Term 3 | Week 4 | 2025
College Principal's Address
Changing of the Guard
Perhaps the world’s most famous ‘Changing of the Guard’ is what occurs when the scarlet-tunics of the Old Guard of one of the five regiments of the British Army’s Foot Guards are replaced by the similarly clad, New Guard, at 11 am, four times a week, at Buckingham Palace in Central London.
The rather less famous, but just as important changing of the student leadership guard at Sapphire Coast Anglican College began its four-week and multi-faceted process last week with current Year 11 students being interviewed by Clair Hopkins, Head of Year 11 and me, reflecting on some questions they had been notified about in advance, and dealing with a few unexpected diversions too.
This first round is designed to assess the fitness of applicants to hold either a Prefect or College Captain role from the start of Term 4, the official beginning of their Year 12 studies. Once Round 1 is safely navigated, a speech to a large student and staff audience is required on the 21st of August, followed by staff and student surveys and finally, a second round of interviews for any of the initial group who wish to be considered for College Captain.
Clair and I were really impressed by the performance of all the applicants. They spoke confidently, had clearly thought hard about the previously-notified questions and adeptly handled those they had no idea might come their way. I was particularly pleased to experience a strong sense of duty amongst these young adults. They don’t simply seek the prestige and higher profile; they are absolutely determined to support the College in every way possible and add to the myriad activities that currently ensure SCAC is such a ‘humming’ place to be (and not just during the school week, but also offering to take centre stage at special events such as the P and F Country Fair and out-of-hours fundraising opportunities).
I enjoyed hearing that the most popular choice for the, ‘name someone famous you would like to interview’, question was Sir David Attenborough, and while appreciative of his merits, this England-born questioner was less enamoured with the selection, by one student, of current Australia men’s cricket captain, Pat Cummins! Round-the-world yachtswoman, Jessica Watson, also made the student shortlist.
The big ‘reveal’, presenting those who will fulfil each role to the entire SCAC student and staff community is but a few weeks away, on the occasion of the Year 12 Graduation Assembly. Keep an eye out in a future edition of our ‘Country to Coast’ newsletter to find out who’s who, as we mark the most significant changing of the guard of the 2025-2026 College year.
As a somewhat related footnote, on my recent trip to the UK, our two adult children, now 23 and 20, did what they hadn’t done for 14 years and peered through the palace’s high, ornate, wrought-iron railings, to watch the guards, but also perhaps catch a glimpse of royalty within... but to no avail. It reminded me of a verse in A.A Milne’s famous poem, ‘Buckingham Palace’.
Our new College leaders’ uniform code is significantly less formal than that of the royal guards, but we still have high hopes that they will look the part, too.
David Proudlove | College Principal
Student Success
Nate Bobbin's Rugby Success
Nate Bobbin (Year 9) recently represented the College as part of the Combined Independent Schools Under 15 Rugby League team at the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League carnival in Townsville. He was also selected as captain of the team, which is a testament to the leadership skills Nate demonstrated at selection trials and training sessions. We would like to congratulate Nate on an outstanding achievement and for the way he represented himself, his family and the College at this carnival. Well done, Nate.
FLING Physical Theatre
In the July school holidays, FLING Physical Theatre travelled with 15 young and emerging dance artists from the Bega Valley to the Australian Youth Dance Festival in Melbourne.
There were 2 SCAC students amongst the talented young artists to travel to AYDF.
AYDF is a four day event with independent young artists and young artists from youth companies meeting from across Australia, for workshops, classes and industry connections across the vibrant Australian dance sector.
The event culminated in a wonderful showcase performance, highlighting youth dance in Australia.
It was an action-packed four days, and FLING Company's young dance artists shone at the event as highly talented contributors to the national dance community; continuing our 25-year legacy of talented young dance artists from the Bega Valley taking steps into the professional industry.
Congratulations, Year 8s Sonia and Archie.
Year 9 Snow Camp
This week, the Year 9 cohort made the trek to Blue Cow at Perisher Ski Resort to tackle the slopes. Students were treated to some of the best conditions in recent years and demonstrated great resilience, progressing from absolute novices to competent alpine adventurers in just three days. The group’s trademark enthusiasm was on full display, as well as their growing level of maturity, as they navigated all the challenges of the mountain. Thank you to the many staff who contributed to the camp, as well as our dedicated parents. Congratulations, Year 9, on making this camp an overwhelming success.
Exploring Sustainability at the Circular Futures Event
On Tuesday, a group of Year 10 students attended the Circular Futures event in Bega. It was an engaging day focused on sustainability, innovation, and the circular economy. Students heard from inspiring local businesses, community groups, and industry leaders about creative ways to reduce waste, reuse materials, and design products and systems that benefit both people and the planet.
Through interactive workshops and hands-on activities, students explored how everyday choices can have a big impact on the environment. They were particularly inspired by seeing practical solutions in action, from upcycled fashion to renewable energy initiatives, and many returned with fresh ideas to bring back to our school community.
