9 May 2023

Everyone loves a good athletics carnival in the middle of the term and some delightful music concerts to conclude the last week. Throw in a leadership day, a few Parent/Teacher/Student Learning Conferences, Cross Country events, Secondary Heritage Festival, National Simultaneous Storytime and a couple of Community Connect evenings, and Term 2 is just about set. So make sure you check your RJ App for all that is coming up in the life of the School this term.

LEARNING @ RJ

Last term, our students were introduced to a few new concepts around their learning. Some of these included the difference between learning mode and performance mode, and having a greater understanding that making mistakes is ok as they learned to persist in their learning. Learning takes effort and therefore students need to be invested in the learning experiences offered in their classrooms. 

Following on from our Staff Learning Day at the start of the term, our teachers will now focus on teaching our students how to face challenge in their learning. They will be led through an analogy of the Learning Pit to help them understand the learning process and how when we meet challenges in our learning, this is not a reflection of our abilities, but simply an opportunity to learn and exercise our learning muscles. 

As an executive team, we look forward to showcasing our learning approach to parents over the course of the next two terms so that you as parents can also have a greater understanding how we are helping your children to become better independent learners. Stay tuned for more information. 

BUILDING OPENINGS

On March 31, the Paul Cockrem Senior Learning Centre at Oakhurst and the Stage 3 & 4 Primary Building at Marsden Park were officially opened. Due to the diary constraints of the Hon Ed Husic MP, both buildings were opened at a ceremony held at the Marsden Park Campus. The Oakhurst Captains, Primary Captains and the Senior Student Leadership Team represented the Oakhurst Campus at the ceremony hosted at Marsden Park. Of the dignitaries that attended the event, members of the ASC Executive were present including ASC Chairman – Mr Philip Bell, ASC CEO – Mr Peter Fowler, ASC CFOO – Mrs Janet Jensen as well as the Deputy Mayor of Blacktown, Mr Brad Bunting. It was a wonderful occasion hosted by the Marsden Park team.

ANZAC DAY

Anzac Day 2023 was yet another memorable day as students from the Marsden Park Campus along with our Senior School Captains attended the Riverstone commemoration service. Students from all over the Riverstone and Western Sydney region represented their school at this event that attracted over 2,000 people. Back at school, towards the end of the same week, both campuses recognised those who had served our country and those who continue to serve. The focus this year was on the Vietnam War with 2023 marking the 50 year anniversary since our Australian troops were withdrawn from the country.

PHOTO DAYS 2023

Information has been sent home about the upcoming School Photo days. It is important that parents ensure that their children are dressed correctly in their appropriate winter uniform and that haircuts (particularly for the boys) follow the Schools’ guidelines. Any questions concerning Photo Day can be directed to your child’s teacher or Head of Section. Likewise, you can check in with your Facebook Ambassador or campus receptionist.

2024 ENROLMENTS 

Enrolment offers for students new to the school for Year 7 (2024) at Marsden Park and Oakhurst have now been finalised. Sibling interviews for Year 7 at Oakhurst will now begin with Kindergarten Readiness sessions already occurring also. If you haven’t secured your child’s place for 2024, you may miss out. Contact the Enrolments Registrar for further details. 

God Bless

Mr Alan Dawson | Principal 

With Week 1 having our Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 students involved in a variety of learning experiences in very different environments. Year 10 students experienced the city CBD and the surrounding areas in their Urban Challenge, where teamwork and budgeting gave them an opportunity to grow. Year 9 experienced an outdoor education program and challenged their own limits and beliefs about their capacity. Finally Year 8 travelled to a different capital city in Canberra experiencing great attractions like the National Zoo and Aquarium, Questacon and the Australian Institute of Sport. They also had the opportunity to learn about important aspects of our nation’s history at the Australian War Memorial. Having travelled with the Year 8 group, it was humbling to experience the tomb of the unknown soldier at the War Memorial and the reverence with which all visitors approached this special place. But by far the most exuberant experience was the trip on Thursday evening to Zone 3 where laser tag and arcade games were highlights (and not just for the students). Whilst students from all three camps undoubtedly came home tired from a big first week, we are confident that the new experiences for our students are opportunities for growth and learning in a new context. 

