12 September 2023

Last week we celebrated Fathers’ Day. Our Fathers’ Day event was a marvellous way to honour all of our RJ dad’s and express our gratitude to them for nurturing, supporting and guiding our children and youth. While the team served up a sausage sizzle brekkie at Pioneer’s Way, the Kahoot trivia competition was hotly contested with dads on tech responding quickly to the questions posed by Mrs Shannon-Duhigg. Three lucky winners were then awarded some prizes for their sharp thinking and quick fingers. It was a great opportunity to celebrate with our dads and thank everyone who was able to make it for coming along to join in the fun.

CELEBRATING THE JOURNEY: Farewelling Our Year 12 Students

As Term 3 comes to a close in the next two weeks, there is a bittersweet feeling in the air as we prepare to bid farewell to our wonderful Year 12 students. It's a moment of reflection, celebration, and a touch of nostalgia as we look back on the incredible journey these young adults have taken through their high school years. To honour and cherish the memories, our School has organised several special events, including the Year 12 Retreat Day, staff versus students ultimate frisbee match, staff/student breakfast and the Graduation and Farewell Assemblies next week.

The Year 12 Retreat Day will be one of those last moments that our graduating class will get to come together for a day of reflection, relaxation, and bonding. This Friday they will spend an extended day at Vision Valley where our Year 12 students will enjoy a serene natural setting as they engage in outdoor activities and be inspired through reflection on their time at school and look to what lies ahead of them post the HSC. It's a day when friendships are deepened, and memories are created, providing our graduates with a lasting sense of hope, unity and purpose.

During all of these events, the focus will not just be on the farewells but on the accomplishments and growth of our Year 12 students and the comradery they have built. We will celebrate their resilience, determination, and dedication to their studies and extracurricular activities. We will also acknowledge the challenges they have faced and how they have emerged stronger and more resilient than ever.

In celebrating the Year 12 Retreat Day and the staff versus students ultimate frisbee match alongside the farewell events, we are not just saying goodbye; we are sending them off with love, support, and a profound belief in their potential and their hope in Christ. These events are a testament to the strong sense of community that defines our School and will forever connect our Year 12 students to the cherished memories of their high school years.

God Bless
Mr Alan Dawson | Principal 

This is also true for the way our students engage with significant seasons of their lives. As our Year 12 students conclude their schooling, no doubt they will engage with the experience differently. Some will be relieved it’s finally finishing, some will be grieving the loss of community and a wonderful experience of schooling, still others will have mixed emotions about different aspects of their time at school. Regardless of their experiences, the one gift we can give our children is the idea that how they engage with what they are going through weighs much more significantly than what they are going through. 

Whilst no doubt there are seasons of life that are objectively difficult, challenging or problematic, we can often forget that for many of our days we have the opportunity to engage with any experience with a positive attitude or a negative attitude. I’m reminded often of the Maya Angelou quote “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” This is a gift we can share with our young people, that they always have the opportunity to choose how to engage with something, no matter how difficult the circumstances. I’m blown away by the way the Abdullah family from Sydney managed the death of their four children at the hands of an out-of-control driver. No doubt, that every day for them since that day comes with a sense of loss and regret from not being able to see their children grow up and share their lives with them. However, in what is nothing short of remarkable, this family has used this tragic loss as an opportunity to launch the ‘i4give Foundation’, which celebrates forgiveness with the tagline “There is freedom in forgiveness”. They have also launched i4give Week with a National Day of Forgiveness, encouraging people to find someone you can forgive or ask for forgiveness. This is an outrageous testimony to the grace of our God working in our nation and community.

So regardless of the season you or your students are going through, let’s equip them with the capacity and audacity to look beyond the immediate and adopt an attitude that allows them to rise above their circumstances. This is a gift that they can utilise in all seasons of their lives and will go with them beyond our capacity to do so.

Mr Scott Roby
Deputy Principal 

FATHER’S DAY BBQ BREAKFAST

Close to 200 Dads joined us for our inaugural Father’s Day BBQ breakfast on Friday 1 September. It was a great morning with lots of smiles, yummy sausages, tests of skill in the Courtyard and a fun general knowledge Kahoot quiz! Kindergarten classes rounded off the morning with their combined Assembly Item on how special Dads are and how we all can enjoy the love of our Heavenly Father.

