6 June 2025

Students from Years 3–6 will compete on Thursday 12 June, while our Years 7–12 students will take to the track on Wednesday 11 June. These days are a wonderful opportunity for students to step out of their comfort zones, demonstrate House spirit and give their very best in a range of track and field events on offer. I encourage all families to come along and cheer on our athletes. It promises to be a highlight on the calendar.

We're also gearing up for our much-loved Community Connect Trivia Night, taking place on Friday 13 June. If last year’s event is anything to go by, this will be an evening full of fun, laughter and friendly competition. It’s a fantastic way for parents to connect and be part of the vibrant community life that defines our College. Tables are filling fast, so make sure you’re booked in! (Book Here: www.trybooking.com/DCAYG) Remember, each table can choose a theme to inform a dress code or simply come dressed for fun if you’re flying solo on a table. Also, everyone should bring savoury and/or sweet snacks to share at their tables to keep energy levels high throughout the night.

Speaking of great community moments, our recent State of Origin Night was a terrific success. It was a wonderful time of camaraderie as families gathered to watch the game, and if you’re a NSW supporter, you’ll agree it was an especially enjoyable night as the Blues dominated the field. Thank you to everyone who came along; your presence helped make it such a memorable event (for the Blues supporters anyway!)

As we continue to enjoy these shared moments, I want to take a moment to remind our parent community of the importance of our Parent Code of Conduct, available on the College website. Our shared events and interactions throughout the year are strengthened when we all follow clear protocols designed to protect the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our community. Your support in upholding these standards helps to create a warm, respectful, and secure environment for all. Parents who breach the code could find themselves being directed not to attend events etc under the Safety Directions Policy available on our website also.

Let’s not forget that Monday 9 June is the King’s Birthday Public Holiday and students will have the day off from school. I hope this gives your family a chance to enjoy a well-deserved long weekend together. If you’re looking for something memorable to do, why not take the opportunity to experience VIVID 25 in Sydney. From the Harbour Bridge to the Opera House and beyond, the city will be glowing with spectacular light installations. Public transport makes it easy to access without the stress of parking, and it’s a breathtaking event for all ages. A colourful event worthy of braving the chilly weather!

In our staff devotion this week, one of our team shared from Psalm 119:105, reminding us that God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. What a beautiful reminder that in all we do – as families, as educators and as a community – we are guided by God’s word, a truth we can depend on. May we continue to lean into that truth as we build our lives with faith, purpose and grace.

God Bless
Mr Alan Dawson | Principal 

BOOK NOW!

https://www.trybooking.com/DCAYG

(Closes 9:00pm Thursday 12 June)

🎁 Lucky Door Prizes! – Everyone registered goes into our door prize draw.

🧍‍♀️🧍‍♂️ Come Solo or as a Team! – Book an individual seat or join up to 7 friends to create a themed table of 8!

🎭 Themed Tables! – Earn bonus points – so get creative with your dress-up & props!

🧩 Puzzle Power! – Every table will be challenged with a jigsaw puzzle – complete it for extra points!

🧠 Game On: Knowledge not Speed! – Points awarded for correct answers, not the speed of your response. Each table will need one phone to log in to the trivia game!

🍿🥤 BYO Snacks & Drinks! – (No alcohol) Bring your favourite treats – and share the fun!

✅ Keep it Fair, Keep it Fun! – No Googling for answers!

📌 Please note: This is a child-free event; tickets are non-refundable; held at College Hall

Don’t forget to support your Senior School students in seeking donations for their fundraising account so that they can be involved in Friday’s Colour Run event. Students who have not raised any funds will not be able to participate in the event.

Reflections from Open Day

Each term the College runs one or more Open Days, which are an open invitation to members of the community to attend RJ, hear from the College leadership team, view the campus, and ask questions to learn more about who we are and what we do. Our belief is that this provides valuable information for families to consider RJ as a place to enrol their students. These are run both inside and outside of timetabled class time.

