Esther

Ruth Thompson, Enrolment & Communications Manager

Last week, Vanessa Cheng, the CEO of the Australian Association of Christian Schools (AACS), attended our Association General Meeting to speak on Partnering with Parents to Protect Christian Schools.

AACS is a national advocacy body representing the interests of over a hundred Christian schools in all states and territories and approximately 42,000 students, including Christian Education National (CEN) schools like Kuyper. The organisation provides member schools with a ‘voice in the public square’ and representation to State, Territory and Federal Governments, supporting Christian schools on issues that impact our capacity to continue delivering authentic Christian education.

While it is not mainstream news, the Christian school movement is currently one of the fastest growing in the independent school sector, and attitudes in the broader community strongly support religious schooling in Australia. A recent national poll by AACS and affiliates on Attitudes to Christian Schools showed:

• Three out of four Australians support the right of a religious school to employ teachers and other staff who support the clearly stated values and beliefs of the school
• Over two-thirds of Australians believe that Australian laws should protect the right to hold and practice religious beliefs
• 70 per cent of younger voters (18-24) support this right, an 8 per cent increase from previous research released in June
• A majority of voters without any religious faith also support this right

What may be even more surprising to many is that this majority support is consistent across all political affiliations.* Read more.

This is in stark contrast to some of the polarising policies currently being tabled and reviewed by State and Territory governments which seek to curtail the rights of parents to educate their children in a school that upholds Christian values and beliefs, and the right of Christian schools to employ Christian staff across all roles.

Often, when we talk about partnering with parents in the education of their children, the discussion focuses on supporting parents’ right to choose the education they want for their children, reflecting a consistent set of values at home and school, or mutual involvement in the learning journey. In a very real sense, independent schools also rely on parents’ support to sustain the viability of this education choice, and not just by the payment of school fees (although this is an important part of the mutual partnership).

In a cultural environment of negative press and government pressure to secularise education, your voice in support of Christian education is a genuine way to partner with your school so that, together, we can continue to provide authentic Christian schooling that puts Jesus in his rightful place at the centre of education.

Staying informed about matters affecting Christian schools in Australia is a valuable first step, and also writing to our local members where appropriate. The AACS website and Facebook page are helpful resources about current issues, as is the Freedom for Faith think tank.

In addition, parent and student stories about the value of our school community are a powerful counter-message. Your simple conversation with a friend or neighbour about your lived experience as a Christian school family is a refreshing voice in a negative space and one that many parents are keen to hear. We will be celebrating all the wonderful aspects of our Kuyper community at Limelight next week. We look forward to sharing this time with you and encourage you to invite a friend or extended family member.

In him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:4-5

As Christians, we have a message of the greatest joy to share. We invite you to partner with us to keep this wonderful message available for all to hear.

Source: Vanessa Cheng, Australian Association of Christian Schools 2020, Australian Association of Christian Schools website, accessed 29 November 2022, <https://www.aacs.net.au/>

* Vanessa Cheng, Australian Association of Christian Schools, 16 November 2022, New Data Shows Strong Support for Religious Schools, AACS, accessed 29 November 2022, <https://www.aacs.net.au/new-data-shows-large-support-for-religious-schools-and-legal-protections>

Merrilynne Shaw, Primary Teacher

For History, Year 5 & 6 have been learning about Australia’s Gold Rush. If you’re a bit rusty on the details, Australia’s Gold Rush began in 1851 when Edward Hargraves and his mates discovered gold near Bathurst. This was not the first time gold was discovered in Australia, but it was the first time an Australian government would pay someone for gold, so the rush for quick riches began.

In the third week of this term, Stage 3 went on the Good as Gold Camp to Bathurst to be immersed in Gold Rush history. Here are what some students had to say:

After a bit, the bus stopped at our first destination. We arrived at Katoomba and had a big bush walk, we even got to see the Three Sisters. After all that walking, we hopped back on the bus. We were on our way to Bathurst. We arrived at our second stop, to eat some food and meet some new friends. Uncle Merv and Miss Sarah introduced themselves to us and then asked some people to put on a play. I was chosen to be Gregory Blaxland. The play was about how the area became Bathurst.

Summer, Year 6

I learnt how to throw a boomerang. There is a certain way as you must tilt your hand on an angle before you throw. There are different types of boomerangs too. One can break the legs of a kangaroo which Aboriginal people used so they could catch their food. The returning boomerangs were used to frighten animals out of hiding so they could be ambushed. Returning boomerangs were also used for sport. We got to paint our own boomerangs, but these are no good for throwing as they are for decoration purposes only.

