News & Events

SAC Leaders Commemorate ANZAC Day

Up at 3am to commemorate ANZAC Day, the Prefects and Captains of Sydney Adventist College attended the ANZAC dawn service in Parramatta. Led by the College Chaplain, Pr Richard Reid, the students laid a wreath in honour of those who made the supreme sacrifice and died for our freedom.

Attendees represented many nations who have settled in Australia, and the Aussie spirit of mateship and triumph over adversity was honoured. The College Vice Captain, Rebecca Modernel, commented that, "The parade marching down the street was my favourite part of dawn service. The drums were heard before we could see the parade and the echo of the drum beat made me reflect on what it must have felt like for the ANZACS when they first arrived at Gallipoli to fight for their country and it's freedom."

Many of our student leaders were deeply touched by attending the service and some now plan to attend every year. It is clear that our young people do value the sacrifice that people have made to ensure that we live in a peaceful environment.

Fighter Pilots Touch Down at Sydney Adventist College

A number of fighter pilots touched down in Strathfield on Thursday, March 22 at approximately 9am. Their planes were not full-sized, of course, and their landing strip was the hall floor at Sydney Adventist College. They were members of the Strathfield Indoor Flying Club and had come to share their love of model aircraft.

Seated around the sides of the auditorium, the students were entranced. Tiny planes, with wingspans from about 70 mm, flittered beneath the lights while larger aircraft with wingspans up to about 600 mm, took off, circled and landed. As they taxied towards the edge of the flight space, some of the planes surprised startled onlookers!

Of particular interest was the variety of aircraft. There were scale models of WW1 biplanes and tri-planes, and WW2 models. A number of helicopters of different sizes and types – even a quad helicopter – entertained everyone! Amongst their curiosities were an ornithopter made from balsa and tissue paper, and carbon fibre and plastic birds bought ready to fly. Most fascinating were the stunt planes which could hover in the air, navigate their way through rope loops and ‘land’ on the building wall just below the ceiling. Models were built from scratch, built to plan, and purchased from shops.

It was a fascinating display for the Students at Sydney Adventist College. From a scale Wright Brothers’ flying machine to the latest of aircraft models, it was a reminder of the mystery and development of flight, and the enjoyment that modelling can bring.

Readers interested in the Strathfield Indoor Flying Club may contact Graeme Ferguson at dg.ferguson@hotmail.com.

Harmony Day at Sydney Adventist College

People of Australia Ambassador, Mrs Jenny Tew and Strathfield Council Officers: Nemat Rifi and Renata Matoe, were distinguished guests in the Harmony Day celebrations, hosted by Sydney Adventist College.

Harmony Day: A day to commemorate all Australians being a welcome part of our country, regardless of their background. It’s a time to reflect on where Australia has come from, recognising the traditional owners of this land. It’s also about community participation, inclusiveness and respect – celebrating the different cultures that make Australia a great place to live.

The all day event starting with a formal Harmony Day Ceremony, acknowledging the various nationalities on the Sydney Adventist College Strathfield Campus, and in the local area. Followed by a concert featuring a spectacular array of multicultural performances from every continent and in between, there was a showcase of a mix of musical talent, dance, drama and martial arts displays.

Lunch kicked off a Taste of Harmony. With Students, Teachers and local Strathfield businesses providing dishes of food from different countries to recognise Australia’s multicultural heritage.

The festivities were concluded with the 2012 Harmony Day theme: Sport - play, engage, inspire. Represented by International sporting events between Omuta Junior High School, from Japan, and our local Sydney Adventist College.

The 2012 theme recognises the important role and positive influence that sport has in our multicultural nation. Uniting people of all ages and fosters a sense of belonging, acceptance and an understanding of other cultures.

Middle School Camp at Yarrahappini

Classes started off on a great high this year, particularly for our Middle School students who had a brief time away at our church owned campground, Stuarts Point. Students from Years 5 to 8 enjoyed hiking, beach activities and waterslides and learned a few new things about the Australian bush land.

Their time away was not about just having fun, as staff played a strong role in leading students in worship and team building exercises. The camp was also a great opportunity to make new friends; in particular the Year 5’s who are new to the Strathfield campus.

“What I liked about camp was when we went to the beach. When I approached the beach I thought that it was amazing and that I had never seen anything like it, then going out into the water was fun with a few of the girls.” Jade – Year 8

“I think that my favourite part of camp was when we went past the waterfalls on the way to our bushwalk. The waterfalls were just so beautiful, when I saw them it just kept reminding me about God and how his powers are so great that he could create things like this.” Year 8 Student

College Captains meet Pr Ted Wilson

Representing all Adventist School students within Australia, New Zealand and the Islands of the South Pacific, our College Captains recently met with Seventh Day Adventist World leader, Pr Ted Wilson and his wife, at the Wahroonga Church.

Our College Captains represent some 260 primary schools, 35 combined primary/high school and 28 high schools with a total student number of 58,845 being educated by the Seventh-day Adventist church schools in this part of the world.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church continues to run the largest Protestant education system in the World and it was a privilege for our College Captains to hear Pr Wilson speak and meet with him.