Our recent Open Day took place during the school day and visitors were allowed to watch the learning happening in our Senior School and Junior School classes. What struck me throughout my time taking the visitors on the tour was the engagement of our students in the learning process and the professionalism of our teachers who continued their lessons, despite the additional people looking into and visiting their lessons. Even more pleasing to me was that quality teaching and learning was happening right before our visitors’ eyes. On a few occasions I had the opportunity to speak to our students in front of the visitors to ask them about their learning and it was great to hear students reflecting on the learning process and what they were currently working on.

We’ve all had the experience of trying to find out about our students’ days only to be greeted by monotone or monosyllabic responses that normally remove all relevant and interesting information from the conversation. Sometimes though, we might just need to ask the right questions. Whilst it’s fairly normal to engage our students with a standard “How was your day?”, this closed question is more than likely going to produce a closed response “Fine”, “Alright”, “Good”. Open questions are far more likely to produce more detailed responses unless our students are deliberately trying to avoid the conversation: “Tell me something that was good about your day?”, “Was there anything you found challenging in your learning today?”, “Is there a subject where you feel like you’re really going well at the moment?”. Sometimes students don’t give us great responses because we’ve asked too broad of a question so it is simply easier to give generic answers. “What topic are you up to in Maths at the moment?”, “What stage are you up to with your major work?” and “Is there anything I can do to support you at the moment?” are likely to direct our students thinking and make it easier for them to give more detailed and engaged responses to our questions.

Mr Scott Roby
Deputy Principal

The Hall was aglow with coloured flashing lights and glow sticks matched by some very flashy outfits from students and staff! Thank you to all who contributed to make this such a fun event for our students. 

COOLER WEATHER

The colder temperatures have finally arrived – especially in the mornings before school. Please make sure your child has their jacket every day - clearly labelled. The College beanie is also a good cold weather addition to the uniform. We are continuing to promote good hygiene at RJ with regular reminders to wash hands, cough into elbows and the use of hand sanitiser. Please keep your child at home if they have cold or flu symptoms or a high temperature as there is a lot of sickness spreading at the moment. Students coming to school sick will be required to be picked up and taken home.

KISS AND DROP IN MORNINGS - parents to not access the Courtyard

There are still a small number of parents coming down into the Junior School Courtyard of a morning. Please say goodbye to your child/ren up near the tables in Pioneers Way. We would prefer parents not to walk down into the Courtyard in the mornings to minimise separation issues and help students assimilate with their peers quicker.

ASC CHORAL FESTIVAL                                              

Students in Cantabile choir travelled to Thomas Hassell Anglican College on Thursday 5 June to participate in the the Anglican Schools Corporation Choral Festival. RJ performed ‘One Short Day’ from the musical Wicked and also joined the other participating schools in a massed choral performance. It was a great day of learning more about being part of a choir and refining performance skills. Special thanks to Miss Shannon-Duhigg for preparing the students so well for this day and Mrs Foxall for assisting.

AVOID HOLIDAYS IN TERM TIME

A reminder that College attendance is crucial for your child’s continuing progress through the curriculum and development of knowledge and skills. We request that families please limit holidays during term time, remembering Class Teachers will not set work as it is rarely completed, and students regularly return with significant gaps in their learning. Please use the scheduled school holidays for trips away, if possible.

ATTRIBUTE MAN

Each Thursday on morning lines, we enjoy a visit from Attribute Man, who has been teaching the Junior School students about the College Attributes. So far we have looked at being Courageous, Connected, Reflective, Critical and Creative Thinkers and being Resourceful. Ask your child to tell you about these fun visits and what they have learned!

COMING UP…

📅 JS Athletics Carnival – Thursday 12 June 🏃‍♂️🏅

🧠 Community Connect Trivia Event – Friday 13 June, 7pm 🤓🎉

👵👴 Stage 3 Grandparents Day – Thursday 19 June, 9:30am 💐☕

🏃‍♀️ K-2 Mini Athletics Carnival – Friday 20 June, 2:10pm 🎽🎈

❄️ Years 6–12 Winter Sleepout – Friday 20 June, 6pm 🛏️🧤🔥

Enjoy your long weekend.

