Kuyper

Mitch Cavens, Secondary Teacher

For a long time, music teachers have been attempting to convince families of the value of picking up a musical instrument for practice. Today, I hope to continue that trend and perhaps convince you to pick up and learn an instrument, or to encourage your children to do so.

Did you know that learning a musical instrument can increase the size of your brain? I am sure that reason alone is not particularly convincing, however, the research outlining the effects of musical training on the brain is so astounding that it certainly has convinced many parents to encourage their children to learn a musical instrument.

The following image was published in an article by researchers from the Laboratory of Brain Imaging and the Laboratory of Language Neurobiology at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. They investigated the effect of musical training on brain development.

This image describes some of wonderful effects of musical training on the brain. For starters, the size of the brain in key areas is increased. More importantly, areas of the brain affecting motor skills, speech, executive functioning, hearing, memory, emotions, reading, sensory skills, reward perception and movement coordination are exercised and improved.

As more and more neurology researchers investigate the effect of music on the brain, indications point to the importance of musical training for a developing child, from as young as 6 or 7 years old. Notwithstanding, the positive effect of musical training on the brain continues well into adulthood, and has even been shown to produce long term benefits in combating dementia and other memory-related deficiencies.

It is often the case that students who learn a musical instrument in Primary school stop playing during Senior school so that they can focus on their studies. However, I hope they are encouraged to persevere. The benefits of musical training are so great, that they are worth the effort of continuing into adulthood. Paying for your child to learn an instrument can be costly, but if you are a parent who has undertaken this expense, I encourage you to persist! Your sacrifice is worthwhile. And if you are a parent who has not ventured down the musical training path, I encourage you to investigate the positive effect of music on your child and yourself. If you play, they are more likely to.

Music is an incredible gift. It helps us develop physiologically and emotionally, but most importantly, we can grow spiritually through music that reminds us of the character and works of God. He has given us an amazing brain that can learn and appreciate music, so why don’t we use it to bring Glory to His Name.

Lyndal Mitchell, Assistant Principal

I recently had the privilege and delight of joining Year 5 and Year 6 (on separate occasions) for their morning Devotions online. While I was keen to share God’s Word and pray with them, I was even more keen to hear from them and to learn how they have been growing as God’s people in the context of lockdown and School@Home. I am often encouraged by the wisdom of children, and these visits were no exception. I won’t quote individual students, but here is a taste of the collective thoughts and insights of this remarkable group of young people:

We are learning how to rest and that being busy all the time is not necessarily good for us. Not being rushed helps us to do better quality schoolwork. It is good not feeling rushed all the time. 

We don’t need all the things we thought we did. We can be happy with less and with what we already have. We are learning new skills, like how to keep ourselves organised, stay focused and be more responsible. We are finding new strengths that we didn’t know we had. 

This pandemic was a surprise to us, but it was not a surprise to God. Somehow, it is part of His plan for the world. Good can come from any situation when it’s in God’s hands. He can always be trusted.

There are so many things that we were taking for granted that we now appreciate. We can see now that they are good gifts from God, and it has made us more thankful. We are learning gratitude, especially gratitude for things that have always been there – like our own backyards. Our pets are important. They can give us lots of comfort. Missing our friends has shown us how important they are to us too. We are finding new ways to connect with them, and that has been fun.

We are learning to appreciate our families more. We are spending more time together, and it’s good to realise how important they are to us. 

The overwhelming majority of the comments made by students in both classes were related to gratitude. Given what we now know about the importance of gratitude to our long term emotional and mental well-being, I was greatly encouraged by this. What a rich opportunity our kids are being given at this impressionable time of their lives. The final comment, made by a Year 6 student, brought tears to my eyes. They said:

I’ve always known that God gives. But now I’ve learnt that He also takes away. And that’s ok. I can trust Him when He gives and when He takes away.

