Australian Christian College - Singleton Prospectus

“It is a very loving and nurturing environment. It shows on the childrens’ faces.”

Leanne (Parent)

Principal’s WELCOME NURTURING A CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT IS AN IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY At Australian Christian College, nurturing a child’s development is a responsibility we relish with great delight. The opportunity to equip and encourage a student is considered an immeasurable blessing at this school.

Like you, we view the children in our care as more than one dimensional.

They are precious and vulnerable. They have tender hearts and impressionable minds.

It is with this belief in mind that we educate the ‘whole child’. We do this by maintaining a learning environment that has been purposefully constructed to allow each student to thrive spiritually, academically, socially and physically.

A common sentiment expressed by many parents is the school’s caring atmosphere. Teachers and students treat each other with respect. You can feel assured that your child will be protected as part of this harmonious and cooperative community.

Our teachers are best described as approachable and dedicated. Their faith in Jesus Christ binds them together, whilst professional excellence drives them forward. I am constantly in awe of their unwavering commitment to the students.

You’ll appreciate the inclusive and flexible nature of this school. You see, we offer co-educational classes from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12.

Australian Christian College is an exceptional place. I invite you to be part of our future.

Mr Michael Gauldie Principal

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academiC Success “At our school everyone is kind towards each other. We get one-on-one attention.

Our teachers explain the work well. I like the way people support one another.

I like the uniform. It makes me feel confident and shows that we strive for the best.“ Jahna (Student)

Junior School Kindergarten - Year 6 A great experience in the early years of school makes all the difference as your child develops. This is the focus of the Junior School.

Believe it or not, school can be fun! By making learning fun, your child will be more engaged and keen to attend school each day.

Your child’s natural curiosity will be nurtured into a thirst for knowledge, which is typically the seed that grows into a love of learning.

The academic program is focused on building a strong foundation for learning through a rigorous study of literacy and numeracy.

After spending 7 years in Junior School, your child will be ready to confidentially enter Middle School.

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“The teachers are looking years in advance. We find that very positive and gives us a lot of faith in what the school is going to achieve.”

Matthew (Parent)

Middle School Years 7 - 9

Senior College Years 10 - 12

Middle School encourages your child to hone his or her God-given talents. They will become more self-aware, learning their strengths and weaknesses.

At this pivotal time in a young adult’s life the Senior College endeavours to ensure students shine spiritually, academically, socially and physically.

The academic program includes challenged-based and inquiry learning, which encourages students to ask thoughtful questions and investigate the subject matter with enthusiasm.

This is achieved by offering a breadth of electives and cocurricular opportunities. The academic program is modelled on a real-world context, with case studies, projects and group work. Students work studiously to prepare for tertiary education and working life.

In Middle School your child will be given the opportunity to learn Maths, English, Science, Bible, Design Technology, Electronics, History, Geography, Visual Art & Photography, PDHPE, PASS, Sport and French.

To enhance your child’s self-confidence, they will be given the chance to participate in school assemblies. As well, there are an increasing number of co-curricular options available, such as music tutoring, drama and competitions.

Exposure to this comprehensive program during Middle School will ensure your child is well prepared for Senior College.

Australian Christian College – Singleton is part of the Singleton Community Learning Cluster - Trade Training Centres and we deliver a Certificate II in Electrotechnology to interested students in the Singleton region. In this reciprocal arrangement, Year 11 and 12 students can not only access the electrotechnology course on campus, but also have access to courses in hospitality, construction, automotive and agriculture at the other secondary schools and TAFE in Singleton.

In Senior College, every student is encouraged to be their best, in readiness for the challenges and opportunities of life after school.

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educating for eternity DELIVERING AN EDUCATION THAT LASTS BEYOND A LIFETIME

Your child has many things vying for their affection. Amid all the earthly temptations, we are working to ensure the school delivers a positive spiritual influence on your child.

Academic rigour and co-curricular opportunities are undoubtedly important, however we are striving to have an eternal impact on the students.

Importantly, our approach to laying a biblical foundation in every student is one of human inquiry. As you know, Christianity is based on historical events and documented evidence. Students are encouraged to investigate the facts.

Christian values and beliefs are weaved into the very fabric of the school through a biblically consistent learning program, Christian teachers, regular prayer and chapel services.

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Stemming from our Christian ethos, we value:

»» Lord Jesus Christ, friend of sinners,

and saviour of those who believe in Him

»» Academic rigour »» A diversity of student opportunities

as they seek to identify their God- given talents

»» Service in local and global communities

Visit the school and you’ll experience a community of young learners who are gracious and warm-hearted.

“I like this school because we get a Christian education and God is talked about everyday. We have great resources and caring Christian teachers. God is talked about from the classroom to the playground.�

Maddison (Student)

“Because our school is small, the teachers have more one on one time with students. Our teachers are so nice. As a Christian school our teachers are more respectful of students than in other schools.”

Breanna (Student)

Teachers care what students become TEACHERS AT AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN COLLEGE TREASURE EACH STUDENT IN THEIR CARE

This is a place where God’s precious creations are lovingly cherished by Christian teachers who genuinely care.

As you can appreciate, the quality of the teachers reflects the quality of education being delivered. At Australian Christian College we are blessed to have approachable and dedicated teachers who are profoundly committed to nurturing the ‘whole child’.

