Earlier this term, I was privileged to be involved in an Adventist Education conference in Adelaide that had a focus on flourishing school environments. Being my first visit to Adelaide, I was anticipating the new experience as well as the opportunity to engage in professional conversation and reflection on what we do at Hills Adventist College, as well as what other Adventist Schools in the South Pacific do.

One of the keynotes that stood out to me, because I would consider myself a visual learner, was the concept of the wood wide web as shown through the image below.

One of the funnier parts of being a chaplain is how often our student gatherings revolve around food.

Whether it’s Bible study, chapel planning, or band practice for Week of Worship, there’s always something to eat. We’ve become so well known for it that students will wander into the office and ask, “Got any food?” While we try to save it for actual events, I have to laugh at how naturally young people gather when food’s involved.

Interestingly, a lot of Jesus’ ministry happened the same way. As Robert Karris says:

“In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.”
( Eating Your Way Through Luke’s Gospel )

Jesus loved meals—and encouraged His followers to share them often. In Acts 2:46, we read this about the early church:

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”

They weren’t just eating—they were building community. And it worked. The church grew rapidly during this time.

Earlier this term, Hills Adventist College had a team of five students compete at the CIS Secondary Swimming Championships.

Lewis L delivered excellent results in his individual events, showing focus and determination - well done, Lewis!

The relay team - Kyran R, Kenan M, Andrew L, and James P showcased fantastic teamwork and a positive attitude, performing strongly under pressure against tough competition. Their composure and unity were truly impressive!

A special congratulations to James P, who not only won bronze in the 50m Butterfly at CIS but also represented the CIS team at the NSW All Schools Championships last week, where he earned another bronze medal. James will now compete with the NSW All Schools Team at the School Sport Australia National Championships in Brisbane, QLD at the end of July - an outstanding achievement and testament to his talent and dedication.

We wish James the best of luck at Nationals and congratulate all our swimmers for their exceptional efforts! We are incredibly proud of you.

On 20 May 2025, Hills Adventist College proudly sent a strong team of athletes to compete in the Hills Zone Primary and Secondary Cross Country Carnival. With 43 Primary and 31 Secondary students representing the College, the day was filled with determination, outstanding sportsmanship and impressive results.

Primary School Success

Out of the 43 Primary students who competed, five have qualified to represent HAC at the CIS Cross Country Championships on 12 June 2025. Congratulations to the following students on their fantastic achievements:

Anna W – 2nd, Girls 12–13 Years

Cade B – 2nd, Boys 11 Years

Aliya K – 10th, Girls 12–13 Years

Lydia L – 10th, Girls 8–9 Years

Oscar L – 10th, Boys 12–13 Years

We are incredibly proud of the entire Primary team for their effort, enthusiasm and excellent representation of our College on the day.

Hills Adventist College recently hosted Australia’s Biggest Afternoon Tea, joining thousands across the country in raising funds for the Cancer Council. This year’s event held special significance as it was organised in honour of one of our own staff members currently on a cancer journey.

The afternoon was made even more meaningful when another staff member, Mr Matt Bland, generously donated his hair, which he had been growing for five years, to be made into wigs for cancer patients. The haircut was kindly done by Miss Penny F, mother of student Halle F. It was a powerful act of support, compassion and solidarity that inspired everyone present.

The staffroom was filled with warmth, conversation and plenty of delicious food. A big thank you to The Bakehouse in North Kellyville, who kindly donated a batch of fresh muffins. Many staff also brought in homemade treats, cakes, slices and savoury goodies to share.

Our Year 11 students are doing a fantastic job as Peer Support Leaders, guiding and encouraging Year 7 students as they settle into high school life.

Through well-planned, hands-on activities, they are fostering teamwork, inclusiveness, resilience and connection, while helping students build relationships in a fun and engaging way. From problem-solving challenges and group discussions to outdoor games, each session is helping to build confidence and friendships that will last well beyond this year.

A big congratulations to our Year 11 leaders for their commitment and leadership. Keep up the amazing work!

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is a much-loved annual event organised by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Now in its 25th year, NSS brings together children from all over Australia to read the same picture book at the same time, celebrating storytelling, literacy and Australian children’s literature. The event emphasises the importance of reading and aligns with key areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.