The second big day to kick off our Term included House Meetings for both Primary and Secondary and the Secondary Ribbon Run. It is always wonderful to see our students engaging in new activities and opportunities, particularly when they do so outside the confines of their peer group. House Meetings are a fantastic opportunity for students to belong to a group of students across different year groups and to experience the fun and excitement of different activities. Thanks to the great weather, both Primary and Secondary were able to head outside and be physically active and enjoy the sun.

The Secondary Ribbon Run was such a credit to our students, who have put together a wonderfully successful event, both from a fundraising and a “funraising” point of view. Friday afternoon saw us head over to Alroy Park where the students who fundraised for the event ran in white shirts to absorb all the vibrant colour and joy of the event. To date we have nearly raised $10 000! A remarkable effort by our students who may have been motivated by the potential to slime a certain teacher if they hit that goal. The three charities: Humanity First: Turkiye and Syria Appeal, National Breast Cancer Foundation and Safe Haven Community, are wonderful causes that our students have now directly contributed towards. Well done to our Secondary students for their fantastic result.

Mr Scott Roby
Deputy Principal  

WHICH UNIFORM?

Students are permitted to wear Summer or Winter uniform for the first 3 weeks of this term. We will all be in Winter uniform from Monday of Week 4 the 15th of May. The mornings have become quite chilly so please send your child/ren with their jackets to School. The School beanie is also only to be worn to and from School and does not take the place of a sunhat. Please check that all clothing items are clearly labelled – especially jackets.

MORNING DROP OFF

A reminder to please drop students off in Pioneers Way rather than walking them down to the Courtyard area. Parents are welcome to sit for a brief time at the tables in Pioneers Way however, please encourage your child to meet up with their friends to play before School. Using this area as a ‘kiss and drop’ space is recommended.

HAIRSTYLES AND RJ UNIFORM

We are still seeing some boys coming to School with hairstyles that are not in line with our uniform policy. These include very short, shaved sides with a distinctly longer section on top. ‘Lines’ shaved into the hair are also not permitted. Uniform infringement notes will be issued to these students.

Our School Uniform policy states – 

Hair must be clean, kept tidy and well‐groomed. Hair should not hang/fall across the face or eyes. 

• No radical hair styles are acceptable (e.g. no undercut, mohawk, or shaved hair or below size 2 clippers). Also, no styles involving significant differences between the length of hair are acceptable.    

 • In regard to hairstyles for all students, it should be recognised that due to the subjective nature of ‘styles’ it is difficult to describe exactly the School’s requirements. Any changes to a student’s hair must be subtle. Significant changes are not acceptable. For the smooth‐running of the School, the Principal’s decision is final in all matters pertaining to this Policy and the appearance of each student.

In light of this, we ask that if you are taking your son to the Barber or Hairdresser, please say something before they begin to cut. A size 2 blade and a size 4 blade combination is acceptable – a size 1 blade is too short.

In terms of ‘lines’ a thin line in the natural part section is permissible, thicker and/or designed lines are not.

With our School photo day on Thursday 18 May, we do not want any of our boys sporting inappropriate hairstyles. If your son has recently had one of these differentiated cuts, please allow the short section to grow longer than a number 1 blade and have any long top sections trimmed.

