newsletter of hunter christian school march 2017 in the … link...1 mr john rolland | acting...
TRANSCRIPT
1
Mr John Rolland | Acting Principal
As a part of our Renewal theme that we are
working through here at Hunter, we are looking
at the important aspect of what we are doing
and why. The reason behind this method is so we
clearly identify our culture and why we have it. A
couple of Saturdays ago I reencountered a part
of the pioneering spirit that was once a
commonplace event in most Christian schools,
but over time disappeared; the humble working
bee. It was an absolutely fantastic day that
demonstrated exactly what the scriptures talk about, when giving us the
analogy of the body of Christ. The hard-working group of people that day
included our Board Chairman and his family, staff, parents and students
from both our Primary and Secondary departments.
We painted classrooms, toilets, mulched gardens, made new gardens,
created a mural and enjoyed the exciting cuisine of the sausage sandwich
for lunch. For the time we were all together, the labels of Board Member,
Principal, teacher, parent or student were set aside. We were simply a
group of people with a common purpose, working together and enjoying
one another’s company. This is what community is about and we have the
awesome privilege of being able to do community under the umbrella of
Christ! For those who were able to come along, a very big heartfelt “thank
you”. For those who were unable to come, watch this space, as we intend
to plan more avenues that we as a community will be able to offer, so all
can contribute to this special place we call
Hunter Christian School.For those who are
travelling over the coming break, may God
go before you and keep you safe. May you
all have a blessed and spirit-filled Easter,
where we celebrate all that God has done
for us. See you all next Term!
In The Link From the Acting Principal ...... 1
Primary School News ............. 6
Secondary School News ........ 9
Canteen News ..................... 21
_________________________
Prayer Points For a blessed time at
Easter while we remember
and celebrate what God
has done for us all.
For a safe, restful break.
For an exciting Term 2
_____________________
Bible verse Romans 12:4-6 “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many from one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given us.” ________________________
Contact Corner Kerr and Bull Streets
Mayfield NSW 2304
[PO Box 10 HRMC NSW 2310] P: 4967 2111 Email :
.au
www.hunterchristian.nsw.edu.a
u
Office Hours: 8.00am to 4.00pm
www.facebook.com/
hunterchristianschool1
Newsletter of Hunter Christian School March 2017
2
Students at Hunter Christian School have the opportunity to take
lessons in a range of instruments taught by private music tutors. If you
are interested in your child learning an instrument please contact the
tutors directly on the following numbers:
Piano: Kristine Collyer 49512403
Voice: Melinda Whiteley 0423046579
Guitar and Bass Guitar: Joel Procter 0421942551
Violin: David Banney 59522330
Drums: David Tracey 0400459979
Classical Guitar: Angelo Fraietta 49697577
Woodwind: Anne Ward 0427123013
Additional information including prices and teaching days are available at the Administration Office.
__________________________________________________________________
The brand NEW 2017 | 2018 Entertainment Book as well as the new Entertainment Digital Memberships are
coming soon, pre-order now and enjoy over $170 of bonus value! Click on Link below
Music Lessons
3
4
The HCS Chess Team participated in the 26th Annual NSW Junior Chess League School Chess competition
hosted by Bishop Tyrell Anglican College on Friday 17 March. Over 150 students from a large variety of
schools came together to attend the event, with both Primary and High School events running
simultaneously.
The spirit of the competition was very friendly and yet very difficult, with some highly talented players
showing up to test their mettle. Our students discussed strategy, reflected upon their wins and losses
together and continued to show an amazing level of helpful criticism and encouragement for each other.
Each student played a total of seven games of ‘rapid’ chess where players had a total time of 15 minutes of
play time before forfeiting. One of our students put his opponent into checkmate with over 14 minutes of
game time remaining, an incredibly fast win!
A big congratulations goes to Sam Iveson who was the winner of the High School competition. HCS placed
2nd overall in the school standings – an amazing effort from all involved!