Our young people have so much to teach us. I am very grateful for them.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 

1 Timothy 4:12

It has been an epic term of learning from home, and we’re planning to finish on a high with two online events this Friday, 17 September.

Online End of Term Celebrations 9:00-9:15am

We invite parents to join their children for an online End of Term Celebration as we reflect on the challenges and highlights of the last few months.

Online Parent Connect 9:15-10:00am

After Celebrations, we invite parents to join us on Google for a cuppa and chat. Catch up with other parents, see faces, share stories, encourage and be encouraged. Primary students will be provided with printable work, freeing large screen devices for parents to use during this time. 

Check your email for links to both of these events later in the week. We look forward to seeing you.

Term 3 2021 has been interesting from my perspective as Chaplain at Kuyper Christian School. Part of my role this term has been to create weekly devotions for the community. I have been so encouraged by the students who have contributed to this process over the past few weeks. Another part of my role has been to contact certain students who I would normally meet with regularly at school.

Each week I am in contact with around 16 boys. I touch base with them, over the phone and via their parents, to see how they are coping with school at home. This includes how they are going with their studies, as well as in themselves. I talk to them about their mood, whether they are getting out and exercising, taking breaks and eating well. I then offer them an opportunity to read the Bible with me. Every boy has opted to do this, which from a chaplaincy perspective, has been a joy and a blessing. 

Appropriate to their age and where they are at in their relationship with God, I have been able to share a variety of passages. With the younger boys I have been able to open to Philippians 2, Psalm 34:4, Joshua 1:9, and others. This has allowed them to hear God’s love for them, his power, and Jesus’ sacrifice and humility. With the more mature Christians, we have been reading through entire books together: Habakkuk and Nahum (by request) as well as 1 Thessalonians.

One student provided the basis for the story I want to share with you. This student would not consider himself a Christian, but is open and willing to investigate philosophies and world views. He was happy to read a denser text (he actually requested we read from the ESV) so I decided to read through Romans 8 with him. This has turned out to be a joy, a privilege and a blessing from God that I couldn’t have predicted.

We established the context by reading through the end of Chapter 7, then began to move through the Apostle Paul’s logic, verse by verse. Around four sessions in, we arrived at Chapter 8:10 – 11. We wrestled with Paul’s distinction between the flesh and the Spirit, and what this means practically.

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:10-11

We spoke about what it means for Christ to be ‘in you’, and the privilege and uniqueness of being indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We discussed what it means when it says that the same Spirit that raised Jesus to life lives in every Christian person and is God’s gift to His people. We spoke about the same Holy Spirit being completely God. Ultimately we spoke about experiencing the forgiveness and grace of Christ and the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit here on earth, as well as being raised bodily on the last day into eternity, like Jesus was, through the power of God living in us.

At the end of our time, I asked him what he thought of all this:

These are my own words… but that’s pretty cool

I couldn’t have said it better myself. It is pretty cool. I was then able to pray for each of us, that we might never forget just how cool it really is.

For me, the online google meetings in the morning with my class have been one of the highlights of my day.  During this time, we share what’s been happening for each other, pray, look at God’s word and reconnect as a class. In our devotion time Year 1 and 2 have been working through a book called “How Great is Our God” by Louie Giglio. This book looks at some of the awesome things that God has created and, through them, encourages us to think about the truths that God has taught us in His word. I would like to share something very interesting that we have learned in our time together.

Plants, as you well know, are unable to move around to disperse their seeds. Class 1/2 were amazed as we looked at some of the ways that God has provided for different plants to disperse their seeds.  We considered the coconut, which drops its giant seeds into the water that then carries them far away to different places. We looked at maples and dandelions whose seeds fly away on the wind.  We chuckled about the squirting cucumber, whose fruit fills with liquid until it explodes, squirting seeds up to 6 metres away. But the most impressive, and dangerous, is the Sandbox Tree. This tree can be found in South America and the Amazon Rainforest.

