Shearing School Highlights

We’re incredibly proud of Kai Baldwin, Jack Clayton, and Stephanie Kliendienst for their hard work and dedication during the weeklong shearing school organised by DOE and TAFE!

All students successfully achieved competency in basic sheep shearing—an amazing skill they're eager to put into practice. Despite the early mornings, they showed up bright and enthusiastic every day, giving it their all!

A huge thank you to Linc and Kelly from Kempsey and Melville High Schools for their supervision, our knowledgeable TAFE instructors for their support and guidance, and the farmer who provided the shed and sheep for hands-on learning. Some of our keen students have already been putting their new skills to the test over the holidays, and they’re grateful for the chance to learn from experienced professionals in the wool industry.

TAFE & UNE Agri-Tech Course Highlight

During Term 3, a keen group of 8/9/10 students participated in a 5-week course run collaboratively by TAFE and UNE, where they explored a variety of Agriculture Technologies.

As the culmination of this program, the students spent a day at UNE’s smart farms, witnessing the technologies they had studied in action!

We’d like to extend our gratitude to everyone involved in making this opportunity possible. A special thanks to all the staff at TAFE and UNE for their invaluable expertise, Mr Fisher for assisting with the mountain of paperwork, and to Miss White for accompanying the students to UNE and Mr Batt for driving the bus.

The students gained so much from this incredible experience, with some even eager to implement the technologies they observed at our own school farm to enhance management and efficiency!

Well done, everyone!

New England Sings

Our ASC students joined talented young performers from across the New England region for the unforgettable 2024 New England Sings!

The concert kicked off in style with our fabulous Side-by-Side choir, performing a special piece written just for them by their pianist, Warwick Dunham. The stunning choral works, commissioned from renowned artists like Kate Miller-Heidke, truly moved audiences to tears. And local composer Matthew Minter’s orchestral piece beautifully captured the essence of a frosty New England morning.

A huge congratulations to all our choir and orchestra members! The dedication it takes to learn and present these pieces—on top of your regular schoolwork—is incredible. A special shoutout to our Year 12 stars, Oscar Gates and Josie O'Baoill, who performed despite their busy HSC exam schedules. Your commitment is inspiring!

Happy Halloween

A massive thank you to everyone for their generous donations and participation in this year's Halloween celebration! Both the teachers and students put together outstanding costumes and really demonstrated the strong culture underlining our school. The winners of this years costume contest were:

Year 7: M&M’s - (3 members)

Year 8: Subway Surfers - (2 members)

Year 9: Nuns - (8 members)

Year 10: Surfs Up - (2 members)

Year 11/12: Clownz - (2 members)

Teacher: Little Edie Beale - Mr Mulligan

Support unit: Tie between, masked group (3 members) and Georgie (1 member)

Charity

The 2024/2025 year 12 cohort have collectively agreed on raising funds for the McGrath Foundation. Through this amazing charity, we will be donating funds to support McGrath Breast care nurses who provide support and care to individuals and families that are currently experiencing breast cancer. Make sure to look out for future fundraising events at our school to help out this incredible organisation!

Exciting news from ASC!

Our open girls have made it to the North West final for the second year in a row after impressive victories against Tenterfield and Gunnedah High School, both by 8 wickets! Huge shoutout to Sophie Parsons for her incredible 160 runs and Brooke Moran for taking 7 wickets. The team's effort and enthusiasm have been outstanding!

Meanwhile, our open boys kicked off their competition with a fantastic 10-wicket win over Guyra Central School, thanks to a solid team performance. Oliver Stubbs and Myles Harris led the charge, chasing down 81 runs in just 9 overs. Next up, they face Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School!

A big thank you to Mr. Andrew Curry, Mr. Timothy Cranston, and Mr. Andrew Watkins for all their hard work in organizing, scoring, and umpiring. Go ASC!

Regional Youth Orchestra Camp

Big shoutout to Jay, Saho, and Alma for an unforgettable experience at the Regional Youth Orchestra Camp in Sydney!

They had the incredible opportunity to be tutored by and perform alongside talented musicians from the Australian World Orchestra. It was a week full of learning, growth, and musical magic!

So proud of all three for representing and sharing their passion for music on such a prestigious stage. Keep shining, you’re all going places!

Year 11 Biology Students Contribute to Local Ecosystem

Our Year 11 Biology students have been deeply involved in a fascinating Flying Fox Case Study, aligned with their Stage 6 modules on Ecosystem Dynamics and Biological Diversity. The project reached an exciting milestone last week when students planted a variety of native trees behind G Block on the ASC school grounds!