MOTHER’S DAY MINI-BREAKFAST & STALL

On Friday 12 May we will hold our Mother’s Day stall at School. Gifts will be $5 and students are permitted to purchase one gift, two if there are blended families with stepmothers. Please send the correct cash amount with your child on this day if you would like them to buy a gift. The Breakfast starts at 8am in Pioneers Way. Students need to have their own food.  Please register here. Bookings for the Mother’s Day Breakfast will close by 5pm Wed 10/5/23. Please RSVP as soon as possible

https://forms.office.com/r/Mp69idUfcz

CROSS COUNTRY EVENTS

Cross Country for Years K-2 will be held this Wed 10 May from 2:15pm. Parents are welcome to come and watch our littlest athletes go through their paces. Please assemble in Pioneers Way from 2:10pm. Students will still finish School at 3:20pm on this day.
Years 3-12 will hold their Cross Country races next Monday 15 May. This event is for students only.
All students are to wear their Sports uniform with House shirts on their respective Cross Country days. (Year 6 helpers for K-2 event also in House shirts)

SCHOOL FUND-RAISING DISCO - Tuesday 23 May

The ever-popular School Disco will be held on Tuesday 23 May with 2 sessions, noting that these are earlier than last year.                            

Years K-2: 4:00pm - 5:00pm - https://www.trybooking.com/CIFKH

Years 3-6: 5:30pm – 6:45pm - https://www.trybooking.com/CIFKP

Cost is $5 which will include glowsticks. Bookings close Tuesday 23 May at 9:00am. 

WEDNESDAY LUNCH ORDERS Yrs 3-6

As we commence our WSCS Sport this term on Wednesdays it will mean that students will swap around recess and lunch eating to allow time to get to the various grounds. If organising a lunch order for your Year 3-6 child on a Wednesday, please do not order hot food. This does not affect Years K-2.

Enjoy the rest of your week,  

Mrs Karen Shannon-Duhigg
Head of Primary - Oakhurst

The tree arborist came out and took care of the situation on Thursday afternoon; there was much buzz (you get it!) and excitement amongst the students as we were able to show students a video of the tree being cut down and talk to the students about the way some things stay the same and the way other things change at school. This last point seems relevant to our school situation. We are embarking on a new journey in 2024 at Marsden Park Anglican College. This will also represent continuity and change for our community.  

K-2 Cross Country 

All K-2 students had a great time at the cross-country event on Monday 8 May. It is always special to see the excitement and joy that comes from students competing in, what for some, is their first formal carnival event. Thanks again for the all the parents that were able to come out and support their children during the event. A special thanks to Mr Mitchell for organising the event and for our young people.

Mothers’ Day Stall and Breakfast 

Our Mother's Day stall was on today, Tuesday 9 May. Some gorgeous gifts were hand selected by your children and they are looking forward to surprising you on Sunday. A big thank you goes to all of our volunteering parents, without whom we couldn’t make the stall happen. Along side the stall we are for the first time running a Mothers’ day breakfast for all Mothers as well. The school will serve some cakes and pastries and we are looking forward to celebrating with you this special day. 

School Fund-Raising Primary Disco - Wednesday 24 May

Term 2 brings with it the very popular School disco with our excellent parent volunteer DJ Ashton Bryce facilitating the music for the night!

K-2 Disco: 3:30pm - 4:30pm - https://www.trybooking.com/CIFLF

3-6 Disco: 4:45pm - 6.00pm - https://www.trybooking.com/CIFLK

As this is a fundraising event, tickets are $5 per child which includes 3 complimentary glow stick bangles. Tickets available until Wednesday 24 May, 9:00am.

There isn’t any specific theme for the evening. Be on the lookout for the Disco note coming next week. 

Parents may remain onsite in the Plaza area or Infants playground but must supervise their children. Please note the Plaza playground equipment will be out of bounds and marked off accordingly so that the students can enjoy their activity in the hall without the distraction of their parents and siblings in the immediate vicinity.

Winter Uniform from 15 May

Students may wear either the Summer or Winter Uniform (not to be mixed or matched) for the first 2 weeks of Term 2. From Monday 15 May (Week 4), all students wear their Winter Uniform. Please ensure all Uniform items, particularly the School Jumper and Primary Jacket are clearly labelled.    

Pre-Kindergarten – The Winter Uniform consists of the winter tracksuit and long sleeve polo shirt. For added warmth, the school jumper may be purchased to wear under the tracksuit jacket if required, but not in place of it. No visible skivies or long sleeve shirts are to be worn underneath the Uniform.  

