Term 1 Week 4 19th February 2016 Issue No. 4
From the Principal Maitland Christian School Staff Dedication Service Sunday, 28th February, 9:30am at Metford Community Baptist Church. Come along and pray for our staff! As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, this year sees the start of our 2016–2018 strategic overview, targeting Christian culture and curriculum, quality explicit teaching and coaching of staff, improved classroom structures to support students with learning needs, and a staff development framework to support further teacher growth and effectiveness.
commitment of our staff to the calling of Christian education and what that means for your children in the school. Toward the end of 2015, a small team explored different ways to develop a framework which would further bring alive our wonderful Statement of Faith and Biblical Values. We have partnered with New Hope International (NHI) to undertake their Effective Teaching and Learning series, which will strengthen our understanding of quality teaching and learning, which is framed by the gospel of Jesus.
The strategies that we are investing in are building on the foundations of much hard work before us. Indeed, as we finish the fourth week of the year, I continue to be inspired and thankful for the diligent Page 1
and the key to salvation and wisdom and knowledge (Isaiah 33:6). It will be Christ-centered because the Bible teaches that Jesus is Lord of all and that everything must come under his headship (Ephesians 1:22-23). It will be Spirit-led as he who is the One teaches spiritual truth (John 16:13). It will be Bible-based since the Bible is the revelation of what God says is true and how people are to live as his people. Students need to be educated in a learning community because God made people for community.”
The first key idea that we explored in the course was what it means to learn in community. Traditional Western education focuses on the individual and encourages competition – it’s about me winning and being the best I can for my sake. A Christian education is countercultural, by being holistic and preparing students to be effective members of their community. It is about me developing the gifts that God has given me so I can be part of His big plans and His big story. This is in line with the Bible’s teaching of living in relationship with God and each other (Matthew 22:36–40).
Throughout the year I will share more of the thinking that we, as a staff, are wrestling with. Our desire is that we faithfully educate your children, not just with knowledge but also in a community that is founded on genuine truth, hope and change.
Looking to develop a biblical framework for education will see us focus on our students by: ▪▪Teaching students God’s commandments ▪▪Teaching students to fear God
We would appreciate your prayers and thank you for your partnership as we work across the next few years to develop these foundations, ideas and subsequent practice as daily parts of our school life and classrooms.
▪▪Teaching students to be faithful disciples ▪▪Teaching students to use their gifts ▪▪Bringing up students in the nurture of the Lord
Rich blessings
As teachers, our aim is to make Christ the centre of our class with a focus on working together to build each other up as effective disciples of Jesus. The key headings will shape the way we think, act and relate.
Geoff Peet
On the Cover
The following quote from the NHI course helps to summarise what is at the heart of an effective Christian School:
At lunch time each day, teachers run special interest clubs for our primary students. The students on our newsletter cover this week are joining Mrs Peet in the primary art room each Monday to make a beautiful paper quilt mural. More of the activities of the primary lunch time clubs can be seen on page 8 of our newsletter.
“An effective school will be a Godfearing, Christ-centered, Spirit-led and Bible-based learning community. The school will be God-fearing because the Bible teaches that the fear of God is the foundation of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7) Page 2
A Taste of University Life!
At university, students are responsible for their own learning. Their lecturers prepare and deliver lessons and students take their own notes. Workshops are then conducted in smaller groups, so learning is reinforced through practical activities and discussion.
and participation during class, as well as private study. Our Year 12 students are getting a taste of this style of learning in their Christian Studies classes, which are being presented along the same lines. This will be a valuable learning experience for them as they prepare for the responsibilities of life beyond school.
Help is available for students who ask for it but the path to effective learning is through student directed concentration
ol o h c S r u O o ch t r g a h n t Comi ay, 11 M Frid
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What’s on the Schedule 2016 Term Dates
Help Needed on Monday! This Monday, 22nd February, our high school touch football teams will be competing at the Wallsend Touch Football fields. We are running a barbecue for the schools which will be attending.
Term 1: Wed 27/01/16 - Fri 08/04/16 Term 2: Tue 26/04/16 - Fri 01/07/16 Term 3: Mon 25/07/16 - Fri 23/09/16
If anyone is available to help set up, cook, collect money or hand out food, please contact Vivienne Hughes on 0477 314 844.