Our next chess day takes place at HSPA next term and we are looking forward to it. Mr Lambert
Chess News
5
6
To celebrate Dr Seuss’s birthday, Kindergarten and Stage 1 had a “Wacky Wednesday” full of craziness and
fun on March 3. Mrs Stabler decorated the library, classrooms were changed around, the children turned
up in an amazing array of wacky attires and Year 9 ran some “wactivities” during the afternoon. Here are
some responses from the children:
“Wacky Wednesday was a hilarious wacky day because everyone was dressed in weird and different ways.
I liked all the games and activities.” Noah Cowin
“Wacky Wednesday was pretty funny and lots of people came in their pyjamas and funny clothes. I liked
the dress-up activity with Year 9.” Laura Livingstone
“Wacky Wednesday was really fun and the library was really wacky because the books were in the wrong
spot, lots of the books were upside down and Mrs Stabler had a moustache!” Liam Gardner
Yes, a “Wacky Wednesday” was truly had by all!
Primary News
Dr Seuss’s Birthday
7
On Friday 10 March, we had our annual Stage 3 “Stay Back”! Jonathon Iveson and Eti Filipo have written a
report about our afternoon.
When the bell rang at the end of the school day, Stage 3 ran outside for a quick afternoon tea and then we
went off to bowling at Mayfield Super Strike. Eli Gibson was the overall bowling winner, demolishing
everyone with an amazing score of 136 points!
After bowling, we hopped onto the school bus and Mr Kirkegard drove us to Lambton pool where we had a
great time swimming, playing in the water park and playing handball. When we finished our time at the
pool, we drove back to school where we enjoyed our 4 slices of pizza and can of fizzy drink.
After dinner, we were given the choice of 3 movies: Angry Birds, Pete’s Dragon and Finding Dory. Sadly,
two of the DVDs did not work and the majority of us ended up watching Angry Birds, whilst a few of us
choose to watch The Secret Life of Pets. We finished our night with a yummy supper of donuts and milk.
We all thought “Stay Back” was awesome!
Stage 3 “Stay Back”
8
The Primary Zone Swimming Carnival was a true celebration of our students’ amazing swimming
achievements! Our students set a great example of effort, teamwork, resilience, as well as good ol’
fashioned hard work as they lapped the pool. We are so proud of their commitment to representing our
school at this special event. Well done to all involved!
Primary Department Zone Swimming
9
Mr Malcolm East | Head of Secondary School
Recent Achievements
It's been a very busy month since the last edition of the Link with lots of successes to
celebrate, such as the Year 7 SEG days, camps for years 8-11, the Year 12 Study
Workshops, a State Championship victory in Volleyball and the Year 8 Medieval Day,
to just name a few. There have also been a range of personal victories and it was a
great honour to celebrate just a few of these at our Celebration Assembly.
Men of Honour & Women of Worth
In our last Secondary Assembly, I introduced to the students the concepts of "Men of
Honour" and "Women of Worth". I wanted to share these concepts with you as well,
as I will often use these terms with the students in the future. The concepts are based on a range of
scriptures such as Ephesians 4:29-32 and speak about how we see ourselves, how we treat others and the
value of respect. “Women of Worth” don’t lower their standards to gain the attention of others, don’t tear
others down to lift themselves up, don’t value their own worth more than pleasing others, they add value
to others and as a result are often seen by others as worthy to be with. Similarly, “Men of Honour” don't
undertake foolish acts to win an easy laugh; they use their strength to help and defend others, take pride
in themselves and their sense of honour, honour others and are often seen by others as an honour to be
around. This code of honour, is based on the premise that one gains respect by having self-respect and
giving respect, rather than demanding it from others or expecting them to earn it first from us.
Secondary News
10
Student Voice
Following the Parent Survey conducted earlier this year, we have surveyed our students and I have
included a short summary below. We asked the students 22 questions with over 90% of students
responding.
