After a year of schooling; a year of COVID and Flu; a year of lessons, assignments, projects, and assessments; a year of excursions, camps, sports, and tours; it all comes down to this: God sent his son, Jesus, to become man, so that man could be reconciled with God. 

I hope that the initiation of this new award has been an encouragement to our students, parents and teachers. I am looking forward to partnering with our teachers next year, continuing to notice those who model tenacious learning and persistence.

• Hannah Dott in Year 7 for her persistent, diligent attitude when learning in Timber and Digital Technology. Hannah works quietly, yet always seeks help in order to improve. We love that Hannah has come to understand that learning is a team effort and that it is valuable to reach out to teachers for assistance.
• Connor Duong in KF for being a tenacious and resilient learner. Connor demonstrates a genuine love of learning and models creative thinking to his peers. In particular, Connor demonstrates creative approaches to solve problems and encourages those around him to find solutions rather than giving up.

Mrs Natalie Bluhdorn
Academic Head

One group of students served at school, guided by the maintenance department. They did a fantastic job of cleaning up around the school grounds, whipper snippering, gardening and other physical jobs. Another group participated in an excursion to Reverse Garbage where they helped at the facility and also constructed a piece from recycled materials.

On Monday Year 10 travelled to Canley Vale to visit the Chin Lien Chinese Association, a Buddhist Temple. Mr Moran started out by giving a brief introduction to the differences between Christianity and Buddhism. They then had a tour of the temple, where it was explained what each of the idols meant, and what the different lavish relics and symbols represented. The smell of incense was quite overwhelming for most students, but the reality of how blessed we are that we can pray to our God anywhere is such a wonderful blessing!

The students then travelled into Cabramatta, where they walked around the town centre, eating different foods, discovering alleyways with smells that they were not used to. There was lots of market type shopping malls, so many food outlets, and so many choices of bubble tea! They were able to experience a day which felt like we were in another country. Students were then treated to an enormous Chinese Banquet including Yum Cha, ending with yummy egg tarts! We were so proud of the respect and engagement that the students displayed on this excursion.

On Tuesday and Wednesday one group of Year 10 students went to Wesley Mission's Edward Eagar Lodge. The students heard from a member of staff about homelessness and the work that Wesley Mission does around Sydney and NSW to help people in need. Year 10 also met and spoke with an ex-resident about his experience with homelessness and how God has worked in his life. The students then assisted the staff by decorating the facility with Christmas decorations, playing music for and chatting with the residents over lunch. The experience at Wesley Mission was valuable for all involved as it gave the students an insight into the work that Wesley Mission does within the broader community and was a fantastic opportunity for our students to consider the needs of others.

Another group of our Year 10 students had a fantastic couple of days at Miranda Salvation Army! On day one they learned about the valuable work done by the Salvation Army, and their many ministries that serve others in the community. Students also participated in a variety of workshops and learned about budgeting. Day two saw our students enthusiastically sort through donated items and commence packing hampers for Christmas. 

The students are commended on the way they represented our school and their enthusiastic service.

Thank you Mrs de Witte, Mrs Dipple, Mrs Holdsworth, Mr Holden, Mrs Wilson and the Year 10 PC Teachers for assisting the students this week.

Mr Paul Carter
Deputy Principal

• Jemima Bailey
• Sam Bluhdorn
• Angeline Brough
• Nathan Donaldson
• Melody Favelle
• Alice Krstanoski
• Kiriath Lee
• Henry Snaith
• Gracie Malone
• Matthew Wheeler

The House Leaders for 2023 are:

• Calvin - Hunter Tran
• Cranmer - Felicity McNiven
• Knox - Elayne McKay
• Luther - Tyla Vaotuua

Well done to Freya Power who has received a nomination for her solo performance Henry Pickit’s World is Diseased and to Arielle Lee who received a nomination for her short film Tick Tock.

These students generated the stories for their projects as well as constructing them, Freya as a performance and Arielle as a film.

Here is a great example of young people who challenge themselves to refine their God-given skills, use their creativity and diligently work hard.

Mrs Kathryn Breen
Assistant Head of Secondary and Head of Drama

The recipient of the Greg Smith Award embodies the following:

• A Christian character that demonstrates a concern for others and leads by good example.
• An inquisitive mind that loves to learn, has innovative ideas and works hard regardless of the task.
• A courageous spirit that displays positivity in the face of adversity.

Mr Smith loved to share stories from his own life with high school so we have given the opportunity for the recipient of this award to share some of their story, which Lucas, along with his family, was happy to do.

5 years ago, Lucas’ youngest brother was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. During this time he faced a lot of uncertainty while his family was separated for long periods through his brother's treatment. At times Lucas didn’t understand why his family was going through this difficult situation, but he trusted that God was in control and that He had a plan for him and his family. In the last few years Lucas has appreciated the opportunity to share his story with his Pastoral Care class and to together raise funds to support research into better treatments for his brother's cancer. While he still has moments of uncertainty Lucas continues to hold onto God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Engraved on the award is a reference to some verses from Hebrews which I shared with the students on Monday.  In chapter 11 of Paul’s letter to the Hebrews there’s a long list of people who persevered in their faith under God. Great people who had gone through many trials such as Noah, Abraham and Sarah. Then chapter 12v1-3 says this: 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

I am grateful to Lucas that he has shared this story about himself with our community, that we can learn from God through him and be open with one another. I know Mr Smith would have loved to have seen this being spoken about at an assembly as he so often shared his stories with us. May we be encouraged to run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, so that we do not grow weary and lose heart.

