Our teachers provide continuous feedback throughout the year to update parents on their child’s progress. Given the restrictions on the number of timeslots available, we ask that parents only request a booking if you have a specific question or concern to discuss with a certain teacher.

Parents will receive an email next Friday with booking details. Bookings are expected to open on Monday evening 31st August.

Mr Paul Carter
Deputy Principal

1. What was it that made you enrol in the Biblical Foundations course?

After spending most of my teaching career in public schools, teaching and writing programs from a Christian perspective was an area I wanted to explore more deeply and improve in. I thought enrolling in the course would be a good way to develop my understanding and further equip me as a Christian teacher.

2. What were the highlights of the course?

The sessions with our tutor Sam Burrows were a highlight, he challenged us to think a lot about how we teach the bible to our students, plus how we read it for ourselves. I also enjoyed the content immensely, especially studying how the big themes of the Bible develop throughout Scripture and ultimately point towards Christ and God’s purposes for His people.

3. Did you find that you had to use any of the learning dispositions? If so, which ones, how and in what ways?

Yes... a lot.

One that stood out for me was being resilient. The course was hard, and it involved writing essays at a level which I haven't done for a really long time. I also had to think and respond critically with my own ideas to biblical concepts which was a bit intimidating at first. Not giving up, even when it got hard, required a lot of perseverance, especially during a busy term at school.

The other one that stood out was being a Reflective learner. I really needed to use the dispositions of planning, distilling and reviewing to help me stay organised, refine my thinking and give careful consideration to each of the concepts we were learning. A shout out to Mr Walker who read over my essays, and gave me feedback, which I was then able to use to improve my final submissions.

4. What helped you when you were in the learning pit?

When I was stuck (which happened often) I learned to be very resourceful, and was reminded how relational learning is. I needed to ask for help from others, and to consider a wide range of perspectives when responding to some of the questions posed in the course.

How have you used the knowledge and confidence that you have gained either in your classroom or in other areas of ministry?

Within my classroom, I feel better equipped to explore the Bible with my students in a meaningful way. I am also more confident in embedding a biblical perspective throughout new and existing programs, as well as during class devotions and Bible lessons. My own personal reading of the Bible was also strengthened, giving me greater confidence to understand Scripture and engage with difficult questions about our faith. I was also shown so many great resources to use in the classroom to help explain the bible and life as a part of God's Kingdom.

What advice would you have to other people looking into further learning about theology and Christian education?

It was challenging, but I found being pushed to think more deeply about biblical concepts and their implications for Christian education was really worthwhile. Further learning about theology and Christian Education won’t just develop your understanding of your role as a Christian educator; it will also help you grow in your understanding of the Bible and what it means to be a follower of Christ yourself.

Mrs Felicity Veltmeyer
Year 6 Teacher

Mrs Rachel Robinson
Academic Head

On Wednesday evening we were able to celebrate the outstanding work of our Year 12 students at the HSC Showcase night. It was pleasing that so many of our community came together to support and recognise the projects and performances that required great perseverance and effort over the last twelve months. There were also students from the younger years looking at the projects, dreaming it would be them in the future.

I would like to express my gratitude to the teachers of these classes. They provide incredible support for the students as they journey with them from idea to completion. I know that many students also are provided with assistance from their families as they star in movie productions or provide encouragement when the student doesn’t know what to do next.

Mr David Collins
Head of Secondary

The hike took place over four nights, through a beautiful landscape. Although the elevation was forgiving, the terrain was truly challenging, with much of it consisting of deep sand. We travelled over 60 km over the five days and saw all kinds of beautiful aspects of God’s creation along the way.

From blisters, dingos and swimming, to a mass of wildlife, this hike had it all. At one of the lakes, we swam and met a young man, Harry from the UK. Some of our finest invited him to join in their game of "sharkie" in the water. These students showed care and respect for the young man and had an incredible time.

At night, Jacob (the animal whisperer) shuffled around the campsites with his UV torch finding little critters, (definitely not picking up the scorpions ;) showing us different aspects of God’s beautiful creation at all times.

On the topic of animals, thank you again Isabella for stopping me from stepping on a large snake:)

Duke of Ed has meant a lot to me over these three years. It has helped me step outside my normal comfort zone and relate to my friends in ways I never have before. I hope that more students choose to join the Duke of Edinburgh program, grow in their strengths and grow as people.