The most positive response came from the following question:
The second best result came from this question:
11
The area with the greatest opportunity for improvement can be identified as the responses to the
following question:
Another area for us to develop further, is seen in the responses to this question:
One interesting result was what style of learning students are most comfortable with, they ranked in the
following order;
1. Practical hands on activities 2. Working in groups 3. Creative and artistic activities 4. Competitive activities 5. Listening and speaking
6. Reading and writing 7. Working individually
12
Flexible Spaces for Learning
As a result of the survey, we, as a teaching team, have been looking at the differing ways space and room
layouts can be used to enhance learning. The key to success is to provide students with a variety of
learning spaces for a variety of learning styles. The table below is a basic summary of how different layouts
can be used to promote different types of learning (source: Scott-Webber).
pedagogical activity
pedagogical attribute
process steps behavioural premise
spatial icon
delivering Formal presentations Instructor controls
presentation Focus on presentation Passive learning
Prepare & generate
presentation Deliver to an audience Assess understanding
Bring information before the
publicInstructor lead Knowledge is in one source
applying Controlled observation
One-to –one Master & apprentice alternative control Informal Active learning
Knowledge transferred via
demonstration Practice by recipient Understanding achieved
Learner-centered Apprentice model
creating
Multiple disciplines Leaderless Egalitarian Distributed attention Privacy
Casual Active learning
Research Recognise need Divergent thinking
Incubate Interpret into product / innovation
Innovation or knowledge moved from abstract to a product
communicating
Knowledge is dispersed Impromptu delivery
Casual Active learning
Organise information
Deliver Receive & interpret Confirm
Share information Provide quick exchange
13
decision making
Knowledge is dispersed Information is shared Leader sets final direction Situation is protected Semi-formal to Formal Passive / active learning
Review data Generate
strategy
PlanImplement one course of action
Make decisions
Fortnightly Mind Bender
Our most recent student mind bender consisted of two riddles. Why not try and solve them yourself?
Riddle 1: Romeo was on his way to Verona with Juliet and noticed he was missing a new $5 Australian note
from his wallet (the type with the see through strip). He then noticed Juliet produce a fresh $5 note to pay
for a bottle of mineral water when she usually uses her credit card. Romeo then asked Juliet if she had
seen his missing $5 note to which she replied that she had been saving this one in her copy of Macbeth
between pages 31 and 32 for a rainy day. Romeo then informed Juliet that he knew she was lying and
could prove it. What about you, can you prove Juliet was lying?
Riddle 2: Juliet pushes her grey-coloured car to a hotel parking lot and tells the owner that she can't pay
because she is bankrupt. Explain why she does this.
14
From 8 to 10 March, students from Year 9 and Year 10 visited Canberra. The students participated in a
variety of educational programs focused on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.
The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit their
National Capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist the parents in meeting the cost of
the excursion the Australian Government contributes funding of $20 per eligible student under the
Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program toward the travel expenses incurred. This
contribution is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion. The school would like to thank
the Australian Government for their support of this program.
Year 9 visited Old Parliament House for an electoral educational program, Parliament House, the National
Gallery and the Australian War Memorial.
Year 10 visited the High Court, Old Parliament House – the Museum of Australian democracy, Parliament
House and the Australian War Memorial – Vietnam Gallery.
Students also visited Questacon at The National Science and Technology Centre and took part in Dragon Boat
Races on Lake Burley Griffin. The
excursion was a valuable learning
experience for all our students.
Mr Collyer
Canberra Excursion – Year 9 and 10
15
For the past ten years, we have been
taking our Year 11 Biologists to Wangat
Lodge (2 km downstream from Chichester
Dam). This year we were joined by
students from Belmont Christian College.
The three-day field trip enables the
students to immerse themselves in the
natural environment and to carry out
ecological investigations. Mr Carter
For our Bio camp we stayed at Wangat
Lodge (Holiday Cottage), in Dungog.
Wangat means "A place where
whisperings are heard".
We learnt how to gather data that you
might need to make decisions about
environmental management.
