Teaching is a little bit like witnessing a symphony – the concert is so amazing, you often don’t realise what it takes to get there. The same is true for teaching. So much time goes on “behind the scenes”, preparation, collaboration, professional learning, reviewing, assessing and prayer, that by the time teachers get to teach the actual lesson, they often make it look easy. At Shire, we have a broad range of teachers, some who are new to the profession and some who are very experienced. Our mentoring program this year has enabled collaboration and sharing of expertise and wisdom; developing wonderful relationships that foster trust and empathy. So many opportunities for teachers to build up their colleagues and champion each other.  

Teaching is a profession where no two days are ever the same and there is tremendous joy in developing a positive rapport with our students. Can I encourage you to perhaps thank a teacher who has made (or is making) a difference to your child’s life? Or, if our Secondary School students are reading this, email the teacher yourself. Proverbs 16:24 tell us that, "Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

I’m sure if you took just a few minutes to write an email to a teacher to encourage them, it would mean so much. 

Mrs Rachel Robinson
Academic Head

I encourage all members of our school community to uphold these students in prayer. While naturally we would love all our students to achieve strong results, my growing prayer is that God would open the right doors for them as they move into their next phase of life.

The program encouraged students to consider how they can draw on these strengths when facing challenges, making decisions and navigating change. Importantly, students were reminded of the truth that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), and that each person is uniquely created and valued by God.

This focus on recognising strengths and building resilience has also been beautifully reflected in our recent camps. Years 4 and 5 each enjoyed two spectacular days at Anglican Youthworks' Rathane campsite, where students embraced new challenges, worked together and strengthened friendships. From problem-solving to build rafts and catapults, to manoeuvring canoes, sailing, rock climbing and fishing along the picturesque Port Hacking River, students had many opportunities to step outside their comfort zones and encourage one another. It was a privilege to visit the students and share in their laughter, camaraderie and teamwork. We praise God for these wonderful opportunities to build resilience, forge friendships and help our students discover the strengths He has given them.

Let’s celebrate our teachers - Thank you Teachers

Next Friday we will celebrate ‘World Teachers Day’, and I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our wonderful teachers. The theme this year is ‘Teacher’s light the way’, and in a Christian school, we recognise that our teachers reflect the light of Jesus, who is the light of the world, (John 8:12). They shine a light on God’s Word, and help our students explore it more deeply. As a leader, I am deeply thankful for the professional and passionate way our teachers continue to provide rich and meaningful learning opportunities for our students. Thank you teachers; Your commitment, care, and excellence make a lasting impact on the lives of our students, and for that, we are truly blessed.

Mrs Ruth Cooper
Head of Junior School

Our six Rescue Line teams faced a gruelling schedule, navigating over 12 highly challenging courses against more than 50 teams in each division, across two intense days of competition. Competing in the Riley Rescue, Primary Line, and Secondary Line divisions, our teams delivered excellent results. While they missed out on the finals, our team's showed great perseverance, as they supported and encouraged each other, working on refining builds, code and strategies to complete the challenging courses.  Special congratulations goes to our Year 6 team, “We are not Lining” (Jordan, Vivian, Wesley, and Ruby), who took home the prestigious Innovation Award, for their creative and well designed robot called , “Noobie” – a fantastic achievement!

The OnStage competition is a massive undertaking, requiring teams to design, build, and program robots to perform a choreographed routine to music or tell a story. Managing an impressive fleet of 9 robots per team, extensive props and costumes, our Novice and Open teams delivered near-perfect performances. They also created a very detailed poster showing their design process and took part in a rigorous 20-minute technical interview explaining their original builds and complex code.

We are thrilled to announce that our Year 7 team, The Fellowship (Annabel, Lola, and Gaia), placed first in the Novice OnStage Competition! Their creativity, teamwork and engineering growth were truly outstanding. Our Open team ( Cailtyn, Elise, Emmie, Mia), placed 4th overall in this very technical and highly competitive division.

These exceptional results are the product of months of tireless work. Our students dedicated countless Thursday afternoons, lunch breaks and school holiday sessions to perfect their robots and code.

