Responding to this feedback, we have been working with our uniform supplier (Ranier) to address these two areas. Information from other schools and from Rainer has indicated that skorts are the most popular option in K-6, but shorts are the universally chosen option in 7-12.

Introducing a short/skort in K-10 creates a new problem (as always, it’s never simple) – there is currently no short-sleeve K-10 blouse, as we only have dresses in summer. But this is also an opportunity – if we had a short and long-sleeved blouse (with a skirt, shorts or trousers), there is now flexibility to wear different uniform items all year round, changing the tops or bottoms to suit the weather of the day, which aligns with the second common request: flexibility in the uniform for all seasons.

We currently have some prototypes on-site which we are testing with students. The new items we are considering are designed in sympathy with our current uniform, allowing for a generous period of crossover with older items for any changes made.

Like anything related to uniforms, there will continue to be a diverse range of opinions from parents and students, and I doubt that any uniform will be universally lauded. I am grateful, however, that a school uniform is a common practice in Australia. It fosters a sense of belonging and identity with our school community, promotes equality, reduces social pressure to have the latest fashion trends, and encourages self-discipline in respecting the requirements and expectations of an organisation that students belong to.

Mr David Stonestreet
Principal

Nathan Rattenbury in Year 2 has been constantly displaying and using the Learning for Life framework in the classroom and playground. He is a Resilient and Collaborative learner. Nathan has been learning new things by revisiting the answers that were incorrect. He says learning means “adapting”.

Atticus Griskaitis in Year 6 pushes himself to do his best, even when tasks are challenging or uncertain. He asks thoughtful questions, checks his understanding, and is willing to try new approaches when something isn’t working. Atticus shows the Resilient domain through Experimenting in his learning. He has been catching up on tests and planning his time well. Atticus thinks learning means “figuring out new things”.

Miles Reardon in Year 7 actively participates in both practical and theory lessons and he is willing to take risks in both contexts. He demonstrates the dispositions of Adapting and Persevering. Miles has been reflecting on quizzes and revising mistakes. He says learning is “putting things into your brain and learning more about what you already know."

Samantha Homola in Year 12 always gives her best effort, persisting until she succeeds and motivates others to do the same in a really positive way. She demonstrates skills in the Resilient and Reflective domains. Samantha has been reflecting on her Trial exams by learning from errors. She says learning means “growing”.

Mrs Rachel Robinson
Academic Head

We will begin with the attendance and pastoral care modules. Parents will need to access Compass to respond to attendance notices and keep up to date with any awards or pastoral care notices for your child. 

Due to the complexity of switching to a new system, in Term 4 2025 only, we will not provide progressive assessment feedback though Compass. We are committed to partnering with parents and providing regular feedback to students and parents. More information about how we will do this in Term 4 will be communicated later this term. Progressive feedback will be reintroduced via the app in Term 1 2026. Parents will receive Semester 2 Reports in Compass.

An amazing team has been working tirelessly behind the scenes for over a year to position us well for the launch. Teachers and other key staff members have begun training and we are feeling confident that everything will progress well in the coming weeks.

Our team is excited about this improvement, and we look forward to continuing to provide our students, staff and families with a school information system that supports learning and wellbeing.

If you have any questions or concerns you may email me at deputy@shirechristian.nsw.edu.au.

Mr Paul Carter
Deputy Principal 

Lodging your interest closes today with schedules emailed next Monday 8 September.

Mr Paul Carter
Deputy Principal

This is exactly what I did. I played on sporting teams, was stage crew for the school productions and played bass in the school band. I had a great time and this is probably the main reason I have never left school. While I didn’t enjoy every aspect of school, the positive experiences outweighed the negative.

Although I am older now, this little theory hasn’t changed in my mind. Every student needs to have something that draws them to school each day. For some, it is the love of the traditional classroom. They thrive learning about Science, English or Mathematics (yes, some students love learning about Mathematics). For others, they get a chance to shine on the sporting fields, in music ensembles or in a school production. Many of our students enjoy serving the school through charity fundraising days and leading Cru. Involvement in these broad range of activities our school offers enables students to feel more connected in the school community.

One of the diverse opportunities that Shire Christian School offers students is Robocup. A group of our students committed to training for this event involving designing and programming robots to compete in a series of challenges. Our team was wildly successful at the recent regional competition, and many of the students will represent our school at a National tournament in Canberra during the upcoming school holidays. I would like to express my gratitude to Mrs Hampson and Mr Pinn for their dedication to this endeavour. I also want to congratulate the students who took part! If my theory is correct, I am sure they are incredibly proud of what they have achieved, and I trust they feel more connected to school through their participation.

Mr David Collins
Head of Secondary School

This week, our Prep Father’s Day mornings were a wonderful celebration! Our dads enjoyed bacon and egg rolls before joining their children to create dioramas and play a variety of games indoors and outdoors. There were smiles, laughter, and lots of fun – from imaginary tea parties and dress-ups to puzzles, ring toss, and chasings!