This year’s featured book was The Truck Cat, written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell. Selected by a panel of children’s literacy experts, the story explores universal themes such as home, migration, loneliness and belonging. It follows Tinka the cat and his human, Yacoub, as they journey together in search of a place that feels like home.

Year 2 students at Hills Adventist College recently enjoyed an exciting and educational science incursion, presented by the Ranger Science Show Company.

The interactive show brought science to life through hands-on experiments, captivating demonstrations and enthusiastic student participation. With surprising reactions, exciting outcomes and plenty of laughter, students were fully immersed in the wonders of science.

Throughout the session, students explored key concepts such as energy, states of matter and forces—all delivered in a fun, age-appropriate and engaging way. The presenter struck the perfect balance between education and entertainment, keeping students curious and captivated from start to finish.

These incursions enrich classroom learning by sparking curiosity, encouraging creativity and inspiring a love of discovery. Science became more than just a subject—it became an experience.

A big thank you to the Ranger Science Show Company for making science so exciting for our Year 2 students. We look forward to many more learning adventures like this in the future!

This year, Junior School students had a fantastic time during STEM Week, where the focus was simply on having fun with science, technology, engineering, and math!

Without a set theme, our young learners dived into exciting experiments, especially in chemistry and physics, to discover how amazing STEM really is.

Some of the favourites were
🫧 Making colourful bubbles that floated and shimmered in the sunlight
💧 Watching water magically stay upside down in a jar, a fun trick that had everyone amazed!

These hands-on activities helped students see how science works all around them and proved that STEM is exciting and for everyone, no matter their age.

A big thank you to our teachers and helpers for making STEM Week so special. Our Junior School kids can’t wait to explore more science adventures soon!

As part of their Healthy Lunchbox assignment, the Year 8 Food Technology students prepared a variety of nutritious and delicious meals. From fresh salads and rice dishes to savoury crepes, the students showcased their creativity and understanding of balanced eating. The project encouraged hands-on learning, with a strong focus on making healthy food both tasty and visually appealing—perfect for the lunchbox! The activity also helped build essential cooking skills, meal planning awareness, and confidence in making healthier food choices every day.

We’re excited to celebrate the fantastic achievement of our Year 7 to 9 Girls’ Futsal team, who were crowned Grand Final winners this week in the Hills Zone competition ! 🏆

Throughout the semester, these talented students have shown impressive growth in skill, teamwork and confidence. Their commitment to training, resilience on the court and support for one another led to a hard-fought and well-deserved win.

In what was a very competitive match, the girls held their ground with integrity and composure, even when faced with tough challenges from a strong opposing team. Their display of true sportsmanship and teamwork was not only impressive but also a wonderful reflection of our school’s values.

We are incredibly proud of this team, not just for the result but for the way they represented our school throughout the Hills Zone tournament. Their effort and attitude have set a brilliant example for others and made a lasting, positive impact on our school community.

Congratulations to our champions! Your hard work has paid off and you’ve made us very proud. 🎉👏

During Term 2, students from Ms Menzies’ Year 10 Visual Arts class and Mr Aitken’s Computing class have merged to explore the exciting world of Interactive Art Installations—a unique fusion of creativity and code. These installations combine visual art with sensors to create works that respond to movement, light, or sound through programmed instructions.

To deepen their understanding and gather inspiration, students attended VIVID Sydney, a world-famous festival celebrating the intersection of art, technology, and innovation. From AI-generated large-scale projection mapping, to interactive light sculptures and immersive digital experiences, the event showcased what’s possible when creativity meets cutting-edge tech.

This experience is already sparking ideas, with students now working on their own interactive installations, set to be featured in the Creative Collective 2025.

Some of our wonderful Year 11 students are raising funds to support the installation of a new water tank during their mission trip to the Solomon Islands later this year. To help with fundraising, they’re hosting a fun and relaxing Movie Afternoon for Junior School students at the Kellyville Campus .

📅 Date: Thursday, 12th June
🕒 Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Location: Ms Tricot’s Classroom (A5), Kellyville Campus
🎥 Movie: Finding Nemo (Rated G)
👩‍🏫 Supervised by: Mrs McDonald and Mr Berry

💰 Entry: Entry is by donation. Registration and payment can be made via the QR code attached to the banner and flyer, or by booking online by clicking the Book Now button below. All proceeds will go directly towards the water tank installation project in the Solomon Islands.