YEAR 12 GRADUATION

Our Year 12 students commemorate their end of studies on Friday 22 September. If you have K-6 siblings of Year 12 students and you wish to take them with you after the Graduation service, please contact School Administration to advise that your children will be leaving early that day. This will provide ease of signing out and collecting from class. K-6 students do not attend the Graduation service – pick up after the guard of honour.

DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE LUNCH EACH DAY?

We are getting an increasing number of students coming to School with no packed lunch or canteen order. Please make sure your child has sufficient food for the day – it has a big effect on concentration and energy levels. If children present with no lunch, a basic sandwich will be supplied (no hot food) from the Canteen and charged to your Munch Monitor account. Three or more missed days will result in communication from the School.

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

A request from the Primary Reception team – if you could please check the Edumate emergency contact details for your children, it would be very much appreciated. Ideally, aim to have someone who could get to School in around half an hour or less, so if your child is unwell or needs medical attention, they are not left in sickbay for an extended period of time.

YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM

As part of our ongoing commitment to service at RJ over the next few weeks, students in Year 5 are being challenged to take part in Service opportunities. Many of these activities have been occurring at school and parents of Year 5 students would have received communication regarding this from the teachers. Please encourage your child to participate as this is a great opportunity to serve. This program is also a prerequisite for School Leadership in 2024 and will conclude at the end of this Term. 

How to have THAT conversation with your child…

Rowena Thomas returns to RJ to present her Amazing Me family sessions for students in Years 3-6 in the first week back next Term Tuesday 10 October. There will be two presentations, ‘Bodies and Puberty’ for Stage 2 starting at 5:30pm, then ‘Bodies and Babies; for Stage 3 commencing at 6:45pm in the Hall. Stage 3 students are welcome to attend both sessions if preferred. I highly recommend that you attend one or both of these sessions with your child. Rowena is a warm and engaging presenter who helps normalise ‘tricky’ conversation topics! 

If you purchased tickets last term there is no need to re-purchase. If you didn’t, here’s an opportunity to do so now 😁

Booking link below: 

https://www.trybooking.com/CIZMP

Enjoy the rest of your week,  

Mrs Karen Shannon-Duhigg
Head of Primary - Oakhurst

Our Year 11 cohort have commenced their yearly exams this week, which will conclude on Wednesday 20 September, with students returning to normal classes the following day. Please continue to uphold our students in Year 11 and 12 in prayer.

Friday 22 September is the last day of Term which will see all Secondary students clean out their lockers and leave them locked and empty over the School Holidays. It is recommended that students start to take home books that they will not need on the last two days of next week to ensure that their school backpacks will not be too heavy to take home on the last day of Term.

SPRING AND THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

As we move into Spring, students are encouraged to wear the RJ sports cap whenever they are outside. While hats are compulsory next Term, students do not need to wait until then to start wearing one. A reminder that students are to only wear the RJ sports cap.

With the holidays less than two weeks away I would like to encourage Parents and Carers to be aware and involved in their children's use of technology. Healthy technology use should involve negotiated times/duration to be on screens, including mobile phones. Children should be interruptible and seen rather than hidden away while using their devices. Parents and Carers are encouraged to talk with their children in relation to social media use and follow or friend them where possible. It would be pleasing to see our students have an enjoyable, safe and relaxing break that is a mix of physical activity and social interaction, where the social interaction is both online and also in person.

WHY RJ?

Last week during a twilight tour of the School I was greatly encouraged to meet families who are wanting to become part of the RJ Community. During a conversation one parent was asked "Why RJ?", without hesitation they replied "It is what I have heard about the School from my friends". They went on further to explain that they had heard about the welcoming atmosphere, the School's values and the positive experiences other families have had within RJ. My hope and prayer is that RJ will continue to have a positive community where staff, students and families partner together striving to make our School one that continues to be a place to belong, serve and succeed.

FINAL REMINDERS:

Year 11 students need to complete their orders for their YEAR 12 2024 Jersey as soon as possible. As soon as all orders and payments are complete I can place the order with the company that supplies the jerseys to the School.

Year 12 students need to purchase their ticket for the Year 12 Formal, closing date is Friday 22 September.