Kindergarten – Year 6 - All students are required to wear the Primary Jacket. The school jumper may be worn under the Primary or Sport jacket but may not be worn in place of it.  

WSCS – Years 3-6 Sport 

Students in Years 3-6 will have the opportunity to participate in the Western School Christian Schools (WSCS) Interschool Sport Competition or School Sport with students from the Oakhurst Campus in Terms 2 and 3. Trials for WSCS will be held during weeks 1 and 2. Students selected in a team will receive a note home, with further details provided.  

God Bless  
Mr Sale 

Term 2 Important Dates and Activities for your Diary

Events

Please see an overview of Term 2 events below. Dates will be confirmed across the course of the Term.

Additional event information will be provided closer to events or as excursions etc. are added to the School Calendar. Please continue to read the fortnightly RJ Review for updates throughout the term.

Housekeeping   

• Absences: Please email the absences email address:  absences@rjas.nsw.edu.au or SMS 0438 657 339  
• After school care arrangements: If you have arranged after school care, please remind your child before dropping them to school. Please call the office to ensure the message is not missed in an emergency.  
• Please remember that the carpark is now rear to curb only. Please drive safely due to the high volumes of children walking through the area.  
• Snack Day items. Please be mindful that we limit the amount of items that students are allowed to purchase for snack day. The rule is one item and one drink for all students.  
• Early Leavers. Please also remember that if students are leaving early then a call should be made to the office no later than 10am that day.  

Mr Luke Sale
Head of Primary - Marsden Park

Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 would love some help particularly in the morning for InitiaLit lessons. These are like the Reading Group rotations of which many of you may be familiar. If your heart is for helping older grades that is not a problem these grades would appreciate some assistance as well. 

Whether or not you have a child or grandchild in a particular grade or a class, all help is gratefully accepted. The only requirements for the role are a willingness and a Working With Children Check number. If this is something, you feel you may be able to help with please send me an email with your name, contact details, availability and where in Primary you would be willing to help to myself spinney@rjas.nsw.edu.au

Mrs Sarah Pinney
Primary Learning Support Leader Oakhurst

CRU Blast is an exciting CRU Day Camp held for students in Kindergarten to Year 6. Your son or daughter will have the week of their lives and get a great opportunity to make new friends and build self-confidence during their school holidays! They'll enjoy the experience of camp, with the chance to participate in exciting outdoor activities and explore a Christian perspective, whilst still going home to sleep in the comfort of their own bed.

The dates for CRU Blast are:  Monday July 17 – Friday July 21, 2023  ( the 3rd week of the July School Holidays)

The registrations have commenced and students will receive a brochure soon. The link to the information page about the camp is: https://crudaycamps.com.au/cru-blast#cru-blast-introduction 

The link below will take you straight to the registration page:

https://crucamps.com.au/camps/details/?campid=006980000035DzmAAE  

We’d love to see your child/ children at CRU Blast this year. If you have any questions, please contact Stewart Rowe at School by phone 9677 2455 or email – srowe@rjas.nsw.edu.au 

Mr Stewart Rowe
Christian Ministry Service Learning

This term will see Learning Conferences taking place for parents/carers and students in Year 12 Week 3 and then Years 7 and 8 in Week 9, with Year 9 and 10 early in Term 3. Year 11 2024 Subject Selection Talks are taking place for our Year 10 students and the Subject Selection Interviews for students and their parents/carers will take place in Week 5. Please continue to monitor broadcasts and emails from the school to ensure parents/carers are aware of these events, and book in where needed.

Uniform 

Students are required to wear the Secondary Winter Uniform from Monday 15 May Week 4 onwards. Please see the student diary or the school's website for clarification of what students are required to wear. Students are not permitted to wear a mix of summer and winter uniform nor are they to wear clothing that is not part of RJ uniform, including scarves, hats, beanies that do not have the RJ crest on them.

