8 June 2021

There are so many examples I could use of people investing of their time, talent and treasure around the School to ensure that the RJ Community flourishes. Our recent RJ Community Connect Evening held at Oakhurst is an example of this where parents came out to support the School and help build community as we discussed School life and future opportunities. I invite all of our Marsden Park families to save Tuesday 15 June in their diaries for the next RJ Community Connect Evening at Marsden Park.

While the inaugural Primary 3-6 Athletics Carnival was a bit of a wash out last Thursday, it was great see the colourful array of House spirit as we were able to finish the Carnival yesterday at Popondetta Park. There were some very excited young athletes on display who were investing in their House’s efforts to gain essential House points.

As we begin the slow run down to the end of the term, I need to announce some further staff changes as some of our staff retire or venture forward into some new experiences. At the end of Term 2, the following staff will open up new chapters in their life – Miss Giulia Tolomeo (Kindy teacher – Marsden Park), Mrs Kerrie Lyons (Oakhurst Secondary), Miss Rosanna Peterson (Oakhurst Secondary), and Mrs Marianne Capel (retiring after 20 years’ service – Marsden Park).

Mrs Jerusha Thompson (Oakhurst Secondary) and Mrs Rebecca Frakes (Oakhurst Primary) will be heading off on maternity leave with replacement staff, Miss Tiffany Adams, Mrs Adriana Fiore and Mrs Lyndall Orr taking up these positions respectively. Whilst it is always sad to see staff move on, we wish them well and pray that God will continue to lead their steps.

I would like to finish with this verse from God’s word for our departing staff and also the members of our RJ Community at Oakhurst and Marsden Park. “May God give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” (Psalm 20:4, NIV)

Blessings,

Mr Alan Dawson
Principal 

Incidents which involve damage to school property, defiance, bullying and derogatory behaviours, often require a more detailed investigation and our usual process is to notify parents within 24 hours of what occurred and advise how we are currently responding. These incidents usually involve groups of students and why, with the need for procedural fairness, an investigation can take longer. Where damage to property has occurred, there is a financial cost to be recouped and this will often be shared amongst the students involved. 

For parent information, I have included a leaflet from the Cancer Council regarding vaping, or the use of e-cigarettes, which Mr Maxwell has written about in recent weeks. This is a serious concern which is affecting a growing portion of our community, especially in the 16-24 age group. 

E Cigarette Factsheet

Cancer Council NSW Factsheet E Cigarettes  

We sometimes find parents object to staff applying rules, particularly with regard to the Uniform and Presentation Policy. The policy exists in order to be consistent and fair to all. All parents sign and agree to uphold this upon enrolment at RJ. Please encourage your son or daughter to make wise decisions about haircuts (if they organise this themselves), hair colouring and body piercings. Encourage them to be proud of their appearance (to get a haircut if needed) and be willing to accept school rules, because this is just a snapshot of the type of “rules” under which society operates, for the good of all. The Minister for Education gives all School Principals the right to apply and enforce uniform policies in their own school. Please work with us, and not against us, on these matters.

It was exciting to see the Primary Athletics Carnival get underway last Thursday, even though rain interrupted the day. The good thing was being able to conclude the event on Monday. We are trying a different approach at both the Primary and Secondary Carnivals, to encourage greater participation and the collection of House Points, and also to ensure with Primary that nobody misses an event in which they really wanted to compete. Hence the rotations in age groups. Well done, Primary, on your great effort across two days!

Service Learning activities are also well underway for the Winter Sleepout, and Year 12 are planning to organise the Colour Run in Term 3 (after the Trials and HSC Practical Performance examinations). It will be another busy end of term, but a relatively “normal” one. Given my daughter is in Lockdown 4.0 in Melbourne, we have much to be thankful for here in Sydney, especially that learning has been uninterrupted and we have the opportunity to have parents at so many events in recent times. I will have some definite news on our fundraising intentions for the Heritage Festival in the next issue of the RJ Review, but the primary focus will be on supporting India and the crisis that nation is facing at the moment. 

Mrs Jenny Clay
Deputy Principal (Acting) 

UNIFORM REMINDERS

• The School jacket is a compulsory part of the Winter Uniform and needs to be worn to and from School each day. 
• The School jumper can be worn without the jacket during the day at School but requires the jacket over it arriving and leaving School each day. 
• Girls need to have the Winter tie on their blouses when wearing either the tunic or long pants option. 
• Raincoats are recommended to have permanently folded up in your child’s bag.

PRIMARY DISCO

Our Discos were held last week and there was some sharp dressing and cool moves galore at both the K-2 and 3-6 sessions. Special thanks to Mrs Ghali and the Staff, Secondary students and Parent helpers on the night.