Over the three days, we learnt how to
sample plants and animals in their
environment.
I really enjoyed the Freshwater Ecology
Studies. We did two Freshwater Ecology
studies to investigate the distribution
(Where are they?) and abundance (How
many?) of freshwater invertebrates in
lentic and lotic aquatic habitats.
I also enjoyed setting out the Elliot traps.
Elliot traps are used to capture a variety of
small animals, (e.g. Bush rat and
antechinus). These traps are usually placed
on the ground, so that when an animal
treads on a weight-sensitive trigger plate, the door behind them will immediately shut. The bait we used
for the Elliot traps was peanut butter and honey oat balls. Aaliyah Byrnes
Throughout the Bio camp experience, we participated in various activities including trap setting, analysing
plant abundance, taking water samples, hiking the beautiful Wangat terrain and even catching frogs. I
thoroughly enjoyed most activities, apart from the odd leech here and there! Katie Branhan
During Bio camp we got to learn about nature, ecosystem and native species. Although we got
covered in leeches it was a good time and I loved the experience. Aimee Gillard
Year 11 Biology Field Trip 2017
16
Year 11 students put their learning into practice as they set about solving quadratic inequalities. What fun we all had writing on the board and explaining our answers to Mrs Coates. Isn't Maths fantastic?!
From 17 March – 20 March, I had the brilliant opportunity of attending the United Nations Youth New
South Wales State Conference in Sydney.
The Conference was filled with interactive problem-solving, speaker panels and, of course, debating. The
theme of the Conference was ‘Multiculturalism In a Changing World’. We mostly spoke about the role of
multiculturalism in society. During the Conference, I learnt a lot about how Australia and other countries
around the world view diversity and found the debates very eye-opening.
I had such a wonderful time at this year's Conference and made so many friends; I highly recommend the
Conference for students in Years 9-12 who are curious
about the world around them.
Kupakwashe Matangira Year 10
Maths in Action!
UN Youth State Conference
17
Ever been “geographically challenged” in Sydney?
Ever felt like you were swimming against the tide as you made your way along the footpath?
Ever felt like a sardine as you made your way across the city on public transport?
Year 11 felt these sensations and more as they undertook the unique experience that is “The Urban
Challenge”.
Over 3 days, two distinct groups – The Mimes (leaving Miss Collins speechless) and the Active 80’s (not an
octogenarian fitness group, even though Mr Taylor was a part of it!) chased clues and challenges around
the CBD and Manly. There were occasions when the two groups came together; a surfing session at Manly
beach and playing Kudo on the sand, but most of the time the two teams criss-crossed each other in a
desperate search for clues or pieces to a puzzle.
The Mystery Quiz Master was always lurking around, guiding, adjusting and manipulating the challenge to
keep it interesting and tight.
Nights were spent at two well-appointed Youth Hostels where all team members – and the Staff – slept
soundly after the exertions of the day. Some even caught a few minutes’ sleep on the way home in the
train – and no
mention of who
sleeps with
their mouth
open or
dribbles just a
little bit!
Thanks to “The
Urban
Challenge” for
setting up and
managing the
event. Thanks,
too to Miss
Collins and Miss
Creed for
helping drive
our two teams onwards and upwards.
And thanks to the team members, especially the lycra-clad Active 80’s, for their enthusiasm,
innovation and energy. Never before have I covered so many kilometres, dressed like Olivia
Newton-John and had so much fun! Mr Taylor
Year 11 Urban Challenge
18
A couple of weeks ago, Year 11 went down to Sydney to complete a 3-day Urban Challenge. We were split up into 2
groups: the Active 80's and the Mimes. In these teams, we had to run around Sydney CBD to find clues. We had a
“mime-blowing” time and learned about our flexibility.
Mr Taylor, Miss Collins and Miss Creed joined us. We got to know them a little more during the Challenge. Looking back, I had a blast and would definitely do it all again! Georgia McGrath
19
While Years 8,9,10 and 11 were on their school camp, Year 7 were very busy over
the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with lots of fun activities. On Wednesday,
while everyone one else was busy, we met together in D10 and Mr Hawkins talked to us about teamwork.
