NSW Transport will be monitoring our usage particularly during the next few weeks.

Students need to tap on and off every time.
If your child requires a card, please access this website.

https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ticket-eligibility-concessions/school-student-travel

We would appreciate your support and ensure that your child has an Opal Card every day if they are accessing transport.

Mr Paul Carter
Deputy Principal

This year we have made a change in that it will be a digital copy that is emailed to students AND parents, posted on Compass and also on the Secondary Hub. Please note that Assessment tasks are listed in order of occurrence and that the timing is indicative only. For specific submission dates, please consult Compass. Should families wish to have a hard copy printed, students are able to do this using their student card in the library or by emailing the Academic Office at lwaters@shirechristian.nsw.edu.au and we will send this home with the student.

Mrs Rachel Robinson
Academic Head

It is just one piece in amongst the many ways in which Shire approaches assessment, such as teacher observation, informal and formal assessment tasks, peer and self- reflection. It allows us to see where our strengths are and aspects of learning which require a greater focus, setting goals and reviewing our current programs.

With the exception of the paper Year 3 writing assessment, all NAPLAN tests are online and as such are much more engaging than previous years. The tests are adaptive, which means that as a student progresses, questions presented are tailored to their responses, increasing or decreasing in difficulty. This ensures a wider range of student abilities are assessed and that achievement is measured more precisely. There are four assessments which our students sit are: writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. If your child is absent on a particular assessment day, we have made provisions for catch up tests. We encourage all students to participate to the best of their ability.

NAPLAN fits within our Learning for Life framework, as it allows students to engage with their reasoning dispositions and to capitalise on their previous learning, knowledge and skills. In the writing assessment, students will plan their writing before they compose either narrative or persuasive piece of writing. At Shire, we recognise that whilst academic knowledge and skills are important, we are deeply committed shaping our students’ social, emotional and spiritual education, in partnership with their families. Our students are not merely defined by which “band” they achieve, but as children made in God’s image.

How can you help prepare your child?
Speak honestly about the two weeks of NAPLAN testing, and that they are merely a snapshot of just four short moments within the year. Also, good sleep hygiene the night before (with a reasonable bedtime and no tech devices in the bedroom), eating a healthy breakfast and drinking plenty of water. As a staff team, we will specifically praying for our students sitting NAPLAN during this time.

On the day, please bring to school for NAPLAN assessments:

Mrs Rachel Robinson
Academic Head

With our transition to Compass, it has taken a while to get our old system working once again. We have now successfully migrated the data from SEQTA and students and parents should now be able to see all awards from the old database. Additionally, new awards will also be appearing as students have achieved higher levels. Compass should provide a more streamlined process to let us know when students have gained enough awards for Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.

I encourage all families to log into Compass and look through their child’s Chronicle to see awards that have been awarded in the past. Please contact the school if you believe there are any discrepancies.

Mr Stonestreet will be visiting a number of Year Meetings to present Bronze and Silver Principal awards over the next couple of weeks. There will be an opportunity to present Gold Principal awards in the weekly secondary assembly before the end of this term.

Mr David Collins
Head of Secondary

Reading to your child is one of the most effective ways to build strong foundations for lifelong learning. It develops essential language skills, strengthens focus and memory, expands vocabulary, and nurtures imagination. Educational research consistently affirms what many parents instinctively know: children who are regularly read to experience significant gains in literacy across all ages and stages.

A landmark study from Ohio State University found that children who are read five books a day before the age of five enter school having heard approximately 1.4 million more words than their peers who were not read to regularly. Researchers have described this as “the word gap”. A striking reminder that consistent reading in the early years has lasting impact.

Beyond academics, reading accelerates brain development, builds emotional intelligence as children encounter different characters and experiences, and fosters a lifelong love of learning. It creates moments of closeness, conversation and curiosity that cannot be replicated by a screen.

Professor Teresa Cremin,  Professor of Education (Literacy) at The Open University highlights the power or fostering pleasure in reading. “Reading for pleasure has a wealth of benefits, positively impacting wellbeing, cognitive development, reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing. Children who enjoy reading gain a means of relaxation, a chance to escape everyday worries or challenges, and a source of entertainment. In terms of social and emotional wellbeing, reading supports children to develop empathy and consider different perspectives”

Professor Cremin offers seven practical steps that teachers and parents can take to make reading aloud a really valuable experience in her article Reading aloud to children: 7 steps to making it magical .