Mrs Karen Shannon-Duhigg
Head of Junior School

Nerves were high as our students walked through the gates of Knox and into the impressive Great Hall, ready for a day filled with creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. The challenges, grouped into three sessions, tested a wide range of skills. These included: 

Legacy – A quiz focused on influential figures, particularly Leonardo da Vinci 

Art and Poetry – Students wrote original poems and created complementary artworks 

Science, English, Mathematics – Core academic disciplines tackled under pressure 

Engineering – Teams designed and built a model using limited materials and explained their process 

Ideation, Code Breaking, Creative Production, and Cartography – Tasks that pushed the boundaries of logic, imagination, and teamwork 

An additional competition invited teams to decorate their tables in the most creative way, adding a fun and festive touch to the day. 

Our students represented RJ with pride and enthusiasm, and both teams achieved the impressive feat of placing in the top 20 in at least one category, Year 5 came 12th in Ideation and Year 6 came 16th in Art and Poetry. A remarkable accomplishment at such a competitive event. 

Congratulations to both teams on a fantastic day of learning, collaboration, and achievement 

Looking Back

Senior School students engaged with 'Verbal Combat', presentation by Brainstorm Productions, which explored important themes around resilience and forming positive connections.

House Meetings also took place in preparation for the Athletics Carnival on Wednesday 11 June. Our vocal groups proudly represented the College at the Anglican Schools Corporation Annual Choral Festival, held at Thomas Hassall Anglican College. In addition, Year 9 students visited the ANZAC Memorial and the State Library as part of their History studies.

It is pleasing to see our students actively engaging in the wide range of opportunities offered over the past fortnight.

Looking Forward

Week 7 commences with a public holiday - The King's Birthday - Monday 9 June. The Senior School Athletics Carnival will take place on Wednesday followed by  the Colour Run on Friday afternoon.

The annual RJ Winter Sleepout takes place on Friday 20 June in Week 8 (registrations for this event closed on Friday 6 June).

In Week 9 we will host the Year 7 and Year 8 Learning Conferences - Year 7 on Tuesday and Year 8 on Wednesday. Parents/carers will receive an email in Week 8 with booking instructions and links to make appointments with their child's subject teachers. Thursday evening of Week 9 will see the Senior School Soloist Concerts taking place from 6pm.

As part of this year’s Heritage Festival, there is an opportunity for parents/carers to help with the preparation and serving of food for the food stalls at lunchtime on Thursday Week 10. If you are interested in helping, please contact the College Administration team to express your interest and also speak with your child to ensure their involvement with the food stall as well. Staff coordinating this year’s stalls are listed below.

Assessment Task Reminder

The second half of Term Two includes a number of assessment task deadlines. Students and parents/carers are reminded to regularly check the assessment calendar and task notifications. Students are strongly encouraged to seek clarification from their subject teachers and to plan ahead, rather than leaving tasks until the day they are due.

For tasks submitted online via CANVAS, the submission deadline is 10pm on the due date. Additional support is available in the Learning Lab during lunch and in The Hub after school.

Reflection of Integrity and Wisdom

Two of the College's core values are Integrity and Wisdom, which I have discussed during recent Senior School assemblies and in conversations with several students individually. At RJ, we strive to cultivate a community where students demonstrate wisdom in their choices, making decisions that benefit both others and themselves. We define integrity as being consistent in character, remaining the same person in every situation, whether in the company of family, friends, peers, staff from RJ, or even when they are alone.

Integrity is also shown when students admit their mistakes; that is, they take responsibility for their behaviour rather than communicate in a misleading way. The importance of integrity is reflected in Proverbs 10:9 and 28:6, highlighting its impact and value for each of us within the RJ community and beyond.

Prov 10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

Prov 28:6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. 

Reminder

Parents and carers are reminded that if you have 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 as first point of contact. Parents wishing to meet with a staff member can contact the school via main reception to organise an appointment.

