In Year 10, Ethan Ward was nominated for demonstrating a tremendous ability to think critically, experiment and collaborate with others on his ROSA Task. The product his group produced through the use of dispositions was exceptional. Ethan said learning means, “Finishing off better than you started."

Also in Year 10, Amos Miller was nominated for his growth in the Reflective Domain. He is commended for the ways he has been considering how his dispositions have been strengthened or challenged in relation to his ROSA Task. Amos said learning means, “Achieving a higher understanding."

In Year 9, Ollie Gittins has been showing the Resilient and Reflective Domains. Ollie is consistently reading and immersing himself in learning something new. He is a voracious reader and when he isn't reading he is able to tell you about what he has just read and he is able to have multiple books on the go. Every break time, downtime or spare moment, Ollie will be reading to enrich his understanding of our world. 

Also in Year 9, Jack Donelan has been demonstrating the Renewal Domain, by showing compassion and generosity, humility and service and thoughtfully looking after others. Jack said that learning means, “Engaging in meaningful information and learning useful skills."

And finally for Harrison Jones in Year 3, for demonstrating the dispositions of empathising and collaborating, both in the classroom and on the playground. He shares ideas and willingly listens to those of his peers. Harrison said that learning means, “When someone teaches you something, you need to take it and do it, and it will help you when you’re older and out of school."

Congratulations to these students.

Mrs Rachel Robinson
Academic Head

In a world that is ever-changing and uncertain, we are reminded of the comforting truth that our God remains steadfast and unchanging. It is our prayer that this truth will guide and anchor our students throughout their lives. 

We are thrilled to share the success of our two Kindergarten Orientations, where we warmly welcomed 60 new students into our school community. These events provided a wonderful opportunity for our young learners to meet their classmates, explore the classrooms and spend time with our exceptional Kindergarten teachers. What a blessing to have our new Kindergarten cohort made up of a mixture of past students and staff, existing families and those new to the school.

Adding to the excitement, our IRC was transformed into a lively "Kindy Café," creating a welcoming space for parents to connect, chat and forge new friendships. The joyful buzz and chatter were a testament to the strong sense of community we are building together.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make these orientations so special. We can’t wait to see what this school year holds for our newest learners!

In the English competition, Cullen Hamlin, Axel Kauter, Grace Balmforth, Hannah Barnes, Rosalie Strate and Daniel Yan received Distinctions, placing them in the top 10% statewide – a remarkable accomplishment! Our students also excelled in the Spelling Bee. Distinctions were awarded to Rosalie Strate and Axel Kauter.

In Mathematics, Brandon Yao, Harrison Farrugia, Tyler Salaun, Aaron Shi, Benjamin Dodd, Daniel Yan, Eli Buttigieg and Cullen Hamlin achieved Distinctions, with Eve Rowlands earning a High Distinction. This places Eve in the top 1% of the participants in her age group. Well done!

Well done to all participants, and congratulations again to our high achievers!

Mrs Ruth Cooper
Head of Junior School

ENCORE presents a selection of outstanding major works by HSC Music students in NSW including performance, composition and musicology. It will be held at the Sydney Opera House on Monday 2 March 2026.

Selections for ENCORE will be finalised by late November.

Well done, Annalisa!

We are very proud of everyone who took part.

Maths Explorer – Grades 3 and 4

The Maths Explorer program focuses on exploration and hands-on mathematical activities. It encourages creativity and critical thinking through fun challenges and collaborative projects.
This year, the students in our Year 3 and 4 Maths groups participated with enthusiasm, working collaboratively, with great focus and resilience to complete four challenges across the year.

Congratulations to all students who participated in the Maths Explorer Challenge with the following students receiving a special encouragement award:

• Lucy Balmforth
• Harrison Farrugia
• Lillian Abela
• Eyson Tang
• Brandon Yao
• Max Lockeridge
• Ciara Zammit
• Lincoln Pollard
• Grace Phung
• Oliver Mills

 Maths Olympiad 2024 – Grades 5 and 6

The Maths Olympiad challenges students with complex mathematical problems requiring deep understanding and creative problem-solving strategies. Students prepared diligently during their maths group lessons, working through past papers and exploring multiple approaches to a wide range of challenging questions.

Congratulations to all students who competed in the 2024 Maths Olympiad.
The following students received awards for their exceptional results:

• Cullen Hamlin (Year 5) – Top 10%
• Eva Shi (Year 6) – Top 25%
• Oliver Yeung (Year 6) – Top 25%
• Axel Kauter (Year 6) – Top 25%
• Elizabeth He (Year 6) – Top 25%

Mrs Belinda Tilley and Mrs Leonie Hampson

Fishy Stories

Last term 3 students from our Junior School entered a story in the Fishy Story Competition. This competition is designed to inspire young writers to create imaginative text and be captivated by the enjoyment of reading what other children are writing.

Once submitted stories were collated and published in an online eBook. This is now available online. So if you are looking for some light, engaging and fun reading … this eBook is for you!

Look out for the creative and exciting stories written by: 

Lola Chalk (Grade 6) - A Not- So- Sunny Beach 

Francine Morrissey (Grade 4) - Tiger 

Marty Kauter (Grade 4) - Yellow Eyes 

Happy reading!