REPORTS AND PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS

• Kindergarten to Year 6 Student Reports will be sent home on Thursday 17 June. 
• K to Year 6 Parent/Teacher Interviews will be held on the evenings of Monday 21 June from 3:30-6:00pm and Tuesday 22 June from 3:30-8:00pm.  
• Parents are encouraged to bring the Student Report along to their Interview to discuss any matters of interest or concern. 
• Booking information will be emailed to parents this week.

K-2 MINI ATHLETICS

Not to be outdone by their 3-6 counterparts, our littlest athletes get to show their prowess this Thursday 10 June from 2pm to 3:10pm. Parents are welcome to attend and watch. Please enter via Dryden Ave gates and wait in Pioneers Way for Staff directions. You will be able to sign in using the QR codes that will be out near Primary Reception and on the picnic tables in Pioneers Way. Children wear their Sports Uniform with House shirts on this day.

BREAD BAGS

We are enrolled with Wonder Recycling Rewards to collect used plastic bread bags. Once a certain weight of plastic bread bags has been collected, our school qualifies for some play equipment. Please send in any bread bags (minus crumbs!) with your child over the coming weeks.

Enjoy the rest of your week, 

Mrs Karen Shannon-Duhigg
Head of Primary - Oakhurst

ATHLETICS EVENTS

• K-2 Mini Athletics - The K-2 Mini Athletics will be held this Thursday 10 June from 11:15am-12:35pm. Visitors are welcome to attend. If you are able to assist, please contact Mrs McLeod via email at [email protected]

• 3-6 Primary Athletics Carnival - Due to rain at our first Carnival, our first solely Primary Athletics Carnival was held over two days. It was great to see so many students trying their best across a range of activities.

RJ COMMUNITY CONNECT EVENING

Our next Marsden Park Campus Community Connect Evening will he held from 7:00-8:00pm on Tuesday 15 June in the new Hall. The evening will commence with light refreshments and time to interact with other parents and members of the RJ Executive (Mr Dawson, Mrs Taylor and Mrs Ghali). Please register your attendance before 9:00am on 15 June: https://forms.office.com/r/KdsXZxxPB4

EXCURSIONS AND INCURSIONS

Students in Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) had a wonderful time exploring the exhibits at the Powerhouse Museum last Friday. Thank you to Miss Seto for organising the excursion, Mrs Oliver for kindly attending for Mrs Capel and to the parent helpers who gave of their time to attend. Students in Stage 1 have a Toys Incursion planned for Thursday 24 June. 

KINDERGARTEN PARENT INFORMATION AND ASSESSMENT SESSIONS

New Kindergarten enrolments for 2022 have been booked into a Kindergarten Session on either Friday 11 or 18 June. Students currently attending Pre-Kindergarten and continuing to Kindergarten at the Marsden Park Campus will complete their assessment session on either Tuesday 22 or Wednesday 23 June. Pre-Kindergarten parents do not attend these sessions as they are already familiar with the School. Following the sessions, I will contact you if required to discuss any observations relevant to your child continuing to Kindergarten in 2022. If no additional discussion or planning is required for your child, you will receive your Kindergarten Enrolment Offer early in Term 3. These will be sent home with Pre-Kindergarten children. Assessment Sessions for students continuing to Kindergarten at the Oakhurst Campus will be held early in Term 3 by Oakhurst Primary staff at the Marsden Park Campus.   

PRIMARY DISCO

Students and teachers alike had a wonderful time at our first Primary Disco at our Marsden Park Campus in the new Hall. I was sad I was unable to attend as the Disco is always a wonderful night with the children. Thank you to Mrs McLeod for overseeing the organisation on my behalf, the Primary staff for giving their time and Mr Bryce (parent of Sienna in Kindergarten) for volunteering his DJ services. 

SOCCER CLINIC AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE – THURSDAY 10 JUNE

Please note that staff from the Oakhurst Campus will be joining Marsden Park Campus staff for a staff meeting on Thursday 10 June between 4:00-5:00pm and will occupy most/all of the car spaces in the carpark and onto Corcoran Street. Please plan your pick-up with this in mind.   

STUDENT REPORTS AND PARENT / TEACHER INTERVIEWS

• Pre-Kindergarten Reports will be sent home on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 June.
• Kindergarten to Year 6 Student Reports will be sent home on Thursday 17 June. 
• Pre-K to Year 6 Parent/Teacher Interviews will be held on the evenings of Monday 21 June from 3:30-6:00pm and Tuesday 22 June from 3:30-8:00pm. 
• An additional session for Pre-Kindergarten only will be held on Wednesday 23 June from 3:30-5:30pm. Interviews are open to all parents. 
• Parents are encouraged to bring the Student Report along to their Interview to discuss any matters of interest or concern. 
• Booking information will be emailed to parents this week.