Mr Carter, Mrs Ponsen and Miss Sneddon gave us an overview of what we would be doing for the rest of
the week. After that, we went down to the COLA with Mr Hawkins to play a game of monkey tag. It was
incredible fun, but it also hurt when you were being pulled to different places and trying to hold the
monkey grip. We played a few rounds then went in the hall to do communication activities. We had to get
into groups of a certain number and then we made shapes together. Mr Hawkins would call out a letter or
shape and we would get our groups into that letter or shape. We did team activities until Recess 1. After
the bell rang, we went back into D10 with Mrs Ponsen to talk about our personalities. We did a test at the
VIA Institute website to find our top 5 personalities. We also talked about peace-making, peace-breaking
and peace-faking and how to be a peace-maker. After Recess 2, we went back into D10 with Mr Hawkins
and did some activities together, still focusing on teamwork and concentration. We played a game where
we made different noises and actions to form a machine out of people.
On Thursday, we didn’t have to wear our school uniforms and we went to King Edward Park to do art. We
played around the park for a while. The teachers rolled out a long canvas and we started to paint it using
sauce bottles filled with paint. Then we rolled rockmelons down the canvas! There were also spiky balls
and sponges. The wind blew the canvas up while we were washing our arms and legs off and a few unlucky
kids were covered in paint! After we cleaned up as best we could we got cameras and our plasticine
creatures we made earlier. There were multiple challenges such as taking a photo with the creature in the
air and a photo of only natural features. Then we went to the beach and made a sand golf course. On
Friday, we went to the Newcastle Towers Cinema to see Hidden Figures. The movie was amazing and one
of my new favourites. We filled out a sheet on the movie. All in all, it was an awesome
experience and one that will become a very happy memory! Sophie Cowin
Year 7 SEG Days
20
LIBRARY LINKS The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge 2017 has begun in earnest, as all students in Stages 2 and 3 have
signed up and are reading their way through 20 books from the PRC booklist. Students who complete the
Challenge by 18 August will receive a certificate from the Premier at the end of the year.
Here at Hunter, the first class in which all students complete the Challenge, wins a Class pizza party.
Can Mrs Folwell and S2F complete the hat trick and win again in 2017? Stay tuned to find out…
Congratulations to the following students who have completed the PRC during March:
Haylie Maloney Isabella Adams Sampson Ward Ari Stark
Ano Madzivire Hamish Fuhrer Ben Pickford Nate Goodwin
Sylvie Napper Grace Hipps Riley Johnston Courtney Clements
Imogen Cannings Isabelle Wong Ethan Afful Baris Besir
Isaac Forryan Josiah Lippiatt Jai Cairns Sofia Adams
Bethany Wong Ethan Wells Ken Brown Allie Ward
Dominic Beeton Tom Wang Briana Lewis Yasmin Matthews
Elizabeth Acropolis Harleen Saini Levi Stephens Prosper Morgan Ward
Isaac Clements Chelsea Kidd Chloe Tomlins Monique Martinez
Amy Blair Jackson Wooley Jayden Livingstone Caitlin Williams
Angus Webster Eti Fillipo Osai Heitonga Tyrone Rivero
Campbell Hill Josh Henderson
Wacky Wednesday – Celebrating Dr Seuss’s Birthday
Wednesday 1 March was our “wackiest” Wednesday ever, as we celebrated the birthday of well-known
children’s author, Dr Seuss. Furniture in the Library was re-arranged, books were turned upside-down, staff
dressed up for the occasion and students of all ages joined in the wackiness! Kindergarten – Year 2
students listened to some of Dr Seuss’s famous books and were reminded that some people might become
authors, some might become illustrators, but we can ALL become readers!
Other displays in the Library this month have included St Patrick’s Day and the Horrible Histories series.