Mobile Phones, Social Media and Privacy 

Since the beginning of this year quite a number of students have been brought to my attention due to the misuse of their mobile phone and/or their misuse of social media. The School's expectations regarding mobile phones and social media use have been made clear to students and it will be presented again during the Secondary assembly this week, with reference to the legal aspect of privacy and threatening behaviours.

In relation to mobile phones:

• Mobile phones are to be placed in student lockers from 8am onwards and retrieved no earlier than 3:10pm.

• They are not to be used at all during the school day.

• Mobiles phones are not to be brought in to any classroom nor used during recess or lunch.

• Students are not to film or photograph students in RJ uniform in any location or at anytime. 

In relation to social media, students are:

• Not to share with anyone or post to social media any image, video or edit they create of any-one in RJ uniform / RJ buildings or any part of the campus.

• Not to create any page or chat that uses the RJ logo or school name.

• Expected to abide by the legal age limits set by the social media services.

• Encouraged to speak with a parent/carer or teacher if they are concerned about any interactions they have had via social media. 

In relation to social media I encourage all parents/carers to regularly have conversations with their children about their social media use. Making these types of conversations normal in you households will help your child communicate any concerns they have with you. If you are concerned about experiences your child has had online please contact the school, Mr Dibden for students in Years 7-9 and Mr Hyde for students in Years 10-12 or myself. 

A range of helpful resources are available to parents/carers and students.

• Parents - https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

• Students - https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people

• Students and parent/carers are also able to report any form of abuse, threats or other illegal activity that has taken place online - https://www.esafety.gov.au/report

Finally I do hope that students who have made mistakes online learn from them rather than continue to repeat them and that the resources listed above are helpful. In 1 Peter 3:8 we are encouraged to be like-minded, sympathetic, loving, compassionate and humble, certainly great attributes for students, parents, carers and staff to strive  as we continue to build a community of respect, love and care.

Mr Brad Maxwell
Head of Secondary

The School Cross Country is coming up very soon ( Monday, May 15 ) and that means that it is time for Run4Bibles, the opportunity for students in Years 7- 12 to raise funds to provide Bibles for high school students in South Africa. This will help them learn more about Jesus while also helping their literacy skills.

Students have been reminded about the BBQ orders that close tonight. If your child would like to order from the BBQ, the orders need to be completed by midnight this evening.

There are 3 ways that you will be able to support this great project.

1. Sponsorship – Sponsor your child or another student while they run/ jog/ walk the Cross Country. $7 provides a Bible and study material for a student. You can also donate any amount.
   Try booking link for Bible Sponsorship:   https://www.trybooking.com/CIBTM 
2. BBQ - Order lunch for your child / children in Years 7- 12 at the BBQ.                                         
   $6 combo / $4.50 Sausage sandwich / $2 drink 
   Try Booking Link for BBQ Orders: https://www.trybooking.com/CIBTM
   All BBQ orders need to completed by Tuesday, 9 May 12.00 midnight.
3. Fun Activities - Encourage your children in Secondary to join in the fun activities on the day 

We would love to see all our students involved so join in and help students across the oceans learn more about the best news a person can hear.

Over the past six years, students from Richard Johnson have participated in the Winter Sleepout, which raises funds and awareness of homelessness among young people. There are 116,427 Australians experiencing homelessness. 27,680 young people aged 12-24 years are experiencing homelessness, or 24 per cent of the homeless population. The Sleepout is on again this year and it will be held from Friday evening June 16 to Saturday morning June 17. 

More details will be available in the next RJ Review. Please put the date in your diaries and be encouraging your son or daughter in Year 6- 12 to be involved as we raise funds to support young people who are homeless in Sydney and NSW.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr Rowe at school by email- srowe@rjas.nsw.edu.au or by phone.

They really enjoyed the run on the special circuit that our amazing maintenance team mowed especially for them. Special thanks to the teachers and to our amazing House Leaders and Captains who supported the infants students. It was fantastic to see the Pre-K students have a run and the applause from the K-2 students while Pre-K ran was lovely to see.