Students also learned that the Bega Valley has the potential to become a leading space for circularity on a global scale. The day sparked thoughtful conversations among the group about how we can all contribute to a more sustainable future.
Kezie Apps League Tag
Last week, our Year 7–8 and Year 9–10 girls took to the field for the Kezie Apps League Tag Gala Day, and what a day it was! The girls displayed great energy, enthusiasm, and teamwork. The junior teams played with determination, showing great improvement throughout the day, and they should be proud of the way they supported one another.
A special shout-out goes to our senior girls, who remained undefeated throughout the entire gala day! Their leadership, skill, and sportsmanship were outstanding, setting a fantastic example for the younger players and proving why they’re such a force on the field.
Congratulations to all the girls involved – your effort and enthusiasm made the day a huge success.
Primary Christian Studies
In Term 3 Primary School Christian Studies, we are studying the life of a fisherman!
2000 years ago, Peter was an occupational fisherman at Lake Galilee when he met Jesus (Matthew 4:18-22 ).
After a miracle catch of fish using a net, Peter gave up his career and chose to be a full time student of Jesus. Why did Peter do this?
The bible says Peter recognised something amazing about Jesus;
“You really are the Son of God!” Matthew 14:33
This changes his life forever.
For the rest of the term, we will see how Peter’s life unfolds through mistakes, challenges and new adventures, and what it means to follow Jesus.
Kirsty Kurilowicz | Primary School Christian Studies
Primary SASSA Athletics Carnival
The sunny day of the 5th of August saw our primary students take on the competitors at the SASSA Athletics Carnival. Students performed well, breaking many personal best results.
Congratulations to the following students for placing in their events.
- Scout Foster | 3rd | 8-10 Year Girls 800m AND 2nd | 8-10 Year Girls 1500m
- Clara Peres | 3rd | 8-10 Year Girls 1500m
- Abigail Russell | 2nd | 12 Year Girls Shot Put*
- Jorjiya Weldon | 3rd | 12 Year Girls Shot Put*
- Coban | 3rd | 8-10 Year Boys Shot Put*
*Results are based on entry distance.
Unfortunately, the weather in the preceding days prevented the infield from opening, cancelling the shot put and discus events.
Thank you to the parents for taking the students, and Mrs Russell and Mrs Louie for managing the team.
Green Team News – Upper Primary Gets Down and Dirty!
Lately, Upper Primary students have been making the most of our school’s natural slope – rolling down the hill to the permi-plot before rolling up their sleeves for some hands-on science.
For the equally curious among us (looking at you, Dan the Garden Man), the famous Costa-Compost is now in its 10th week, steaming away at a toasty 60°C. That means our luscious pile of future planting goodness is only 4–5 weeks away from hitting the soil.
In the meantime, students have been busy testing and balancing soil pH, potting up winter cover crop seeds, and comparing how they grow both in the garden and back in the classroom. They’ve even zoomed out to explore the deep-time origins of soil itself—travelling back to when continents were still forming!
We’ve examined basalt and granite, those hard-working igneous rocks that not only make roads, concrete and glass but also aid agriculture. We even owe this lava-born stone to the creation of our beautiful beaches. Then, armed with this knowledge, the crew helped pave the outdoor classroom/kitchen—because nothing says “practical science” like wielding a paving stone on a frosty winter morning.
Hands-on learning - growing minds and bodies!!!
Ag News
Year 8 Agriculture
Well, our new semester, Year 8 Aggies have certainly sprung into a winter bloom of farm animals. Students are enjoying feeding our calves of a Week A Wednesday afternoon double and are also enjoying QUIETLY checking on the lambing ewes - carefully walking the super high rye-corn paddocks! Over the coming weeks, students will take turns in preparing 2L of 36-degree milk with 250g of weight premium milk powder mixed for bottles that are hand-fed to our calves, while refreshing straw, water and pellet feed.
Year 9 & 10 Agriculture
After 18 months of raising Willy and Marmalade, students were able to finalise their Beef Paddock to Plate journey, comparing the mince of both as small rissoles cooked on a portable induction cooktop in the lab. All concluded that the mince from both was delicious!
Our Year 9/10 Agriculture students continued to work around our Ag farm, not forgetting our beloved chickens that were attacked by a fox during the holidays. They continued to build up a chicken mesh electronic fence along with tending to our lovely lemon tree - always great to see the horticultural side of Ag.
Our Year 9/10 Agriculture students have double lessons that fall on a Tuesday morning, requiring them to do a deep clean of the calf area - entirely cleaning out all the straw and washing down the three poddy stalls in the green shed. At the same time, they have been building a chicken fence and moving old straw to various areas on the farm. What a brilliant and dedicated job they are doing!! In between, enjoying the individual characters of each calf.
