Ruth Thompson

Cassie Dixon, Head of Teaching & Learning

The new school year at Kuyper has started well. New students have been welcomed and are now connected with their classmates. Routines are being established as students settle into new classes with new teachers. Books that were brand new two weeks ago now contain records of some of the learning that has already taken place in our classes.

Sometimes, it is easy to get caught in the excitement of the ‘new’; however, we must not lose sight of the things that continue to hold importance in our school community. Our values remain the same, even when faced with new opportunities and challenges. The narrative of the Gospel is central to Kuyper’s vision, and together, they influence the decisions our staff make about how to best teach our students. 

A learning community that prepares students to live restoratively for Jesus in a world where every square inch belongs to Him.

Kuyper Vision Statement

Kuyper does not exist to purely teach subjects; our school exists to teach people. We often say that if our students leave having learnt only the content, then we have failed. We seek to not only impart information, but also share how knowledge and skills can be used to glorify, honour and serve God. When our staff discuss the characteristics we hope our graduates will have, words such as ‘strength’, ‘wisdom’ and ‘humility’ are frequently mentioned.

In this context, ‘strength’ refers more to strength of spirit than physical strength. We long to see our students develop traits such as self-control, resilience and patience, and to stand strong in the knowledge of who God is and who He made them to be. 

The concept of wisdom is so much more than having all the right answers. Godly wisdom is essential in being able to discern good from evil, to understand God’s story as it unfolds in the world around us, and to understand how we might be co-workers with Christ as we seek to do Kingdom work. 

Some may be surprised to see ‘humility’ in this list of attributes, as it seems to be countercultural in our society. However, humility allows us to come to a place of repentance and accept the gift of eternal life through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus on the Cross. Humility allows us to put the needs of others before our own, as we sacrifice for and serve others. Humility allows us to best show the love of God to others. 

Strength. Wisdom. Humility.

This year, we hope that you will be able to see your children grow in strength, wisdom and humility, as they continue to learn what it means to be God’s Person, in God’s Place, under God’s Rule, Doing Justice and Loving Mercy, Walking Humbly with God, and Equipped to Contribute.

Tim White, Interim Deputy Principal

Kuyper Christian School is a unique institution. It is based on the strength and commitment of partnership. It thrives on communication, mutual respect and seeking the best for others.

Kuyper is a community committed to learning. Schools are places for learning, and Christian schools are places to learn about discipleship. More than just equipping our students with knowledge and skills, at its heart, our school has a vision to pursue education that prepares students for real life.

Our vision is that Kuyper Christian School be: 

A learning community that prepares students to live restoratively for Jesus in a world where every square inch belongs to Him.

To bring that vision to life, we must translate it into a story we can explore together as a learning community: a story about God, His world and our identity as world-shapers. Mark Strom, theologian and communication consultant, says that, 

[vision is a] future story built upon the past and the present. It tells a new story in which people flourish through a richer sense of identity and purpose and things they will make and do for others.

In our Western tradition, we love to emphasise a rational approach in our thinking. We tend to reduce complexity into what we think are constituent parts. Strom encourages us to look at our experience holistically, to see life as story. As we live life as a story, we shape our understanding and develop our character as a unique participant in the story.

The big Scriptural story reveals the true nature of God, man, and the world as a narrative about God’s dealings with people. So, it is logical to see our human experience as a story that we inhabit. Theologian Jamie Smith notes, 

It is crucial that the task of Christian education is nestled in a story … Story is the first language of love.

In keeping with this, at Kuyper, we are exploring and experiencing what it means to be God’s Person, In God’s Place, Under God’s Rule, Doing Justice and Loving Mercy, Walking Humbly with God, and Equipped to Contribute.

In 2025, we walk confidently into our story, continuing to shape it and be shaped by it. It is a journey of love marked by God’s ongoing love and commitment to us.

Bill Rusin, Interim Principal

Welcome to Term 1 at Kuyper Christian School! For those who are returning to Kuyper, thank you for trusting us to continue partnering with you in the nurture and education of your children. For those who are new to our community, our aim is to develop a strong and trust-based partnership with you.

I am pleased and grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Kuyper community as Interim Principal in 2025. I have been a member of the Kuyper community as an association member for a number of years, though in recent times, working in the NT as principal of Marrara Christian College.

As a staff, our commitment to you is to seek to be an educational community that provides an environment in which each person flourishes. This includes students, parents and staff. Our staff have been preparing for some time and are excited for the return of our students. As we seek to honour and respect your position as parents and your children’s position as students, we hope that you will remind your children to respect the position of all staff. Mutual respect is at the heart of a thriving community.

Our intent is to engage students in not only learning about God’s world but to remind them that the whole world belongs to Him. As a Christian School, that places great importance on the partnership with parents, particularly open and regular communication between parents and staff. If issues or concerns emerge, please communicate sooner rather than later with the staff member involved. Our staff will seek to reciprocate.

This year, I will be in the Principal’s chair from Monday to Wednesday. I am grateful that Tim White has been willing to hit the “pause button” on his PhD research to look after the school on Thursdays and Fridays.

I look forward to catching up with you in the coming days.

Cassie Dixon, Head of Teaching and Learning

Welcome to 2025! We hope that the Christmas season prompted you to reflect on the birth of our Lord, Jesus and that you also had the opportunity to rest and refresh during the holidays. 

Our staff team has been busy this week preparing for the year ahead. It has been a great time of learning and community building. Bill Rusin, our Interim Principal, shared about the importance of building good relationships and respecting the various offices of members of our community, such as Teacher, Parent and Student. Tim White, our Interim Deputy Principal, shared about the responsibility of our students to respect their teachers, respect their peers and classmates, and to respect the learning. These valuable professional development opportunities equip us as a whole staff to serve well in our roles as we partner with you in educating your children.

I am pleased to introduce four new staff members who are joining our team this year. 

Please join us in thanking God for His provision of the right people at the right time and pray for His wisdom for our 2025 Class and Core Teachers. 

Primary Class Teachers and Classrooms

Prep: Mrs Amanda McAlpine (with Miss Felicity Thornton, Teacher’s Aide)
Classroom: B4
Kindergarten: Mrs Jo Kean
Classroom: B3
Year 1: Mrs Kae McCaull (Monday-Wednesday) and Mrs Amanda McAlpine (Thursday-Friday)
Classroom: B2
Year 2: Mrs Hayley Mullen (Monday-Wednesday) and Mr Guy Boughey (Thursday-Friday)
Classroom: A2
Year 3: Mrs Anne Cuthill
Classroom: A3
Year 4: Mr Rob Weule, and Miss Cassie Dixon (afternoon sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday)
Classroom: A4
Year 5: Mr Jeff Brown
Classroom: A5
Year 6: Mrs Merrilynne Shaw
Classroom: Pearl Place (in the KRC)

Secondary Core Teachers

Year 7: Miss Jemima Robinson and Mr Ja Baldwin
Year 8: Mr Matt Daly and Mrs Heather Cumming
Year 9: Mr Rob Coleman and Mr Steve Lauter
Year 10: Mr Matt McCaull, Mr Tim White, and Mrs Karina Chambers
Years 11 and 12: Mrs Sandra Daly, Mr Daniel Nixon, and Mr Charles Tan

We are looking forward to welcoming students back next week. It is going to be a great year with our staff and students as we all continue Learning in God’s World.