Attendance

Education is important and regular attendance at school is essential for your child to achieve their educational best and increase their career and life options. Our school works in partnership with parents and carers to encourage consistent school attendance which supports learning and helps students to develop lasting friendships. The school is legally required to keep an accurate record of attendance.

Following an absence, you must provide an explanation of the absence within seven school days. Lateness is recorded as a partial absence and must be explained by parents or carers.

Compass Attendance Procedures

Absence – Parents are sent an SMS on the day of their child’s absence. A parent should click the link and respond with a reason for their absence. Do not reply to the SMS, click the link. The absence will be marked as unexplained if a response isn’t received within 7 days.

Late arrivals – You can use the Compass app to lodge an attendance note or respond to the late arrival SMS. All students must sign in at the office if they are arriving late.

A late arrival is any time after 8.20am for Secondary students and 8.40am for Junior School students.

Early Departure – All Junior School students need to be signed out at the office by a parent. 

All Secondary School students must sign out at the office or a parent can sign the student out.

Compass Attendance Notes – You can lodge attendance notes anytime to give a reason for your child’s absence, late arrival or early departure using the Compass app in advance or as required.

Using Favourites

Use the favourites buttons to access these areas quickly and easily.

Attendance – access and lodge attendance notes

Chronicle – discover entries lodged by school for your child

Events – keep up-to-date with the school events your child is attending

School Documents – access helpful school documents

School Favourites – 01. User guide, 02. Parents Information (uniform, subway, school information etc.), 03. Update details – update contact information, photo permission (links to an external system, this will be done natively in Compass next year)

News Items

We will be posting important information here each week to help keep parents updated with events and notices. This will reduce emails to your inbox. Parents will be alerted to high importance notices by email/push notification.

Notifications

Click notifications to see information about your child’s academic results, events or pastoral care entered for your child. 

Mr Paul Carter
Deputy Principal

Here are some photos of our students in the breezeway, “secretly” writing thank you cards for our teachers. Thank you to our Year 6 and Year 12 Student Leadership Teams for coming in early during the week to help me with this very special task. On Friday morning, every teacher received a handwritten, heartfelt message of thanks on their desk from our students. Teachers were also spoilt with a beautiful bacon and egg roll breakfast on Friday morning. We definitely felt appreciated, and love what we do here at Shire Christian School.

Mrs Rachel Robinson
Academic Head

Breaking up the word review into its parts, we see that “re” means “again” or “back” and “view” means “to see” or “to know”. This skill belongs in our Reflective Domain, in which we practise the skill of revisiting something and not accepting our first look or opinion as the only viewpoint or one that you stick with. The visible thinking tool, “I used to think…but now I think…” is such a helpful phrase to help us to review a situation.

In fact, there are many examples throughout the Bible of when someone reviews their situation. Such as Jonah, whilst inside the belly of a fish, reviewing his decisions whilst praying. Or Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had to visit Jesus at night so that others didn’t see how confused he was when Jesus was preaching about needing to be “born again”. Nicodemus needed to review his understanding and seek the wisdom of Jesus to help him see things anew. 

Perhaps the most obvious one is Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, upon hearing Jesus and rendered blind for three days. Then, upon meeting Ananias, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit, the scales fell from his eyes and he was able to see again. Imagine the reviewing he did about what he saw, changing from a “persecuting lens”, to a “loving and gracious lens”, filled with hope in Christ. 

We can be encouraged to review what we see and think, and take time to really look again and be open to changing our thoughts and opinions.

Mrs Rachel Robinson
Academic Head

There will be two sessions that parents, family and friends can attend. The event will be open from 2pm to 3:30pm, allowing those who would normally be collecting their children at the end of the school day to visit. It will then reopen at 5:30pm and continue until 7pm when the For One Night Only program will commence. A sausage sizzle will be available during the later session for families wishing to purchase food before the evening's music night begins.

While this Showcase will be a chance to see learning from many students, teachers will be informing students if their work is being displayed. Unfortunately we do not have the capacity to show work from every student on this occasion. In future years we will explore how we can best celebrate work from all these year levels seeing as the HSC Showcase only features work from Year 12.

We are currently finalising information for Year 10 Global Awareness Week and Picnic Days for other year groups. All parent permissions will be collected through the Compass App, so we encourage all families to make sure they have it installed. We are already seeing some time saving benefits with this new system.

