Lighthouse News. Principal s Message SHINING LIGHT WCCS

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1 Lighthouse News Week 5, Term 1 26 th February 2018 A Ministry of Wyong Baptist Church OUR MISSION To provide a Christian educational community founded on Biblically based beliefs, values and behaviour. We do this to equip young people to be responsible and responsive disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. SHINING LIGHT Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 Principal s Message Most of you would be aware of my love for rugby. In the year 2000, I was just one in a crowd of over 108,000 people who ventured to the Olympic Stadium in Sydney to watch the Wallabies play the All Blacks, but we Sydney-siders have nothing on those Victorians who have managed to squeeze over 121,000 into the MCG for an Aussie Rules game back in 1970; however, this is not the record crowd for the MCG that was set back in 1959 when 143,000 attended to hear Billy Graham speak. Last week, we heard of the passing away of Billy Graham at age 99. I can remember going to the Randwick Racecourse with my father to hear him speak in 1979, and a couple of years ago I had the opportunity to hear his grandson speak in Canberra. When he asked his grandfather if he would have done anything different with his life, his response was simple... I would have read my bible more and prayed more. Billy Graham knew what we know, that true fulfilment in this life can only be found in a relationship with God made possible through Jesus. This week, in reading some of the articles about his life, I was amazed at the number of US Presidents who had sought his counsel. It made sense of a quote from Billy Graham that I came across last year. It said: We sometimes forget that the loneliest people in the world are those who are constantly in the public eye. They have spiritual needs just like everyone else. Also, I have found many world leaders who sense that our problems today are so complex that they defy solution. They know the only answer is God. Society today is selling our children a lie. A lie that tells them fulfilment in this life is found through earthly success - a good job, a good income, the perfect partner, the perfect look. While in themselves each of these things is not wrong, when they become the things that drives our identity we have a problem. The bible teaches us to invest in eternal things and to store up our treasures in heaven, not here on earth. 99 years is a long innings and it is likely that most of us will not hit such a lofty age as that of Mr Graham; however, at some point we do all move from this life to the next. I am sure that as Billy Graham stood before the throne of God he heard those words, well done good and faithful servant, and entered into his true home. We might not have a ministry in our lives like that of Billy Graham, but we can all be good and faithful servants in whatever situation God places us. A life with Christ at the centre will bring fulfilment in a way that cannot be met through any earthly achievement. Just as Billy Graham was committed to sharing the good news about Jesus through his evangelistic meetings, ask God to use you to share this message in whatever circumstance you may find yourself. God bless, Ian Liney Find our free School App on the App Store or Google Play by searching Wyong Christian Community School. Page

2 OFFICE HOURS 8:00am to 4:00pm P: E: CANTEEN Our Canteen is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Volunteer Roster Tuesday, 27 th February Betty Byrne Lorraine Delavere Thursday, 1 st March Sharon Atkins Judy Leaver Tuesday, 6 th March Leah Carey Lorraine Delavere Thursday, 8 th March Michelle Chudleigh Community News Grandparents Morning Our first Grandparents Morning for 2018 will be held on Friday, 16 th March. The morning will commence with Junior School Chapel at 9am, followed by some time in the classrooms. Morning tea will be provided for our grandparents and parents, and the morning will conclude around 11am. We hope to see you there. WCCS 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner Past and present families, students and staff are invited to our 25 th Anniversary Celebration Dinner to be held on Saturday, 10 th March 2018 in our Multi-Purpose Centre. Tickets are available online from Eventbrite here. Ticket sales close on Sunday, 4 th March. If you would like an invitation posted to you, please office@wyongccs.nsw.edu.au CHAPEL, ASSEMBLIES & SPORT Junior School Chapel Fridays, 9am in the Church Hall Secondary School Chapel Thursdays, 12:20pm in the Multi-Purpose Centre Infants Assembly (K-2) Thursdays, 2:30pm in the Church Hall Primary Assembly (3-6) Fridays, 2:30pm in the Church Hall Junior School Sport Fridays, 10:00-11:00am UNIFORM SHOP Mondays 8am-10am Wednesdays 2:30pm-4pm Thursdays 8am-9:30am Head Office: Onsite Shop: WOOSH BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE Before and after school care is available on-site at WCCS, and operated by Wyong Baptist Church. For more information, visit the WOOSH website. woosh.wyongbaptist.org WYONG BAPTIST CHURCH Church services at 10am & 5:30pm every Sunday. Page 2