We extend a huge thank you to the "Shire Cheer Squad" – the incredible families who supported the teams, traveled to Canberra and cheered loudly for all our students throughout the weekend. Your support made all the difference! We give thanks to our great God who sustained us all over the weekend and whom we seek to glorify in all we do.

Mrs Leonie Hampson
Junior School Enrichment Coordinator

Mr Chris Pinn
Science Teacher

These nominations recognise exceptional projects and performances and are a significant achievement both for students and their teachers.

Both teams played exceptionally well and faced some strong competition throughout the day. Our girls team finished the day in 3rd place, a fantastic achievement! Our boys team remained undefeated all day and were crowned champions! This is a history-making achievement for our school, and we couldn’t be more proud of their efforts.

The boys will now compete again in November at the State Gala Day. We can’t wait to see what they can achieve!

A huge thank you to all of our students who trained hard, played with determination and supported and cheered each other on throughout the day. Thank you also to the parents who came along to support our teams, and to Mr Choi and Mr Poasa for coaching the boys team.

What an incredible achievement for our school community! Let’s go and win State!

Miss Ashleigh Hackfath
Stage 3 and Junior School Sports Coordinator

I was helped, and challenged, a couple of weeks ago by Spurgeon’s Evening Devotion (October 9) in ‘Morning and Evening’. So I’ll just let the great Nineteenth Century preacher be ‘Barnabas’ for this week. His verse was, “But he answered her not a word” (Matthew 15:23 - concerning a Canaanite woman whose daughter was ‘severely oppressed by a demon’).

“Genuine seekers who as yet have not obtained the blessing, my take comfort from the story before us. The Saviour did not at once bestow the blessing, even thought the woman had great faith in Him. He intended to give it, but he waited awhile. ‘He answered her not a word.’ Were not her prayers good? Never better in the world. Was not her case needy? Sorrowfully needy. Did she not feel her need sufficiently? She felt it overwhelmingly. Was she not earnest enough? She was intensely so. Had she no faith? She had such a high degree of it that even Jesus wondered, and said, ‘O woman, great is your faith.’ See then, although it is true that faith brings peace, yet it does not always bring it instantaneously. There may be certain reasons calling for the trial of faith, rather than the reward of faith. Genuine faith may be in the soul like a hidden seed, but as yet it may not have budded and blossomed into joy and peace. A painful silence from the Saviour is a grievous trial of many a seeking soul, but heavier still is the affliction of a harsh cutting reply such as this, ‘It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and cast it to dogs.’ Many find immediate delight in waiting on the Lord, but this is not the case with all. Some, like the [Philippian] jailer, are in a moment turned from darkness to light, but others are plants of slower growth. A deeper sense of sin may be given to you instead of a sense of pardon, and in such a case you will have need of patience to bear the heavy blow. Ah! poor heart, though Christ beat and bruise you, or even slay you, trust Him: though he should give you an angry word, believe in the love of his heart. Do not, I beseech you, give up seeking or trusting my Master because you have not yet obtained the conscious joy you long for. Cast yourself on Him, and perseveringly depend even where you cannot rejoicingly hope.”

As I read this, I thought of how Jesus challenges me with a parable “to the effect that [I] ought always to pray and not lose heart” a parable about how a persistent widow pleaded with an unrighteous judge who refused to help her at first, but afterward said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming” - a parable Jesus concluded with the encouraging words: “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8).

Rev Bruce Christian

You are encouraged to provide your consent online using the link provided, however, NSW Health have also provided a limited number of paper consent forms, which can be collected from our office staff.

If you would please complete these as soon as possible, if your child is in Year 7 and you would like them to participate in the program at school.

If your child is receiving their vaccination at your GP or you do not give your consent, please let me know asap. I will then inform the NSW Health team, as they require this information.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact NSW Health or myself.

Mrs Susan Murray
JS & SS Administrator

Whether you say a prayer, or feel more comfortable saying ‘Amen’ at the end, please come and join us. It’s a great way to get to know some others and bring our requests to God together.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Andrew & Ruth Barry

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.