Ruth Thompson

Cassie Dixon, Head of Teaching & Learning

At the start of each year, our Prep students enter their classroom and begin their formal learning journeys. Some of them have already been in childcare settings, but for others, this is the first time they have been regularly in the care of someone other than their mums and dads. This is a huge step in learning how to belong in a community!

As someone who works across our P-12 school, I get to work with students at all stages of their schooling. I am privileged to have lunch with the Prep class every week while their wonderful teacher, Mrs McAlpine, has her break. I must say that my lunch with Prep is one of the highlights of my week. Even in just half an hour, we cover a lot of ground. 

There are great conversations being had while the children are eating. Their chatter and laughter bring me so much joy. They love sharing about their days so far – the things they have learned, the games they have played, the books they have read, the food they have eaten, the sparkly rocks they have found; these things are all so important when you are four or five years old. Conversation is a great way for children to learn about taking turns, and about being a good friend by listening to others. 

When they finish eating, we talk about the jobs that we need to do before we can move on to play. It can be hard for little kids to have to do a job before they get to do something they’ve been waiting for. However, it’s important for them to learn that as community members, we all need to care for our space. We need to push our chairs in so others can move safely around the room. We put our rubbish in the bin (and hopefully pick up the food we dropped on the floor) so that our classroom is clean, and Kody the dog doesn’t eat something that might make him sick. We put our lunchboxes and drink bottles where they belong so that the desks can be used for other activities. These are all big things to learn as children become aware of those around them, and the fact that their actions impact others. 

Playtime can be loud, but again, it is usually full of joy. It is heartwarming to see these young kids welcoming others into their games, and learning how to share. They can be incredibly gentle as they change and care for the (toy) babies, and are so creative in their imaginative play. They build towers and castles out of Duplo, train tracks with apparently spectacular views, and sometimes even spiders out of construction sticks! 

Of course, while playtime is a lot of fun, it also provides the most opportunities for personal growth. There are many times when there is no choice but to practice patience, like waiting for our turn with a toy or waiting for the desks to be wiped down so they’re ready for colouring in. We have to learn to negotiate with others, because we can’t always have things exactly as we want. Sometimes there are tears and even anger because someone else has the toy we want, or they won’t play the game we want to play. We have to learn how to cope with disappointments, like the sadness that comes when someone else breaks our creations (either accidentally or on purpose). Even at this young age, children are learning how to apologise and how to forgive. 

When we think about it, there’s a lot to be said about the learnings in Prep. This introduction to belonging to a community is setting our youngest students up for life. They are growing in kindness, patience and self-control. They are learning how to care for others, how to consider things from others’ perspectives, and even how to take responsibility for their actions.  

These opportunities wouldn’t exist without belonging to a community. There’s no need to be kind, compassionate or caring if we’re not co-existing with others. We wouldn’t need to be considerate or to compromise if we existed in a bubble where everything could always be exactly as we like it. We wouldn’t truly understand the need to apologise and the blessing of forgiveness if we didn’t hurt others or experience the hurt that others can inflict. 

Community is a blessing from the Lord. I believe that He has blessed us with this community, where we sometimes experience disappointments and frustrations, but we can also experience joy and belonging. There are numerous ways in which belonging to a community can help us understand more of the amazing love of our Lord and transform us (if we allow it) more and more into the likeness of Jesus. 

How is God seeking to transform you through our community?

Kaelene McCaull, Head of Primary

If you have ever attended a Primary assembly, joined us for a special event, or spent time in our Primary classrooms, you may have come across the term WHOK. It is a phrase we regularly use with our students to remind them of the values and character traits we seek to nurture as they learn and grow in God’s world.

Interestingly, you will not find WHOK in the dictionary, and while a Google search may offer a few suggestions, none of them relates to the way we use the acronym. At Kuyper, W.H.O.K. stands for:

Wise
Happy
Obedient
Kind

We even have a play space affectionately known as the WHOKery — a reminder that these values are important not only in the classroom, but also in play, friendships, and everyday interactions.

As we are blessed to welcome many new families into our community, I thought it would be helpful to revisit what each of these letters means to us here at Kuyper. This week, I would like to focus on the W — Wise.

As our children learn and grow, wisdom is essential for making good decisions and engaging with others in ways that are beneficial and life-giving. The Bible makes it clear that true wisdom comes from God, and that He gives it generously to those who ask Him. 

A wise person seeks to understand God’s world from His perspective and learns to discern between what is wise and unwise, helpful and harmful, productive and unproductive. To grow in wisdom, we need to know what God says in His Word, the Bible, and consider how it applies to the situations before us. This is one of the reasons why reading the Bible with our students is a part of everyday school life at Kuyper.

However, wisdom is more than knowledge or understanding alone; it is reflected in our actions, attitudes, and relationships. Wisdom enables students to respond thoughtfully in challenging situations, rather than being easily unsettled by them. It also equips them to support and care for others well.

At both school and home, our children are given opportunities to develop and practise wisdom in safe and supportive environments. With guidance and care, they learn to celebrate successes, reflect on mistakes, and grow through the natural consequences that accompany decision-making.

Alongside this, at school, we also seek to develop wisdom by providing opportunities for students to plan, reflect, think ahead, and make thoughtful choices. These learning experiences encourage students to set goals, anticipate challenges, manage resources, and think strategically about the steps required to achieve an outcome.

