The Vine Newsletter

At the College over the last week or two the entire Primary School have been busy, at least for part of their day, creating Easter Hats. All their efforts came together at our Easter Hat Parade on Tuesday.

But why all the fuss? What’s so important about hats that half the College paused to hold such a significant event?

We as adults have often referred to “hats” when talking about the different roles that we play. We might be in parent mode and then get a phone call about work and have to “switch hats” when answering. “Hats” mean roles, positions, or situations in which we are expected to operate in particular ways.

Easter is exactly like that!

The message of Easter is all about Jesus not simply “switching hats” but doing something far more significant. It’s the message of God the Son taking off his royal crown and wilfully entering into our world, not with all the celebrations of a King, but as a humble servant. At first, this may not make sense. Why would He take OFF his crown and come into our world, still fully God but also fully man?

In Philippians 2 we are told that Jesus came intentionally to rescue humanity from their rebellion, their brokenness and their failure to meet God’s perfect standards. Easter is the high-point of his rescue mission, this amazing love story, because Jesus allowed himself to be crowned with thorns, to be crucified, to die and to rise again to save people from their sins.

The Primary School students wore hats to celebrate this amazing love of God and they were right! Jesus’ love for us is something to smile about, something to celebrate, something to remember. Easter really is about a hat (a crown really is an exclusive and special hat) – one that was taken off by Jesus to identify with you and me. But that “hat” is firmly back on Jesus’ head now because Jesus is risen and alive, ruling and reigning supreme.

My prayer is that this Easter, as you get extra time away from the busyness of work, you’ll spend time reflecting on God’s amazing love in Jesus Christ for you, and whether you too love, trust and follow the Risen King.

Mrs Felicity Grima - Principal

Every five years, the Anglican Schools Corporation (ASC) Board conducts a review of each of its schools. Each Review provides feedback to identify the College’s strengths and identify areas for future planning to ensure that all our Corporation schools are flourishing learning communities.  

An important part of the review process is hearing from the school community (parents, students and staff) through a suite of surveys. For each stakeholder group, it is an opportunity to share their experience of the College and have a voice in future planning and direction. Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. Your feedback is appreciated.

The next stage of the Review will be a three-day visit with a Review Team made up of experienced educational leaders who will meet with staff and observe the College in operation. This visit will take place from Wednesday, 3 April to Friday, 5 April. 

Our summary of the findings will be provided to the College community towards the end of Term 2.

Parent Code of Conduct - NESA Registration

The College is due for our School Registration and Accreditation renewal this year. Our College operates at a standard that consistently meets or exceeds the NESA requirements for Independent schools.

In preparing our Registration documents for 2024, we are required to publish several documents on our College website, including our Parent Code of Conduct. Our Parent Code of Conduct has been developed from the guidelines provided by the Association of Independent Schools in NSW and reflects the ethos and values of the College. I encourage all families to read through the document as it reaffirms the expectations for families in our community, including their interactions with our students and staff. Please contact an Executive team member if you would like to discuss this in more detail.

Tickets are now on sale for our event with Dr Coulson. He will present his workshop on 'Carrots and Sticks' next term. The session will commence at 6pm, in the Lighthouse Theatre. The seminar is suitable for all ages P-12 and this is an open event so please invite your friends and family to take advantage of this amazing opportunity.

Prayer

Please pray for:

Those families in our community enduring times of hardship and stress.

A safe and refreshing Easter long weekend reflecting on the death and resurrection of Jesus!

New students and staff to the College as they continue to settle in and learn the norms and processes of their new community.

Praise

Praise God for:

The gift of his son!

Our wonderful Primary Easter Hat Parade and Cross Country Carnival on Tuesday.

The gifts he has given each and every student at the College.

I stumbled across this saying a few months ago while chatting to my sister. She was describing a work colleague who acted in a way that dismissed the people around them and the teams in which they worked. My sister was reflecting on how this impacted negatively on the productivity and collaborative efforts of these teams and made them less effective at developing solutions to the problems they were seeking to solve. “Main Character Energy” beautifully encapsulates a posture towards others that I have seen, and if I’m honest, am guilty of at points in my life. “I’m the main event and the people in my life are supporting characters in this grand show called life”.

I see this play out for our young people in a miriad of ways. Banter at the expense of others, an unwillingness to apologise, arguments, snide remarks, bullying, one-upmanship, pressures to fit in, self-centred/self-seeking behaviours of all kinds. I’m sure that as you read this you have a picture of someone who has “main character energy” in your mind.

Not all main characters have “main character energy”. There are main characters that can hold the lead role in life whilst also showing dignity to the people around them. Zootopia (yes the funny fury Pixar movie with all the animals) seeks to explore the theme of dignity by creating a world of difference by introducing segregation based on animal species. The main character (Judy Hopps) in Zootopia has a strong belief that all animals are valuable and worthy of respect. A real-world example of a main character who demonstrates dignity to others is Mother Theresa. A strong belief in the importance of other humans regardless of what they can offer the world, drove her life’s work.