Term 4: Tue 10/10/16 - Fri 9/12/16
Weekly Events Monday Lunch
Recess
Primary Art/ Mural Club in C1
Tuesday MiniSALT in M2
SALT in E8
Years 3/4 Computer Coding Club in E3
Secondary TOPS Meeting in M1
GIFT in E15
After School
Wednesday Years 3-7 Choir in M2
Friday
Years 5/6 Drama Club in D5
Secondary Boys Bible Study in E8 Years 3-6 Chess Club in the Hope Hub
Children who remain at school after 3:15pm (apart from organised activities) need to be collected from the school office
Upcoming Events Mon 22/02 Tue 23/02
Thursday
Sec
Kindergarten to Year 6 Assemblies Term 1
Secondary Touch Football Gala Day Primary Zone Swimming Carnival
Pri
Date
Week 5
26th February
Week 7
11th March
Endless Praise Easter Service
Sec
Secondary Special Assembly
Week 9
Thu, 24th March
Mon 29/02
Sec
Year 7 Camp Commences
Week 11
8th April
Wed 2/03
Sec
Year 8 Camp Commences
Thu 3/03
Sec
Secondary Zone Swimming Carnival
Fri 26/02
Mon 7/03
Pri
Class 6S
5G
The assemblies begin at 9:45am every second Friday. Starting next Friday, parents are invited to stay after the assembly and enjoy morning tea together in the Church foyer. See you there!
Primary State Swimming Carnival
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Spaghetti Towers As part of their Science unit, 1/2C had fun investigating the properties of uncooked spaghetti by making spaghetti and marshmallow towers. It seems that the best part of the experiment was eating the marshmallows at the end!
Your Help at School is Appreciated The support of volunteers within the school community is greatly appreciated. Those who volunteer at the school play an integral role in creating an environment which is conducive to learning. Thus helping our students to develop spiritually, academically, physically and socially.
in the school and to continue to provide a safe environment for our students, we also need to abide by child protection laws. For more information about helping at the school, please contact Vivienne Hughes at v.hughes@maitlandcs.nsw.edu.au or have a look at our volunteer page on our school website at www.maitlandcs.nsw.edu.au or call the office on 02 4933 7633.
Volunteers can help in the canteen, library, classroom activities, sport, excursions and other events. To best support volunteers Page 5
Primary Art News This year our primary art projects have started off so positively. Art Club started this week, Monday first break, with a room full of buzzing young artists. We began our first collaborative artwork, which will take many weeks to complete. We hope to display these artworks around the school to bring colour and joy to everyone. Stage 2 are working on some spectacular contemporary Aboriginal artworks, inspired by author/illustrator Bronwyn Bancroft. They look amazing already! Primary parents: Don't forget to install the free app “Seesaw� on your mobile devices, then scan your child's QR code which was sent home, to receive up to date photos and information of artworks in progress. You can link more than one child to your account. Thank you to the many parents who have sent notes in, offering to help in the Art room. Mrs Peet can't wait to have you join her soon and will contact you shortly.
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Music Matters Is your child struggling with the concepts of literacy and numeracy?
Music cultivates the intellect, rewires the brain, and the physical structural changes can be even seen with MRI images.
Do you want to help support your child’s literacy and numeracy development?
Music education is influential in the development of well-rounded children.
Research has acknowledged that learning a musical instrument exercises the brain in a way that strengthens literacy and numeracy skills.
At Maitland Christian School we have many music tutors available to tutor your children. They are taking new enrolments today. If you would like your child to have lessons to start this term or next, please call them today.
So students can improve their skills without even doing literacy and numeracy tasks. The brain is an amazing muscle! Piano
Pam I'Anson
0423 693 849
ianson_music@yahoo.com
Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone
Nicole Jones
0422 596 609
nicolecoombs12@gmail.com
Singing
Sophie Aked
0412 965 260
Sophie.aked@hotmail.com
Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums
Joel Procter
0421 942 551
joelproctertuition@gmail.com
Violin
Emily Wanganga 0455 071 055
Emily.wanganga@hotmail.com
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Primary Lunchtime Clubs Primary students have a great range of interesting extra-curricular activities to join at lunch times, if they wish. On Monday’s, in the primary art room, they are making a mural to brighten up the walls of the school. Mrs Peet is instructing them in the construction of a beautiful paper quilt mural. Our Drama Club has returned, with a whole new bunch of Year 5 and 6 students to learn Drama and Puppetry in Mr Limon’s room on Thursdays. On Friday, Year 3-6 students are welcome to come along to the Hope Hub for a game of chess. Come along and join the fun!