The Sandbox Tree is also called the Dynamite Tree because it has fruit like little bombs. When they are ripe, they explode, sending out seeds at approximately 240 km/h and making a sound like a gunshot. This tree is also called the ‘monkey-no-climb’ tree because it is covered in spikes. The sap of this tree can cause a terrible rash and even blindness.

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After marvelling at God’s creation, Class 1/2 went on to discuss the type of seeds that we can sow. God calls on us to sow seeds of righteousness and kindness. A quote from our devotions book reminded us that “being kind means more than just smiling and being nice. It takes courage to be kind to the person that is different from you. And it takes strength to be kind when you’re tired or when others aren’t so kind to you.” I am sure you could add some more situations, such as being in lockdown for months, to the list of things that make being kind difficult. Thankfully we don’t have to be courageous and strong on our own. God gives us all the courage and strength we need to do the things He wants us to do.

Just like the seeds of a plant, any seeds of kindness we sow will grow and spread. When we are kind to others, it encourages them to be kind to their fellow humans as well, therefore spreading seeds of kindness far and wide. In our current trying times it takes a God-given amount of strength to be kind day after day.  While we are all locked down it may take a little more creativity to think of ways that we can be kind or reach out to others, but it is certainly worth it and definitely what our hurting world needs at this time. The family that we share a home with is a great place to start. I hope you can sow some kindness today and that you are blessed enough to see some kindness from others.

Just don’t try to climb a Sandbox Tree, that’s not being kind to anyone.

A big Thank You to all the parents, staff and students who got involved with Book Week online. It was a fun time. Mrs Kean set the students a choice of activities, and the results were amazing; from Lego libraries to colourful baking to reading books with animals and toys. It was a wonderful Book Week lockdown celebration.

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Thank You also to the students and families who joined in the Premier’s reading challenge for 2021. We trust you have enjoyed all you read!

Ja Baldwin, Primary Teacher

Something that I can honestly say I always enjoy about my role at Kuyper is the freedom to talk openly about our wonderful creator, Father God, every single day. Aside from all the learning activities delivered from a Christian perspective, through a biblical lens, perhaps some of the most fruitful discussions that occur in the Year 6 classroom are prompted by our daily devotions. Most recently, our School@Home devotions have, at times, been just as fruitful and exciting as those we enjoyed face to face.

Two weeks ago, our daily devotions led us to discuss how Jesus often used parables to speak about the Kingdom of God. What exactly did He mean? Is the Kingdom of God a place, and if so, where is it? We learned that rather than simply being a reference to heaven, the Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom that covers all of God’s creation. This includes the universe and beautiful planet earth, which we call home. During our discussion, we learned that in the beginning, God created the world, along with humankind, and it was perfect. However, when humankind sinned, this led to separation from God.

The devotion Mr Hottinger shared with the Kuyper community tied in beautifully with the Year 6 devotions: The Good News! Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, died for our sins, rose again, and ascended into Heaven. This is extremely good news! The Gospels are all about this good news and the Kingdom of God. Mr Hottinger threw out a challenge to all students to create their own short videos and share the good news, spreading the gospel from person to person.

The Bible tells us that when we repent of our sins and choose to follow Jesus, we not only receive the Holy Spirit and have eternal life with Him to look forward to, but we also become part of God’s kingdom on earth. The Bible also tells us that it is our Christian duty to preach the Gospel. Just a few days after seeing Mr Hottinger’s devotion, three Year 6 students put together their own individual gospel videos, which have been shared with the Kuyper community.

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone”.

Mark 16:15

Two of the parables that Year 6 read this term are; the parable of the sower and the parable of the growing seed. The parable of the sower teaches about the hearts of those who hear the good news. Some hearts are described as hard, some are shallow, some are crowded, and some are fruitful. The primary focus of the parable of the growing seed is the Kingdom of God. Year 6 agreed that most of us have memories of planting seeds that have been lying in a packet for months. We discussed how the seeds are watered and checked often in anticipation of seeing the seeds come up. To begin with, nothing seems to be happening. How amazing it is, though, when after a few days, plants start to become visible.