Students are also encouraged to be forward-thinking and imaginative — using their God-given creativity to explore new possibilities and experiences. Wisdom shapes not only present decisions, but future ones as well.

While wisdom is far more than knowledge alone, we also value the development of understanding. We want our students to think deeply, draw meaning from what they learn, identify important ideas, and grow in their understanding of God’s world and their place in it.

It is this kind of wisdom that the W in W.H.O.K. points to. 

I share these reflections with you as valued partners in your children’s education, with the hope that the conversations taking place at school will continue in your homes. Together, may we encourage our children to seek the wisdom that comes from God, remembering that “wisdom is indeed more precious than gold.” (Psalm 19:9-10)

WHOKery Wonderment 🙂

Bill Rusin, Interim Principal

Competition can be a very positive experience for children. The thrill of the chase and the satisfaction of crossing the finish line can bring a real sense of achievement. At the same time, for some children, events such as cross-country running can feel quite daunting.

This often becomes more pronounced as children grow older and begin to view success in relative terms — “I am good at something if I am better than others” — rather than through the more task-focused perspective younger children often have, in which effort, improvement, and participation are primarily focused on achieving the task itself.

As a school, we recognise that not all students are naturally gifted athletically. Some students are simply not built for particular physical activities, while others may not have had significant exposure to organised sport or fitness activities outside of school.

However, for those who are able to participate, we encourage them to give their best — not simply to ‘win the prize’, but more importantly, to honour those they compete alongside by striving wholeheartedly themselves.

Healthy competition is not only about personal success; it is also about drawing the best out of one another.

This week, we held our Cross Country event for students across the school. It was a fabulous sunny day, but still cool, making for excellent running conditions. We were encouraged by the way in which our students participated. It was wonderful to watch older buddies run with our youngest competitors and to see our students cheering one another on from the sidelines. We also enjoyed the house spirit that our senior Secondary students brought to the event, not only through their competition, but in the many ways they served on the day.

We are especially grateful to the Kuyper Community Group for supporting the event with a sausage sizzle. Thank you to Jennifer Pennings, Sue Tonkin, Kerryn Johnson and their wonderful volunteer team for organising this event!

There were some strong performances on the track, and I acknowledge those who won their races. However, I would particularly like to commend those students who honoured their fellow competitors by giving their very best. 

Cassie Dixon, Head of Teaching & Learning

The 25th of April has been known as ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand for the past 110 years. From the year following the events at Gallipoli, we have continued to mark the day to ensure the actions of the ANZACs are never forgotten. 

We gather together. We recite The Ode of Remembrance. We listen to The Last Post. We observe a minute’s silence. We listen to The Reveille or The Rouse. We remember. 

I take great comfort in these unchanging practices. There is something incredibly special about ANZAC Day, as we are reminded that we are part of something bigger than ourselves and that we still have lessons to learn from history.  It has been a privilege to commemorate ANZAC Day at both school and public events in the last two weeks. 

Jonas, Lucas and Cooper attended the Richmond ANZAC Service on 19 April and laid a wreath on behalf of our school. 

Anastasia, Henry, Patrick and Poppy represented Kuyper at the Kurrajong ANZAC Day Dawn Service, organised by the Kurrajong District War Memorial Club. Our students bravely spoke in front of hundreds of people (something I know many adults would struggle to do!), and also laid a wreath. 

As a school, we commemorated ANZAC Day by gathering for a whole-school Assembly on Friday, 24 April. We were joined by special guests from the Kurrajong District War Memorial Club, and were honoured to hear from our Guest Speaker, Flight Lieutenant Jessica Burton of the Royal Australian Air Force. Jess, who is also a Kuyper Mum, shared insights that were impactful for audience members of all ages. She explained that during times of uncertainty, members of the Australian Defence Force are able to find strength in their five core values:

Service: Selflessness that prioritises the security and interests of the nation and its people.

Courage: Strength of character to act correctly, regardless of adversity or danger.

Respect: Valuing others and treating them with dignity, humanity, and fairness.

Integrity: Consistently aligning thoughts, words, and actions to do what is right.

Excellence: A commitment to personal and professional improvement and striving to be the best.

Jess focused on the importance of Courage and Integrity, highlighting the strength of mind and character required to do what is right even during times of adversity or danger. Put simply – to step up, to say or do the right thing, even when others around you don’t agree.

This can mean saying or doing something, even when it’s not popular, or not saying or doing something, even when it is the popular thing. Jess encouraged us to show Courage and Integrity in our thoughts, words and actions, and reminded us that we can choose to be like members of the Australian Defence Force through the choices we make in everyday moments. 

Courage. Integrity.

I was reminded again of the importance of these attributes in the life of a Christian. So often, it would be easier to go along with the ‘popular’ way of speaking and acting. It can be incredibly difficult to find the Courage and Integrity needed to do what we know is right, and to have the strength to not ‘go with the flow’ and do the things we know we should not do. 

The apostle Paul talks about this in his letter to the Romans, when he says, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do… For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:15, 18b-19)

If even Paul struggled in this way, what are we to do when we find ourselves in times of adversity or danger? How do we choose to think, speak and act with Courage and Integrity? 

Thankfully, God does not expect us to find the strength to do so within ourselves. Instead, we read in 2 Corinthians about Jesus’ promise to Paul that His grace and strength are sufficient. By recognising our own weakness, we are better positioned to rely on God, who is generous and provides for His children. 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10