There is lots of computer programming going on in E3 on Tuesdays. Year 3 and 4 students are taking their first steps to coding programs and apps, under the instruction of Mr Limon. The Years 3-7 choir is making beautiful music in the primary music room on Wednesdays. We look forward to hearing more from them later in the year.
To keep up to date with the events at the school, “like” our Maitland Christian School Facebook page. You will find it at www.facebook.com/maitlandcs Former students are invited to become part of the conversation at our Alumni Facebook page. You can find it at www.facebook. com/MaitlandcsAlumni “Like” the page to keep connected with each other and with the school community. Page 8
School Fee Reminder Term 1’s school fees were due for payment in full on Monday, 15th February 2016. Thank you to all parents who have already paid their Term 1 fees or have arranged to pay by instalments. Should you wish to pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly but have not yet made arrangements to do so, please contact Mrs Del Allan immediately, through the school office on 02 4933 7633 or at d.allan@maitlandcs.nsw.edu.au Alternatively, if you haven’t paid this term’s fees, it would be appreciated if you could arrange immediate payment, in accordance with the School’s Fee Policy. Thank you for your assistance.
5S Assembly, 12th February At last week’s assembly, 5S treated us to a skit about bike safety called “The Farmer Wants a Bike”.
order of the planets around the sun. So, if you hear a Year 5 child proclaiming, “My Very Enormous Moose Just Smashed Up Newcastle”, it isn’t a news story. It is a way to remember “Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune”.
They also acted out some mnemonics that they made up to remember the
The following students received awards at the assembly KB
Pippa, Nathanael, Darasimi, Matilda, Jani
3/4L
KG
Kieran, Jimmy, Lily, Eve, Paris
4P
1T
Tyler, Violet, Levi, Seth, Zara
5G
1/2C 2H 3O
Alison, Shakye, Rosalind, Ryan, Bayley Annabelle, Brielle, Isaac, Sophia, Joshua Elizabeth, Caleb, Lilly H., Laurel, Luke
5S 6S
Janaya, Josiah, Joel, Huon, Ethan G. Kurtis, Joseph, Hannah, Jonathan Taylah, Bayley, Riley, Hayley, Brooke Patrick, Benjamin, Elijah, Madelyn, Larissa Lucy, Nick, Jayden, Laura, Riley K. Congratulations Everyone!
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Community News
Maitland Christian School Staff Dedication Service Sunday, 28th February, 9:30am All Welcome!
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What’s Happening at Metford Community Baptist Church?
Metford Community Baptist Church is a community of Christian believers who love Christ, each other and their community. We have services every Sunday (9:30am and 6:00pm) and would love to see you there.
Our Contact details: Pastor: John Cook 83 Chelmsford Drive Associate Pastor: Andrew Sumpton Metford NSW 2323 (Next to Maitland Christian School) Phone: 4934 5350 admin@metfordbaptist.com.au
Church Services: Every Sunday 9:30am and 6:00pm Page 11
Secondary House Captains Our Secondary House Captains were announced this week in preparation for today’s Swimming Carnival. They are Rebecca and Ethan (Crosby), Claire and Aaron (Newton), Kiri-Ana, Scarlett and Wayne (Watts) and Emily (not in photo) and Sam (Wesley).
Our Houses Our houses are named after famous hymn writers.
Crosby:
Fanny Crosby was born blind in 1820 but soon developed a love of music and poetry. She wrote over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, including “Blessed Assurance” and “To God be the Glory”.
Newton: John Newton was a sailor who later became the captain of a slave ship. After
committing his life to Jesus, he became a pastor and helped abolish slavery in England. He wrote “Amazing Grace”.
Watts: Isaac Watts was born in 1674 and transformed the nature of Christian hymns.
Two notable hymns that Watts wrote were “Joy to the World” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”.
Wesley: Charles Wesley and his brother, John, established the Methodist movement.
He wrote over 6,000 hymns including “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”. Page 12