We’re excited to continue the celebration this Monday with our Donuts for Dads morning. All fathers and father-figures are warmly invited to join us in the quad for outdoor games with their children, take a selfie at our display, and then enjoy a special assembly featuring dad jokes, Bible readings, and even a song! And of course, the morning will finish with coffee and donuts for our dads.

We are already halfway through the term, and our students have enjoyed an exciting range of experiences – from sporting and robotics competitions to our NAIDOC assembly, class excursions, a visit from the Kuyper Christian College band, swimming lessons, MAF paper plane competitions, and, of course, the joy of Book Week. It is always a pleasure to visit classrooms and see the rich learning opportunities and conversations taking place.

Looking ahead, a reminder that in Week 8 (17 September) we will be celebrating Grandparent's Day. Further details will be shared via email and flyers soon.

Today, our Year 12 students also announced the dress-up theme for their Year 12 Activities Day (24 September). This year’s theme is Western – so get ready for boots, hats, and a touch of cowboy flair!

Mrs Ruth Cooper
Head of Junior School 

Junior School highlights – A clean sweep! 

In the Novice OnStage division:

• “Chocolatiers” Isabelle, Sofia, Gaia, Annabel – 1st Place. (2nd overall across both competition days)
• “Wonders” Blair, Lola, Grace – 2nd Place.
• “Zoo Keepers” Miriam, Olivia – 3rd Place.

Finalists – Jonathan and Lincoln advanced to the finals in the highly competitive category Primary Rescue Line – a significant achievement in itself.

These results are especially impressive given it was the first competition experience for 6 of the 7 Junior teams!

Secondary School Highlights

OnStage Open Performance – 1st Place. Willow, Joel, Annabel and Ben triumphed with their creative “Da Force” piece, a Star Wars inspired performance using LEGO Spike robotics.

OnStage Novice Performance – 1st Place. The spirited Wonderlandians – Mia, Elise, Caitlyn and Emmie (Year 7) – captivated judges with their Alice in Wonderland scene.

Riley Rover Rescue Line – 2nd Place. Hunter and Lev secured second place and are well place to head to Nationals in October.

Our students faced stiff competition from state, Catholic, independent schools and robotics clubs across NSW, including MLC, Trinity and St George Christian School.

Our Enrichment Coordinator, Leonie Hampson, captured the feeling from the day:

“Wow – what an exciting week we had! … Our teams showed incredible resilience, problem-solving, collaboration and persistence … I am so incredibly proud of their effort leading up to and at the State competition.” 

Shire Christian School’s success isn't new, it's a continuation of our strong performance in robotics. In August 2022, a Year 6 team placed first in NSW in the LEGO Spike Prime Competition with their creative “Stego-Saw-Us!” project. In June 2023, our teams achieved a second consecutive first-place win in the NSW SPIKE Prime Challenge, competing against over 50 schools across the state. At the 2024 National RoboCup Competition in Brisbane, our teams earned outstanding rankings, including 2nd place internationally and 1st in Australia in our division, an impressive showing on the national stage. This exceptional record showcases our sustained commitment to innovation, teamwork and excellence.

With multiple teams set to head to Nationals in October in Canberra, the next few weeks are filled with anticipation and preparation. 

Thursday workshops are being organised for teams to refine their builds and coding, and a holiday workshop will also be held to support further preparation. As Mrs Hampson shared, many students were already brainstorming improvements for next time.

Our robotics program continues to thrive thanks to the dedication and support of our parents and teaching staff. 

This year, Mr Rhys Williams and Mr Chris Pinn have been working closely with our Secondary teams, while Mrs Felicity Veltmeyer and Miss Ashleigh Hackfath have been supporting our Junior teams. We are also very grateful to the many teachers who drop into the IRC during the afternoon workshops to encourage students and help with odd jobs. Their commitment and support plays a vital role in the growth and success of the program.

To our amazing students, you amaze us with your confidence, creativity and teamwork.

From state champions to national finalists, our robotics teams continue to demonstrate what’s possible when creativity, collaboration and passion come together!

Ribbons will be handed out once we receive them. 

CSSA Athletics Carnival – South Met Zone

On Friday 22 August, 20 of our students represented the school at the CSSA Athletics Carnival held at Blacktown Athletics Track. After almost two weeks of heavy rain, there was some uncertainty about whether all events would go ahead. Fortunately, the clouds cleared and the day began with warm-ups under a patch of sunshine.

Our students competed with determination and displayed outstanding sportsmanship, not only supporting each other but also cheering on athletes from other schools. It was wonderful to see so many of our students achieving excellent results across both track and field events. We are very proud of the way they represented our school.

CIS Athletics

Today seven of our students met at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre for the CIS Primary Athletics Championships. The day began with Evie representing us in the 1500m event. She ran extremely well, slashing a phenomenal 9 seconds off her CSSA time.

Up next was the Jnr Girls 100m Relay where Eva, Eve, Frankie and Evie competed against the best of the best relay teams. They beat their CSSA time by almost 3 seconds. A terrific result!

Next up was our youngest competitor Khadiatu, representing us in the 100m dash, finishing in the top 8 of her age group. Evie wrapped up the track events with the 800m.