K-2 Cross Country Oakhurst

The K-2 Cross Country for Oakhurst is occurring tomorrow afternoon. We hope that it is a lovely afternoon weather wise so our infants students can have an enjoyable experience. Students will wear their House Shirts for the event.

Years 3-12 Cross Country

Once again, we will combine with our Secondary department to have our annual Years 3-12 cross country on Monday 15 May. Our 8 and 9 year students, along with our under 10 students run 2km. Our under 11 and under 12 students run 3km.  The top 4 students from each race will qualify for the CSSA State Cross Country on the 26 May. Please note that this is not 4 students from each campus – it is the top 4 students overall that qualify for the next level of competition. 

WSCS

Our WSCS competition commences after a year out due to Covid and a terrible wet weather period. We hope that our teams who are competing in boys football, girls netball and mixed teeball have a lovely experience, competing against fellow RJ teams and against 3 other schools.

Lunches for the Oakhurst Campus will change during WSCS time. Students who are looking to order food from the canteen will only have sandwiches available to them, which they are to eat at recess time. This will commence as of tomorrow.

If you are willing to give up an hour between 12pm-1pm and you have your WWCC, please contact Mr Mitchell  - gmitchell@rjas.nsw.edu.au 

Gymnastics Competition

If your daughter is a WAG level 3 and up or son goes a MAG level and they would like to compete in the CCSA gymnastic competition, please notify Mr Mitchell by this Friday at 3pm to be considered for competition. The competition takes place on Thursday 1 June at Sydney Gymnastics Centre at Rooty Hill.

Football Clinics – Marsden Park Campus

Unfortunately due to wet weather causing two football sessions at Marsden Park not to occur last term, the football clinic from Term 1 still needs to be completed. The first of these sessions occurred yesterday and there is still one more to occur. The second catch up session will occur on 22 May.

We will revisit a football clinic in Term 3.

Football Gala Day

Due to the Women’s World cup taking up a few additional venues which schools usually utilise, there has been a restructuring of some football gala days this year. As a result, our girls and boys football teams from each campus will have a playoff match to see who represents RJ at the Zone Gala Days in Terms 2 and 3. If they were to qualify in first place at the Zone Gala Day, they would make the state finals. This change regarding the Zone Gala Day was first mentioned at the end of last year. This playoff match will take place after WSCS in Week 4.

Athletics Carnival Assistance

Save the Date! Thursday 15 June

Parents, if you are free to assist at the upcoming athletics carnival either with supervision or assistance at an event, please notify Mr Mitchell -  gmitchell@rjas.nsw.edu.au . You must have supplied your WWCC to the School in order to be considered.

Mr Gavin Mitchell
Primary Sports Leader

What is your favourite food?

Prawns or prawn pizza. Especially with garlic and chilli.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Meeting up with friends for brunch in cafes. Country drives, markets and live music. Hanging out with my kids and animals.

When and why did you come to work at this School?

My friend Julia Scrimshaw recommended Rj as a wonderful school community to work in.

What do you think you will enjoy about your role in the School?

Helping students to do more than they think they can.

Describe a wonderful experience you’ve had which you’ll never forget.

I went in a hot air balloon many years ago. It was a magical experience. I felt like the Wizard of Oz.

Why did you become a Christian?

Because the truth of God’s love in Jesus spoke to my heart and the Holy Spirit moved in.

What is your favourite bible verse and why?

I love the unconditional love of God in this verse: Romans 8:38 “For I am convinced that neiter death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What is something you want to achieve?

I want to run my life race well and bring glory to God, and love to people I encounter along my path.

If you could meet any person in the world at the moment who would it be and why?

I really love meeting all people and I love hearing their stories and perspectives. My friends will attest to this. I find people endlessly fascinating. I wish I could have met Olivia Newton-John. I think she was a very special, kind and gracious human.