Kuyper

Welcome to Term 4

I trust you have enjoyed some quality extended time with family over the last two weeks and a refreshing time away from the usual routines of school. I hope our students are excited and ready to finish this year well. That is my plan, too. After what will be forty years in schools, this is my final run to the finish. I am looking forward to all that Term 4 will bring as we approach the graduation of our wonderful Year 12 students, special assemblies and, let’s not forget, Limelight on the 5th of December.

I hope to speak personally with many of you before the end of the year. As always, you are welcome to speak with me anytime for small matters or contact the Office to schedule a longer chat. Please stop by to say hello. I will miss this community greatly next year but look forward to being a keen Kuyper grandparent.  

The Bible talks about life being a race. I think it focuses more on the persevering rather than the winning. Persevering through the obstacles, challenges and joys that life brings. I commend to you the following passage from Hebrews. May it inspire you as a parent. Being a parent can be tough. Raising children is not for the faint-hearted. The key is fixing our eyes on Jesus.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Hebrews 12:1-3

Ian Shaw
Principal

Due: Monday 23 October

As in previous years, Kuyper will be providing the opportunity for our families to participate in Operation Christmas Child. Shoeboxes are available from school, or you can purchase your own directly from Samaritan’s Purse. Once you have filled your shoebox, return it to the Office. You are welcome to donate the cost of shipping the boxes, however, we will be holding some fundraising events at school to cover the cost of both purchasing and shipping the shoeboxes.

If you wish to receive some boxes from us, please contact the Office. Shoeboxes, either full or empty, are due to the Office by Monday 23 October.

Visit the Samaritan’s Purse website for more details on how to pack your box. You can also volunteer to help pack and pray over boxes by following this link.

Operation Christmas Child is a hands-on way for Australians to bless children in need around the world by filling shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items, school supplies and other fun gifts. Operation Christmas Child collects the gift-filled shoeboxes and distributes them to children in over 100 countries in the Name of Jesus Christ.

After receiving a shoebox gift, many children have the opportunity to enrol in The Greatest Journey – a dynamic, 12-lesson Bible study course that guides children through what it means to faithfully follow Jesus Christ.

The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to provide God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Due: Tuesday 24 October

This year, we have again been invited to participate in Robyn Preston’s Hawkesbury Christmas Card Competition. Entries are invited from all schools in the Hawkesbury, and the winning entry will be featured as the cover for Robyn Preston’s 2023 Christmas card, which is mailed to local residents, businesses and organisations. The image featured in this post is by Kuyper’s Bethany Pennings, whose entry was “runner up” in the 2021 competition.

Students in Kindy to Year 6 are invited to submit an entry to the Kuyper Office by Tuesday 24 October, using this entry form. Please ensure that the form is complete and signed by a parent.

Wednesday 20 September

Students in Prep – Year 12 are invited to participate in Non-Uniform Day during the last week of Term 3, on Wednesday. Wear non-uniform and bring a gold coin for Operation Christmas Child, to help with the cost of packing and delivering our shoe-boxed gifts.

Wednesday 6 September
10:30 – 11:00 AM

Parents, carers, grandparents and special friends of Prep to Year 6 students are invited to join us on Wednesday 6 September, for our Book Week Parade commencing at 10:30 AM on the Primary Hard Court.

This year’s Book Week theme is “Read, Grow, Inspire”. Prep to Year 6 students are encouraged to dress as their favourite book character.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

From the Board Chair

The Board is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Mark Ramsay as the new Principal of Kuyper Christian School to commence in January 2024.

Mark is a highly experienced Christian educator, having served for over twenty years in Christian education, more than half of these in senior leadership positions, including Deputy Principal at Nepean Christian School, Penrith Anglican College and most recently here at Kuyper. 

Mark is a relational leader, a strategic thinker and has a heart for service learning. His vision for Christian education aligns strongly with Kuyper’s mission to foster a learning environment that enables each student to flourish with the gifts our God has given them. Mark is well acquainted with our parent-governed Christian school model and is committed to working alongside our staff and parents to build on Kuyper’s reputation for parent partnership and care for all students.

The Board is grateful for the assistance of Christian Education National with the recruitment and selection process. We were delighted with the level of interest shown in the position by a number of highly qualified candidates, which is an indication of Kuyper’s standing in the Christian schooling sector.

The Board would like to congratulate Mark on his appointment and assure him of our support as he takes up the challenge of leading our growing school in the years ahead.

As you are aware, Ian Shaw will be retiring at the end of this year, and the Board would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge his enormous contribution to the Kuyper community over the past eight years. There will be a number of occasions in Term 4 to recognise Ian’s work and acknowledge the significant growth of our school under his wise and steady leadership.

We thank the Kuyper community for your prayerful support during the selection process. We are grateful that God has provided a Christ-focused, missional and visionary leader for our school. We are excited to see how God will use Mark as he leads Kuyper in this next season.

Wayne Speirs
AKCEA Board Chair

A Word from Ian

I am thrilled with the appointment of Mr Mark Ramsay to the role of Kuyper Principal commencing in 2024. Having worked alongside Mark here at Kuyper and in another Christian school, I am confident that Mark is an excellent choice to lead our wonderful Kuyper community when I retire. I know Mark has a servant heart and will lead by example in ways that model Christ. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with him over the next five months to ensure a smooth transition, and trust our community will gather around and support him in this new adventure.