Dignity is not something that is earned or something that is done to others but is a belief in the inherent value of other humans. As humans we can be respectful of others, but it does not necessarily show that we value others with dignity. Dignity is a step further than respect and comes from a humble view of ourselves in relation to others. I’m no better or worse than others. Others bring value to life, just like me, but in different ways. Dignity gives a voice to the weak, oppressed, downtrodden and sits in stark contrast to “Main Character Energy”.

Megan Saxelby in her medium.com article “Dignity: A Framework to Transform School Culture” argues for the transformational power of a school that is focused on providing students, families, staff and the wider community with dignity. Whilst not perfect, our community strives to give dignity to all.

As we come into Easter, Jesus also offers a view of what dignity for others looks like. A willingness to lay down his own life for the benefit for others. We as humans are so valuable to God, he is willing to sacrifice his own son for our benefit. What an amazing example of dignity in action and a free and open gift for each of us.

I hope each of our families can have a safe and restful break.

God speed.                 

Tony Kelshaw
Director Students 7-9 

The sun was shining, and family members were eagerly waiting as the students marched up the hill ready for the Easter Hat Parade to begin. 'Jesus Loves Me' was the theme for this year’s Easter hat parade. This message of Jesus' love for us was represented with hearts and crosses on the hats showing Jesus' greatest act of love for us by dying on the cross.

The Kindergarten students were excited to show off their hats as their Year 6 buddies guided them around the course. Pre-K students were a little nervous attending their first school event, but thankful for the help and kindness of their Year 5 buddies. Year 1, 2, 3 and 4 students walked proudly and confidently showing off their creative hats.

Thank you to all the teachers for sharing their creativity with the students, with a special thanks to Miss Tallada and Mr Bell who were unmissable in their heart-shaped costumes and enthusiasm as they directed the parade’s proceedings. Thank you to the families for sharing this special day with us as we begin to celebrate Easter.  

There was great excitement as Teddy Bears and soft cuddly today visited Pre-K last Tuesday and Thursday for our Teddy Bear picnics. To prepare for our picnic we made teddy bear’s ears, and fairy bread and read our Pre-Lit story “We are going on a Bear Hunt”.  The picnic started with a teddy parade and dancing. The fairy bread was delicious, and Mrs Grima came to visit and enjoyed fairy bread with us too. The students and their teddy friends enjoyed teddy painting, teddy playdough, teddy mazes, parachute fun and games.  Everyone went home tired for a big sleep after a fun day.

All Creatures Great and Small 

Last week our Primary students spent a joy-filled morning with Sami Bayly learning about wild and wonderful creatures and how to draw them. 

Sami’s long list of awards includes the Children’s Indie Book of the Year, the Wilderness Society’s Environmental Award for Children’s Literature (Non-Fiction) and the Best Designed Children’s Non-Fiction Illustrated book (Australian Book Design Awards). 

Sami is a talented illustrator and author, researching each book meticulously and creating the stunning accompanying illustrations. Her new encyclopedia will be published later in the year and shines a spotlight on extinct animals. 

You may also notice her stunning artwork on the 2024 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge official poster. 

We thank Sami for her time and enthusiasm last week and her signing of many, many books! 

In Term 4 last year the College commenced planning for a shift in our Tuesday afternoon program. Previously, the program had been predominantly recreational sport opportunities including rock climbing, judo, gym training and interhouse activities. Of course, physical activity and keeping fit continues to be important and a priority for students, we were keen to consider how Tuesday afternoon’s could look like to cater for a wider array of interests and skills. 

The 2024 program now includes students from Years 7-11 choosing electives each term in one of three broad categories: Active, Create and Serve. Each term there will be new and different options offered to students including the Musical, a maintenance team around the College and STEM activities. Next term we will be introducing ways of serving local Nursing Homes and a writers club. The list will continue to evolve and develop and we hope students have a thorough and varied experience through the Tuesday afternoon program. 

The College will continue to look for an engage in sporting opportunities for representation in a range of sports and increased some of our hours in mandatory PDHPE classes. 

One of the other big appeals of this program for our school community is the movement away from age (grade) based activity and towards an interest driven or stage based approach. We can now have students in different grades but with a similar passion involved and learning from and with each other. As a school community we often talk about being a community, a group of people seeking to learn together and this has the potential of strengthening this feel across our student body. 

Finally, I would like to thank parents of Secondary students for a much improved flow and process in our College carpark. We have seen a far smoother and timelier afternoon pick up and this is being helped by parents arriving after 3:25 and using the pick-up bay and only parking in set areas when required. Of course, we will continue to keep working on this and maintain a strong staff presence but thank you for your assistance as College families in helping the carpark flow better. 

May you and your families have a good Easter break and remember the truth of this time of year amidst the chocolate and bunnies, that Jesus died on the cross for us to have a relationship with God forever. 

