Since our previous RJ Review there have been so many notable learning activities and fantastic School community events. For instance, we enjoyed superlative Primary Book Week events, at both Campuses, which were outstanding celebrations of reading, imaginative thought and great community spirit and fun! Our aim of cultivating tremendous participation and connection for all ages through these events was certainly achieved. We are indebted to all the Primary staff for their amazing energy and commitment, achieving superb memories for everyone, especially the children.
Also, during the past fortnight, we’ve had some other great occasions, such as the impressive major works and performances demonstrated by our Year 12 students at the HSC Showcase, the ongoing wonderful interactions of Primary and Secondary students during special Learning Celebrations, and several Open Mornings at each Campus which highlighted the very strong demand for enrolment positions. The recent enquiries from new families have reinforced the School’s solid reputation in the region. We not only congratulate our Year 12 students for finishing their HSC Trial Exams and completing their major projects, we also commend our Secondary staff for the wonderful support they provide to our Senior students during these challenging months.
I hope that fathers and other male carers who contribute to the lives of our students have enjoyed some special times with their families lately. At my Church Service on Father's Day last Sunday we considered a passage from the book of James which had very practical guidance for not only dads, but everyone, about good attitudes and communication:
“We all stumble in many ways … All kinds of animals have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue …. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing …. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom …. Heavenly wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, impartial and sincere.” (James 3: 2, 7, 10, 13, 17)
I was certainly challenged by this message and reflected on my own inadequacies to be always acting from good motives, clearly described above. I was also caused to evaluate my communication with others i.e. were my words wholesome and helpful for others or did they simply place roadblocks in the way of positive relationships? In my experience, when I allow myself to be vulnerable and open to God’s truth and teaching, I can find better ways to relate to others. God wants us to succeed in our relationships, however sometimes our ego or pride or ignorance get in the way. Families need strong and humble fathers and male carers. How are you going with this?
Our School Fete and Open Day is now quickly rushing towards us – just over 2 weeks to go! So many people are helping to prepare for this enormous event, but we need more helpers. Please respond promptly to the ‘requests for help’. Please commit to a small part of the Fete e.g. donate food, cakes, slices, as well as Auction items. We need everyone’s contributions to make the Fete a successful event for our community.
Next week our Student Forum across both our Marsden Park and Oakhurst Campuses are running a Mufti Day to support the work of the R U OK? Organisation. The theme in Secondary is ‘Movie and Memes’ and in Primary it is 'Vibrant Colours from your Favourite Movie'. All students should donate a gold coin for Mufti and to help raise additional funds, ice cream cones will be sold across the Campuses on the day.
R U OK? is about being mindful and supportive of others and how they might be feeling. By following a simple four step process using the acrostic of ALEC (the name of the young boy used in the R U OK? promotional material), students can learn to approach their friends in a supportive way to offer their assistance.
A – Ask, R U OK?
L – Listen without interrupting
E – Encourage them to get help from an adult (mum, dad, teacher etc.) who might be able to help
C – Check in with them in a couple of days to see if they got the help they needed.
As adults, it’s also a great way for us to check in on our family, friends and work colleagues and to offer our support to them.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP INTERVIEWS
The Leadership Workshop conducted last week with all our Year 11 students was a very positive time with students sharing their ideas and experiences around leadership. Our current School Leaders also convened a panel to answer questions any of the Year 11’s had about their leadership experiences.
Those Year 11 students who nominated for leadership positions in 2019-20 following this workshop, are now undertaking leadership interviews today and tomorrow with our School and Vice Captains who will make recommendations to the School Executive on who they recommend for consideration to be the next set of leaders at RJ. The process is a very thorough, with both Primary and Secondary staff contributing their feedback of Year 11’s throughout their time at RJ. The newly appointed School and Vice Captains will be announced at the Year 12 Farewell Assembly at the end of this Term where the outgoing Captains will badge them during the Assembly. All other newly appointed leaders will be announced in Term 4.