3 Community News (cont.) Coles Sports for Schools WCCS is participating in Coles Sports for Schools promotion. For every $10 spent at Coles, you will receive one Sports for Schools voucher. You can drop these vouchers into our school office. Every voucher that is donated can be redeemed for new sports equipment. Thank you for your support. Page 3

4 Prayer Points Pray for our upcoming 25 th Anniversary Celebration Dinner being held on Saturday, 10 th March. Pray for good weather, and an enjoyable time of reflection and fellowship. Give thanks for the people who have dedicated time and energy to grow WCCS into the school it is now. Pray for any students in our school who are struggling socially, academically, physically or emotionally. Ask that God would wrap them up in his love, so that they may feel a sense of peace and comfort as they go through hard times. Praise God for our wonderful volunteers who lovingly and willingly offer up their time to help support our students education and learning, and who serve our school community through their service in other areas of our school. Pray for our sponsor children, Sophia, Sozol, Theophilus, Gladies and Maria, whom we have the blessing of partnering with through Compassion Australia. Pray that God may bless their health, their education and their families. Pray most of all that they may grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Bible Society s Bibles for Bubs To celebrate Bible Society Australia's bicentenary, they are giving away FREE special gifts to 1,000 children born in 2017 through to 7 March Each registered child will receive the gift of a Toddler Bible; then an annual Birthday card with suggestions to encourage their faith and family Bible reading. When they turn five years of age they will receive another beautiful gift, this time a CEV Big Rescue Bible! For more information, visit or contact us at bibles@biblesociety.org.au Page 4

5 Junior School News Welcome to another week in the wonderful Junior School. I had the privilege to attend Camp Toukley with our Years 5 and 6 students during Week 3. We spent three days conquering fears, enjoying fellowship together, hearing the Word of God and watching Him move in our lives in unexpected and incredible ways. Pastor Kirsten Long gave the students an opportunity to explore their faith and spend time with God in prayer, reflection and thanksgiving. The students enjoyed worship with the amazing Mr Thomson and Mrs Ormsby. We faced challenges in the high ropes, giant swing and abseiling and learnt to work as a team during raft building and bush initiatives. Overall it was a wonderful experience. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Pastor Kirsten, Mrs Smith, Mr & Mrs Finn, Cameron Liney, our Chaplain Miss Zoe, Mrs Chudleigh, Rebecca & Laura Smithers, Mrs Baker, Mrs Williams, Mrs Jeffries and our Years 5 and 6 teachers Mr Creanor, Mrs Ormsby, Mrs Brown and Mr T for the time, effort and dedication you gave to make our camp a success. Last week saw our Junior School Zone swimmers in action. Congratulations to our students who represented our school. Many achieved their personal best times in their events and we came home with a bag full of medals. We are so proud of all of the children who competed. We have been reinforcing to our students our school rules about treating each other with kindness and respect. This can be challenging for our students particularly if they have been hurt by their friends. If your child is experiencing problems with their friends in the classroom or the playground, can you please encourage them to speak with their class teacher? It is always better for them to work through situations with the teachers who can address the needs of your child and their peer group. If your child is not confident or comfortable going to their teacher, then please us your concerns. It is not appropriate for parents to address other students face to face or through our Canvas platform. Dates for Your Diary Saturday, 10 th March WCCS 25 th Anniversary Celebration Dinner Monday, 12 th March Young Leaders Conference for Junior School Leaders Friday, 16 th March Grandparents Morning Thursday, 29 th March Easter Service at 2pm Have a wonderful week. Yours in Christ. Mrs Kerrie Smithers Head of Junior School ksmithers@w yongccs.nsw.edu.au Page 5