Cara, Year 5

For devotions, Mr H talked about the Greatest Treasure. The largest alluvial gold nugget they uncovered was called the Welcome Stranger. It was found in 1969 in Victoria, only 3 cm below the surface, near the base of a tree. It weighed 97.14 kg when it was removed from the ground and would be worth approximately $12 million today. Imagine finding it! Many of us would think that all our troubles were over. Like the Gold Rush of the 1800’s, many still seek earthly riches and forsake the greatest treasure of all – Jesus. Anything we can imagine on Earth is nothing when we compare it to God’s kingdom, not even the Welcome Stranger. God’s Kingdom is a treasure. When we follow Christ, the gift of eternal life exceeds anything of earthly value, and is worth everything we have.

Jo Kean, Primary Teacher

When Sesame Street came onto our TV screens in the early 1970’s they played a game called “One of These Things”. It had a catchy song about four items, one of which wasn’t like the others. The game helped children to find similarities and differences in common items.

During the last school holidays, my husband and I visited family in Tasmania. One morning we were out for a drive between Kettering and Cygnet on a winding country road. We were driving through apple orchards in bloom and green country views. As we came around a corner, in the middle of nowhere, I was surprised to see two big roosters walking along the edge of the road. One was jet black and the other was brown. They had their heads held high as they wandered along. We continued driving, puzzled as to where they had come from and what they were doing. It is true that roosters belong in the countryside, but wandering down the side of the road? Not really. The image has stayed with me, and I have been pondering its meaning for me.

Often, I feel comfortable and at home here on earth. However, that is not what my walk with Christ should be. As Christians, we are sent into the world, but we are not of the world. We are to be actively serving Christ. We are to be loving others and being Jesus to those we meet, even if it is uncomfortable, because this place is not our forever home. We are being prepared to be with Jesus in heaven for eternity. Like the unexpected roosters, we are different and our lives are meant to reflect this.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)

So let’s take our lives, and not fit in. Let’s change the culture around us by being like the roosters. It may not be comfortable, or safe, but we will be obediently following our Saviour Jesus and being prepared for eternity. K/1 had the privilege of singing at the Year 12 Graduation Assembly. We sang “Be Strong & Courageous” by Colin Buchanan. One student asked me, after the item, if the words were “be strong and outrageous”! Maybe they could be, because we need to be outrageous for Jesus.

Elizabeth Porter, Secondary Teacher

Spring has finally sprung! Officially, Spring began two months ago, but the weather didn’t match our expectations. It’s taken its time to warm up this year, and after cooler temperatures and so much rain, flowers are blooming. Jacaranda blossoms, characteristic of November, are starting to fill our skylines.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-4

This time of year is quite significant for some of our students. It is the end of one season and the dawning of another. In a few days we will be hosting Year 7 Orientation, then Orientation mornings for Prep and Kindergarten. It’s “a time to plant”. Soon, Year 6 will be finishing Primary School. These occasions are milestones for parents, as much as their children.

For our senior students, the HSC examinations concluded last Friday and on Thursday this week, Year 12 will have their Graduation Assembly in the morning and their Graduation Dinner in the evening. It’s “a time to dance”. From here, they step out of Kuyper and move into the next chapter of their lives. This could be “a time to uproot”, but perhaps it is more of a transplant because we hope they are already “rooted and established in love” (Ephesians 3:17).  We trust that our students will not only love their school enough to come back and visit us, but that they will carry with them what they have learned here and allow it to impact their worldview and their decisions. For our Graduates, we say farewell with some sadness, but also with excitement, as we see how they have matured. We anticipate God’s leading of their futures.

Today and tomorrow, the majority of our Year 10 and 11 students are participating in the inaugural Kurrajong Programme Orientation Week camp, as they become our new Year 11 and 12. Students will participate in a series of activities, including an Amazing Race, a sleepover and several teaching sessions designed to prepare them for Stage 6. Then, a new set of compressed Stage 6 Elective courses begin, with students choosing from a variety of face-to-face, VET and Distance Education courses. As exciting as this is, what is most important is our students’ personal and spiritual growth. We hope, pray and encourage all Kuyper students to develop the desire to follow Christ closely, view the world through the lens of the Bible, and seek resilience, wisdom, faith and compassion that will be reflected in action as they serve their communities. Through the Kurrajong Programme, each student will have a staff mentor. As well as growing learners, the Kurrajong Programme is about inspiring leaders. Students will discover new opportunities for service and leadership, in a range of activities, over the next year and beyond. We are very excited to be planning our trip to Vanuatu for 2023. This experience enables students to bring joy to children in a country which does not have the same creature comforts or opportunities as we experience, and yet, can teach us something about contentment, lifestyle and materialism.