On the field we had Mia and Isla representing us in the Jnr and 12 year old girls shot put. Both girls threw well, Mia finishing 12th and Isla finishing 10th in their respective age groups.

We are incredibly proud of our students, both for their dedication in the lead-up to this event and for their achievements today. Congratulations!

Miss Ashleigh Hackfath
Junior School Sports Coordinator 

The Southern Metropolitan Zone team, which our school is a part of, finished 3rd overall out of the 8 Zones represented – a brilliant result. Special congratulations go to:

• Tammy (Javelin)
• Michaela (Javelin)
• Jacob (Discus)
• Sam S (200m)

Each of these students won their event with a performance that bettered their CSSA Zone result. A big thank you to Mr Bluhdorn, who assisted with the Javelin event on the day and captured some great photos. 

The CSSA State team is yet to be announced, but typically the top 2-3 finishers in each event progress to the NSW CIS Athletics Carnival, scheduled for Tuesday 23 September. Families will be notified by email once final selections are confirmed.

Thank you again to all students for representing both our school and our Zone with such distinction.

Mr Troy Dixon

It was an exciting opportunity for students to combine their passion for gaming with the values of sportsmanship and collaboration.

We congratulate our team for their efforts and look forward to seeing this program continue to grow in the years ahead.

Once again, I was challenged and admonished for my ‘inbuilt’ underestimation of the power of God’s Word in its ‘simplicity’ to lead people to Christ and to find new life in him. We heard of a man who had, all his life, ridiculed the whole idea of there being a God who had revealed himself in a person (Christ) and in a book (the Bible), and who had brought up his children to have the same dismissive attitude. One of his sons came home from school one day to find his parents sitting on the front verandah, with his sceptical father in tears! The father explained to the boy how he had accepted Jesus as his Saviour, and this strange idea so surprised and distressed the son that he went to his room and picked up the Gideon Bible he had been given in Year 7, a few years before. He started to read in the back of this little red book about how to discover in it the way of salvation. The son testified that the change he observed in his father was as undeniable as it was inexplicable, and he too gave his life to Jesus as a result of what he read in his Bible.

Amazing as this story is, it is entirely consistent with what God had revealed to the prophet Isaiah: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

I am so encouraged by, and thank God for, the dedication, commitment and perseverance of the Gideons. I still pray that the red pocket-sized bibles will not just be ‘red’, but will be ‘read’, and that the Holy Spirit will carry through in many young lives what he promised through Isaiah - if not immediately, at least eventually!

Our Pastor added his own testimony to the presentation at our Church, telling of how the ‘Gideon Bible’ he had received at school had been the first Bible he had ever had, and of how he had recently visited an old, non-Christian school friend and noticed the little red ‘Gideon Bible’ sitting in a prominent position on his friend’s bookshelf - waiting to be read?

Satan obviously knows all these things, and so the Gideons are experiencing strong world-wide opposition to their distribution program in schools, universities, hotels, etc. I hope we are praying hard that this opposition will be frustrated and that we will continue to see this ministry expand and be effective in bringing people to faith in Christ. I am reminded of the encouragement Paul gave to young Timothy: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” (2 Timothy 2:8-10)

Rev Bruce Christian

First published Aug 2019

Families can set up an account online or via the app using the instructions provided. Please set up a profile for each child to help us distribute the food.

Orders can be placed up until 8am on the day of delivery, an added convenience for families, now able to decide at the last minute to order lunch for their children. This time will be reviewed and adjusted if demand requires, and parents will be notified in advance by email.

While limited snacks are available on the School Fuel menu, parents should be aware that with delivery later in the day to keep the food fresh, snacks should still be provided for Break 1.

Junior School students will have their orders brought to their classroom. Secondary School students can collect their order during Break 2 (12:27pm) in the Year 12 area outside Student Services. Secondary students are responsible for collecting their orders from this location.

The partnership with Subway, with lunch available on Mondays and Fridays, will be trialled for all of Term 3. We hope this arrangement will provide a healthy convenient option for our families.

That means families choosing an Independent school aren’t just investing in their child’s future; they’re supporting jobs, regional development, and easing the burden on public education.

In NSW, Independent schools contributed $14.9 billion in economic activity and provided 33,760 full-time equivalent jobs - that’s more than Telstra or Qantas nationally. They also supported a further 43,182 jobs in flow-on employment AND saved taxpayers $4.92 billion in school operating and construction costs.

Shire Christian School is proud to be part of a sector that delivers such wide-reaching benefits to our community and our country.

However, the continuing decrease in government funding for our school has necessitated increases in tuition fees at a rates higher than general inflation. This situation continues to challenge the finances of Christian schools. Parents are encouraged to write to their local federal member about this issue:

David Moncreiff MP (Electorate of Hughes): David.Moncrieff.MP@aph.gov.au

Simon Kennedy MP (Electorate of Cook): https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=267506#t2-content-panel

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.

The initiative is designed to build community, encourage support for our families who are business owners and provide access to goods and services from within our community.

If you’re going to spend anyway, why not spend with a local Shire Christian School connected business and invest in your community.

View the directory on our website or register your business.