The principles of Universal Design were founded by architects in an attempt to make buildings and spaces more accessible to people with disabilities, and in doing so benefits for all are seen. For example, the inclusion of an elevator in a building permits access to individuals who are wheelchair bound, in addition to all patrons who may use the elevator for speed and ease.

We apply Universal Design for Learning to the classroom, enabling teachers to break down barriers to curriculum and learning for every student. For example, a student with a hearing impairment may benefit from captions being visible when students watch a video. Not only will this support benefit the focus of students but will also aid others in the understanding and retention of information.

Students who require specialised instruction, either remedially or for enrichment, receive small group lessons from learning support teachers and classroom teachers in certain areas of the curriculum such as literacy, numeracy and critical thinking. Teachers explain concepts to students and provide them with direction and structure to help them complete learning activities in an emotionally safe environment.

Teachers and teacher’s aides work as a team, with a shared understanding of the lesson objectives. The teacher’s aide looks for opportunities to allow students to attempt parts of tasks independently, and to experience a healthy mix of success and challenge.

Students with specific disabilities may require an Individual Plan to enable them to access the curriculum. Learning Support teachers work collaboratively with classroom teachers, Psychologists, Speech Therapists and Occupational Therapists to implement adjustments and make modifications where necessary.

At Shire Christian School, we seek to ensure that every student is individually catered for, in a safe and supportive environment, so that all students will learn, achieve and thrive.

Jennifer Grose
Junior School Learning Support Co-ordinator

Lauren Dalrymple
Secondary School Learning Support Co-ordinator

As I reflect back on the year that was, we have a lot to celebrate and be thankful to God for. It has been wonderful to see students interact so positively with their teachers and each other as they learn and develop as individuals. I'm thankful for the support of the parents in working with our dedicated teachers to help every child feel that they are a valued part of a Christian community and to create an environment where children can achieve to the best of their ability.

Over the course of the year, I have tried to reinforce the importance of excellent relationships and an emotionally safe school environment as an important foundation for students learning and achieving. In addition to this, the school has increased its emphasis on timely and meaningful feedback on student work so that students will be clearly informed on how they can improve. I trust the feedback parents have received through Seqta on student learning has been helpful.

From time to time over the course of the year I have promoted our school’s 7C’s:

• Christian character
• community
• communication
• creativity
• curiosity
• critical thinking
• core knowledge and skills

Interestingly, a debate has developed in the mainstream media on the place of what are commonly known as 21st-century skills, some of which are embedded in our 7Cs. Many independent schools have appointed teachers to senior executive roles such as “Director of 21st century learning” or “Director of teaching and learning” as a way of driving perceived 21st-century skills such as creativity and critical thinking.

However, the recently retired chairman of the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, Prof Steven Schwartz, recently said ‘the 21st century skills movement is the latest in a long line of educational fads’.

I must say I find it quite bizarre that curiosity, creativity and critical thinking are seen as 21st-century skills. I reflect on the astonishing creativity and curiosity of 16th century artist Michelangelo and the 18th century musician Beethoven. The early 20th century scientist Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, was an outstanding critical thinker, as was the 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace, who is arguably the most famous woman in maths history who designed instructions for the analytical engine, being the precursor to the modern computer.

I'm sure that many more people from our past could be added to this list and of course we shouldn't forget Luther and Calvin who exercised extraordinary critical thinking skills to challenge the teaching of the Catholic Church and establish reformed theology, on which our school is founded.

We don't need to look to famous people to see that creativity, curiosity and critical thinking are not purely the domain of the 21st-century. These skills were exercised by indigenous people for centuries in managing land and by Australia's emancipated convicts who were given land to farm and make a living.

A key concern of Prof Schwartz in relation to 21st-century skills is that a significant number of educators seem to be arguing that critical thinking, for example, can be taught in a vacuum. He rightly says that “children cannot learn to be critical thinkers until they have actually learned something to think about”. I couldn't agree more. That is why one of our 7C’s is core knowledge and skills. For students to criticise an event in history, a concept in a poem or a scientific theory, they need an accurate body of knowledge and facts from which to form an opinion.