Families of our Year 12 students need to 'book' their seats for the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony by Friday 15 September.

Links and relevant QR codes have been sent to students/parents and carers via Broadcast and email.

Parents and carers are reminded that if you have any questions about upcoming events or concerns in relation to your child's wellbeing or a question about a specific subject area please reach out to their Home Group teacher at first point of contact. Parents wishing to meet with a staff member please contact the School via Main Reception to organise an appointment.

Mr Brad Maxwell
Head of Secondary

Ten students had made it to finals and presented their speech to a live audience, and to our special guest judges, Mrs Jenny Clay and Mrs Sarah Key. The event was hosted by Mrs Inglis and our Arts Captains Jack I and Sam B. 

This year’s Finalists were:

• Aidan M
• Kayal S
• Brianna S
• Joyce O
• George B
• Sirat K
• Ronit B
• Avani N
• Heidi F
• Ria D

And our Talkfest Award recipients were:

People’s Choice Award

Brianna S (Stage 4)

Heidi F (Stage 5)

Best Content Award

Aidan M (Stage 4)

Ronit B (Stage 5)

Best Delivery Award

Brianna S (Stage 4)

Heidi F (Stage 5)

A fantastic evening was had by all.

Mrs Nicole Inglis
Secondary Teacher  

In addition, the day promoted students’ reciprocal learning skills because they participated in teams to complete goals and tasks, requiring them to collaborate, plan, discuss and share ideas and mathematical thinking. Some of the activities included:

• A puzzles and problem-solving competition.
• QR code scavenger hunt race around the School.
• Pi group memory challenge.
• Card combinations race.
• Creative Mathematics Poster Competition.
• The construction of soccer balls and towers using simple materials and geometric shapes and solids.

Prizes were awarded to the teams that succeeded in these challenges and competitions. The hands-on and team approach to the tasks helped to show students that Mathematics is meaningful, practical, useful and fun. Mathematics is everywhere, and is part of God’s amazing creation. Thanks to the Maths faculty for the day’s preparation and success.

Mr Alex Glazebrook
Secondary Teacher

The main goal of the event was for students to participate in a walking activity to raise funds to support World Vision’s program to eliminate Child Hunger in our world. Students formed teams of 4-5 students and completed as many kilometres during the afternoon/evening as a team, walking around a track set out in the School grounds.

It was wonderful to see the students challenging themselves to complete at least 40kms per team and encouraging each other during the walk. The students started at 4:00pm and walked till 6:15pm, then enjoyed a simple dinner. Following dinner, the students completed the walk, which finished at 9:00pm.

Before the walk, the students sought sponsorship to raise funds for World Vision. The students raised $4,500 for World Vision which was an incredible amount for a small number of students.

The students are congratulated on their fantastic effort and commended for their commitment to both raising support for World Vision and also completing the 4hr walk. 

Thank you to these wonderful students:

Primary: Bryne B, Levi M, Ridhima P, Bethany W, Carren H, Mannat G, Madeline H, Joanna S, Jana A, Ruby N, Valentina F, Moriah V, Alexis P, Saanwi M.

Secondary: Tristan L, Sohan N, Jude C, Jackson B, Samuel R, Jonathan P, Caleb H, Jonah M-S, Zoe B, Mia E-J, Iggy B, Naria H A, Aarna S, Jia R, Juane D-T, Shania M, Lauren M, Chelsea K, Logan N, Matariki D, AJ H, Heidi F, Lynette D-T, Jade P, Elmariè D-T, Cameron H, Ife F.

Thank you also to the Primary and Secondary staff who gave up their time and supported the evening through being on checkpoints and walking with the students. A special thank you to Miss Hurlstone who provided and prepared the dinner. The help of all the teachers was very much appreciated.

Donations can still be made till Monday of next week via the Website.

https://40hourfamine.com.au/t/richard-johnson-anglican-school 

Mr Stewart Rowe
Director of Christian Ministry/Service Learning (7-12)

FOLLOW-UP FROM BOOK WEEK

As we raised over $1500 dollars we were able to purchase extra books for our own catalogue. Just last week we had some of those books arrive after Miss Kuiper had purchased them for us. We are so thankful to all families who helped by purchasing books and we hope the new texts that come in will be of benefit to all.  