Benjamin
Year 11 Student

Drawing on the artistic practices and processes of Australian artist John Wolseley, students explored ways of responding to place through close observation, experimentation and an awareness of the natural environment. They transformed their original grounds into detailed and expressive artworks, incorporating drawing using a range of materials and techniques.

The finished works are fantastic and demonstrate the students’ creativity, experimentation and ability to translate their experience of the landscape into unique artworks.

We are delighted to currently have these Year 10 works on display in the school office, where they can be enjoyed by our school community.

Mrs Annika Hackfath
Visual Arts Teacher

Shire's 15&U girls and boys teams headed to Penrith for the CSSA State Oztag Championships. Our girls team were the defending champions and, with close to 30 girls registering for the trials, I felt we would again be in the mix at the end of the day.

The girls cruised through their four pool games without conceding a try, while scoring 16 of their own. Finishing at the top of their pool, they progressed to the semi-final against Coffs Harbour Christian School and secured a 5-0 victory. This led to a Grand Final rematch against Inaburra.

Our girls raced to a 3-0 lead in the first half with some excellent attacking football, capitalising on their superior ball skills and pace. We conceded our only try of the day with two minutes remaining in the Grand Final, securing a 3-1 victory.

I was impressed by the girls' composure under fatigue and the high level of trust they showed in the ability and efforts of their teammates. Alice K did a fabulous job leading the team. Her footy IQ, competitive nature and positive encouragement set a terrific example for her teammates.

Our boys team started strongly with convincing wins against Cedars, Waroonga and Toongabbie. Heading into our final pool game against Shellharbour Anglican School, both teams were undefeated and the winner would progress to the semi-final. Unfortunately, we fell behind early in the first half and could not bounce back against a strong Shellharbour side, who ultimately went on to win the championship.

I was a proud coach of the boys squad, who gave their all throughout the day. The boys finished a valiant second in their pool.

Thank you to Mrs Hamilton for her ongoing expertise and support of school sport, and to all our players who once again represented our School community so well, both on and off the field.

Mr Troy Dixon
Secondary School Sports Coordinator

Thank you and congratulations to the 80-plus students who headed to the Campbelltown Athletics Track for the recent CSSA Zone Athletics competition. In our team meeting, we spoke about being physically and mentally prepared, striving for personal bests and giving your all. I was impressed to see so many of you compete in that manner, which was fantastic to witness.

Age Champion
Congratulations to Elijah, who was named 14 Years Age Champion.

Congratulations also to our record-breaking U14 Boys 4x100m relay team of Ryan W, Alex T, Nathan B and Elijah H, who broke the record with a lightning-fast time of 50.22 seconds, taking more than a second off the previous record.

Nearly 30 students will compete at the CSSA State Athletics Championships on Thursday 27 August at Sydney Olympic Park. We look forward to cheering them on and sharing an update on their performances.

Mr Troy Dixon
Secondary Sports Coordinator

Shire Christian sent four teams to the CSSA Zone Basketball Gala Days, competing against 37 other teams across the 15s and Opens divisions.

It has been fantastic to see the dedication of both the girls' and boys' squads, who have been training since the end of last term under the guidance of Mrs Henderson and Coach Kingston. Their preparation, commitment and developing team chemistry were evident across both days of competition.

15s Girls

The 15s Girls had an outstanding pool stage, defeating every team and progressing through to the Grand Final against St George Christian School. The final was a tough contest, with the scores tied at the end of regulation time, forcing the game into extra time. Despite the pressure and fatigue, the girls remained calm and composed to secure the victory. It was a genuine team effort, with every player contributing throughout the day.

15s Boys

The 15s Boys produced some strong performances throughout the day, recording several impressive wins during their pool games. They were involved in a number of very close contests that unfortunately did not fall their way, but they continued to compete with great skill and teamwork. It will be exciting to see what this group can achieve as they continue to develop and progress through the age divisions.

Open Girls

The Open Girls delivered some excellent performances, securing strong results in a competitive division. They narrowly missed progressing to the finals but should be proud of the way they played, demonstrating resilience and improvement throughout the day. Their athleticism and the skills they brought from a range of other sports were evident, adding great energy and versatility to the team.

Open Boys

The Open Boys also enjoyed an outstanding pool stage, going undefeated to earn their place in the Grand Final against Inaburra. They fought hard in the final but unfortunately went down in a tough contest. Reaching the Grand Final and finishing second after an undefeated run through the pool games was a fantastic achievement. Well done, boys!

Congratulations to all four teams on the way they represented Shire Christian. They should be very proud of their performances.