HAIR AND JEWELLERY
The School Uniform and Presentation Policy regarding hair and jewellery is clearly laid out in the Diary and on the website. However, a few students are still getting their hair cut contrary to the rules or getting piercings which are not allowed by the School. Parents and students should remember that it is your responsibility, not the hairdressers’, to have hair cut to the School’s standards.
Having piercings done contrary to the School Rules has the student run the risk of having to remove the jewellery, which could cause piercings to close etc. The rules are very clear and simple. Boys may only wear a watch and no other jewellery and girls may wear a watch, plain gold or silver stud / small sleeper earrings (one per earlobe) only (no other piercings) and plain signet style ring (one only). No necklaces or bangles are permitted.
The blazer remains the outer garment for Secondary students for the rest of Term 3. This is the case to and from School, except on a Tuesday, when the proper Sports Uniform should be worn.
Some girls are not tying their hair back until being requested to do so. They should not be surprised when demerits are issued. We appreciate your compliance on these matters.
Students in KP and KJ presented the story of Lydia during their respective Campus Assemblies last week. Our youngest students have been very excitedly presenting their Items to family and friends. KS and 1M will be presenting Assembly Items in Week 6. There is no Assembly at Marsden Park in Week 7. At the Oakhurst Campus in Week 7 there will be a music item assembly by some peripatetic groups. Parents are welcome to attend Assemblies when their child is presenting an Item.
COCURRICULAR PHOTOS
Cocurricular photos will be taken next Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 September. Further details will follow via a note.
EXCURSIONS AND INCURSIONS – OAKHURST
Students from 2R and 2J will be attending the Botanic Gardens and Art Gallery for an excursion tomorrow and students in 5R, 5J and 4-6M will be attending an excursion to the Blue Mountains on Monday 16 September. Students are greatly looking forward to these fun and educational experiences.
FATHER’S DAY THANKS
I trust all of our dads were spoilt and had a wonderful Father’s Day on Sunday. Thank you to the wonderful helpers from the P&F who assisted our students to purchase gifts for their fathers last week. Thank you also to RJ staff, Life Anglican Church and Northwest Community Childcare for assisting with our Fathers’ Day Breakfast at the Marsden Park Campus. Our chefs did a great job. It was lovely to see our dads and children enjoying breakfast together, even if it was a little wet and chilly that morning.
FETE AND OPEN DAY
All Primary students will be performing in Stage Items as well as Special Items from our RJ DanceStars and RJ SingStars in a Concert as part of our Fete and Open Day on Saturday 21 September. The Concert will commence at 11:30am in the Primary Courtyard. Prior and after the Concert, students will have ample time to enjoy the rides and activities available. Be sure to buy your ride band and plan to come along and enjoy the festivities.
LEARNING CELEBRATIONS
The majority of Primary classes have joined with Secondary classes from Week 4 of this Term to engage in a range of learning experiences as part of our Learning Celebrations. Primary students have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to learn with and from older students, as well as experiencing some new and exciting learning opportunities. Some classes still have their celebrations to look forward to this week.
MATHS OLYMPIAD/MATHS GAMES - OAKHURST
The final Maths Olympiad and Maths Games Contest will be held next Thursday 12 September for students in these teams.
NAPLAN RESULTS – YEARS 3 & 5
NAPLAN results will be sent to RJ from Monday 16 September and distributed to parents shortly thereafter. Only preliminary data is available to schools at this time. Results from this preliminary data suggest that 98% of students in Year 3 are at or above the Minimum Standard in Reading, Spelling and Grammar and 97% of students in Numeracy. Student achievement in the top Band or higher was notable in Spelling (41%), Reading (34%) and Grammar (30%). 18% of students achieved in the top Band or higher in Numeracy. In Year 5, 100% of students were at or above the Minimum Standard in Reading and Spelling, with 98% of students at this level in Grammar and Numeracy. Student performance at the highest Band or above was most notable in Grammar and Spelling (20%) and Reading (18%). 8% of students achieved at this level in Numeracy. This data may change slightly once the final data is released to schools.
PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS – PRE-KINDERGARTEN MARSDEN PARK
Parent/Teacher Interviews will be held for Pre-Kindergarten families on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 September from 3:20-6:00pm. Booking information will follow shortly. Please note these dates in your calendar.
PICTURE BOOK PERFORMANCE
Students in Years 2-4 at the Oakhurst Campus will enjoy a short Picture Book Performance related to one of the short-listed books from our recent Primary Book Week celebrations. This will be held on Wednesday 11 September.
PYJAMARAMA
Pyjamarama will be held for students in Year 4 and 4-6M from Friday 13 September to Saturday 14 September. Parents should refer to the information and permission notes for full details. This is a wonderfully exciting event for our students and the Year 8 leaders and Northwest Mission Team who assist. Be sure to find some fun slippers and pjs for students to wear during this overnight event.
WORD MANIA
Congratulations to all of our Primary students from Year 1 to Year 6 for making it to the National Finals of Word Mania. Our Year 6 students finished 1st in the South West District in the Competition Rounds. Our Year 1 and Year 2 classes then blew us away in the National Finals. Year 1 finished in 35th place and Year 2 finished in 16th place! These are exceptional results as our students were then competing against high ranking schools across all of Australia and New Zealand. Well done to all our students for their fantastic involvement in this competition.
YEAR 5 YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM
The Year 5 Young Leaders Program commences next week and continues through to the end of Week 9. Parents are encouraged to fully support their child to achieve their individual leadership goal to complete the Bronze, Silver or Gold level.
Mrs Narelle Taylor Assistant Principal/Head of Primary
There has been some discussion in recent days about the release of the NAPLAN results and what it tells us about student performance and engagement with this form of testing in 2019. There are many questions being raised, especially because the performance of Year 9 students significantly improved when it was tied to achieving a minimum Band 8 standard for the HSC. While that is no longer the case, we have found that there are very few students who have not achieved the National Minimum Standard in subsequent testing in Year 10 or Year 11 – 99% of our students have already achieved that benchmark in Reading, Writing or Numeracy. The second round of testing this year for Year 11 has been completed, and Year 10 testing will occur next week.
As for the NAPLAN results themselves, limited information is available at this stage. We cannot see student improvement data, nor make any comparison with State-wide achievement. We have no information on performance in Writing available at this stage. I have managed to compile the following data:
% Students above the National Minimum Standard 2019 (this is Bands 6-9 in Year 7, and Bands 7-10 in Year 9)
Year 7 results are comparable with results achieved in 2018, but Year 9 results are lower, reflecting a different cohort. However, this is where the student improvement data is so important, yet not accessible. In each Year group, only 1% of students achieved a result which placed them below the National Minimum Standard in a particular test. We continue to work with all our students to develop and refine their knowledge, understanding and skills.
Year 12 have received the results of their Trial examinations and are facing the reality of time at School coming to an end. Our Showcase evening was a wonderful event and the external marking has been completed in Drama and ITT. It was good to hear the Drama students feel that they gave their best performance yet, and the sense of relief that now it was done and they could focus on other subjects. The Music Performance examination will occur next week, on 13 September.
Parents are reminded of the need to purchase their tickets for the Year 12 Formal â a letter was emailed with the booking details, so please check if you have not received that notification yet and wish to come along.
Our Fete/Open Day will be another great opportunity to showcase our School and student talent. Please come along to Block C on the day and view the student work and creativity on display and enjoy the musical performances that will be showcased outside the Hall and in the Primary Courtyard!
Mrs Jenny Clay Assistant Principal/Head of Secondary
Last Thursday the Student Service Learning Team who are coordinating the School’s 40 Hour Back Pack Challenge organised a fantastic Bake Sale raising $774. Thank you to the students and staff who supported the Bake Sale. This amount will be added to the amount already raised by students at the School for the World Vision 40 Hour Back Pack Challenge. Altogether over $5,700 has been raised, which is a wonderful effort so far!
It is still not too late for students to participate in the Back Pack Challenge this weekend 6-8 September. To sign up for the 40 Hour Famine Backpack Challenge, please go to http://www.40hourfamine.com.au/signup then join the RJ Team and ask family and friends to sponsor you.
