Swan Christian College has the opportunity next year to be a part of the National Christian School games that will be held in Sydney in May 2017.

The sports that will be offered are Basketball and Soccer for boys and girls and Netball for girls. All sports have a 15 and under division and an open division.

All schools that are a part of the Western Australian Christian Schools Sporting Association will be eligible to nominate for these games. At the moment we are gauging a level of interest from students in the sports on offer, an Expression of Interest form is available from the Physical Education department. This form needs to be completed and returned to Mrs Rees in the Junior School ASAP.

I encourage you to ask your children to nominate if they are currently playing at a high level in any of these sports, as the more nominations there are the more chance we will be able to form teams to compete in this national competition. Please also you ensure you nominate for the appropriate age group as of May 2017.

Apart from Year 11 or 12 ATAR students in 2017, any student currently in Year 6 to Year 11 is able to nominate. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at the College.

Mr Sam Tweedie
Deputy Head of Health, PE and Sport

Last Friday evening, countless hours of planning finally paid off, with the first Middle School Disco being a huge success!

With a live DJ, inflatable equipment, karaoke, fairy floss, sausage sizzle and heaps of games and prizes, there was definitely something for everyone! Over 150 students attended the event and from all accounts had a fantastic time.

On behalf of the Year 12 Leadership team, we would like to thank all the staff and student volunteer helpers, parents, Middle School students and our external sponsors, Kalamunda Toyota, Mr Scott Loughton of New Metal Surfaces, and Mrs Robin Donnison from Pegasus Accounting for their generous support.

With the running of the event, we were able to raise well over $2000 for Swan Missions.

Ronnie Dickenson and Renae Donnison
Year 12 Prefects

ACC Athletics Carnival

The ACC Athletics Carnival is fast approaching in a conclusion to our athletics season. It being held Tuesday 6 September at the State Athletics Centre.

Team lists have been posted around the College and students involved will need to collect a permission note from the Physical Education office and return to Mr Tweedie as soon as possible.

We are also offering training throughout the next two weeks in the lead up to the carnival. On Tuesdays we will be offering training for javelin, discus and shot put. On Wednesday we will be doing high jump training and Thursdays will be dedicated to track events. Training will be held at the College from 3:30 - 4:30pm with students to meet outside the Physical Education office.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Mr Sam Tweedie at the College.

Arts for Africa is a night where we showcase the amazing talent of students across the College, and raise funds and awareness for the Light up Ahead school in Zambia.

This year’s event was a spectacular night, with a wide range of performances of drama, dance, choirs, bands and solo musicians. The Year 3 and 4 choir opened the show, and the Year 5 and 6 choir performed their song, O Happy Day. The College’s Jazz Band and the Drum Corp both performed excellent pieces, for many of the young members of the Concert Band it was their first public performance ever! 

Brother and sister Lachlan and Madison Hanley added some ‘rock’ to the night with their instrumental performance. This year’s Youth on Health dance entry performed their piece, which was choreographed depicting the theme of resilience, for the audience. Year 12 student Jarrett Walton performed an expert tap dance routine to the classic tune of Mr Bojangles. Year 12 Drama students Quinn Martin and Flynn Voight engaged the audience with performances of their intense monologue pieces from the play Antigone. Senior School choirs Swan Song, The Crew and Spiritus performed brilliantly, and a combined choir, who sang a South African folk song, Senzenina, concluded the night.

Overall, the night was very enjoyable. $2300 was raised to support missions in Zambia, and individual attendees sponsored nine Zambian children from the Light up Ahead school.

Special thanks to the teachers and tutors who have been working very hard with their students all year to achieve this level of performances, and who put in extra effort to make this night happen.

Mr Simon James
Director of Performing Arts

For the past week, we have had 15 High School students and 8 Junior High School students from Japan join our College to experience Australian Christian Education.

They joined regular classes with their buddies and participated in intercultural activities during school, and enjoyed an array of Australian activities with their host family on the weekends. During this time, the Japanese and Australian students have learnt so much from each other and established wonderful friendships that will hopefully continue past this short week.

A heartfelt ‘Thank you’ to the hosting parents for their great enthusiasm and support in this program and for the wonderful hospitality they extended. A big ‘ARIGATO’ to the students for being such great ambassadors and hosting buddies. Last but not least, thank you to all the staff at the College for your cooperation and assistance.

This year’s program would have never been possible or this successful without the cooperation and kindness of the whole Swan Community.

Ms Trish Knoblich
Japanese Teacher 

Two classes of  Year 11 Hospitality students and staff recently visited Yahava Coffeeworks in the Swan Valley.