Mr David Collins
Head of Secondary School

Learning to be patient, with ourselves, with others, and with the Lord's timing, are not easy tasks, but they are essential to our faith walk. The Bible is rich with lessons on this topic, powerfully illustrating the boundless patience God extends to His people.

We encourage you to discuss with your child what they find challenging to wait for and how they can choose a God-honouring attitude instead!

SocS

Next week our students will enjoy their final SocS puppet show for the year. We are incredibly thankful to Mrs Diana Moes, who has written this unique, three year program, which explicitly teaches our Kinder to Year 2 students how they can positively interact with each other and continue to grow to be more and more like Jesus. It covers four main topics: understanding school rules, making friends, dealing with emotions and resilience. We are thankful for our Year 9 students who will also be supporting this program next week by facilitating discussion groups within the puppet play around the theme of ‘Good attitudes’, based on the Fruits of the Spirit. I encourage you to look out for the handout that will come home which contains a summary of the play and theme, along with some helpful follow-up discussion ideas for your family to continue the learning at home.

Mrs Ruth Cooper
Head of Junior School

Students spent the morning wandering the coastal path, viewing and discussing the diverse range of artworks. Students experienced both large-scale installations and delicate, thought-provoking forms that responded to the ocean and landscape. They were encouraged to reflect on how the artists used materials, space and the environment to communicate ideas.

In the afternoon, the group gathered at Tamarama Beach to create a series of observational drawings inspired by the sculptures and surrounding landscape. This provided a wonderful opportunity to slow down, observe closely and translate their experiences into sketches.

The excursion was both inspiring and educational, offering students a chance to connect classroom learning with real-world art practice. It was a memorable day filled with creativity, conversation and appreciation for contemporary sculpture in an extraordinary setting.

Mrs Annika Hackfath
Visual Arts Teacher

Cullen participated in the “Trial by Jury” and displayed excellent ability to think quickly and effectively in cross-examination. “I really liked learning new things about courts, the law and learning how to formulate arguments.” - Cullen 

Rosalie participated in "Clear As Crystal" and was commended for her excellent engagement and enthusiasm towards her learning. “ I like Mindquest because I get to make new friends” - Rosalie

If you are interested in your child participating in one of the courses on offer at Mindquest, we advertise the weekends through our newsletter, in March and August each year, or you can contact me directly for more information.

Mrs Leonie Hampson
Junior School Enrichment Coordinator 

In 2025, the competition received 658 entries from 344 schools and home-schooled students across the state. We are proud to congratulate our Shire students who participated in this exciting challenge - using their imagination to craft interesting and engaging stories. Well done to all our talented writers!

Mrs Leonie Hampson
Junior School Enrichment Coordinator 

Students could choose to write on this year’s theme, “All the Beautiful Things,” or explore a topic of their own interest. 

Well done to all our young poets for their creativity, imagination and willingness to share their unique voices! A big thank you also to the teachers who encouraged and supported students throughout the writing process.

Mrs Leonie Hampson
Junior School Enrichment Coordinator 

Throughout the event, the Shire Robocup teams embodied the spirit of teamwork and community, encouraging one another, lending support during challenges, and celebrating each other’s successes. Their willingness to help, pray with, and cheer for one another was a testament to their character as much as their technical skill.

We are deeply grateful for the incredible support of our Robocup families, whose encouragement, practical help, and unwavering positivity have carried the teams and staff throughout the year. Their generosity and community spirit truly reflect the heart of Shire Christian School.

A special thank you goes to Felicity Veltmeyer and Chris Pinn for their tireless support and leadership. Their mentoring, care for students, and behind-the-scenes efforts across the year and during the competition weekend have been invaluable.

Robocup Junior Australia is a project-oriented educational initiative that sponsors local, regional, and international robotic events designed to introduce RoboCup to primary and secondary school children. Created in a true cooperative spirit, RoboCup Junior encompasses not only vital STEM skills but extends right across a school curriculum. The competition also addresses social development by encouraging sportsmanship, teamwork, cooperation and organisational skills. The committee in charge of our State and the National competitions are all volunteers, and it is truly a unique organisation, who work tirelessly to make sure the competition is of a high standard, encouraging and supporting teams and mentors cheerfully throughout the competition. We are so thankful to be able to participate in Robocup Competitions.

It is a privilege and an honour to mentor such amazing, creative and capable students. They were outstanding in all their competitions, and I am incredibly proud of each one of them. We give thanks to our Lord who sustained us throughout the weekend.