I am thankful for our teaching staff who are seeking to craft lessons which meaningfully develop our interrelated 7Cs. I am also thankful that these crafted lessons have God's word and a Christian worldview as their foundation. Please continue to pray for our teachers as they seek to develop their lessons with this in mind. 

Speaking of teachers, I am pleased to advise that the last of our Junior School teaching vacancies has been filled by Miss Sylvia Wong. Sylvia presented very well in her employment interviews and persuaded the interview panel that she is a faithful, skilled Christian teacher who will make a great contribution to our school. 

As I close, I do so enjoying a coffee and delicious chocolate cupcake made for the Year 7 and 8 cupcake day. Many thanks to all parents and students who made sweet treats to raise money for our Compassion sponsor children. 

Mr Brett Hartley
Principal  

• The visitor parking spaces will be moved from immediately in front of the Year 6 classrooms to the main parking area. The disabled parking space will remain adjacent to the turning circle.
• A kiss and drop zone will be painted onto the current turning circle drop off area.
• When dropping off students, drivers are asked to move forward to the front of the painted area and not leave gaps between cars. Cars should pull in close to the curb to allow the buses to navigate around the cars.
• If drivers choose to navigate around stationary cars to drop off children towards the front of the drop-off zone, they should proceed cautiously. In most instances, it is preferable that they wait for the cars in front of them to drive off and then move forward into the drop-off area.
• Adults will be asked not to drop off children anywhere other than in the kiss and drop zone, unless they park on the street and bring their children in to the school. Parents are asked not to drop off their children on the concrete strip between the 2 exit driveways.
• Buses will drop off students in the exit lane closest to the oval. The middle exit gate is for cars only.

Mr Brett Hartley
Principal 

As is our current practice, teachers will email the parents of their class during our January Staff Week to welcome them.

Junior School concludes with our family picnic day at Prince Edward Park, Woronora on Wednesday 12th December. A note will be sent home next week. Come along if you are able and enjoy the final day of 2018 together.

Mr Paul Carter
Head of Junior School

Mrs Sharon Abrahams

As the Author of Hebrews says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1), and, with the Apostle Paul, we can “know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). The frightening level of despair, suicide, reckless and hedonistic living that we are seeing in our society today are all symptoms of a loss of Biblical ‘hope’ - the inevitable consequence of excluding God from our worldview.

Paul prayed for the Christians in Rome (whose situation was not unlike ours!), 'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.' (Romans 15:13). How can we be used by God to bring his ‘hope’ to our increasingly ‘hopeless’ society? By seeing him so fill us with his ‘joy’ and ‘peace’ that ‘hope’ starts oozing out of our ears (or, rather, our mouths).

In the daily devotions my wife and I use (RBC ‘Our Daily Bread’), we were reminded the other day of the instruction: 'Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.' (Hebrews 10:23-25). This is just another reminder of the point I was making in the ‘Barnabas Blog’ in the last Newsletter, about how important it is for us to keep on ‘encouraging one another’ in these things - in our local Church Communities, in our School Community, in our families, - in fact, wherever we have the opportunity. As Moses impressed upon the Israelites as they prepared to enter the ‘Promised Land’: 'These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. … be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.' (Deuteronomy 6:6-8, 12)

Bruce Christian

All Christian Schools across Australia are being called to observe a National Day of Prayer for Religious Freedom on this day. Our school will participate, however will hold our prayer meeting on Friday instead.

We hope to see you there.

Boxes of a dozen donuts are available for pre-sale for $24. This entitles the student to a bonus donut to collect at lunch. These will be available to pick up in the breezeway at the end of school day. If you wish to order a box, please place you order on TryBooking by Monday 26th November.

So students, come along to CRU, join in the games, hear some fantastic music, fill your stomach with sweetness and hear a great gospel message!

The form to enrol in the program for 2019 is now available.

If you have any questions or would like to be emailed a brochure of the program, please contact the music department at music@shirechristian.nsw.edu.au.