God Bless, 

Leighton Corr 

The Year 10 WWII Incursion, on Friday 27 March, introduced students to our Australians at War unit. The production was a heartfelt and poignant performance that gave students a deep insight into the ugly truths behind the war. The play is performed by a theatre-in-schools professional who brings the script and stories into vivid focus with deep emotion, great humour and the terrific songs of WWII. It was an unforgettable and notable experience that many could connect with and relate to. It sent out a message that one would never forget: “In war, whichever side may call itself victor, there are no winners. But all are losers.” — Neville Chamberlain.

Reflective quotes from our students after the production:

“I liked the acting, it was very immersive…The perspectives from different countries was really interesting.”

“Important information made interesting…”

“The acting the actor the information the engagement were all outstanding”

On Monday the 18th of March, Year 8 undertook a 4-hour seminar presented by ‘Your Choicez’. During the presentation students spent time unpacking some of the pressures our teens are presented with in a highly connected and digital world. Some of the topics that were covered included:

Friendship

o   Positive (Being positive and building people up in relationships)

o   Consistent (Being a friend in both the ups and downs of relationships and life)

o   Vulnerable (True friendship does not have high levels of ‘banter’ but is safe and allows people to be vulnerable)

o   Technology (Connection in person is like real food. Online connections are like junk food – appropriate at times but not a substitute for real food).

Technology Boundaries

o   Time (How much time is spent on a device?)

o   Location (Where the device is used? – Not at the dinner table, in bedrooms or in bathrooms)

o   People (Who are the people they are allowed to connect with? - People they know in real life only)

Sexting

o   Image Based Abuse (How the sharing of explicit images impacts both parties involved)

Empathy

o   The power to change how we act towards other people both online and in real life.

Despite the tricky nature of some of these topics, our young people benefit the most when schools, parents and students are all talking a similar language with regards to the use of digital technologies. Students were encouraged to start discussions about how technology is managed in their homes with their parents/carers. All our young people need to have boundaries for technology in their lives and this is best done through conversation, modelling, and family boundaries. Based on the response from students, nearly all families have time, location and people boundaries around technology in their homes.

Can I encourage all families to start the conversation with your young person about what this might look like in your home?  For many of us who work with young people, we see a clear link between students who have had robust discussions about technology; how, where and when it is used and success at school and in relationships.

If you would like help starting these conversations, please get in contact with Mr Tony Kelshaw who is happy to share some resources with you.

As part of their study of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, Year 10 students were treated to a performance and discussion of key scenes from the Australian Shakespeare Company. Students were then given the opportunity to join the actors on the stage as they explored the motivations of the characters and the key ideas of ambition and appearance v. reality.

On Monday our Year 12s competed in their last CASA Netball Gala Day. A number of these students have been playing together since Year 7, and it has been such a joy to watch their skills and friendships grow over the last six years. It was a day full of nostalgia (as you can see in the recreation of photos from 2019), and celebration as the girls made it through to the Grand Final. While St Luke’s walked away with the win, our team should be extremely proud of the way they represented the College. 

We are thrilled to share the exciting news of our school's performance in the recent Paul Kelly Cup, held on Wednesday, March 27th, at Jamison Park. This prestigious AFL competition brought together schools from across the region, and our students showcased their exceptional skills and sportsmanship on the field.

Sending three teams—two boys' teams and a girls' team—our school's commitment to fostering talent and promoting inclusivity was evident throughout the event. Each team displayed determination, teamwork, and a true passion for the game, representing our school with pride and excellence.

As the sun rose over Jamison Park, anticipation filled the air as our teams prepared to take on the competition. With each match, our players demonstrated not only their athletic prowess but also their dedication to upholding the values of fair play and respect for their opponents.

In the boys' division, both teams exhibited exceptional skill and strategy, showcasing their proficiency in the sport. The PAC B team made it through their pool undefeated and progressed to the semifinal against our PAC A team who had also finished their pool undefeated with ease. The B team fell short with the A team winning the semi final and progressing into the days final against Wycliffe Christian School. Unfortunately, up against a very strong opposition they were defeated and finished runners up for the day.

Meanwhile, our girls' team displayed exceptional effort and resilience, inspiring all in attendance with their tenacity and spirit. They finished with two wins and two losses but a greater understanding of the sport of AFL. Their performance exemplified the growing prominence of women in sports and served as a testament to the strength of our school's athletic program.

While the competition was fierce, it was the camaraderie and sportsmanship displayed by all participants that truly stood out. Win or lose, our students represented our school with grace, humility, and respect—a testament to the values we instil in every member of our community.

As we reflect on this memorable day, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the students who participated in the Paul Kelly Cup. Their dedication, sportsmanship, and teamwork have made us incredibly proud.

We would also like to express our gratitude to Miss Fowler, Mr Jordan and Mr Lucas who have supported our teams throughout their journey and the community who came and supported our teams on the day.