The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.

Mark 4:26-28

When we first tell others about Jesus, perhaps nothing seems to happen. Yet like the seeds under the soil, we cannot see the work God is doing in the hearts of those with whom we have shared the good news. After a while, we might begin to see a change in one of our friends, and then another, and another. Whether we see the fruit of our labour or not, we should continue doing our part in spreading the Gospel. We must be willing to carry on with confidence that all things, including the growth of the Kingdom of God, are under the control of our heavenly Father.

Gwendolyn, our resident koala, is quite the celebrity after returning to Kuyper last Thursday. This feisty lady has brought a community of koala lovers together from around the nation.

Gwendolyn has chlamydia, a debilitating bacterial infection that is one of the leading killers of Australia’s koalas. When she required another trip to the hospital with severe symptoms earlier this year, the outlook was grim. Gwendolyn’s remarkable recovery is the result of a cooperative effort between local groups and wildlife organisations around the country including,

• Hawkesbury WIRES, Richmond NSW
• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Currumbin Qld
• Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Beerwah Qld
• Koala Hospital, Port Macquarie NSW
• Science for Wildlife, Mt Victoria NSW
• Vineyard Veterinary Hospital, Vineyard NSW

Gwen’s surgical success is a first for our local WIRES team, who will continue to monitor her health via a tracker installed by Dr Kellie Leigh from Science for Wildlife. The tracker will enable local experts to trace and examine Gwen in six months using in-the-field ultrasound equipment. In the meantime, our local eucalypts provide an excellent koala habitat, and there is hope that Gwendolyn might produce a joey.

As a school community, we are grateful for the privilege of sharing our beautiful bush location with Gwendolyn and reminded again that it all belongs to Jesus; every square, furry inch.

Read more about Gwendolyn in the Hawkesbury Gazette.

Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales, has posted a message of support and encouragement to all schools across the state.

“Take each day calmly; you will be amazed what you can achieve.”

Jemima Robinson, Secondary Teacher

Within the first few days of School@Home, I was asked by one of my students, “Why does everyone keep telling us to go outside?” Mindful of the need for students not to be glued to their screens while learning from home, we had been setting work, starting discussions and suggesting free time activities focused outdoors. This set me to reflecting, why do I see it as such an essential thing for my students to be outside?

It is true that fresh air and sunlight are needed and that being outside often promotes movement and exercise. Spending time outdoors surrounded by nature has been shown to have many health benefits; it’s even good for your eyesight! But while these are all wonderful reasons to step outside, there is something deeper and more important to be gained from this.

God created the world to be intricate but, at the same time, expansive. When I take a walk each day, I can appreciate not just the order behind what I see but the intrinsic beauty as well. Appreciating creation leads me to worship the Creator, to thank Him for the world He has created, to praise Him for the wonder of it and to acknowledge His power in creating it, purely from words!

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them.

Psalm 8:3-4

Last week, in Year 7 Science, we observed the characteristics of different living things to help us learn how to classify them scientifically. Students observed their pets, insects and birds in their backyards and examined the intricacies of different leaves. Our observations may have been useful in allowing us to identify and classify living things, but these observations can hold a greater purpose of pointing us towards God. God’s creation also helps us to reflect on His characteristics. A friend of mine once said that he surfed because the power of the waves reminded him that God was much more powerful than even the biggest wave.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

When we see the power in the wind and waves, we can be reminded that God is immensely more powerful than these. The disciples experienced this themselves when they were caught in a storm, which Jesus ordered to be calm. And there are many other characteristics of God that his creation reveals; His beauty, glory, wisdom, presence, creativity and loving care. 