A CHANGE FOR YOUR CALENDARS

From next Term Marsden Park will be holding their Assemblies on a Friday afternoon at 1:45 pm. We have made this decision because we believe it is in the best interests of the students at school. Our first Assembly next term will be Friday 13 October at 1:45pm and will not be run by a class but rather be run by the school leaders (School Captains, House Leaders and Student Forum). Parents are more than welcome to attend the Assembly if their child is participating in any part of the Assembly. More information regarding Assemblies will be forthcoming in the Term start up letter for Term 4. I am really looking forward to the rest of Kindergarten participating in their first Assembly.  

HOW TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOUR CHILD… (Postponed to 10 October) 

Rowena Thomas was to return to RJ to present her Amazing Me family sessions for students in Years 3-6 on Wednesday 16 August. However, we have made the decision to postpone the event so that families were able to watch the World Cup Semi-Final. The sessions and times are unchanged but will now be moved to Tuesday 10 October. If this time doesn’t work for your family please speak to the office and we can make arrangements for a full refund.  

There will be two presentations, ‘Bodies and Puberty’ for Stage 2 starting at 5:30pm, then ‘Bodies and Babies: for Stage 3 commencing at 6:45pm in the Hall. Stage 3 students are welcome to attend both sessions if preferred. I highly recommend that you attend one or both sessions with your child. Rowena is a warm and engaging presenter who helps normalise ‘tricky’ conversation topics!  

Information was emailed out last Term. Booking link below: https://www.trybooking.com/CIZMP

COMMUNICATION  

Please note that the following forms of communication to the RJ Families apply when we are distributing information regarding events. Not all forms are used for the same event. Please also refer to the RJ App / Calendar for upcoming events and Term dates refer to the calendar on the School website.  

1. A broadcast via the Newsfeed on the RJ App is used for whole section events such as Book Week and Easter Hat Parade. 
2. The Fortnightly RJ Review (Newsletter) – which is emailed to parents and can be found on the home page of our School website. This also outlines events that are happening throughout the term.  
3. From time to time, we will use Emails/or SMS to highlight changes that may occur that affect events. Such as parent parking.  

SCHOOL BAN ON NUTS 

A friendly reminder that a very serious allergy towards peanuts for some of our students has prompted the School to ban peanuts, peanut butter, Nutella, peanut sauce, nut biscuits and fruit and nut mixes, as well as any other food product which contains peanuts. Please note that products which have ‘traces of nut or peanuts’ have not been listed - these are acceptable. We ask parents to be very cautious about this School directive. The health and safety of every student is of paramount concern for the whole School community. 

WSCS – YEARS 3-6 SPORT 

Students in Years 3-6 will recommence on 9 August in the Western Sydney Christian Schools (WSCS) Interschool Sport Competition or School Sport with students from the Oakhurst Campus and will conclude on 13 September. Students selected in a team will receive a note home, with further details provided.  

TERM 3 IMPORTANT DATES AND ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR DIARY

Assembly Class dates for Term 3

Events for your Diary

Additional event information will be provided closer to events through the RJ App. Please continue to read the fortnightly RJ Review for updates throughout the Term. 

We appreciate your prayers and support for the remainder of the School year.  

Yours sincerely, 

Mr Luke Sale
Head of Primary - Marsden Park 

This was an excellent opportunity for these students to continue to develop their leadership skills as they lead their own peers! All are welcome to come along to Kids for Christ on Monday lunchtimes!

Mr Joshua Lamb
Primary Teacher  

Our Pre-K students investigated wheels and movement. Some Stage 2 students explored the question, ‘How can we innovate to reduce the impact of plastic in our environment?’. Other Stage 2 and Stage 3 students investigated making better paper planes. This challenge allowed them to develop confidence in designing, building, testing and improving designs.