Each Tuesday, we do a deep clean on the calf bays, and unfortunately, that means Year 9/10 Aggies... this is YOU! They do an awesome job each week in ensuring our fur babies can return to beautifully clean pens that will keep them alive! Well done and thank you!
SCAC Sheep Have Arrived
With the exciting news of sheep returning to SCAC in our first week of term, students and teachers have been excitedly awaiting lambs. In Week 2, a little girl was born and in Week 4, a little boy. Of our six ewes, there is still another ready to give birth, with three others in waiting. Our newly purchased fox lights, along with one borrowed from SFS, are working a treat.
SCAC Beef in Food Technology
Meat from calves raised by SCAC agriculture arrived in the Food Tech rooms and were happily packaged and labelled by our Year 8 Food Tech/Aggies for the Years 7-12 Paddock to Plate lessons. Students of SCAC continue to enjoy the entire journey of how meat products are grown with complete care, raised, dispatched, processed and brought, then prepared through school kitchens to provide a final 'value-added' product to consumers (which are largely the students, followed by the staff).
Calf Raising
Our beautiful calf babies donated by the Games of Bemboka have a morning and an afternoon team of dedicated students. It's hard to catch these DEDICATED STUDENTS AND TEACHERS/SUPPORT STAFF. We have a roster of calf feeding, and some students are dropped off each morning by parents at 8:20 AM, and others are there in the afternoon to ensure our calf babies are fed with meticulous accuracy. Thank you, particularly to the students Amber, Dusty, Charlie, Nate and Marcus for being a constant bottle parent to our fur babies - but again, thank you to teachers and support staff also dedicatedly getting down to the ag plot early morning or during their Prep lessons to support our Ag Calf program!
Jade’s Journey: From School-Based Trainee to Dairy Leader
Meet Jade Pepper – a young leader whose dairy career began through a school-based traineeship at Sapphire Coast Anglican College.
Jade left school in Year 10 and is now stepping into a management role at Wallis Dairy in Bega, as well as leading the Young Dairy Network for the NSW Far South Coast. Her story shows how hands-on training and industry support can unlock real career opportunities for young people in dairy.
Check out the latest DairyPod episode, Dairy Pathways: Transition From School to Workforce, as Jade shares her story further.
Why Breakfast is Important to School Children
Starting the day with a nutritious breakfast is a simple yet powerful strategy to fuel both physical growth and academic success—and to support emotional well‑being—for children and teenagers. Despite these benefits, breakfast skipping remains common—particularly among teens. Around one in ten Australian kids and teens skip breakfast altogether, and the incidence rises to nearly one in five for 14–18 year‑olds. This is bad news as these bodies and brains are lacking fuel for the rest of the day.
Here are five well-supported reasons—drawing on Australian medical journals, government health services, and research—to explain why children and teenagers benefit greatly from eating breakfast:
- Energy & Nutrition - It breaks the ‘fast’ and fuels body and brain with glucose & key nutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamins and fibre. Usually, shortfalls are not made up in the day.
- Cognitive & Academic - Enhances and improves concentration, memory, and overall academic results.
- Motivation & Engagement - Supports & motivates both learning enthusiasm and classroom participation.
- Physical & Weight Health - Linked to lower body fat, better diet & increased physical activity.
- Mental & Emotional Well-Being - Helps to stabilise mood, reduce anxiety, stress & depression and boost life satisfaction.
If breakfast is a struggle, here are some suggestions:
- Involve the children in choosing (take them shopping for the ingredients) and making the breakfast
- Whole‑grain cereal with milk and/or fruit and yoghurt
- Toast with eggs, spaghetti or baked beans
- Toast and avocado and Vegemite or toast & peanut butter
- A fruit smoothie - berries are really good
- Scrambled eggs on toast
- Vegetable muffins - grated zucchini & carrot, capsicum, cheese, ham or bacon (made before and you can freeze these)
- Pancakes with fruit and yoghurt
- French toast
- Crumpets and a spread
Note: While whole-grain bread is best, any toast is better than no breakfast.
Here are some links for more breakfast ideas:
- 25 Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Kids
- Breakfast Ideas For Kids (Recipes That Will Fill Them Up!)
- Healthy breakfast ideas for kids & teens | Raising Children Network
If time is short in the mornings:
- Encourage the kids to pack their bags and lunch the night before.
- Make a ‘breakfast on the go,’ e.g. muffins, toast or smoothie while they are getting dressed, etc, or going to the bus stop or to eat in the car….
- Set the alarm for 5 minutes earlier to allow 5 minutes for breakfast
- Set bedtime for 5 minutes earlier
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club is thriving and rapidly becoming a nerve centre for the school. Each Friday, students from right across the school years gather for raisin toast and warm Milo. In the photo, the amazing, wonderful, charismatic Chiara is enjoying her warm Milo and the warm vibes in the room. Breakfast Club is on Fridays in E11 (Food Tech room).
Thank you to Mrs Moulton for all her hard work.