Mrs Leonie Hampson
Junior School Enrichment Coordinator

The Term 3 theme was at an Olympic "Bound Back Track Race". The athletes kept coming up against obstacles which were hindering their progress in the race! Negative and unhelpful thoughts were replaced by positive truthful thoughts and the athletes were able to "Bounce Back" and finish the race! 

Recently in Term 4 we had a performance which focused on having a Good Attitude. We saw a cooking show where the contestants were trying to come up with a recipe for a Good Attitude. Adding the Fruits of the Spirit really helped our characters and students know how to have a Good Attitude.

The plays have all been written by myself, in Learning Support. They come alive with puppets and actors from the JS Teachers Aide team, as well as some wonderful actors from our High School Drama classes. The latest play was also enriched by the involvement of some mature Year 9 and 10 students who lead small discussion groups, allowing the young children an opportunity to explore and discuss practical ways to apply the Fruits of the Spirit to some tricky situations.

Thank you so much to all the wonderful Year 10 drama students and the mature Year 9 and 10 students for participating in the recent SocS plays. Thanks also goes to Miss Southgate and Mrs Nugteren for their amazing acting skills as well!

Mrs Diana Moes

The girls displayed outstanding sportsmanship and determination throughout the day, earning themselves a well-deserved place in the semi-finals.

Mrs Katie Crawshaw

The team, formed by combining top-age U16 and bottom-age U18 Cronulla reps players, topped their pool before defeating UNSW Wests 5–0 in the semi-final.

In the grand final against Sydney Uni, the girls staged a remarkable comeback. Trailing 2–0 after the second quarter, they fought back to level the score at 3–3, forcing a penalty shootout. Cronulla held their nerve to win 10–9 on penalties, securing the championship.

Next up for Isabelle and her teammates are the State Championships in December, followed by Nationals in Brisbane in April. Congratulations to Isabelle on this outstanding achievement!

The team regrouped brilliantly, winning both their quarter-final and semi-final matches. In the final, they faced the same team from earlier and, despite a huge effort, were edged out again in another tight finish.

Well done on achieving 2nd place at the CSSA State Gala Day – a fantastic result and a testament to the team’s determination and sportsmanship.

A big thank you to all the parents who came along to cheer, and a special shout-out to Mr Poasa who coached the boys each week and supported them on the day. Your encouragement made a real difference.

Well done to the team on a fantastic effort and a great day of basketball!

The girls demonstrated Christian values on and off the court, improving steadily as the day progressed. Although they didn’t make it into the finals, they demonstrated wonderful resilience and effort, continuing to play hard even when fatigue set in.

Ciara Zammit, a member of the Stage 2 girls team, shared that her favourite part of the day was “playing basketball and doing it with friends.”

Gwen Petett, another team member, said that her highlight was that “everyone had fun.”

It was a joyful day filled with laughter, friendly competition, and impressive teamwork from all players.

Miss Ashleigh Hackfath and Mrs Katie Crawshaw

Because this verse is often used as a form of ‘benediction’ at the close of a worship service, there is a danger of it’s becoming a ‘formality’ to which we become so accustomed that we don’t think very deeply about what the Author of Hebrews is conveying to his readers, many of whom are struggling with their new-found faith and are tempted to give up and go back to their old ways (cf 10:23-25, 35-36 - “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 toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. … So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”).

We also live in very discouraging times, with things happening around us in our world, in our own lives and in the lives of those close to us, that cause us to wonder, “Where is my Sovereign God in all this as I cry out to him in prayer but he doesn’t seem to hear?” So the Author of this helpful letter is reminding them (and me) of four important, unchanging truths:

1. That our God is the source of true and lasting peace, a ‘peace that passes all understanding’ (Philippians. 4:7), a peace that we experience in a strange and marvellous way when we hand our lives over, unreservedly, to Jesus our Saviour - a peace that ‘the world can neither give nor take away’. (John 14:27);

2. Jesus is alive today because he was raised from the dead and his tomb is empty. I love singing Bill Gaither’s song: “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow, because he lives, all fear is gone; because I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living, just because he lives! And then one day, I'll cross the river, I'll fight life's final war with pain; and then, as death gives way to victory, I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know he lives!”;

3. This living Jesus, my Saviour is the Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep and he has bound himself by an everlasting Covenant to look after me, his often stupid, wandering, sheep; and

4. His constant pastoral care for me includes ‘equip[ping me] with everything good for doing his will, and work[ing] in [me to do] what is pleasing to him’.  O yes, ‘to him [alone] be glory for ever and ever’.

Helen Lemmel was born in 1864. She moved to the United States at about the age of 12 and from a young age, her musical ability was noticed by all those around her. A few years after her marriage, a tragic illness caused her to lose her vision. Her husband, refusing to attend to a blind wife, left her, so she sat down and wrote, "O soul are you weary and troubled, no light in the darkness you see; there’s light for a look at the Saviour, and life more abundant and free.  Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. ... His word shall not fail you he promised; believe him and all will be well. Then go to a world that is dying, his perfect salvation to tell.  Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."

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.