Parents who are new to the school may not be aware that I give every child a Freddo on his or her birthday. I am currently trying to catch up with students who celebrated a birthday during the summer holidays. 

Gestures expressing kindness, such as looking out for the lonely and recognising birthdays, may seem small or even naive; however, the cumulative effect of kind gestures and thoughtful actions has a profound effect on a school community. The Bible teaches us to be kind and gentle in our interactions with others. When we treat others this way we honour God and help others to feel that they belong. When students feel this way they should thrive, not just survive, at school. A deep-seated sense of belonging within a school community is an excellent foundation for students to focus on their studies and consistently improve their academic outcomes.

I am very proud of our teachers who go out of their way to perceive student needs and take practical steps to meet those needs. Teachers often intuitively know when a child is struggling academically or socially and they know exactly how to respond. For example, when I taught HSC Legal Studies I knew which students tended to write long winded or superficial essay introductions and I intuitively knew how to improve their writing.

Despite the strength and power of teacher intuition, only the Lord God is omniscient (all knowing). This is one of the reasons why a positive, meaningful partnership between teachers and parents is central to our school. Our parents will know important information about their own children that a teacher would be completely unaware of. That is why our teachers appreciate hearing from parents about student need.

Some of our students have some particular needs that have been identified by an external specialist, such as a clinical psychologist or a doctor. When our school receives reports of this nature we often write an independent plan for that student, which includes appropriate strategies and lessons to cater to these identified needs.

Our school generates or receives a substantial amount of numerical and written data about student academic performance, such as a group work assignment or the results from NAPLAN tests. Each year we receive a large number of statistics in relation to HSC results which help to inform teaching practice for the future.

This year our school will have a special focus on using data to help students learn. Our teachers invested a significant amount of time in the week before students returned to school this year revising and refining how they use information about students. This enables teachers to adjust their teaching practices so that students will learn well and improve their academic results.

I am keen for our parents to be a part of our 2020 focus. We have separate Junior School and Secondary School parent engagement evenings and I have dedicated our plenary sessions to the topic of successful learning – how can data help?

I encourage parents to consider coming along to the parent engagement evenings, where they will also have an opportunity to meet with teachers and hear other important information about the year ahead.

Mr Brett Hartlet
Principal

We also are excited to welcome some new teachers to our Junior School Staff this year, Miss Amy van Santen (1V), Mr Phillip Charleston (2C), Mrs Eloise Beresford (3B) and Miss Mahlia Ohlmus (6O). We also welcome Mrs Leanne Carter teaching with Mrs Belinda Tilley on 2T. We are also excited to announce that Mrs Sonja Whitaker is teaching PE to all students from Kindergarten through to Year 6. 

We are looking forward to partnering with parents as we teach children about God, His creation and His Word. We invite you to attend the coming events to get to know your child’s teacher or please communicate with them through the use of the school diary, email, or meet with them if you prefer. 

If you have any further concerns or questions about our school, you may first speak with Mrs Ruth Cooper (Acting Prep - Year 2 Section Coordinator) or Mr Tim Bluhdorn (Years 3-6 Section Coordinator).

A Class Newsletter from each teacher was forwarded to parents last week. We hope that you found this helpful as it highlighted some important information about Term 1.

This week we thanked and farewelled Mrs Liz Arthur who is beginning maternity leave. Mrs Arthur has been at our school for eight years. During that time she has predominately taught Kindergarten and has led the P-2 Teachers as the Section Coordinator for several years. She is an amazing and innovative teacher, who has also supported and led teachers as the P-2 Section Coordinator in recent years. Liz will be greatly missed. We wish her and Brendon all the very best as they welcome their new little one into their family.

ENGAGE

One of the exciting features in our learning management system – “SEQTA” is the ability for teachers to give immediate written feedback on class tasks to each student and parent. Parents are able to read this feedback in ENGAGE. We will be continuing to use SEQTA ENGAGE to give immediate feedback to students and parents each term in a variety of Curriculum areas. In a couple of week’s time, you will be able to access the tasks set for your child and receive comments from the class teacher letting you know how they are going, particularly in English, Mathematics and Science.