6 Secondary School News CYBER SAFETY RESOURCES FOR PARENTS & STUDENTS - COMING SOON The Cyber Safety Lady is a new resource that our school will be implementing in the coming weeks to address the growing concerns of student safety online. The resource will cover the following content: Responsible Digital Citizenship New Apps/Games to be aware of Managing kids digital devices parental controls Social Media/Messaging safety and privacy A Digital Footprint What others see about you and your family online Protecting your child from adult content strangers online Cyber bullying online stalking Balancing your child s screen time Avoiding online scams Virus s Online gaming issues Online Security Basics Getting on board with your child s digital world Resources to help students and adults This resource will be made available through the Year 7 Canvas learning platform. Parent resources will also be available through the Library. For further details regarding this resource, please go to: SRC NOMINATIONS It s that exciting time of the year again where students have the opportunity to put themselves forward as representatives of the student council. Mrs Samways is once again co-ordinating this important aspect of our school community and will no doubt impart valuable knowledge and skills into the students who are successful in their nomination. Mrs Samways has stated, There are 63 nominations confirmed with just a few to still come in. I am excited that we have so many students who are considering the opportunity to serve in this way as well as learn and put into practice new leadership skills. All the best to the nominees and remember that there will be other opportunities to serve the school if the SRC doesn t eventuate. YEARS 11 & 12 STUDENT PRIVILEGES As a gesture of recognising that our Years 11 and 12 students are becoming young adults, the school provides some privileges to these students. Our Years 11 and 12 students are able to arrive late and leave early if they are not missing timetabled classes, and are not leaving school between classes. Students may also leave the school site for lunch and may drive a vehicle to school. For all this to take place, students need to ensure they have their parents/carers permission, which can be given by returning the permission slips that were ed to parents. Unless this permission is granted, students will have to abide by the same rules as other students. ASSESMENT BOOKS It is intended that all Years 7-12 students will receive a copy of their Assessment Booklets by the end of this week. ASSESSMENTS As the students receive their Assessment Booklets, you will note that the second half of this term can become quite busy. It would be good to sit down and look at this with your child to help them plan out their workload around their normal homework/part-time work/sporting routines. Mr Stephen Moody Head of Secondary - Teaching & Learning smoody@wyongccs.nsw.edu.au Mrs Rachael Wilesmith Head of Secondary - Student Wellbeing rwilesmith@wyongccs.nsw.edu.au Page 6

7 Junior School Sport Last Thursday, 22 nd February, 34 Junior School students represented WCCS at the Zone Swimming Carnival. The day was filled with great joy as the families cheered each of the students across the finish line. The day will be remembered not only for the wonderful achievements but also by the fragrant atmosphere of community and encouragement as each of the students gave their best. WCCS finished in third place overall, with 4 students bringing home medals and many more progressing onto the CSSA Swimming Carnival. Congratulations to the following Age Champions: Harper Dyble (1 st 8 Years Girls), Joshua Spence (1 st 8 Years Boys), James Zofrea (3 rd 10 Years Boys) & Isabelle Barnes (2 nd 11 Years Girls). As well as these students above, the following students have qualified for the CSSA Swimming Carnival on Monday, 5 th March: Tahlitha Boyce, Courtney Nolan, Lachlan Spence and Rocco Zofrea. Congratulations to these students who participated on the day: Evie Barnes, Isabelle Barnes, Ashton Biriapour, Tahlitha Boyce, Lachlan Bull, Lily Bulters, Keisha Carr, Cooper Chudleigh, Clayton Dippel, Fionnlagh Dougan, Harper Dyble, Elijah Falconer, Nathanial Fisk, Lucas Handel, Rico Hedley, Amelia Hughes, Zachariah Humphris, Lily McCaig, Erica McManus, Bluebell Merchant, Heidi Milligan, Coutney Nolan, Holly Nolan, Marianne Papalexion, Olivia Simmons, Ryan Simmons, Harrison Spence, Joshua Spence, Lachlan Spence, Erik Thompson, Jasmine Way, Joel White, James Zofrea and Rocco Zofrea. It was a wonderful day and all of the students should be proud of their efforts and the way they represented the school. Mrs Carly Thomson Coach cthomson@wyongccs.nsw.edu.au Page 7

8 News from The Space CHESS CLUB NEWS Each Monday there is a friendly chess game being held in The Space. Occasionally we will organise a competition between students at school; however, there is an opportunity for us to field a team in a regional school competition during Terms 2 and 3. Expressions of Interest for Inter-School Chess Matches We are looking at the possibility of participating in the NSW Primary Schools Junior Chess League Competition. Please let us know if your child would be interested in being involved in a more formal competition between other schools. School teams are organised with four players and 2 reserves. The competition is organised on a regional basis and there are different grades of players - Championship, Intermediate and Rookies. Rookie grade is intended for relative beginners of any year up to Year 6. Rookie grade is intended to give novice players the experience and fun of playing against other schools, there is no final involved in this grade. The competition is run in Term 2, so we have some time to establish a team. If you are interested, please contact Mrs Manwaring or Mrs Samways in The Space. Mrs Kim Manwaring Teacher kmanw aring@w yongccs.nsw.edu.au WHAT MATTERS? What Matters is a writing competition that is open to students in Years Students are encouraged to research and write about an issue or topic that is significant to them. Entries may be poetry or prose, fiction or non-fiction. The original work should be between words. What a fantastic opportunity to have a voice. Entries close on Friday, 11 th May. Please see Mrs Manwaring or Mrs Samways in The Space for more information. Mrs Kim Manwaring Teacher kmanwaring@wyongccs.nsw.edu.au Page 8