The Heartbeat of Mountain District Christian School

Transcription

1 26th March, 2015 Term 1: Week 8/8 The Heartbeat of Mountain District Christian School 325 Macclesfield Rd P O Box 483 Monbulk 3793 Phone Fax mdcs@mdcs.vic.edu.au

2 From the Principal s guests... In previous editions of the newsletter I have covered the first two of the three questions presented to students as they complete their education at MDCS. The first two questions, Who are we? and What is our role? have been explored previously. Today I will explore the third question of How do we respond? What do we want students to do with what they learn at MDCS? Why is this important? Is it a matter of just completing one year level to get to the next year level to get to VCE to get a good ATAR score to get to university to get a good job? I would say this is one of many good goals or options in a bigger response to the question of How do we respond? At MDCS, we want students to think deeply about what they learn. We want them to wrestle through the questions that arise out of their learning. We want students to be curious about the world in which they live and above all that we want students to respond to the good gift that God made available to all of us. It is fitting, for the purpose of this editorial that soon we celebrate Easter. This was the culmination of a plan that would enable us to have access to God s good and merciful gift of reconciliation with Him. His gift to us requires a response from us. Romans 12:1-2 says, Therefore I urge you brothers in view of God s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. This is incredibly significant to us as a Christian community. When given a gift we want to respond, but quite clearly we are told that it is not through anything that we have done that caused God to offer this gift to us. So with an incredible desire to respond, how do we? Forms and Letters sent home: Yr 9/10 Melbourne Camp VCE Newsletter VCE Career News REMINDERS Tuckshop tomorrow Banking tomorrow Late immunisation cards Michael Horton offers a potential solution in is his book, Ordinary: Sustainable faith in a radical restless world. Before God, we are always receivers of gifts. Before our neighbours, however, we are both receivers and givers. Even our praise is offered up as a sacrifice of thanksgiving, not as an atoning sacrifice. It is in view (response) of God s mercies, not in the hope of attaining them, that we offer our bodies as living sacrifices. As Luther said, God does not need our good works; our neighbour does It is in this way that we want students to work out how they can respond to their learning in ways that seek to honour God. Micah 6:6, 8 says With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?... He has showed you, O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. He is risen! Jason Riding The learning of our students should go beyond the walls of our classrooms. Our students should leave this place restless and with a desire to seek justice and mercy and to seek to serve God, others and their community. We want our students to be beacons of hope as they desire to respond to their learning. Students don t need to wait until they have a job before they have a chance to meaningfully engage in their world. So as we approach Easter and reflect on God s good gift to us, may we continually keep in the forefront of our mind the question of How we respond in light of God s good gift to us. May we think beyond ourselves as we explore God s calling on our lives in the vocation he has for us.

3 Parents please note... Large cardboard boxes for the year 10 Melbourne camp. Please contact Judy Miller or Jason Beer if you are able to help. Many thanks! Forgot to return your Immunisation Card?? Parents of Yr 7-10 students Was your child away from school or on an excursion and you wanted them to get their immunisations?? Late immunisation cards can still be handed into the office and students will receive their shots on the next round of visits, in Term 2. Please contact the office with any questions. Spare cards are available from the office. Jindabyne Crt is having Road works sometime between Thursday, 26 th March (today) & Good Friday, 3 rd April. The council have told us it will be unlikely but possible that it would start this week. This will block off the exit so all traffic will need to enter & exit via the main bitumen driveway. They are also saying there could be delays of up to 15 min and part of Macclesfield Rd (near MDCS) will be under traffic control. So if it does start today or tomorrow our buses may be delayed slightly. Let s hope & pray the road works start next week during school holidays! Tony Drummond LOST PROPERTY REMINDER: One more day!!! All items NOT picked up before holidays will be taken to an op shop over the holidays. From the Library: It s not too late to borrow from the library for your holiday reading! We re open at lunchtime tomorrow. Read to your children Twenty minutes a day; You have the time, And so do they. Read while the laundry is in the machine; Read while the dinner cooks; Tuck a child in the crook of your arm And reach for the library books. Hide the remote, Let the computer games cool, For one day your children will be off to school; Remedial? Gifted? You have the choice; Let them hear their first tales In the sound of your voice. Read in the morning; Read over noon; Read by the light of Goodnight Moon. Turn the pages together, Sitting close as you'll fit, Till a small voice beside you says, "Hey, don't quit. Richard Peck MARCH 27th - TERM ONE ENDS - Yr 7-12 Interhouse Cross Country APRIL 15th - TERM 2 BEGINS 17th - Yr 12 English, Movie Night 23rd - New Parents Dinner

4 Community News... THE BELLS OF PEACE The Bells of Peace is a performance to tell the story of ANZAC from a local perspective, including Artistic Direction by John Shortis,a new composition for chorus and concert band by Brian Hoggs, community singing of WW1 songs, stories from local communities and Dame Nellie Melba's roll in all things local. We are planning two major commemorations, one in each of the Casey and Latrobe federal electorates, in the week prior to Anzac Day, Each event will be a concert centred around new music which has been specially commissioned to recognise the ANZAC spirit in the 21st. century, and the songs and music of WW1, along with stories and performances relevant to the period. Bells of Peace will be held at the Discovery Church at Mt Evelyn on Saturday, April 18 th at 2pm and on Monday 20th at Belgrave Heights Convention Centre at 7pm with the exhibition open 2 hours before. Students from 10 schools, including ours, will be displaying art works on this theme. These performances are open to all who wish to come. Try Little Athletics one morning for FREE Ages: 5 to 15 Join us at Sherbrooke Little Athletics on Saturday April 11 to try Little Athletics for FREE. Sherbrooke Little Athletics is supporting Knox City Council s Active April Knox Where: Kings Park, Willow Road, Ferntree Gully (Melways 74, D6) When: Saturday April 11: 9:30am to 10:30am Cross Country 10:30am to 12:30pm Track & Field (Little Athletics) Information: Greg,

5 Yr 5/6 Camp cont...

6 Yr 5/6 Camp... At the farm we looked at cattle and sheep. My favourite part was when a Kelpie named Milo rounded up some sheep, as well as at the end, before we left, we went to the gift shop and bought a sign, a drink and a mood ring. Something else I did today was I learned how to ride a horse. My horse wasn't going fast and it was annoying. I liked riding a horse, it was fun. Gabe Penketh We did canoeing. It was really hard because of the wind. My group was the only group that did it because of the weather. Then we did horse riding and I had the same horse as yesterday which was fun as we got to trot. They set up an obstacle course which was fun and then we did a scavenger hunt that was really gross! (because we needed to get horse poo and bugs that were alive!). Holly Surridge 325 Macclesfield Rd P O Box 483 Monbulk 3793 Phone Fax mdcs@mdcs.vic.edu.au