Learning Support Groups commence in the Junior School

Our Literacy, Numeracy and Enrichment Groups commence next week.  These groups help us to further differentiate and cater for the various needs across the Junior School. Literacy Groups are targeted programs for those students who need specific support with Reading, Writing or Spelling. Numeracy Groups provide challenging learning activities for those students in the grade who would benefit from further enrichment in Mathematics. During the past 2 weeks, students have completed a range of assessments that help us determine which students will participate in the various programs. All groups are carefully considered and decisions are based on teachers observations and student data that we have collected via assessments such as Dibels, PAT Maths and AGAT. Each of these groups are fluid and students may transition in and out of the them each term or semester depending on the need of the grade. 

Mr Paul Carter
Head of Junior School

82% of the cohort achieved at least one Band 5 or 6 and two students, Emma Warren and Abbey Baker, received the All Rounder Award for achieving Band 6 results in 10 or more units of study.

Congratulations Kayla Munckton who was selected for Shape, Claire Stafford who was selected for Texstyle and Lilly New who was selected for ARTEXPRESS, collections of the best examples of HSC Major Work from across the state.

The School’s greatest joy is seeing all students achieve to the best of their ability, to the glory of God and is very proud of the senior students who worked hard to improve their learning. 

As part of the walk, these four students travelled to Maria Island, off the east coast of Tasmania. Maria Island is a pristine national park, formerly a place for convicts prior to the establishment of Port Arthur. The four day, three night hike is internationally renown and includes over 70km of hiking through coastal and bush landscapes. 

All four students were required to plan, navigate and lead the walk. 

Great fun was had by all, including: Mr Peter’s close encounter with a Tasmanian devil in his tent, climbing up several mountains and several cold swims in the Tasman Sea. 

Mr Jo Chen

Before that time I taught in schools around London, William Clarke College (in Kellyville) and began my teaching career in Dubbo Christian School. I studied my B.Ed (Secondary) at The University of Sydney and during some Maternity leave completed a Masters of English Literature.

Could you please tell us a bit about yourself?

I originally grew up in the Blue Mountains and attended Blue Mountains Grammar School for High School. At the end of high school I moved down temporarily to the Shire and over the next couple of years became a permanent fixture – apart from my early teaching. Over the years I have been part of Presbyterian churches and Anglican churches. Currently, my family and I attend Soul Revival Church at Kirrawee.

My family consists of my husband Greg and six children – five daughters, four of whom are step-daughters and one son. The eldest two are out of school and the youngest four are in Year 10 and 11.

I’ve been known to ski – which is the only sport I ever really enjoyed; though I love watching football (soccer for the uninitiated) – go Sydney FC. I read (well, I should hope so), occasionally draw/paint, love watching films, swimming and growing plants... it’s a fraught relationship. Plants need to learn to survive with either too much love or chronic neglect.

What are you looking forward to about leading the English faculty and teaching at Shire Christian?

I’m loving being back at Shire Christian. Whilst I left in 2003 I never thought my time had ended. Who could get enough of Mr Kearns, right? Correct. I’ve been really impressed by the English faculty – we have a great bunch of dedicated and knowledgeable teachers and I am looking forward to consolidating English lessons as inspiring and engaging place of learning. Already my time here has brought me back into a family that I remember – welcoming, faithful and encouraging. God’s providence has led me here and I seek to serve him faithfully.

Apart from casual teaching last year, this is my first regular teaching job post-uni.

Could you please tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up in a Christian family - my dad is a minister in the Sydney Anglican Church - so there has never been a time in my life where I haven't known that Jesus loved me and died on the cross to save me from my sins. As I grew older, I loved to read and loved history. These two loves were combined when I was given a book called '10 Boys who changed the world', which were stories about the famous Reformers Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Cranmer and Huss. Through reading about these real people and their work, I understood the importance of starting with God's word and the preciousness of the Bible. I also understood that I am saved by grace alone, not by my good works. This was incredibly impactful.

I was born in the Shire and lived for a while in Heathcote/Engadine before moving north. There, our family attended St Andrews Cathedral for seven years before we moved back to the Shire where my dad became the pastor at Sylvania Anglican Church where I have been for 10 years.

In my family are my dad (Mark), mum (Merryl), and two younger brothers (Matthew and Timothy).

I love movies - going to the cinema, sitting at home to watch them, going out with friends and making them. I also love AFL, supporting the Fremantle Dockers and hoping to play for the Southern Power this year based in Sutherland. I also love music and play the piano.