These native trees will be nurtured by the students over the coming months and years with the goal of creating food and shelter for a variety of local species, including flying foxes, once the trees mature.

A huge thank you to Jim White at UNE for providing the funding to make this project possible and to the Armidale Tree Group for their generous donation of the plants.

This is an amazing example of students making a real difference in our local environment. Well done, everyone!

Mrs. Van der Eyk

Year 7 Teal at Far Out Science!

On Thursday, October 31st, Year 7 Teal students had an exciting day at the University of New England as part of the Far Out Science program!

The students took part in several hands-on activities, including:

Meat Science: They made and cooked their own burger patties, learning all about the science behind it!
Computer Coding: They explored how AI systems are trained and how computers store memory.
Chemistry Escape Room: Working in teams, they used their knowledge of chemical principles to solve puzzles and escape!
Palaeontology: Students compared animal skulls and mandibles to make inferences about their diets.

A fantastic day of learning and fun was had by all!

Supporting the Community at the Annual Can Assist Melbourne Cup Fundraiser.

A big shout-out to Bianca Black, Gibson Harwood, Aiva Schalk, Saif Al-Qaderi, and Oliver Weier for their amazing help at the Annual Can Assist Melbourne Cup fundraiser at the Armidale Golf Club!

These students volunteered their time and energy to assist with food preparation, serving guests, and washing dishes – all in support of a great cause. Their efforts were greatly appreciated, and we’ve received many positive comments from guests and community members.

Thank you for making a difference in our community!

Game Changer

Game Changer HQ – Day 1 Recap!

What a fantastic start to the Game Changer experience! Our Game Changers and Student Reporters hit the ground running on Day 1 with a series of exciting challenges designed to spark creativity and take their ideas to the next level.

Tomorrow, they'll be getting some expert guidance from industry professionals to help turn their ideas into prototypes.

Meanwhile, our talented Student Reporters teamed up with ABC and NSW DoE for an epic social media takeover! Stay tuned for all the behind-the-scenes action!

Game Changer Day 2 Recap!

Day 2 has been all about networking and prototyping! Our students had the chance to refine their ideas and test out their prototypes with industry leaders from top companies like Adobe, Apple, HP, Canva, and UNICEF. They’ve been busy, but they also made time for fun, new friendships, and taking in the sights of Parramatta!

Meanwhile, our Student Reporters were busy filming their Vodcast and perfecting their ABC article—look out for them online soon!

Tomorrow is Pitch Day—fingers crossed for all of our incredible participants!

The countdown is on!

Preparations for the 2024 GCC Pitch Day are in full swing! This year, we're taking things up a notch with a dynamic ‘Ideas Expo’ format, where teams will have the chance to present their innovative pitches to a diverse panel of judges throughout the day.

The scores will be tallied across multiple rounds to determine the ultimate winners!

Game Changer Challenge Finale – What a Day!

The big day has arrived! Our Game Changers woke up early to prepare for the final exhibition and spent the morning delivering their pitch on repeat. While they didn’t take home the win, they received valuable feedback from industry partners, who were truly impressed with the innovation and potential of their ideas!

Our Student Reporters wrapped up their day by finalising their Vodcast for the TeachNSW team and putting the finishing touches on their ABC article. It’s been an action-packed, inspiring journey for everyone involved!

Wishing all our Game Changers and reporters the best of luck as they head into the next exciting chapter!

Huge congratulations to Michi Takayama for being nominated for ART EXPRESS for HSC Visual Arts and for ENCORE for HSC Music!

A big shoutout also to Oscar Gate, who has been nominated for ENCORE for HSC Music as well.

Huge Congratulations to Sophie Parsons and Brooke Moran!

A massive shoutout to Sophie Parsons for not only representing CHS in cricket, but also being the leading run scorer, Player of the Championships, and earning a spot in the NSW CHS 1st Team! What an outstanding achievement!

Also, congratulations to Brooke Moran, who was also representing CHS cricket!

What an incredible journey—well done, Sophie and Brooke!

Fun in the Food Tech Classroom!

Our Year 10 Food Technology students have been getting creative in the kitchen, putting their skills to the test with Novelty Cakes! From wild and wacky designs to deliciously unique flavours, these talented bakers have truly outdone themselves.

Check out some of their amazing creations!

P&C