Praise God for His ongoing provision for our school.

Ian Shaw
Retiring Principal – 2023

A Word from Mark

I am humbled that God has granted me the opportunity to lead Kuyper Christian School in this new season. Getting to know our wonderful school community over the past eighteen months has been a joy, and I am excited about what lies ahead in Kuyper’s story. I am committed to continuing Kuyper’s strong foundation on God’s Word and delivering education in the light of Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is my privilege to continue working alongside Ian over the next five months as we prepare for his retirement.

I look forward to serving you as Principal of Kuyper Christian School in 2024.

Mark Ramsay
Incoming Principal – 2024

Wednesday 23 August

Parents and grandparents are warmly invited to join us on Wednesday, 23 August, for a showcase of HSC Major Works and a spectacular Whole School Celebration Assembly featuring the Kuyper Concert Band.

1:10 PM – 1:45 PM: HSC Music Performance Showcase, in the Hall

1:45 PM – 2:15 PM: HSC Design & Technology Major Work Showcase, in the Music Room (opposite the Hall, across the Village Green)

1:45 PM – 2:15 PM: Barista Coffee, on the Village Green

2:15 – 3:25 PM: Whole School Celebration Assembly featuring the Kuyper Concert Band, in the Hall. Fresh from their tour through Western NSW, our Concert Band will entertain you with some of the items that thrilled audiences at schools in the Blue Mountains, Dubbo, Orange, Parkes and Wellington.

Special Guest: Susan Templeman, our local Federal Member.

Join us for an afternoon of celebrating our students as they bless us with their God-given talents.

Wednesday 6 September
6 PM – 8 PM

Current and future families of students in Years 7-12 are invited to join us for an evening of information and inspiration as we shine a light on what Secondary students have been learning and creating this year.

The evening will commence at 6 PM with dinner on the Village Green and a Secondary Expo in the Hall, followed by presentations on the Kurrajong Program, subject selection and starting Year 7 at Kuyper.

6 PM – 7 PM: Dinner & Expo

7 PM – 8 PM: Presentations

• The Kurrajong Program (Years 11 & 12)
• Starting Year 7 at Kuyper in 2024

We look forward to seeing you there!

Welcome to Term 3. I trust that the last three weeks have provided a refreshing break from the busyness of school life for you and your children. We are looking forward to the return of students tomorrow.

Along with many like-minded schools, Kuyper’s mid-year break encompasses a week of staff development. This is a time for staff to think deeply about our work as Christian educators, collaborate as a team and engage in key training as we prepare to support you in your God-given responsibility to nurture your children. 

In our morning devotions last week, staff explored 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18,

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

We were reminded that true joy is found in the knowledge of our position in Christ rather than our circumstances or feelings at any one time. We spent time praying for one another, rejoicing in God’s goodness and thanking Him for every member of our school community.

Staff also completed fire safety and first aid training sessions, including practical CPR and defibrillation experience.  We hope we never need to use these skills. However, completing training in these areas reflects the commitment of all staff to be well-prepared and to care well for our school community.

To round out the week, a large cohort of Kuyper staff attended the Christian Education National (CEN) State Conference –  Practice with Purpose. As a result of the disruption to large gatherings caused by COVID restrictions, this was the first State Conference in six years. Over seven hundred and forty Christian teachers and staff from Christian schools in NSW and ACT gathered to hear from gifted educators and academics who reminded us of the importance of knowing and loving our students as unique individuals created in the image of God and designed for relationship with Him. It was a rich time of learning and a great encouragement to gather with so many other Christian school staff—our thanks to Nepean Christian School for hosting this event.

Staff in Christian schools are living epistles to the children and grandchildren in their care. It is vital that we keep our staff equipped to serve families well and pray that they will be faithful witnesses to Jesus in the lives of our children. 

Finally, with sadness, I advise that Mrs Sarah Allen will finish her time as a staff member at Kuyper on Friday, 18 August. Sarah has a long and faithful history at Kuyper, commencing as a young teacher in 2005 when she was only twenty-five. Over the past eighteen years, Sarah has blessed our school in a multitude of ways, bringing her extensive skills to serve in whatever capacity was needed at the time. Sarah has taught Mathematics, Food Technology, Agriculture, and Primary classes, in addition to her specialty areas of Sport, PDHPE and PASS. She has organised countless camps and excursions and is the driving vision behind our Hawkesbury Show and Carnival endeavours. Sarah has actively raised the profile of sport at Kuyper and has a gift for inspiring students to be involved in and enjoy sporting events.

Sarah has also worked tirelessly to apply for many sporting grants that have been a tremendous asset to our school over the years. She is loved by staff and students alike and will be deeply missed.

While Sarah’s resignation is a loss to our community, I am confident she will be a great blessing in her new role at Australian Christian College, Marsden Park, where she will teach a hybrid mix of online distance education and face-to-face classes. We are thankful for Sarah’s incredible generosity to the Kuyper Community over so many years. We pray for God’s richest blessing on this new venture as she faithfully supports Christian schooling in a different capacity. You are welcome to join us in the School Hall on Wednesday, 9 August, at 2:45 PM to farewell Mrs Allen at a special Assembly in her honour.

I pray this coming term will be one where our partnership between home and school fosters an environment that nurtures your children and bears much fruit in their lives. Every square inch of this world belongs to Jesus, and we want to acknowledge Him as Lord and King.

In Christ,
Ian Shaw
Principal