So as lockdown continues, I encourage everyone in our Kuyper community to put aside the screens as regularly as possible, take advantage of the benefits of time spent outside and while you’re doing so, reflect on the purpose of God’s amazing creation. Let it prompt us to praise Him for all that He is.

Amanda McAlpine, Primary Teacher

One of the things my family has enjoyed during the last few weeks of lockdown is watching the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Without the need to be up super early in the mornings, we have been able to follow the Australian men’s and women’s football (soccer) journeys. We’ve had some late nights, as we watched them play their hearts out and strive to win their games and get closer to the prize – an Olympic medal. We know that neither team managed to get that far but I am sure they learnt many lessons along the way, improving their skills and showing the world their sportsmanship and determination. The Matildas were so close to getting a bronze medal, yet it wasn’t meant to be, and they now have to show the world how they handle themselves after the disappointment and heartbreak they felt.

We often talk at school about being WHOKstars, which means being wise, happy, obedient and kind. These are all things that we are called to do by Jesus. They all relate to loving God and loving others.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:34-35

There have been amazing highs and lows throughout the Olympics. The most loving and heartwarming moments come from vulnerability and selflessness in a highly competitive environment where everyone should be looking out for their own best interest. These are what us Kuyperians would call WHOKstar moments; when two 800 metre track runners fell over, then walked arm in arm to support each other and  finish the race together; when the 10,000 metre Aussie runner fell not once but twice, and got up and struggled to the end; when competitors in the men’s high jump decided they were both happy to tie for gold, rather than have a jump off; and the many celebrations when athletes were genuinely happy for their fellow competitors to win gold, even though it meant they themselves had missed out.

If you are wise, happy (or help make others happy), obedient and kind in life, you help share Jesus’ love. You can practice these things with your family, your friends, teachers, health care staff, police officers, the supermarket staff, and your neighbours, even during a lockdown situation. Sometimes you need to get creative to reach out to others right now, but I challenge you to think of ways to do this. Lockdown feels like a long distance event; like a combination of all 33 Olympic sports, with the highs and lows of each, and without knowing which one is up next! It’s a challenging time but we have the reassurance that God is still in control.

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

I asked Year 4 to share some of the good things about lockdown. I hope they encourage you as we continue this School@Home journey.

• I can pick oranges, mandarins and lemons 
• I can’t be late 
• Mufti clothes every day
• My family is closer than ever
• I can eat whenever
• A really special thing is I get to spend time with my precious dog and my amazing mum
• Being able to ride my bike more
• My mum is now my teacher so we can have lots of hugs
• Given me time to play games like Roblox and make origami
• The day goes quicker and I can go ahead in my work
• You can stay in your pjs!
• I work in my parents’ study which is quite fun
• I get to bake cool things
• I like lockdown life because I get to sleep more

Keep counting your blessings.

Jo Kean, Teacher Librarian

This forced time spent at home has caused many of us to feel stressed and anxious. Maybe it has made you feel annoyed and angry. I can only imagine the pressure of having everyone
home all the time, trying to help your children and do your own work as well. I am sure patience runs thin. I would like to encourage you to keep going even when it is tough.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “the Lord is my portion therefore I will wait for him”.

Lamentations 3: 21 – 24

What wonderful promises we have in these verses! Gods’ compassions never fail. He is faithful. His love for us is amazing. We all need connection with others and in this time of lockdown that has been taken away. We need to be creative and deliberate about keeping in touch. A simple text or phone call to a friend or loved one can be a blessing to you and to them. God knows what we are all going through. He is with us all the time, even when we are doing school at home. He has all of time in His hands. He knows the beginning and the end of all things.

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, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 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.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Looking for ways to be grateful has helped me greatly in the past few weeks; adopting an attitude of wonder in the small things; looking at God’s creation and being thankful for the many blessings He has bestowed on me. Spending time meditating on God and praising Him has made a difference, especially to my attitude in lockdown. Whilst I do not know what the future looks like, I have a Saviour who does, and that’s enough for me.