The achievements of our Robocup teams are a wonderful reflection of their hard work, dedication, and the strong school community that supports them.  

Congratulations to all involved on an outstanding effort at Nationals!

Mrs Leonie Hampson
Junior School Enrichment Coordinator 

Sydney Olympic Park hosted the competition with plenty of learning for life disposition chat around the tables - noticing, collaborating, adjusting and capitalising were all on show from our students. Congratulations to;

Open Boys - Koda and Andrew - Semi Finalists
U/15 Boys - Rd of 16 - Teams - Jared and Matthew, Kobe and Nate, Jacob and Leo

Mr Troy Dixon
Secondary Sports Coordinator 

Carissa and Heidi did a great job leading the team. While we didn’t progress into the semi final rounds, we will be back again in 2026.

Mr Troy Dixon
Secondary Sports Coordinator 

Thank you for the spirit and attitude you both carried yourselves with - back at it in 2026!

Mr Troy Dixon
Secondary Sports Coordinator 

’Twas he who taught me thus to pray;
and he, I trust, has answered prayer;
but it has been in such a way
as almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that, in some favoured hour,
at once he’d answer my request,
and by his love’s constraining power
subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, he made me feel
the hidden evils of my heart,
and let the angry powers of hell
assault my soul in every part.

Yea, more, with his own hand he seemed
intent to aggravate my woe,
crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

“Lord, why is this?” I trembling cried;
Wilt thou pursue this worm to death?”
“This is the way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.

“These inward trials I now employ
from self and pride to set thee free,
and break thy schemes of earthly joy,
that thou may’st seek thy all in me.”

A poem by John Newton, author of Amazing Grace, in 1779.

Rev Bruce Christian

Feel free to spread the word to parents, carers and grandparents to bring along their preschool aged children for a taste of big school! 

Register Here

Children can come and explore our Junior School IRC, share a story with our librarian, as well as participate in a craft. The program will run from 9:30am to 10:30am.

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.

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.

Wondering What to Give?

Non-perishable food items such as:

• Christmas cake or pudding
• Long life custard
• Tinned ham
• Canned fruit and vegetables
• Rice, pasta or lentils
• Instant noodles (bag, not cup)
• Tea, coffee and Milo
• Long life milk
• Shortbread and biscuits (avoid chocolate covered ones as they melt)
• Jam
• Tinned salmon or tuna
• Pancake/cake mix
• Jelly crystals
• Muesli bars
• Lollies (no chocolate please, it will melt!)

Standard sizes are preferred to help everything fit in neatly. Any donation is gratefully received, but it is helpful if pork, gelatine, alcohol or items that easily crush or melt can be avoided.Toys (new) for children 0-18 years. Below are some gift ideas:

• Preschoolers: educational toys, games, picture books
• Primary school age: toys, outdoor games, sporting equipment
• Teenagers: vouchers/gift cards, sporting equipment, toiletry packs 

Anyone can drop donations at Menai Anglican Church anytime before 5pm on Sunday, 23rd November 2025.

Donations can be dropped off 24 hours at the main church entrance, just look for the signposted gazebo.
Find Menai Anglican Church at 1 Broughton Pl, Barden Ridge. After entering the carpark, follow the signs to the main entrance, and pull up in the turning circle roundabout or park your car in a parking space. Don’t have time to shop? Give a hamper or gift online directly through Anglicare’s Toys ‘n’ Tucker shop. Find out more here.

👉 Start building your shoebox at buildabox.org.au

🌱 Beyond the Box – The Greatest Journey

Every child who receives a shoebox is invited to take part in The Greatest Journey, a 12-lesson discipleship program where they learn more about the Gospel in their own language. Through stories, memory verses, and group activities, children explore what it means to follow Jesus and share His love with others.

For just $12.50, donors can help cover the cost of a child’s participation, which includes:

• A workbook and beautifully illustrated children’s Bible
• A graduation certificate
• Training and resources for local teachers

Since its launch, over 46 million children have enrolled in The Greatest Journey, with many making life-changing decisions to follow Christ.

 Here is the link to enter or volunteer: https://www.cronullatriclub.com.au/events-races/sfmc/?fbclid=IwY2xjawN3WFFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHmBD9i3Dairu8ionPZW1S0Mwr23basszTVAS46kzLMU--zp_zRSoa16jlfje_aem_q3VUczkcPgbZzNEyNDdVKQ