The purpose of the excursion was to educate students about the varieties of coffees available for purchase and the see the machinery used to roast coffee beans. The students are currently working on preparing and serving expresso coffee. Theory work for this unit has been completed and students will soon be trained to make coffees using the commercial coffee machine at the Swan Café. Once trained, they will be able to make coffees for sale.

The Yahava Coffeeworks manager went through the ‘story’ of coffee, and explained where coffee is produced in the world and the major varieties produced: Arabica and Robusta. We tasted all sorts of coffees; the favourite was the iced coffee mix and some students bought a bag to take home to their families.

After the tasting we were given a demonstration of how coffee is roasted. The original colour of the coffee bean is green and does not have an aroma but once it is roasted the colour changes to a vibrant brown and it has a rich aroma. The roasting of the coffee is controlled by a computerised program that tells the roaster when the coffee has reached optimum quality.

At the end of the tour we all enjoyed a cup of coffee (hot chocolate for some students) and some recess in the outside area overlooking the picturesque Swan Valley.

Mrs Anna Cardillo
Hospitality Teacher

I really enjoyed the Yahava Coffee excursion, which surprised me because I'm not a huge fan of coffee. We tasted various beverages including Mocha, Iced Coffee and Chai Tea before moving on to seeing how the coffee beans are roasted which I found really interesting. My highlight of the trip was having morning tea with my classmates as a warm drink was so amazing on a cold morning!
Amy Britton

On the 14th of June we went on an excursion to Yahava Coffee, which was a rewarding experience for me. I learnt about the origins of coffee. I did not know that coffee is a fruit and that the beans are found inside this fruit. I also learnt how coffee is roasted. This excursion and what I have learnt about coffee, has made me appreciate coffee so much more. And being able to taste the different types was probably the favourite part of this excursion
Tayleigh Smith

Last Friday, the Year 3 and 5 students had an exciting Math incursion with Professor Math.

He had fun and challenging math quizzes and puzzles for us to explore. We worked in groups of four to solve the activities. Once we had solved our first challenge we were awarded with the Einstein wigs, super challenge jackets and funky glasses.

It was tricky to figure out all the questions. We needed to have a go, listen to each other, persist and never give up. We felt proud of ourselves, happy and inspired with each puzzle we solved. It was fun to put our problem solving skills to the test!

Breanna V
Year 5 Student

Our inaugural Middle School Academic Lunch was held last Wednesday in the Maali Room. The event celebrated all round academic achievement of students based on their Semester 1 reports.

It warmed my heart to see so many parents attend the event. We thank you for your partnership in education.

There was a friendly informal mood as students indulged in party treats as recognition for their efforts and were encouraged to maintain a high degree of diligence throughout Semester 2.

Students who continue to excel academically will be eligible to apply for College Colours at the end of the year. Academic colours will be a more formal reward. It is intended that College Colours across Years 7-12 will be launched next week.

Special thanks to Mrs Liz Hewson for her organisation and to the Hospitality students for their provision of goodies. The chocolate cupcakes were gone in a flash.

Below is the list of our academic all rounders for Semester 1: 

Mrs Christine Crump
Head of Middle School 

As of the 5 September 2016 the 311T service departing the terminus of North Avenue and Gt Northern Highway at 0749 will no longer extend into the Swan Christian College School grounds on its way to Midland.

SCC students wishing to utilise a service which deviates into the school grounds from Bullsbrook  can still do so by riding the free orange school bus service which departs from the Bullsbrook High School.

The 311T service at 0749 will continue to service Bullsbrook High School and SCC students can still utilise the service, but we must emphasise that if they are doing so they will need to alight at the location of Great Northern Highway outside the College grounds.

Mr Ben Devincentis
Operations Manager
Swan Transit Midvale

The 2016/17 season is shaping up to be incredibly exciting for any girls wanting to play cricket in a FUN, FAST PACED environment.  

The Perth Scorchers U13’S Girl's Leagueis the first of its kind in the Midland Guildford Junior Cricket Association, based on the hugely successful national Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).  We’re confident the new quick format is going to appeal to many girls that love the “WBBL & BBL” competitions.

The competition is open to all girls aged 10-12yrs and will be held on Sunday afternoon’s at Mundaring Oval, for 8 weeks, during Term 4.  Training sessions will be run for one hour prior to the game, with games finished in 1.5 - 2 hours, nice and quick for mum and dad!  Teams will consist of 8 players, with all players getting a chance to bat and bowl in a modified cricket format, complete with the all important WBBL music!