As a Christian community, we are also reminded of the biblical call to intentionally teach and disciple our children. We know that building biblical literacy for our children ensures they are able to continue to read, understand and cultivate a love of reading God’s Scriptures, that they may delight in His Word. In Deuteronomy 6:6–7 we read:

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Mrs Ruth Cooper
Head of Junior School

Therefore, could you please complete this short survey to indicate whether if we were to add the option of a navy skirt, along with a long sleeve striped shirt, whether you would still opt for the dress option as the main choice of uniform for your daughter?

Thank you for your input as we seek to provide comfort and flexibility in our uniform.

Mrs Ruth Cooper
Head of Junior School

We learned this week about a few different parts to our brain- 'The Wise Old Owl' prefrontal cortex that helps us make smart choices; 'The Memory Elephant' hippocampus that remembers how we did things in the past and creates new memories; and 'The Guard Dog' amygdala that has the job of keeping us safe. We used our palm to make a model of how these parts of the brain work together when we are in the 'Green Zone'- we're feeling happy, ready to learn and able to focus! We are noticing this week what is happening in our bodies when we can do these things, and thanking God for our wonderful, amazing brains!

Mrs Michelle Jovanov
Head of Welfare Junior School

It’s within this framework that our Yr 11 Peer Support Leaders launched our Peer Support Program for our new Year 7 cohort on Wednesday of Week 4. Year 11 student leaders prepared a range of engaging activities to connect with our new Year 7 cohort. Our Peer Support Program connects Year 7 Pastoral Care groups with Year 11 students to provide an additional source of support within our school community to build belonging.

During Terms 1 and 2, Year 11 student leaders will attend Year 7 Pastoral Care groups every fortnight and teach topics such as personal strength, resilience, healthy relationships, gratitude, friendships, conflict resolution and bullying. The program also provides a leadership training opportunity for our Year 11 students who are learning to collaborate within the context of Christlike servant hearted leadership. Well done to our Year 11 student leaders on a great start to the program!

Mr Scott Newton
Welfare Coordinator Years 7-9

Based on their outstanding performances, many students are expected to gain selection in the CSSA Zone squad, including around half of the U15 Girls team.

Thank you to all students for the sharp attitude, teamwork and effort shown in representing our school.

Mr Troy Dixon
Secondary Sports Coordinator

A special congratulations to our record breakers – Eva P, Dylan H, Harper K, James S and Holly W . Several long‑standing records, some more than twenty years old, were broken this year. This is an outstanding achievement and we are incredibly proud of these students.

8 Years Girl – Chloe Bain

8 Years Boy – Tommy Neyenhuys

9 Years Girl – Zoe Hosking

9 Years Boy – Noah Terry

10 Years Girl – Madeline Enderby

10 Years Boy – Harrison Farrugia

11 Years Girl – Eva Posthumus

11 Years Boy – Daniel He

12 Years Girl – Matilda Windred

12 Years Boy – Campbell Pollard

12 Years Boys – Dylan Harris

13 Years Boys – Lincoln Nugteren

14 Years Boys – Jacob Fox

15 Years Boys – Harrison Hawkins

15 Years Boys – Lachlan Gallagher

16 Years Boys – James Seidel

17 Years Boys – Jacob Martin

17 Years Boys – Timothy Nelson

18 Years Boys – Romeo Tsang

12 Years Girls – Harper Kirk

13 Years Girls – Elle Hudson

14 Years Girls – Jade Harris

15 Years Girls – Abigail Hopwood

16 Years Girls – Annabel Ashton

17 Years Girls – Tamara Dunkley

18 Years Girls – Hollie Wiseman

Junior School age champion trophies will be presented at the End of Term Assembly on Thursday 2 April . Parents will receive further details closer to the event.

Congratulations to all students who took part.

Miss Ashleigh Hackfath
Junior Sports Coordinator

Mr Troy Dixon
Secondary Sports Coordinator

We meet on the front oval near the school entrance at 7:20am and return by 8:10am. Each week we head off-site, running or walking through the surrounding streets and bush tracks. Our school is set in a beautiful part of the world, and this is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy God’s creation together.

Students may wear their own running clothes and will have time to change into their school uniform at 8:10am. Shire Runners shirts are available for purchase — please email me if you’re interested. A shirt order will be placed towards the end of Term 1.

Showers are available in the PE change rooms for Secondary School students who wish to use them.

Mr Steve Moore
Head of PDHPE

The Stats That Make You Shudder

A recent peer-reviewed study in Pediatrics followed more than 10,000 children aged 10–12. They found that:

Earlier acquisition of a smartphone is associated with significantly worse outcomes.