Mr Brad Maxwell
Head of Senior School

🏃‍♂️ Senior School – Athletics Carnival – June 11

The big day is nearly here! Our Senior School Athletics Carnival will be held on Wednesday 11 June at Blacktown International Sports Park.

• 🏃 1500m runners: Arrive by 8:20am to prepare.

• 🚌 All other students: Meet in the College Hall at 8am.

• 🎒 Bring a hat, water bottle, and come ready to compete or cheer your housemates on!

👟 Spikes Rule:

Max 7mm in all events (except 9mm for High Jump).

⚽ U15 & Open Football Gala Day – New Date!

Our rescheduled Football Gala Day will take place on Monday 16 June at Mamre Anglican. Let’s go RJ—wishing all our players a brilliant day on the pitch!

🎉 CIS Football Selection – Congratulations!

A massive congratulations to Brigette W and Kiara F for being selected to represent RJ on the Under 18 Girls CIS Football Team at the upcoming NSW All Schools Football Championships. We're so proud of you both!

🏅 Senior School – CSSA Cross Country Highlights

A huge well done to all our runners at the CSSA Cross Country! Special mentions to:

•Levi M – 4th overall, now headed to CIS Cross Country!

•U17 Boys Team – Brayden D, Gabryel M-S, Jonathan T, Zander V – who smashed it as a team and also qualified!

Thank you to Mrs Millard and Miss Mitchell for your support on the day!

🧥 CSSA Jacket Policy Reminder (Senior School)

A few reminders regarding CSSA jackets: only students who have represented CSSA at a CIS level event are allowed to wear the official CSSA jacket—for up to 12 months from the event. Anyone wearing it without eligibility will receive a demerit, especially if it's being worn in place of the RJ school jacket on a Tuesday.

Mr Gavin Mitchell
Director of Sport 

🏃‍♀️ Junior School – CSSA Cross Country

What a fantastic effort from our Junior School athletes at the CSSA Cross Country! Every student gave their best—some even lost shoes mid-race (don’t worry, they were all found before we headed home!). A massive shout-out to Benji M who qualified for the CIS Cross Country Championships for the second year running—clearly, those Park Runs are paying off!

Big thanks to Miss Stephens for her support throughout the event.

🧥 CSSA Jackets – A Quick Reminder

We’ve noticed a few students wearing CSSA jackets when they shouldn’t be. Just a reminder—these jackets are only to be worn by students who have represented CSSA at a CIS event. Attending a CSSA carnival after zone level does not qualify. Jackets worn by ineligible students must not be worn at school.

🎉 Junior School Athletics Carnival – June 12

The big day is nearly here! Our Junior School Athletics Carnival will be held on Thursday 12 June at Blacktown International Sports Park.

• 🏃‍♂️ 1500m runners (invited students only): Arrive at the venue by 8:35am to warm up.

• 🚌 All other students: Collect wristbands at 8am in the Primary Courtyard, then travel by bus.

• 🧢 Don’t forget: hat, water bottle, and loads of House spirit!

👟 Spikes Info:

• 9 years & under – no spikes permitted.

• 10–12/13 years – spikes allowed in 100m, 200m (max 7mm) + long jump & high jump (max 9mm).

Mr Gavin Mitchell
Director of Sport 

Looking for an exciting way for your child to spend the Term 2 holidays? CRU Blast is back at RJ from July 21–25, 2025, offering a week full of fun, friendship, and adventure!

Campers will enjoy action-packed activities like Laser Tag, a jumping castle, an inflatable obstacle course, and an exciting excursion day. They'll also explore the Christian faith through engaging discovery sessions led by trained Christian leaders.

With a 1:5 leader-to-camper ratio, all activities included in the cost, and delicious morning and afternoon tea provided, CRU Blast is the perfect place for your child to build confidence, make new friends, and create lasting memories.

Book now at https://crucamps.com.au/cru-blast — be sure to click the Register button (not the Volunteer button).

For more information, email Mrs Nikita Singh (CRU Blast Director): [email protected]