Jessica Barrington and Shay Manolini from Year 6 have already signed up to play and had the exciting opportunity to meet with WBBL Perth Scorchers Players, Piepa Cleary & Katie Hartshorn, last week at the WACA to celebrate the announcement of this BRAND NEW competition.

Cricket Australia and the WACA are strongly supporting the new competition by providing a substantial grant through the “Growing Cricket for Girls Fund”, ensuring the competition has every chance of success.

Visit www.playcricket.com.au to find your nearest Cricket Club and find out more details on the ALL NEW PERTH SCORCHERS U13’S GIRLS LEAGUE.   Alternatively, you can contact Juliana Barrington, Perth Scorchers Girls League Co-ordinator, on 0419 833 677 for further information.

Mrs Juliana Barrington
Co-ordinator
Perth Scorchers U13’S Girl's League

On Wednesday 27 July we held our annual Middle and Senior School House Athletics Carnival at the State Athletics Centre.

God turned on an amazing day weather-wise and there was tremendous competition throughout the entire day. The final result did come down to the relays and the overall House totals were:

1^st – Bell – 4297 points
2^nd – Kennedy – 4209 points
Tied 3^rd – Mungulu and Shenton – 3809 points
5^th – Bennett – 3731 points

There were numerous outstanding individual efforts throughout the day with a number of records broken in both the track and field events. Below is the list of the top two place getters for the day. 

Mr Sam Tweedie
Deputy Head of Health, PE and Sport

“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on.” – Othello

On Thursday 18 August the SCC Literature students were privileged to attend a performance of Bell Shakespeare’s interpretation of William Shakespeare’s powerful play, Othello.

The play was performed in the Heath Ledger Theatre at the State Theatre Centre of WA. The set and costume presented a modern interpretation of the play.

The story follows Othello, a noble general of great authority who is respected and admired by the duke and senate of Venice as well as by those who serve him. He is a Moor, and Iago, his ensign, voices a hatred and viciously stereotypical view of Othello, describing him from the commencement of the play as an animalistic, barbarous, ignorant outsider. Iago plots and brings about the tragic downfall of Othello through his malevolent scheming and manipulation of others.

The play deals with issues of jealousy, love and the marginalising of those who are different. It is a play studied in the Year 12 Literature course and so was an invaluable experience for all who attended.

Some of the actors kindly returned to the stage at the end of the performance to discuss the play with the students present and to answer their questions about the production.

Mr. Glenn Marlow
English Teacher

As a College we seek to foster a school culture which values and supports student diversity.

To enable the students in Years 7 and 8 to develop an understanding of Autism, the Autism Association of WA will be presenting a Peer Awareness session on Monday 29 August, 8:45-9:40am, in the Maali Mia Theatre.

Parents are invited to attend the session if they would like to learn more about Autism and peer relationships.

Mrs Meril Myers
Special Education Support

News has just come through to the College that Year 8 student Cody Chittick, along with his five Australian teammates, won the 1st place 'Trophy of Nations' at the 2016 World Junior Motocross Championship in Russia. 

Cody, who was one of the smallest and youngest riders in his 85cc class, qualified 18th for the main event. However a flat tyre in the first race, and a bad start in the second race hindered Cody's goal of finishing in the top 20, he placed 26th overall. 

With their combined results, the five rider strong team brought home the award for the country with the most points, with Russia finishing 2nd and Netherlands in 3rd position. This is the first time an Australian team has finished in first place at the World Junior Motocross Championships since Australia started to compete on a world stage.

With this experience under Cody's belt he hopes to take part in next years World Junior Motocross Championships in Estonia. A big congratluations from all at Swan Christian College.

Thanks to Mrs Chittick for the fast track update.

"Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:2

Last Monday the Year 7 and 8 students gathered in separate locations to praise God in word and song in Swan’s second-ever Corporate Worship. What a great blessing to share with young people about how God is our creator, how he is our ruler and how he made us in his image!

Everything God made was good. Tony Stopher, our SCEA Biblical consultant, spoke to the Year 7’s and Alex Smilovitis, one of the College’s Math teachers spoke to Year 8’s. Both groups sang a worship song together for the first time. I am encouraged by the students’ response and the warmth displayed in both contexts.

We aim to hold more worship events next term. Special thanks to our musicians and speakers, and to my deputy Simon Bergin who led the Year 8 group.

Mrs Christine Crump
Head of Middle School

Book Week 2016 was celebrated during Week 6 in the Junior School.

There were with classroom activities related to the books from the short listed Children’s Book Council of Australia’s choices and the theme for Book Week this year was ‘Australia! Story Country’.