Children who received a smartphone during their 12th year had:

● 57% higher odds of clinical-level mental health difficulties by age 13

● 62% higher odds of insufficient sleep

● 40% higher odds of obesity

● 31% higher odds of depression

The tween and teen brain — particularly the prefrontal cortex responsible for impulse control, planning, and decision-making — isn’t mature right now. The never-ending whirlwind of apps, games, notifications, and distraction (plus time on social platforms that isn’t technically allowed anymore) can be overwhelming for a brain still under construction.

Research internationally suggests a similar theme: Every year we delay smartphone access tends to reduce risk.

Why Parents Usually Say Yes — And Where It Goes Wrong

Parents give me four reasons for handing over a smartphone to their child:

1. Safety (“What if they need help?”)

Response: Smartphones are not required for safety. A basic ‘dumb phone’, watch-phone, or even a household landline solves the safety problem without handing over social media, messaging apps, games, or endless internet access.

2. Logistics (“I need to coordinate pickups and plans.”)

2026 Children survived without phones for generations. Clear communication ahead of time works better than constant messaging, and it builds resilience and independence. Set a pickup time and place. Teach children how to ask an adult for help. Make a simple backup plan (“If I’m late, you start walking…”). Or buy a dumb phone.

3. Social Connection (“They’ll be left out without one.”)

Group chats and digital friend circles feel social, but they often increase comparison and competition, exclusion, anxiety, cyberbullying, and sleep disruption. In-person friendships are better developmentally.

4. “They Need to Learn Eventually”

Giving a 12-year-old a smartphone to “learn to manage it” is like giving that same 12-year-old a bottle of vodka to “learn to drink responsibly.” Children aren’t developmentally ready for that level of access.

A Framework that Actually Works

The standard in our family is simple: “When you can afford it and pay for it yourself — it’s yours.”

That includes: ✔ the device ✔ the monthly plan ✔ repairs ✔ replacements if lost or broken

This framework works because it:

● Delays acquisition naturally

● Builds financial responsibility

● Shifts entitlement to initiative

● Reduces peer pressure

● Introduces natural consequences

Most children don’t have $800–$1500 for a device plus monthly fees until somewhere between 15–17 — which aligns with many child psychologists’ recommendations.

“But My Child Already Has a Smartphone…”

If the horse has already bolted — please don’t panic. You haven’t “ruined” anything.

Instead, create clear, developmentally appropriate boundaries . If possible, consider stepping back from smartphones to simpler options — plenty of families do this successfully.

Meanwhile, back to the sixth section of Psalm 119.  Eugene Petesen in ‘The Message’ interprets it like this: “Let your love, God, shape my life with salvation, exactly as you promised; then I’ll be able to stand up to mockery because I trusted your Word. Don’t ever deprive me of truth, not ever - your commandments are what I depend on. Oh, I’ll guard with my life what you’ve revealed to me, guard it now, guard it ever; and I’ll stride freely through wide open spaces as I look for your truth and your wisdom; then I’ll tell the world what I find, speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed. I cherish your commandments - Oh, how I love them! - relishing every fragment of your counsel.”

As I read these words the other day, I reflected on the great responsibility and privilege we have in instilling such a message as is contained herein to our children through their formative school years! At the end of their schooling, when they launch out into the workforce, or especially if they proceed to a Tertiary Education institution, they will be bombarded, and even mocked, by a culture that denies the infallibilty and authority of God’s revealed truth from the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation.

May all our parents and teachers so consistently portray our own convictions, backed up by a devoted prayer life for our students, that their lives will be shaped by God’s love and his salvation - a salvation from the grip of sin that entered our world as a result Adam’s disobedience (and not billions of years before Adam even appeared on the stage!), and that they will be fully equipped to ‘speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed’. about who God is as Creator, and how he sent his own Son into the world as the ‘Second Adam’, to take the punishment for our sin, ( physical death ) upon himself and to die in our place .

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.

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

Each stage will respond to its own theme:

Junior School (K–6): The View From Here
Students are encouraged to draw, paint or photograph what they see from their own perspective – whether it’s a favourite place, a familiar view, or a meaningful memory.

Secondary School (Years 7–12): One Moment in Time
Students are invited to create an artwork that captures a single meaningful moment – an event, feeling or everyday scene frozen in time.

All students may use any medium, including drawing, painting, photography or mixed media.

Entries close: Tuesday, 21 April

We look forward to seeing the unique perspectives and creative talents of our students as they reflect on the world around them.

To access the form:

Please note you will only need to do this once per term. If the form has not been submitted, students will be required to return to school as usual.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office.