👧🏽🧒🏼 OOSH Arrangements: Students who usually attend OOSH and would like to join the movie afternoon can be taken to OOSH by Mrs McDonald at the end of the event. Please arrange this with her in advance.

Book in for Winter Vacation Care with Extend!

Looking for fun and engaging activities for the upcoming school holidays? Our new OOSH provider, Extend , is offering an exciting Winter Holiday Program for our K-6 students filled with themed days, excursions, creative experiences, and active play. There's something for every child to enjoy.

📅 Program runs from Monday 7 July – Friday 25 July at our Kellyville Campus .

Book now to secure your place and lock in the Early Bird Rate!

🔗 View the program

🔗 Book here

Starting in June 2025, students in the Middle and Senior School are invited to join the Run Club — a fun and inclusive opportunity to stay active, build endurance, and connect with peers outside the classroom.

Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just starting out, everyone is welcome! Each session will include a warm-up, group run, and cool-down, with a focus on enjoyment and personal progress.

Spots are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sessions run every Wednesday from 3:15 PM to 4:00 PM.

📲 Scan the QR code to sign up and secure your place or simply click the Sign Up button below to register.

Lace up your runners and come join the fun!

It is not too late to register for the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) 📚. This government initiative runs from 24 February to 22 August and encourages children to read for pleasure. It is open to students from Kindergarten to Year 10 in 2025. House points are earned for participation and bonus points for completion.

Let us know if your child would like to join the challenge by entering their details once by clicking Register Here .

Visit our online library to see the PRC books we have available to borrow at Hills Adventist College. Click Library Dashboard

Recently, we have experienced some issues with communication via SEQTA, including delays in both emails and direct messages. In some cases, messages arrived several hours late and sometimes days later.

We apologise for these disruptions and believe that the problem has been resolved by SEQTA.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

We would like to remind families of the current procedure for notifying the College of student absences. This applies to all Hills Adventist College students at both the Kellyville and Castle Hill campuses and is now in effect.

If your child is going to be absent 🤒 , arriving late ⏰ (even by 5 minutes) , or leaving early 🚗 , please submit an Absence Notification via the Absences tab in SEQTA Engage by following these steps:

🖥️ Go to SEQTA Engage

📌 Click on the Absences tab (third tab on the left-hand side)

➕ Click 'New Absence'

📝 Enter the absence details – please ensure you include relevant information in the Comment section

✅ Press 'Submit'

Please note:

✉️ You will not receive an email confirmation after submitting an absence.

🔍 Any unresolved absences will be visible on your SEQTA Engage Dashboard .

📞 Parents who call the office to advise of an absence will be redirected to SEQTA Engage to log the absence.

Late arrivals and early departures:
🖊️ Students must sign in or out using the Kiosk at the College office.

Medical absences longer than two days:
📧 Please email a medical certificate to: [email protected]

🙏 Thank you for your cooperation in helping us streamline attendance procedures.

If you haven’t already, please submit enrolment applications for siblings who will be starting in the 2026 school year by the end of March 2025. After this deadline, your child may be placed on a waitlist for a spot.

📅 Date: Friday, June 21
🕙 Time: From 10:00 AM
📍 Location: Kellyville Church

Mark your calendars—because something very special is happening! On Saturday, 21 June the kids are taking the lead at Kellyville Church for a service that promises to be heartwarming, uplifting, and full of joy .

🌟 If you’re a kid, or take care of a kid, we’d love for you to join us for this super fun day designed for kids (and their grown-ups!) 🌟

📣 Upcoming H&S Meeting

All parents and caregivers are warmly invited to join our next H&S (Home & School) Meeting — a great opportunity to stay connected, hear updates, and be involved in school life.

🗓 Date: Tuesday, 10th May
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM
📍 Location: Online via Zoom

🔗 Zoom Link: Join the meeting
Meeting ID: 979 8182 2214
Passcode: Hills@7day

📄 Meeting Documents

Agenda – June Meeting (PDF)

Minutes – May Meeting (PDF)

Profit & Loss Report (Jan–May 2025)

Balance Sheet – May 2025 (PDF)

Your voice and ideas are always welcome. We hope to see you there!