UNIFORM AND PRESENTATION POLICY

Students are now wearing their Winter Uniform to School. This means they are required to wear their Bomber Jacket each day (except on their sports day). Please ensure your child has their jacket on each morning as the mornings are chilly at Marsden Park. Please also check that all Uniform items are clearly labelled with your child’s name and check regularly that your child has brought home the correct jacket. RJ beanies are available at Lowes. They may be worn before and after school, as well as during recess and lunch. The beanie is an optional Uniform item.  

WINTER SLEEPOUT

Students in Year 6 have been invited to attend the Winter Sleepout on the evening of Friday 18 June. Please refer to the note for details.  

Mrs Narelle Taylor
Assistant Principal/Head of Primary - Marsden Park

Students in Year 10 to 12 are reminded that they need to register for a Students Online account to receive their results.

STUDENTS ONLINE ACCOUNT

Students in Years 11 and 12 are asked to visit their account, check that their details are current and correct, and inform Mrs Scrimshaw if there are any concerns. Information should include a current email address and mobile phone number. 

Students Online is an invaluable source of information for all students from Year 10 to the HSC.

Important dates

2021 HSC students

• HSC Written Examination Timetable is now available.
• HSC results release is 10 December 2021.
• HSC Results Services are available from 13 December 2021.

2021 Year 10 and Year 11 students

• Year 11 Results Release – 9 November 2021.
• Year 10 Results Release – 26 November 2021.

ALL 2020 school leavers

• Access to Students Online will close on 30 June 2021.
• Students can download their free eRecord and/or RoSA/HSC/VET credential PDF in the Certificates/eRecord section.

REPORTS AND PARENT/TEACHER MEETINGS

As we approach the end of this Semester, most teaching staff are busily writing reports. This year all reports will be uploaded online to the Edumate Portal on the following dates:

• Year 7 and 8-18 June 2021
• Year 9 and 10-2 July 2021

Parents in Years 7 and 8 will receive an invitation to book online appointments for Parent/Teacher Interviews on 11 June 2021, with the booking window closing on 18 June 2021. Please be aware that we are unable to accept booking by telephone after this date.

Mrs Julia Scrimshaw 
Acting Head of Secondary/Director of Studies 

Students were encouraged to respond to inappropriate social media posts with "report, delete and inform". That is, report the incident to a relevant authority, delete the post/image and let their friend know about it if they were linked to it. Blocking the sender of inappropriate social media content was also suggested as a way of looking after yourself. Students were also challenged to look after themselves and also their friends through what they say face to face and what they share online. The take away line from the production was "The only way you can win the Hurting Game is not to play it".

Students were reminded at the end of the production that they should talk to a trusted adult if the Hurting Game raised any concerns for them. They were also directed to the following websites as helpful resources:

E-Safety Commissioner - https://www.esafety.gov.au/

R U OK? - https://www.ruok.org.au/

Beyond Blue - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

We are looking forward to Brainstorm coming back to RJ in 2022.

Mr Brad Maxwell 
Director of Secondary Welfare/Assistant Director of Studies  

Closing date for registration for the Sleepout is next Tuesday 15 June. 

The cost of the evening is $10 per student, paid through Try Booking which will be donated to Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off the Streets Program. Cardboard boxes are the go for the evening, so start collecting your bed for the night! 

If you have any questions, please contact Mr Rowe by email- [email protected] or by phone.

Unfortunately, by the time the 100m races were running, the weather decided to turn against us, and we needed to cancel High Jump for the day and focus on completing other events. After a brief rain delay, which resulted in an enthusiastic cheering competition, the Carnival recommenced with the 200m and another round of field events. The rain decided to get heavier and unfortunately the Carnival came to its wet conclusion.

Take Two – Fortunately, we had absolutely gorgeous conditions yesterday when we went to Popondetta Park to finish off our Carnival. It was great to see our Primary students give their all as they raced the 200m. 

Many students entered the field events and it was great to see many records set on the day. Congratulations to the following students for setting a new record at the Carnival:

• Keira D – 11 year Girls 800m 
• Maxene B – 8 year Girls High Jump (new event)
• Seng M – 9 year Girls High Jump (new event)
• Brigette W – 12 year Girls High Jump
• Marli T – 8 year Girls Long Jump (new event)
• Marlena T – 9 year Girls Long Jump, 9 year Girls Discus and 9 year Girls Shot Put (new event)
• Hetavi J – 8 year Girls Shot Put (new event)
• Lana D – 8 year Girls Discus (new event)
• Laylah G – 11 year Girls Discus
• Riley C – 9 year Boys High Jump (new event)
• Levi M – 8 year Boys Long Jump and Discus (new event)
• Isaac E – 9 year Boys Long Jump (new event)
• Adan J – 8 year Boys Shot Put (new event)
• Hessam M – 9 year Boys Shot Put (new event)
• Rika E – 9 year Boys Discus (new event)

There are a few High Jump events to finish at the Oakhurst Campus this week for a few remaining Oakhurst students. It will be interesting to see if any more records tumble.

