals. We had a high level of participation from both primary and secondary students. Students not only swam in the traditional events but also participated in a range of novelty activities, including Pony pool noodle races, relays and egg and spoon races.
2026 Champion House
Primary – Nicholls Secondary – Nicholls
Congratulations to our Age Champions
- 9 Years and Under: Lily Beht (Girls) and Kai Inskip (Boys)
- 10 Years: Evie Hobill (Girls) and Jackson Mullaney (Boys)
- 11 Years: Lara Inskip (Girls) and Noah Beht (Boys)
- 12 Years and Over (Primary): Phoebe Varvel (Girls) and Hudson Wood (Boys)
- 13 Years and Under (Secondary): Felicity Ireland (Girls) and Judd Mackey (Boys)
- 14 Years: Charlotte Dack (Girls) and Mitchell Gordon (Boys)
- 15 Years: Victoria Ireland (Girls) and Luke Mitchell-Blacker (Boys)
- 16 Years: Ella Inskip (Girls) and Jamie Haynes (Boys)
- 17 Years: Liana Hruskova (Girls) and Joshua Croxford (Boys)
- 18 Years and Over: Emma Cook (Girls) and Henry Trevaskis (Boys)
Many records were broken across the two days. Congratulations to the new record holders:
- Primary: Lara Inskip, Kai Inskip and Noah Beht
- Secondary: Joshua Croxford, Ella Inskip, Emma Cook, Liana Hruskova, Arabella Wood, Mitchell Gordon
We wish our SASSA team all the best when they compete on the 10th March at the Nowra Aquatic Centre.
Pre-K's Start To School
Pre-K has enjoyed a wonderful start to the term, settling confidently into new routines and embracing a more structured day while continuing to learn through rich, play‑based experiences. The children have been exploring our grounds, tasting produce from the polytunnel, cooking in the classroom, and recently enjoyed a fantastic visit to the Ag Plot with the Kindy children, where they picked fresh carrots, took home silverbeet, and visited the calves.
Our learning focus this term includes fine motor development, PreLit activities to build phonemic awareness, and daily hands‑on maths exploration. The chain‑link patterning game has been a highlight, supporting fine motor strength, colour recognition, counting, and early patterning skills. Home readers have now gone home, and we hope families are enjoying this routine as children continue to build early literacy skills and a love of reading. Olivia has been busy hosting a delightful tea party with two little friends, and it has been such a joy to watch. Moments like this really show how powerful children’s imaginations can be when they’re given the right materials to explore. With simple props and open‑ended resources, children create entire worlds, practise social skills, and express their creativity in ways that structured activities alone can’t achieve. Providing these opportunities is essential because imagination isn’t just play—it’s a vital part of how children learn, problem‑solve, and make sense of their world.
Ag News
Welcoming Bruno and Bart
Students welcomed our two latest additions to the SCAC farm: 5-day-old "Bart" the brown and white Holstein, and 3-day-old "Bruno", our black and white Holstein! To date, we have had over two dozen students sign up for morning and/or arvo milk feeding! A huge thank you to the Apps for donating these adorable baby boys, along with three bags of premium milk replacer. Years 3 and 5 visit our farm and meet/feed our new baby calves and chickens, and pick some carrots. Pre-Kindy came for an incursion to our SCAC farm to visit our new calf babies, Bruno and Bart and also enjoyed picking carrots from our polyhoop garden! Year 9 and 10 Agriculture students learned to clean out bedding and water each day and treat with electrolytes and scourban that really re-perked our new babies...
Year 7 Science
Our Year 7 Young Scientists learned about qualitative and quantitative observations as they compared the quality vs quantity of the favourite lolly they picked from the lolly jar. Students described the lollies using all their senses and also measured the lollies in terms of weight, length, etc. What a great lesson!