To maintain the school’s high standards of teaching and learning, the teaching team engage in regular professional development. They stretch each other to deliver better lessons and share strategies for improving student learning.

Our teachers don’t withdraw to the staff room at every opportunity. It is usual to see teachers playing soccer and handball with the students at lunch. Come behind the scenes and you’ll notice teachers listening to students talk about their hobbies and aspirations.

As a result of the teachers, the school benefits from an immensely cheerful and vibrant community of students who are eager to do their best.

EMBRACING THE DIGITAL WORLD THE SCHOOL IS DEVELOPING DIGITALLY FLUENT STUDENTS Nowadays, students need an education delivered in a manner vastly different from which you experienced as a child.

To accommodate this change in the world, Australian Christian College has digitally enabled classrooms, advanced pedagogical methods and an online learning program.

This whole of school approach – called Digital Natives – ensures students will have the skills required to tackle the post-school world of work and further study.

Today’s student is a digital native. They don’t know what it is like to live in a world without the internet, social media and mobile technology. As a school community, we see this as a great opportunity to educate students in the ethical and effective use of technology.

To ensure this opportunity bears fruit, we require every student from Year 4 to Year 12 to have their own iPad or MacBook.

This approach allows digital learning opportunities to take place throughout the day without the need to go to formal computer labs or sit in front of a bulky desktop computer.

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Digital Natives extends deeper into school life with a learning environment that is conducive to digital connectivity. The campus has wifi broadband access in all learning spaces and students conduct research from digital textbooks and ebooks.

Plus, every student has their own email address through Google Apps and access to their courses via the online learning portal.

Importantly, the school is vigilant regarding the ethical use of technology. Students take part in annual cybersafety courses and the school invites the NSW Police to hold safety seminars as well.

Around the globe, digital technology is changing the way people live, work and learn. Australian Christian College is committed to ensuring our students are ready for this digital world.

“At Australian Christian College technology isn’t simply a haphazard ‘add on’. We embed technology into our lessons in interesting and meaningful ways that promote critical thinking and problem solving skills that are vital in the 21st Century. It’s wonderful to see students who are actively engaged in their learning, rather than sitting passively while a teacher talks at them. It’s such an exciting time to be a teacher, but even more exciting to be a student.”

Marney (Teacher)

TESTIMONIALS My children have changed immensely. They were shy and had trouble making friends. Since they’ve been at Australian Christian College they’ve really grown, have a lot more confidence and are very happy.

Tanya (Parent)

Our school has fantastic uniforms that make us stand out, and show that we honour God. I love that we are surrounded by Christians and we support each other.

I like all the people at our school…they are inclusive.

We have no bullying.

I like all our teachers. They give us lots of different options to learn. The people in our school are nice.

Tiffany (Student)

The teachers are all very loving, devoted teachers.

Emma (Parent)

The best thing about our school is the personalities of every student. Our education is more balanced and I like our smaller classes.

Jake (Student)

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Chelsea (Student)

Travis (Student)

The thing I most like about our school is that we have more time with our teachers. We know that our teachers love us.

Owen (Student)

We have strong, respectful and loving relationships with our students. The second great commandment of Christ says to ‘love one another’; that is our mandate.

Our relationships reflect this. Students are respected and show it in return. They feel safe because we enforce discipline out of love. We love them, because ‘He first loved us’.

Makayla (Teacher)

“At Australian Christian College we have a strong focus on Numeracy and Literacy, which are the cornerstone of education.

They are the foundation blocks on which the rest of our curriculum is built. This begins in PreKinder and has a continued emphasis right through to HSC. We strive to differentiate the curriculum to meet the needs of individual students, within the classroom.�

Colleen (Teacher)

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WHAT’S YOUR NEXT STEP? THE DECISION TO ENROL YOUR CHILD AT SCHOOL IS A BIG ONE To assist with your decision, you might be interesting in the following options: Open Day When you attend our Open Day, you will see the whole school (PreK-12) operating on a typical school day. You will meet friendly staff, smiling students and other parents. It’s a great opportunity to gain a real sense of what makes this school unique.

For dates and other details on the Open Day, please visit singleton.acc.edu.au.

Personal School Tour By arranging a Personal School Tour you can meet the Principal, some teachers and tour the school grounds. You may like to coincide your school tour with an enrolment interview.

To book your tour, please visit the website: singleton.acc.edu.au.

Enrolment Process If you’ve already decided that Australian Christian College is the right place for your child, please follow this process: Step 1: Complete an enrolment application, which indicates your desire to enrol your child with Australian Christian College.

Step 2: Once you’ve provided a completed enrolment application to the school, you and your child will be invited to attend an enrolment interview with a senior member of the school during the term prior to planned commencement.

Step 3: An offer of place is made as a result of a successful interview. If you accept an offer of a place, the necessary forms must be returned to the school and payment arranged.

Regardless of what next step you’ve decided to take, we look forward to providing you with a warm welcome at Australian Christian College.

Michael Gauldie (Principal)

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Singleton Town Center

Singleton District Hospital

Maitland Rd Kelso St Hunter River

Waddells Ln White Falls Ln

Branxton

Phone (02) 6572 1011 Fax (02) 6571 3608 Email singleton@acc.edu.au Address 23 Maitland Road Singleton NSW 2330 Mailing PO Box 64 Singleton NSW 2330 Website acc.edu.au