Mrs Karen McLeod
Primary Curriculum Leader 

• Selah K: "I enjoyed Architectural Geometry because I learnt about perspective and how to draw things better. In Film Production I could be creative with getting my ideas recorded into a video." 
• Alicia M: "I think Big Company Facelift was a really good learning opportunity for me because I learnt how to advertise well and make a business more popular. I also really enjoyed Landscape Painting with water colour; we learnt how to realistically paint trees. I never want to miss out on anything so I had a great time on the high ropes and gorge swing."
• Ravnoor S: "Architectural Geometry was great because I learnt about perspective and how to draw modern houses. In Luna Mission, we got to make a story about a space being stuck on the moon. We had to use our ideas to figure our way out."
• Leo H: "Stock Market was good because we learnt how to make money by buying and selling stocks and I got to do this with other people. I liked Writing as I could just use my imagination and write whatever I liked."
• Emily C: "In Chemistry, we learnt about atoms and the periodic table. I liked learning how all the sections of the periodic table worked. Of my 3 electives, my favourite was writing as we got to tell our own story and share our imagination. High ropes was terrifying!"
• Ridhima P: "In Robotics we learnt how to code and make sturdy and effective robotics. We made sumo robots to battle against other robots. My favourite part was working with girls from different schools and learning from them things they have already learnt. Racetrack with Ozobots was fun. In my electives I enjoyed using new and different skills such as writing my own rebuttals. High ropes and gorge swing were really scary but so much fun. We went all the way to the top."  
• Brandan M: "In Big Company Facelift I liked drawing the logos for the sub-companies we were making. All of my electives were heaps of fun. I loved making some great new friends who also played monopoly with me." 

ICAS TESTING

Recently, selected high academic students from Years 4-10 participated in ICAS Testing in English, Mathematics and Science. ICAS recognises academic performance by pushing students to their academic limits while testing their higher order thinking and problem-solving abilities. 

Results and certificates for participating in this competition will be available in coming weeks with presentations to students achieving at higher levels made at section Assemblies early in Term 4. 

YEAR 12 HSC TRIALS AND YEAR 11 EXAMINATIONS

The Secondary Learning Support team have been supporting diverse learners in the recent Year 12 HSC Trials and current Year 11 examinations with a range of adjustments such as small group supervision, rest breaks, extra time or reading support to ensure that all students at RJ have opportunity to show their knowledge and understanding to the best of their ability. Students in both Year 11 and Year 10 have very ably assisted and served diverse learners by being readers during these exams. Thank you to the fantastic team very ably lead by Ms Parker, Secondary Learning Support Leader, for supporting students at RJ.     

TEACHER AIDE APPRECIATION WEEK   

Teacher Aides are recognised for their wonderful work supporting the needs of students during Teacher Aide Appreciation week which was held on 28 August - 1 September. At RJ teacher aides support students in-class, through small groups, 1-1 support, attending sports events, excursions and incursions, providing exam supervision, preparing social stories, implementing individual learning plans, manning the Learning Lab, providing emotional support, and being a kind and friendly face and a listening ear. We not only acknowledge the wonderful work of our teacher aids during Teacher Aide Appreciation week but each and every day. We also acknowledge the wonderful work of our Learning Support Leaders, Ms Parker (Secondary), Mrs Pinney (Primary) and Mrs Green (Marsden Park) who support the Teacher aides, teaching staff, students and families.

Mrs Narelle Taylor
Head of Diverse Learning

Congratulations also goes out to all the RJ students who have recently played in their end of season finals for their weekend sports competitions. Special shout outs to all those who made Grand finals, and won Grand finals!

We wish our under 15 Boys Basketball team all the best as they compete in their Secondary State Basketball Gala Day on Monday 18 September.

We would also like to wish our students competing at the Secondary CIS Athletics on Tuesday 19 September all the best.

We look forward to sharing your successes next term!

Mrs Trish Millard 
PDHPE & Sport Faculty Leader

CSSA STATE ATHLETICS

On Friday 1 September, our RJ team competed at the CSSA State Athletics Carnival. Congratulations to Elijah G and Joshua O for making it through to the next round of the competition, the CIS Carnival. Elijah will compete in junior high jump and Joshua will compete in the 100m and long jump. We wish them all the best.

FOOTBALL CLINIC REGISTRATIONS

Term 4 Football Clinic registrations will open next week for the 1-2 and 3-6 programs. Emails will be sent to parents regarding this. This week is the last week for the Football Clinic at the Oakhurst Campus. There will be a make up session for the Marsden Park Campus next Monday afternoon.

Mr Gavin Mitchell
Primary Sports Leader