Year 7 students in our SCAC Science Academy unit observed how TINY Potassium Permanganate crystals travel as bright purple colours through water as convection currents when they heat with tealight candles. Year 7 also enjoyed their first lesson on lighting Bunsen burners and look forward to many lessons to come through their high school years of lighting this very important science equipment up!
Year 10 Science
This week in Year 10 Science, students continue to learn about acceleration and Newton's laws - particularly the first one on Inertia, creating crash test dummies out of plasticine and testing how far they travel in a collision.
SCAC Cattle Show
The team did really well, considering it was their first show. Makayla Fuge won a second-place ribbon with the bull she was leading. Evie Umbers placed in the meat sheep judging, and Molly Burns won the meat sheep judging and will proceed to Sydney Royal in 2 months. Molly Burns also placed 4th in the Junior Paraders.
We are extremely proud that the team gave everything a go! Even judging Merino fleece! It was a great learning activity. Our next show is Canberra Royal, February 20th to 22nd, where Evie Umbers, Makayla Fuge, Molly Burns and Charlie McMahon will represent our school.
Year 12 HSC Visual Arts & Drama Sydney Experience
Our Year 12 HSC Visual Arts and Drama students recently participated in an inspiring Sydney learning experience designed to extend their understanding of contemporary arts practice and support their preparation for the HSC. Based in Surry Hills, students immersed themselves in a rich program of workshops, exhibitions and live performance, engaging directly with leading arts organisations and creative professionals. Drama students explored collaborative theatre-making through a Group Devising Workshop at Belvoir Theatre and gained valuable insight into professional production through archival viewing sessions. A visit to Sydney Theatre Company included staged readings and a backstage tour, allowing students to see how theatre is developed and presented at a professional level. The experience concluded with a live performance of ‘On STAGE’ at the Seymour Centre, offering students the opportunity to analyse exemplary HSC Drama performances and reflect on their own creative practice.
Visual Arts students visited several major cultural institutions, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, and the Art Gallery of NSW. Highlights included the Data Dreams exhibition, the internationally recognised Ron Mueck Exhibition, and ARTEXPRESS, where students viewed outstanding HSC major works from previous years. These experiences encouraged critical thinking and provided rich inspiration for their own Bodies of Work. Beyond the formal program, students demonstrated maturity, curiosity and enthusiasm as they navigated the city and engaged thoughtfully with the arts. The excursion provided authentic learning opportunities that extended well beyond the classroom, reinforcing the importance of collaboration, creative inquiry and audience engagement. We are incredibly proud of the way our Year 12 students embraced every experience and represented our school community so positively. The insights gained during this trip will no doubt continue to shape their creative journeys as they move closer to their HSC major projects and performances.
Resilience Project Workshop
Digital Wellbeing for Families Workshop (online) with Leah on Wednesday 11th March, 6:30-7:30pm (60 minutes) AEDT. With only a few weeks until the event, it’s time to dive into the details.
What we’ll deliver
This one-hour webinar guides parents and carers to reflect on their family’s digital wellbeing, before diving into practical strategies to create healthy habits online and strengthen connections at home. By the end of the session, parents and carers will:
- Understand the latest research on screen time and its impact on individual and collective well-being in the home.
- Have a list of strategies to enhance their own digital wellbeing as a parent to role model to their children.
- Feel equipped to support their child’s device usage without screen shaming, banning or removing devices.
How to promote and access the webinar
There are two things you need to do to ensure your parent and carer community can access the event: 1. Promote the event with this flyer and this social media file. 2. Invite them to individually register for the webinar using this link. We will then send them the Zoom link and a calendar invite.
FAQs
Will it be recorded? Yes, and the link will be sent to you to share with your parent and carer community for those who cannot make it or would like a recap. Can we change the date or time? As this webinar is presented with other school communities, we unfortunately cannot alter the date or time. What if someone forgets to register? That’s okay! As the Ambassador, we’ll send you the recording link following the event for you to share with your parent and carer community.