Mrs Kathryn Breen
Assistant Head of Secondary

Joshua Edwards, one of our promotional designers, prepared the following media release excerpt:

Year 10 worked tirelessly for two months prior to the performance, workshopping the play. They started out with only the script to work from and then the show stemmed from there. First, they started reading through the play and developed some ideas based on what they read. From there they broke off into two main branches where each student played a major or minor role. Acting major students had larger roles in the play and acting minor students had smaller roles. The other major roles to work out were the production ones which included directing, promotion, set design, and costume design, each having varying jobs depending on which they chose. Our directors were Lewis Wilson and Jess Peach who inspired the creative process and gave the play direction. Our promotion designers were Aidan Green and Josh Edwards who designed posters and other promotional materials to bring home the message of the play. Our set designers, Mikaela Gough and Ethan Harris, put the directors' vision on the stage. Our costume designer was Ella Leong who put both the actors and the audience into the world of the play and conveyed an underlying message using colour. Finally, our actors were made up of the whole class (excluding Aidan Green and Jess Peach who aided in other non-acting ways) who gave the play life and motion and really brought home the message that the directors used 'Time flies away'. On Monday 24th October our class parents came to watch the play and the reviews were great! Year 10 is very happy with their performance and wishes they could do it again!

During this process students took on responsibility, wrestled with group dynamics and worked hard to figure out how to translate the writing on a page to the ephemeral space of the stage. After the performance the students took part in a Q & A forum where the audience asked them questions about their work and they could explain their concept, 'time flies away'. This concept centred on the idea of a person growing and finding their place in the world, shedding their younger selves to make way for the adult they will become. This was an engaging moment for our year 10 Drama students to share with their parents as they learnt lessons that stretched far beyond the classroom walls. 

Written by Joshua Edwards and Mrs Breen

Our Year 10s made a PRIMA entry for the Linguafest Short Film Competition with the help of the Year 9s. They took out the Most Original Category with a meaningful film about the prescribed theme “Generosity". The film had to include a musical instrument and you can click on the link to see where they took this concept to create not only a lovely German short film, but one which showcases this Fruit of the Spirit (generosity/ goodness). You can see the film here. Our Year 10s finished the year generously giving their time and energy to provide a “Weihnachtsfeier” for the elective and senior students. Everyone got to try Currywurst, Glühwein (alcohol-free of course!) and Plätzchen- traditional German biscuits.

His inspired song spoke in great praise (benedictus) to the God who was, through this birth, carrying out his long-promised-on-oath plan to remember his covenant and to redeem his people, and bring about their eternal salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. 

If we have taken hold of this salvation personally for ourselves through repentance-and-faith, we can really identify with Zechariah’s excitement and outpouring of praise! By his reference to the ’rising sun’ coming from heaven to shine on ‘those living in darkness and the shadow of death’ (verse 78) he is pointing his listeners to Isaiah 9:2, 6 - “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. … For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”, and to Malachi 4:2, 6 - “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.  And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. … He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse”.

It is interesting that these words from Malachi were the very last prophetic words God’s Covenant People had had from the LORD for over 450 years, and NOW it was all happening! The other interesting thing about God’s providence is that Elizabeth’s name means ‘My God promises (by oath)’, Zechariah’s name means ‘the LORD remembers’, and the name they were instructed to give their baby was ‘Johanan/John’ which means ‘the LORD is gracious/merciful’. What a wonderful reminder this is to us, as we approach the time we celebrate the birth of the One for whom John would prepare the way, as prophesied in Isaiah 40, that our Saviour comes in the context of God demonstrating his mercy and grace by remembering the oath to which he continued to bind himself throughout all the OT Scriptures from Genesis 3:15 (“I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he [the Descendant of the woman, Jesus] will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”) all the way to Malachi!

Rev Bruce Christian

CONTACT

Phone: 02 9773 8291
Online: ranier.com.au/contact
Email: custservice@ranier.com.au

Any unlabelled items left after this will either made available as second hand clothing or discarded. Please remember to label all uniform items.

Temporary bus stop closure

The bus stop on Linden Street before Leonay Street, Sutherland (Stop ID: 2232130) will temporarily be closed from Monday 9 January until Friday 31 March 2023. 

For students using Route S012 (Sutherland Shire School to St Joseph’s School Como) in the afternoon, the alternative bus stop will be on Leonay Street at Kurrajong Street (Stop ID: 2232243). Below see below map.

Edstart helps make it easy for you to manage school fees by providing flexible payment plans. You can reduce your annual school fee spend by extending payments over a longer period.

With Edstart, you can fund tuition fees, additional charges such as uniforms, extra-curricular activities as well as amounts in arrears.

To find out more, visit edstart.com.au/shirechristian.

Please note that in providing information about Edstart, the school is not providing any recommendation, brokering or advice services. The school does not receive referral fees, commissions or any other remuneration from Edstart.

One of our aims as a music department is to make learning an instrument accessible for families. This includes allowing carefully selected tutors to come on site and provide one-on-one tuition during the school day. We currently have over 200 lessons being conducted each and every week with 11 tutors on most instruments.

Also, for instruments that are particularly expensive - even for beginner versions - our school provides incredibly affordable instrument hire at just $100 per year. This includes a free yearly service that often costs much more than the hire cost. These instruments include Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello. As beginner versions of Keyboards, Guitars, etc can be mass produced in factories at much cheaper prices, we do not provide hire for these instruments.

To enrol in the Music Tuition Program for 2023, please click here. Please note, if your child is currently enrolled in the program for 2022, please click the Re-Enrolment link. For Hiring an Instrument, please click here.

Mr David Humphreys
Head of Music