Counsellor's Corner: Tips to Help Your Child Through NAPLAN
I get nervous whenever a storm rolls in. It sets my mind racing, and I can't stop thinking about the lightning just around the corner. Over time, I've learned to confront my anxious feelings by seeking out facts and asking myself questions. I remind myself that behind all the noise and spectacle, a storm replenishes our water supplies and cleanses the air. This week marks the start of NAPLAN testing for students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9—a time that inevitably stirs up higher levels of anxiety…
Counsellor’s Corner: A Culture for Better Mental Health
“Mental health” has copped some negative press over the years. Despite advances in awareness and understanding, it still holds a considerable stigma in Australia. Negative attitudes, beliefs and misconceptions can make dealing with mental illness harder than it should be. The way we see “mental health” should be no different to how we see physical health. Over a lifetime, the average person sits at many points along the continuum of health. When a young person faces challenging life…
Transformative Research: BAC Teachers Impact Academic Discourse
The results of research into an innovative teaching project trialed at BAC were recently published in TEACH Journal of Christian Education. Initiated by BAC teacher-researchers Clinton Jackson, Jarrod Cherry, Tamika Hansford, Justin Hunter, and Talyse Stanton, the project explored a feedback cycle designed to assist students in identifying and understanding where they are going with their learning, how they are going in reaching that goal, and where they need to go next. This cycle, as our…
Keeping Score of Sport for Term 1
BAC Swimming Carnival 2024 WINNING HOUSE: Congratulations Stradbroke! For the third year in a row, we congratulate Stradbroke House on winning the BAC swimming carnival. After a postponement the week before due to rain, our swimmers made up for lost time the moment the starting whistle sounded. No less than 15 records tumbled on the day! This year, students were introduced to a new event – the Crocodile Relay. An inflatable animal relay that requires the whole house to participate. Naturally,…
People of BAC: Enhanced Learning Teacher Jenene Parker on Learning Needs
Jenene Parker enjoys teaching children at both ends of the learning spectrum: those who struggle and those who are academically gifted. She says that a particular type of teaching and learning may work for most students, but it doesn't mean it works for all students. This is where Jenene can help. As a case manager and Enhanced Learning teacher, she designs educational strategies, services, and supports for children with additional learning needs. She is not new to this field, although she is…
People of BAC: Counsellor Mtho Ngcanga on the Benefit of Conflict in Families
BAC’s Mtho Ngcanga believes we are brought up to believe that conflict is bad, and we must avoid it at all costs. As a College counsellor, he has a different perspective on family conflict than most, having grown up in apartheid South Africa, and believes in the value of fostering differing points of view within a healthy family. “Conflict begins when people have different ideas—which is both healthy and okay! The way we manage it, however, makes all the difference. Do we argue or reason with…
Built-in Besties' First Big Day
It was a big morning in the Watkins’ household. Identical twins Ben and James had been anticipating their first day in Prep at Brisbane Adventist College, Mansfield, for what seemed like forever and the big day had finally arrived. Uniforms on, backpacks loaded, and photos dutifully taken, the time it took to drive to school was spent asking last-minute questions and absorbing expert advice from worldly big sister Grace who is in Year 5 this year. Parents Kirsty and Tim, on the other hand, were…
Incredible ATAR Results for BAC Graduates
BAC graduate Ethan H received the great news that he had achieved a perfect score in his Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) last week. Invited to unveil his results at the Queensland Tertiary Admission Centre, he discovered that out of more than 27,000 students from the Queensland Year 12 cohort, he was one of just 34 with a top rank of 99.95. Ethan plans to study engineering next year and shared this advice for future school leavers: “Focus on Year 11. Even though it doesn’t count…
Historic Basketball Success for BAC on Gold Coast
Resounding cheers echoed across the courts as Brisbane Adventist College celebrated an historic triumph at the 2023 ASC (Australian Schools Championships Basketball) held on the Gold Coast. In an extraordinary showcase of skill, determination, and teamwork, our U20 Boys basketball team clinched the Gold Medal in Division 3, while the U17 Boys demonstrated their prowess by securing Silver in the same division—an achievement that will be remembered as an exciting chapter in our school's sports…