What are you looking forward to about teaching at Shire Christian School?

I am looking forward to having my own class for the very first time, but also looking forward to teaching students what my dad always taught me: "See everything using your 'Jesus glasses'" - I want to encourage my students to see the world through a Christian worldview and grow in their faith.

Michael's portfolio 'One Step at a Time' is featured in the February issue of Australian Photography magazine. Congratulations Michael! 

Results will be released for the Zone team early next week.

The ship on which Paul was being escorted as a prisoner to face trial before Caesar in Rome was being severely battered by a storm, and on the verge of being lost. Paul had just told the ship’s company that he had been given God’s assurance that no lives would be lost, and the desperate sailors “prayed for daylight”. Now they knew, as we do, that the God of Creation has established in his Universe certain fixed laws that govern the motion of the stars and planets, and that enable scientists to predict with considerable accuracy the time that daylight would happen each day - so why “pray for daylight”?

In the same way, modern science enables us to predict weather patterns with some accuracy (albeit not with the same accuracy as the sunrise!). This is because weather patterns are also subject to ‘fixed’ laws of physics that we can identify by careful observation. So, the question arises: if this is the case, what is the point of praying for rain?

Luke’s comment in Acts 27 obviously reflects the understanding that, in spite of what God’s ‘fixed laws’ might allow us to predict, he is quite capable of over-riding these ‘laws’ in the exercise of his sovereign rule in his world. There are many clear examples of this happening throughout Scripture, such as the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14), the sun ‘standing still’ for Joshua (Joshua 10), the shadow going backwards for Hezekiah (2 Kings 20), Jesus’ walking on the water (Mark 6:47-51), etc.

When I’m wondering whether it’s worth hanging out the washing, I am very thankful for the scientific expertise of the weather forecasters - even if their predictions are sometimes wrong. (I like the story about the weather forecaster being asked, “What is the scientific basis for a prediction of 75% chance of rain?”, to which he answered, “There are four of us in the office. We all look out the window, and if three of us think it might rain and the other doesn’t, that’s a 75% chance of rain”!). But my real confidence when it comes to the weather (and the climate generally!) is in the One True God of Creation, and so I am quite happy to pray to him for rain, through the One he has provided as my Saviour and Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I will continue to do so, even when people mock me for it.

Bruce Christian

All students learning English and Mathematics skills at different rates. Some students find learning fun and they eagerly embrace a challenge. Others quickly grasp a new concept but struggle due to a lack of drill and practice. Another student may need further repetition and a slower paced explanation to achieve competence.

If any of these descriptions apply to your child you may like to consider enrolling them in CAL for 2020.

CAL Maths is designed to revise, and give students confidence through drill and practice of numeracy facts. Students use the Studyladder, Mathletics and Multiplication.com computer programs as well as worksheets to consolidate number concepts.

CAL English is designed to enhance students’ English skills in reading fluency, comprehension and grammar. Students use Literacy Planet as well as reading cards.

The program is teacher supervised and runs 4 mornings a week at a cost of $15/week calculated per term.

If you are interested in enrolling your child in CAL this year please contact me at jgrose@shirechristian.nsw.edu.au.

Jennifer Grose
Junior School Learning Support Coordinator

The Year 3-6 group has quickly filled, but there are still a few remaining spots in the K-2 class and the secondary school class. All details for the classes can be found here and bookings can be made through Qrk! via the school website.

We have two groups which meet each week; a secondary group on Thursday mornings and a primary group which meets on Friday mornings. If you wish to attend either group, please return a permission note (primary & secondary). Both groups will be on in Week 3. Parents are also more than welcome to attend!

Remember to tap on and off

07:35 - Secondary students (and Junior School siblings) are asked to board first with enough space left for students further on the route to be picked up. Approx. arrival time 08:00 to school.

07:47 - Secondary students (and Junior School siblings) are asked to board first with enough space left for students further on the route to be picked up. Approx. arrival time 08:10 to school. 

08:00 - Any remaining students will be asked to board. Approx. arrival time 08:35 to school.

We welcome your feedback, please send us an email with any suggestions or comments. This service will be reviewed mid-way through Term 1 and any further changes that may need to be made will be communicated.

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.

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.