Mr Troy Dixon
Secondary Sports Coordinator

Mrs Kelly Henderson
PDHPE Teacher

After a long and successful season, our U15 Girls headed to Valentine Park to compete in the CSSA State Finals. All the zone winners from across the state came together for a day of highly competitive and positive football.

In our pool, we played Tyndale, Parkes and Calderwood, recording three strong wins without conceding a goal. Progressing to the semi-final against Mamre, who defeated us in the 2025 final, our girls produced their most clinical performance of the day, securing a 4-1 victory.

Up against a strong Northern Beaches Christian School team in the Grand Final, our girls again displayed a high level of skill and commitment. We fell behind 1-0 and were unable to find the equaliser despite creating opportunities and competing strongly throughout the match.

We greatly appreciate the high standards the girls have set again this season. Their positive attitude, inclusiveness, willingness to welcome new players into the squad and strong mindset have been outstanding.

Thank you to Mrs Hamilton and Mr Holden for their efforts in coaching the girls throughout the season.

Mr Troy Dixon
Secondary Sports Coordinator

We have, therefore, a very valuable lesson to learn from David in dealing with such opposition as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ today, in a culture whose basic mantra is: 'We don’t want this Man to rule over us'.(Luke 19:14).  As the Apostle Paul warned young Timothy: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:12).  The Apostle Peter warns us that Satan is our greatest enemy: “Be sober-minded; be watchful . Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) - a good description of the MO of David’s ‘enemies’.

So what is that great King’s strategy to deal with such a situation?  Firstly, to acknowledge his utter dependence on his God for wisdom, guidance and personal assistance, and secondly, by implication, to apply himself diligently to the constant, daily, prayerful meditation on God’s Word, the weapon God Himself has provided “for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness”, so that I “may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

David prays: “ Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path.” The word translated ‘level’ is used only 10 times in the Pentateuch and Historical Writings (Joshua and Samuel/Kings/Chronicles), where it has the geographical meaning of a tableland or plain, and 13 times in the Psalms and Prophets, where it carries a more metaphorical meaning connected with ‘straight’, ‘upright’, and ‘righteous’.

What a great source of wisdom this is for us today!  Satan is still alive and active with his strategy of cunning and deception.  He even has the use of a much more effective and lethal weapon than he had in David’s day.  It’s  called ‘Technology’.  Like most of Satan’s armory, it is something that is very good and helpful in itself (How ever did I cope before I could have multiple versions of the whole Bible - including the original Hebrew and Greek - with search tools and commentaries that used to occupy much shelf space in my study, to have these always readily available in my pocket?).

Satan will do anything to stop me taking David’s advice.  He is a master at using my useful technology to distract me from what I am doing, to distort truth, to lure me into unwholesome thoughts, to undermine valuable and important relationships through the use of social media, and to try to discourage and/or distress me in any way he can, such as with over-sensationalised or fake news.

“Teach me thy way, O Lord; teach me thy way!  Thy guiding grace afford; teach me thy way!  Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight; lead me with heav’nly light; teach me thy way!  When I am sad at heart, teach me thy way!  When earthly joys depart, teach me thy way!  In hours of loneliness, in times of dire distress, in failure or success, teach me thy way!  When doubts and fears arise, teach me thy way!  When storms o'erspread the skies, teach me thy way!  Shine thro' the cloud and rain, thro' sorrow, toil, and pain; make thou my pathway plain; teach me thy way!  Long as my life shall last, teach me thy way!  Where’er my lot be cast, teach me thy way!  Until the race is run, until the journey’s done, until the crown is won, teach me thy way!” (B. Mansell Ramsey).

Rev Bruce Christian

Thursday 27 August
8am – 12pm

Families are invited to purchase books on the day, with payment available by cash or card . If a particular title is unavailable, orders can be placed and delivered to the school once they arrive.

Best of all, every purchase makes a difference. All proceeds from this year's Book Fair will be donated to Brewarrina Christian School, helping to support their students and library resources.

Thank you for partnering with us to encourage a love of reading and for supporting this year's Symphony of Stories Book Week celebrations. We look forward to sharing this special event with you.

Mrs Kirren Wilson
Librarian

Yes... there WILL be prizes!

Winners will be announced at the Book Week Parade in the Junior School Assembly Area at 8:40 AM on Thursday 27 August .

Grab your pens, count your words, and show us your love for books!

Mrs Anita Walker

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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.

We hope this arrangement will provide a healthy convenient option for our families.