This year’s class winners of the Premier’s Reading Challenge are S2P! Mrs Pilgrim and
her class have worked very hard throughout March reading lots of books and so they
will receive their pizza party prize early in Term 2.
Mrs Stabler
21
Potato Gems are back for
the two winter terms!
$3.00 for a cup of Gems and 50c extra for gravy.
The Morning Hot Chocolates and toasted
Banana Bread will be reintroduced in Term 2
for the two winter terms. They are $2.00
each and available between 8 and 8.30am
each morning
___________________________________
The Destiny Haven cookbook,
“Destiny Delights” is a
professionally-published, full-
colour gloss cookbook, boasting
a foreword by Professor the
Honourable Dame Marie Bashir
AD CVO. This special book
boasts a unique selection of many
of Destiny Haven’s own
specialties, as well as many favourites from our community
of friends and supporters. All funds raised from the sale of the
cookbook go to providing much needed facilities and support
to the women staying at Destiny Haven, a local initiative to
help these women overcome addictions, abusive
relationships, or traumatic experiences and behaviours in their
life.
Don’t miss out on this very special cookbook for just $30.00!
Order yours today:
PH. (02) 4996 5888
“As with Destiny Haven itself, this Destiny
Haven Cookbook provides a splendid environment of life-enhancing experiences -
nourishment, positive anticipation and the joy of sharing the delights of comradeship, over
delicious meals with others.” - Professor the Honourable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO
Dates for April/May
2017
Monday 3 April
Parent / Teacher Interviews
Tuesday 4 April
Parent / Teacher Interviews
Primary Sport in Schools
Wednesday 5 April
Primary Assembly
Friday 7 April
K-12 Cross Country
End of Term
Wednesday 26 April
Start of Term 2
Friday 28 April
Secondary Athletics Carnival
Wednesday 3 May
Primary Assembly
Primary LunchPlus
Friday 5 May
Primary Athletics Carnival
Tuesday 9 -11 May
NAPLAN
Wednesday 10 May
Primary LunchPlus
Friday 12 May
Year 3-6 Sport
Secondary Zone Soccer
Wednesday 17 May
Primary Chapel
Primary LunchPlus
Thursday 18 May
Secondary Careers Expo
Friday 19 May
Year 3-6 Sport
Secondary Mini-Muddies
Canteen News
22
Congratulations!
Michelle Morgan Ward was selected to provide a photo display at
Maitland Hospital. Her working name is “Daughter of the King”
Photography. The Hospital asked her for about 19 framed prints
and she presented them with 91 to choose from.
They not only then accepted all 91 photos, but also chose a
further 7!
Michelle has attached words to each framed photo, many of
which are designed to draw a focus back to God. All the words
and the title of the display, ‘Love replaces Hurt’ were all approved
by the hospital ethics committee – this is a huge achievement on
many levels.
Michelle was recognized with the presentation by the General
Manager of Maitland Hospital, Ms Di Peers, of a Certificate of
Appreciation from NSW ARTS FOR HEALTH (for encouraging
patient and staff well-being through the exhibition ‘Love Replaces
Hurt’)
The Exhibition is now up at Maitland Hospital. If any of you have
opportunity, take time to look at the photos. Most prints are
available for sale with proceeds going to the Pink Ladies at Maitland Hospital.
Congratulations Michelle from the School Community!
Dates for April/May
2017
Wednesday 24 May
Primary Assembly
Primary LunchPlus
Friday 26 May
Secondary Community Service Day
Year 3-6 Sport
Monday 29 May
School Photos
Tuesday 30 May
Secondary Year 8-10 Subject Market
Primary UNSW Science Comp Years 3-6
Wednesday 31 May
Year 9/10 History/Geography Exam
Primary Chapel
Primary LunchPlus
23
BARNSLEY FOOTBALL CLUB Barnsley football club is currently looking for 13 and
14-year-old players (girls and boys) for an Under 14’s
team!!!!
Please contact – Kylie Lewis (0413484012)
24