If students are unable to participate, they can still sponsor other students in the Back Pack Challenge. To sponsor students from the School, please go to: https://www.40hourfamine.com.au/school?id=S127122414 and click on the name of the student who you would like to sponsor.
Mr Stewart Rowe Director of Ministry/ Service Learning (7-12)
On Friday 16 August, five of our intrepid students set out with nine students from Wycliffe Christian School to tackle their first Bronze level hike. Having some training at the Year 9 Camp and preparation with Mr Bemrose they were packed and ready to go.
The weather was great, given the weekend before it had been snowing in the upper Blue Mountains. We set off from the Glenbrook National Parks Information Centre and walked to our first destination of Red Hands Cave. This walk took us along a creek valley with tall bush around us. The Red Hands Cave is a sacred Aboriginal site with many generations of Aboriginals having placed their hand marks on the cave wall with red or white ochre. We went from there to another space in the creek where the local Aboriginals ground their stone tools to make and sharpen them. From here we tracked up the slope to the Ironbarks picnic area and then down to our campsite at Euroka Campground. Here we set up our tents for the night and got to know each other around a campfire.
Next morning, we broke camp and headed up the Bennettâs Ridge firetrail and learnt about the nature of mountains terrain. Each student started to find their individual discomforts in walking that distance with a pack on their back, but they persevered with great determination. We had lunch at the Ironbarks and they then tackled their last challenge of working from a bearing into untracked bush. This they all did really well and came out near where they needed to. After that they headed for our exit point and a well earnt rest and shower.
I want to thank the students from both schools for working well together and making this hike so enjoyable.
Mr Chris Bemrose Duke of Ed Coordinator for Outdoor Activites
It is an extremely busy month for our P&F community. We have successfully run the Father's Day Stall at both Campuses and the P&F would like to thank Danuta for her many hours of preparation involved. Thank you also to all the volunteers who assisted our children purchase their gifts for the dads. We hope all the dads enjoyed their gifts!
In the coming weeks we are finalising what is expected to be our biggest School Fete and Open Day!
We are asking for volunteers on the day, it can be anytime during setup in the morning, throughout the action packed day or the pack-down in the afternoon. Please email [email protected] or contact us via the P&F Facebook page with your availability.
Over the coming week the cake boxes will be sent home with the youngest child in each family. Our cake stall is famous for it's yummy treats and we look forward to receiving all donations on Friday 20 September.
Lastly, don't forget to take advantage of the early bird discount for the unlimited ride bands. Ride bands can be purchased from TryBooking - www.trybooking.com/BBFLQ
TryBooking is open to everyone so don't forget to invite friends, family and neighbours for a great day out!
What a wonderful few weeks coming up on the careers' front. We will continue our university school visits by welcoming the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 September.
Our Year 11 students will have the opportunity to ask questions about ATAR’s and expand their knowledge and understanding of specific degrees and career paths. Our Year 12 students will learn more about university life and what extra-curricular activities they can choose once they finish Year 12. I hope to see all interested students come and enjoy the fantastic opportunities the universities have on offer.
In Week 7, our Year 12 students will be attending a ‘What Happens After School’ seminar. It will be an absolute pleasure talking to our Year 12 students about UAC Admission, University and TAFE enrolments, job applications, gap year or studying abroad options.
I look forward to these career opportunities over the next few weeks and it will certainly be beneficial for Stage 6.
Wednesday 14 August was a fantastic day for 8A English students attending the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta to watch the production of the novel Hitler’s Daughter. The students were very excited to be given the opportunity to explore how some of their favourite characters, chapters and words had been transformed into a live production on stage.
The stage was a perfect representation of the novel and the characters which our students enjoyed reading about came to life through actions, movements and words. By the end of the play, our curious Year 8 students were given the opportunity to pose questions for the actors, digging deeper into the finer details of the novel and even asking important production questions focused on lighting, script writing and most importantly, how the novel was transformed into a wonderful production.