A competition was held for Years 3 - 6 in the two weeks before the dress up day to guess who Mrs Barnsley would be on dress-up day. A new clue was put on the Library door each day. Students were encouraged to do some research, using the clues, to see if they could be the first to find the answer.

Congratulations to the winner, Madelyn A (3A).

On the Wednesday of Book Week an exciting dress-up day was held. Students and teachers came dressed as something related to the theme and before the grand parade, the staff performed a play to the reading of the story ‘Edward the Emu’ by Sheena Knowles. Mrs Cole was a wonderful ‘Edward’! The grand parade showcased the many and varied costumes - thank you parents, for helping your children to have such wonderful costumes.

Winning costumes for each cluster were:

Kindy / Pre Primary – Bailey P (PA) as Ned Kelly

Year 1 and 2 – Eliza E (1A) as Wombat Stew

Year 3 and 4 – Annabelle E (4A) as Mary Poppins

Year 5 and 6 – Grace B (6A) as Mr Squiggle

Thanks to all who participated and joined in the fun. A gold coin donation to dress up and a sausage sizzle raised funds to assist with the work in Cambodia. A special ‘thank you’ to parents who came to help prepare the sausage sizzle.

Mrs Jenny Barnsley
Library Teacher 

On 15 August a group of students from Years 7 to 12 traveled to the Subiaco Arts Centre to participate in the 2016 Youth on Health Festival (YOH Fest) competition heats. 

YOH Fest, Western Australia’s biggest youth performing arts event, gives high school students throughout WA the opportunity to take part in an innovative and revolutionary approach to health education.

Our students spent the day rehearsing both in the dressing rooms and in the theatre. The stage at the Subiaco Arts Centre is very different from the Maali Mia stage where they have previously performed their dance, which posed challenges for spacing and back stage use that the girls handled with determination and commitment. They confidently performed a dance choreographed around the 2016 theme of Resilience.

We are all very proud of their efforts and commitment to the night and are looking forward to hearing the results of the heats on the 22 September when we will find out if we are through to the finals! 

Mrs Beth Balla
Dance Teacher

The Swan Christian College Arts Department are inviting the College community to their annual Media and Visual Arts Exhibition, and Performing Arts Showcase.

This year the events have been spread over two nights to allow more students to display their best work. 

The Media and Visual Arts Exhibition opening will take place on Monday September 12, with the Art Exhibition opening at 6:00pm in the Maali Mia. The exhibit will feature selected Junior School art work in the Maali Mia foyer, and Year 9-12 pieces on display upstairs in the Maali Room. 

During the evening, the best Year 11 and 12 Media work will be screened in the Maali Mia Theatre. Attendees will be asked to vote for the favourite artwork and media film, the most popular work will be presented with a People’s Choice prize. 

The Middle/Senior School Performing Arts Showcase will feature the best work from Year 11 and 12 Drama and Music students, as well as a performance by the YOH Fest dancers. This showcase is being held on Thursday September 15, in the Maali Mia Theatre at 7:00pm. 

Both events will be catered, with canapés on the Monday evening and dessert cakes on the Thursday. Tickets for each night are $5 from TryBooking -  https://tinyurl.com/SCCPAS16. Please feel free to invite family and friends along to both these evenings. 

The Arts Department are very proud of their students and the work they have produced this year, and are looking forward to sharing their work with the community.

Miss Cherie Tucker
Art Teacher 

Well done to the eight students from Years 11 and 12 who competed in the Apex Teen Fashion Awards Perth heats last weekend. 

The students were entered into two categories (Formal Wear and Wearable Art) where they each had their Semester 1 garments displayed on the runway. A big congratulations to the six Year 11’s, Caitlin Hamilton, Chloe Rivers, Jipsie Balgera, Eva Binning, Tia Robinett, and Tiah Handscomb who were selected to compete in the State final for the Wearable Art category. The state final will take place at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre on 10 September 2016. 

Miss Cherie Tucker
Art Teacher 

We currently have limited places available for Years 8, 9 and 10 in 2017. 

If you are interested or know someone who is, please complete an Expression of Interest from our website and send it to the College as soon as possible. 

Enrolments in 2018
We are currently enrolling for Kindergarten, Year 5 (a new intake year) and Year 7 in 2018. As we are already halfway through this process you are urged to submit an Expression of Interest from our website if you are interested in enrolling in one of these year groups. 

We particularly ask current families to ensure that the College is notified of any siblings for these year groups. 

If you have any queries please contact our Enrolments Team:
Mrs Nicky Hood for Junior School and Mrs Debbie Schorer or Mrs Jane Jayes for Secondary School.