Primary News | Week 5

What an exciting start to 2026! It’s been wonderful to welcome our new Preps into ACC Benalla, with most of them already confidently identifying both staff and students by name. They have settled in happily, and readily show the playground teachers and new friends their considerable prowess on the lower monkey bars! In these first 5 weeks our students across the primary school have already participated in swimming lessons, alongside their lessons in literacy, numeracy, science, music, art, German, history, geography and sport. This has culminated in our recent whole school swimming carnival, with students enthusiastically chanting and cheering for their respective houses. Students enjoyed all manner of swimming and novelty races and celebrated their day of fierce and friendly competition against one another. Certainly, the students vs teachers race was one of the most popular!

Within our lower primary cohort popular races included the noodle horse race, floaty and sinky toy races, floating mat races and blowing the ping pong balls across the water race! Our senior students graciously provided additional support to our younger cohort by remaining in the water for the duration of the water sport games. This boosted confidence levels and allowed even our Preps to participate.

With our summer swimming program now nearly over, students are refocusing on the other possibilities at school. We have horse events, academic opportunities, camps, excursions and musical items to look forward to as the year unfolds.

On Wednesday, 11th March, our grade 3,5,7 and 9 students will begin the Australia wide NAPLAN testing. This series of 4 literacy and numeracy tests, aligned to the curriculum, provide a measure of a students’ reading, writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation and numeracy skills. Supporting students with the opportunity to obtain adequate sleep, alongside healthy food choices, is an effective way of ensuring children can participate to the best of their abilities.

Enthusiastic, competent participants are the best words to describe our grade 6 students as they’ve run the two primary chapel services this last fortnight. 2026 has seen our primary chapel move into the BPAC during period 2 (from 9.50am), which has increased the scope and complexity of what can be delivered. Parents, grandparents and carers are always welcome to attend with us!

Building from what we began throughout last year, when we started God’s story with the creation of the world and ultimately the creation of people, as told in Genesis. 2026 has started with the story of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a fish! This week we explored the Old Testament books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi where the many laws and rules of Israel were revisited. Instead of bringing the Israelite people closer to God, the laws and rules proved just how far removed from God his people actually were. Like ourselves, they completely and consistently failed in following faultlessly what was good and correct, all the time. Clearly, no one would ever be able to save themselves! Instead, they needed a much better solution, a perfect saviour with the power and love to stand in their place and in so doing, provide the bridge back to God. What an incredible fix!

Enjoy the pictures of some of our students as they explore the states of matter in science and experience the excitement of the swimming carnival.