The Kurrajong Tree (Brachychiton populneus) is the logo of the Kurrajong programme. This tree is native to our area, has bright flowers and a beautiful shape, providing shade. Its water-retaining capabilities make it drought resistant and hardy. Similarly, Kuyper aims to nurture well-grounded students who have developed the qualities they need to flourish and mature in a variety of situations.

a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace… He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:6-11

For 35 years, Arthur Stace wrote the word “Eternity” in chalk around Sydney, provoking people to think about life after death. Deep down, we know that Creation must have been made by a Creator, and there is a desire in our hearts for a peaceful eternity, free from suffering. In this special season of conclusions and new beginnings, let us celebrate His promises and His timing.

Mike Hottinger, Chaplain

In my studies at Anglican Youthworks College, we were taught that one three-day camp was equivalent to an entire semester’s worth of youth group. The connection and relationships that are fostered on camp through sharing meals and activities, as well as reading the Bible together, are invaluable to the relationship between leaders, kids and classmates.

At church, we battled to get as many kids as possible on camp in order that they would hear the gospel, have fun and bond with other kids and Christian leaders. Here at Kuyper, it is not a battle. For this reason, I make it a priority to volunteer for as many camps as my strength will allow. The relationships that are built and deepened on these camps cannot be underestimated.

I was on the Stage 5 camp to Dubbo during Week 1 of this term, and have just returned from the Stage 3 Bathurst camp. So many aspects of these camps were amazing: visiting the “Dish” at Parkes; panning for gold; Western Plains Zoo; Wellington Caves; singing students’ favourite songs on the bus. But by far the greatest blessing is my job as Chaplain, because I lead devotions on these camps. I was able to speak with almost every student in Year 5, 6, 9 and 10 about Jesus, according to their age and stage.

Year 9/10 Dubbo Camp

After visiting the Parkes Telescope, we discussed Genesis 1:14-19 and Colossians 1:15-20; God’s greatness in creation, and worshiping none other than him. Creation was brought into being through, for and by Jesus himself. After our trip to the zoo, we discussed Revelation 5; Jesus is both the lion of Judah and the sacrificial lamb of God. He is not to be trifled with, but worshiped for his loving sacrifice on the cross. This is the responsibility of anyone calling themselves ‘Christian’. After our visit to the caves, we discussed 1 Kings 19 and Hebrews 1:1-4; God ‘turning up’ in a still small voice to Elijah as he cowers in a cave. Although he can use other means, God promises to speak to us through his Word and by his Son.

Year 5/6 Bathurst Camp

The theme of this camp was ‘Treasure’. We discussed Matthew 13:44-46 and Isaiah 40:11; what do you treasure and why? God treasures you above all else and he showed this by dying for you!

Through each of these devotions, inspired by what we had learned and experienced that day, I had the opportunity to convey, as best I could, the glory of Jesus Christ. Each of us is on our own journey with the Lord. We are all learning and growing in our relationship with him. It is my prayer that the students who were able to enjoy “camping” this term would be moved forward in their journey towards the true and living God.

Mark Ramsay, Assistant Principal

During the recent term break, I had the great privilege of visiting Vanuatu. Kuyper students will be returning to Vanuatu next year and I was able to reconnect with Jim and Charlotte (and their four children under five) who run the Scripture Union campsite at Pango Point. I was able to revisit and reconnect with friends I had made in the local businesses and market, and with the school I had visited five times previously, while working at another Christian School.

I was reminded of the beauty and joy in reconnecting. The people of Vanuatu have experienced many of the same disconnections that we have during the last few years. Most shops had signs on the front door asking people to keep a distance of 1.5 metres, and to wear masks whilst inside the shop. Schools in Vanuatu were closed for many months earlier this year (just like our long lockdown of 2021) and students were forced to learn from home. Many businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors have not yet reopened, and some of them never will. The people of Vanuatu, just like many in Australia, are hoping to leave the disconnection behind as they enjoy reconnecting with others.

This should come as no surprise to us. The Bible tells us that God made people to live in the connection of relationships. We see his design in the opening chapters of Genesis. Our desire to connect is seen throughout the Bible; indeed, it is also seen throughout history. If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that messing with the connections people have with each other can have some pretty serious consequences. Hopefully we are all treasuring the connections we have in our lives. More importantly, I hope we are all treasuring the connection with God that is offered through Jesus.

Next year, the reconnecting that I did in Vanuatu will lead to more connecting, this time by students in the Kurrajong Programme* with people in Vanuatu. I look forward to seeing the joy and blessing that connection brings to the lives of all involved.

*The Kurrajong Programme is for students in Years 11 & 12 at Kuyper.