Overall, our 8A students truly enjoyed themselves at the theatre and loved seeing their favourite novel come to life.
The cricket clinic commenced yesterday and by all accounts, the students had a great time. Just a reminder to parents that the clinic finishes at 4:40pm.
SCHOOL SPORT AUSTRALIA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kiara Fragomeli participated last week in the School Sport Australia Football Championships in Canberra. She was the goalkeeper for one of the NSW teams that participated in the tournament. Well done Kiara for reaching such a high level of competition. Her team finished in fifth place overall.
WSCS
We are now past the halfway mark in our WSCS competition for Term 3. We are well placed in several sports and it is pleasing to see our young boys and girls compete with fantastic sportsmanship. It has been lovely seeing some RJ parents coming down to cheer on their children throughout the course of the competition. Oz Tag will not be running this week for WSCS due to the Gala Day which is taking place on Wednesday.
OZ TAG GALA DAY
We wish our Oz Tag Gala Day teams all the best as they participate in the CSSA Gala Day on Wednesday. As mentioned above, this will replace WSCS for Oz Tag this week.
BASKETBALL TRIALS
Basketball trials will be held in Weeks 8 and 9 for boys and girls in Years 3-6 who are interested in trialing. The trial dates are still to be confirmed.
Wow, over halfway through Term 3 already. It has been a great Term for sport with many Gala Days, Carnivals and other sporting events. We have had many students represent the School at various levels of competition and it has been great to see their efforts and achievements.
CARNIVALS AND GALA DAYS
This Term we have had the CSSA Nepean Zone Athletics Carnival at Blacktown International Sports Park. RJ had a team of over 100 students competing in the Carnival against seven other Christian Schools in our Zone. We had many great achievements on the day that contributed to RJ being the School placed 1st overall for the Carnival. At this level we also had four Age Champions, who were able to score the most points as an individual in their age group. Congratulations to Briant Tualau, Ethan Kerek, Rosa Ienna and Agazio Fragomeli.
On Friday 23 August, 40 RJ students attended the CSSA Secondary State Athletics Carnival at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre. It was a great day of competition with students coming from over 70 Christian Schools from around NSW. We had some wonderful achievements from our students at this Carnival. The students below have qualified for the CIS Secondary Athletics.
Jacob Bailey – 3rd place Long Jump
Joshua De-Roo – 3rd place High Jump
Agazio Fragomeli – 2nd place 100m, 3rd place 200m
Jake Golden – 1st place Discus and Shot Put
Ethan Kerek – 3rd place 100m
Joshua Natoli – 3rd place High Jump and Long Jump
Briant Tualau – 1st place Long Jump, 2nd place 100m
Emma Tualau – 2nd place Shot Put
On, Wednesday 28 August RJ had four teams attend the CSSA Secondary State Oztag Gala Day. It was a really good day of competition and all students displayed a great attitude in games. We had the 15’s Boys make the semi-finals which was a great achievement overall. Thank you to Mrs Gough and Mr Hua for taking the teams to this event.
SCHOOL AND REPRESENTATIVE SPORT
We had the change over for Stages 4 & 5 last week. Years 7 & 8 had their first week of recreational sport, while Years 9 & 10 had organised sport at Hanna Reserve. This Term we have had the AFL come and develop skills and teach our students more about the game. Years 9 & 10 will be spending two weeks each on skills and then the last week will be a gala day of games.
Our representative Rugby League teams have been doing well. Both teams are looking like they will qualify for semi-finals in the coming weeks. Thank you to Mr Millard and Mr Maxwell for managing the teams this Term and we look forward to their efforts in the upcoming games towards the finals.
You're invited to the Secondary TALKFEST Competition Evening on Monday 9 September, 6pm in the AV Room at The Hub. Finalist students will showcase their speeches on the theme ‘Change the World’.
Musical Items will also be performed by students on the evening.
Awards will be presented for Best Content, Best Delivery, People's Choice Award and Best Speech.
Families of participating students are invited to attend as audience for the night and are encouraged to vote in the People's Choice Award for Stages 4 and 5 on the evening.