Special thanks must go out to our parent volunteers over the two days. The Carnival would not have been successful without your assistance. Thank you also to Mr Hyde and the Year 9 PASS students who assisted last Thursday. It was an absolute pleasure to convene the first ever Primary Athletics Carnival.

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL (ZONE)

The Zone Athletics Carnival will take place next Wednesday 16 June at Blacktown International Sports Park. Marsden Park students will be picked up by Mr Mitchell at the Marsden Park Campus at 7:30am. Please arrive at the Campus by 7:20am.

Oakhurst students need to be in the canteen area by 7:50am. Students from both Campuses will then board the main bus at the Oakhurst Campus before proceeding to the Carnival. The Carnival should finish by 2:15pm and students should return prior to the bells at both Campuses.

CRICKET CLINIC

There will be no Cricket Clinic this coming Monday due to the Public Holiday. The last week of the Clinic will be on the final Monday of Term.

CROSS COUNTRY (STATE)

Over a week ago, the RJ team competed at the CSSA State Cross Country event. We had one student, Jonah S, place in the top 20 this year. Well done Jonah.

The highlight of the day would have to go to Alexis-Jae for being a good Samaritan. She saw a girl in front of her fall over near the finish line. Instead of running past her and finishing the race, Alexis-Jae stopped to make sure that the girl was okay. As a result, several other students passed Alexis-Jae in the race. Alexis-Jae’s kind heart was a noble act of sportsmanship that was a truly remarkable thing to witness.

FOOTBALL (METRO CUP)

From now on, I will refer to any Soccer matters as Football, in line with the FFA. We have a Stage 2 and Stage 3 team competing in the metro cup Nepean Zone qualifying day this Friday. It is forecast for rain later this week so we will need to wait and see if the event will still go ahead, or if it will be postponed.

If either of our teams finish in the top two, they will proceed to the CSSA State Finals early in Term 3.

MONDAY AFTERNOON CLINIC - TERM 3

AFL is being looked at for the Term 3 Clinic on Monday afternoon. More information will be sent out towards the end of the term once details have been finalised. 

SOCCER CLINICS (NOW TO BE REFERRED TO AS FOOTBALL CLINICS)

Next week, Week 9, will see the last week of Football Clinics for the term. Please look out for information, via email, for registration of the Term 3 Football Clinics at the respective Campuses.

Mr Gavin Mitchell
Primary Sports Co-ordinator 

REPRESENTING RJ

On Monday 7 June we had two teams compete in the CSSA State Secondary Netball Gala Day at Jamison Park in Penrith. It was a great day, giving our RJ students an opportunity to play against many Schools across NSW. Thank you to all the girls who attended and to our teachers (Mrs Hamilton and Miss Mahaffey) for all their efforts throughout the event.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

On Thursday 3 June we had a student competing in the CSSA State Secondary Gymnastics Competition. Kenzie S competed in the Level 6 National Division in four apparatus: the vault, bars, beam, and floor. With all disciplines to be scored at a maximum of 10, Kenzie scored 36 points out of a possible 40 points. She placed second in the vault and first in the other 3 apparatus. This was enough for her to be awarded first place overall for the Level 6 National Women’s Division at this event. Congratulations to Kenzie on her achievement.

UPCOMING EVENTS

RJ’s first Secondary Athletics Carnival will be on Wednesday 23 June at the Blacktown International Sports Park Athletics Centre. We are looking forward to having all Secondary students attending to compete in a range of events across the day. All students will be transported from the Oakhurst Campus over to the venue and returned at the conclusion of the Carnival. Parent spectators are welcome, but are required to remain in the grandstand or tiered seating around the outside of the track. More information will be coming on the RJ App or through Edumate.

Mr David Hyde
Secondary Sports Co-ordinator 

During the night, parents will be updated on relevant school matters including projects planned for the end of the year (with a bit of an insight into the Master Plan), proposed classes for 2022,  and any topics of interest noted when registering. 

The event will conclude by 8:00pm.

Please register your attendance before 9:00am 15 June: https://forms.office.com/r/KdsXZxxPB4

They'll enjoy the experience of camp, with the chance to participate in exciting outdoor activities and explore a Christian worldview, whilst still going home to sleep in the comfort of their own bed.

The dates for CRU Blast are: Monday 12 July – Friday July 16, 2021 (the 3rd week of the July School Holidays). 

Registrations have commenced and students will receive a brochure soon. The link to register for the camp is: https://crudaycamps.com.au/cru-blast#cru-blast-introduction. 

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 – [email protected] 

Mr Stewart Rowe 
Director of Christian Ministry/Service Learning

Download program

Email queries: [email protected]