Ruth Thompson

Bill Rusin, Interim Principal

During the time when slavery was seen as acceptable in the United States, there was a story about how enslaved people would encourage each other amid their often dreadful experiences as workers on the cotton farms. Carrying out backbreaking work each day, toiling in the stifling heat without much rest, one would call out, “It’s Friday”, and the others would answer, “But Sunday’s a commin’.”

Very few of these people had any chance of improving their lives. They would live and die in servitude, owned by another. Yet, in the midst of a time when life felt unbearable, this simple refrain reflected a future hope. “It’s Friday….But Sunday’s a commin’.”

Their words were recalling the terrible time in history when Jesus, the rightful King of the Universe, willingly humbled himself to the dreadful process of crucifixion at the hands of the Roman Empire. This macabre and brutal public execution was used by the Romans to maintain law and order. A deterrent to others who might dare challenge their might.

On that fateful Friday when Jesus was arrested, some of His followers would have watched the event unfold in a way that rocked their core belief in the man they believed was the Messiah. After all, as Jews, they were also under oppressive Roman rule. They hoped for a rescuer, a saviour, who would free them and their descendants from this heavy burden.

But on that Friday, all seemed lost. The one they had pinned all their hope on was dead. 

Yet on the third day, Sunday, when some women went to anoint Jesus’ dead body, they were met by an empty tomb and an angelic being who said to them,

“Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. “

Matthew 28:5-6

Later, the risen resurrected Christ would make his presence known to those who followed him but had abandoned all hope.

The enslaved Americans knew this story well, and as they suffered, they reminded themselves that their Sunday was coming. Their oppression would end, and, as followers of the risen one, they would receive new resurrection bodies. Perfect, healthy, immune from the ravages of pain and suffering.

Was this a false hope? Multitudes of Christians throughout ages past and present would chorus a resounding “No!”

This is the great and sure hope. It is my hope.

It is the only sure hope we have. Suffering and pain are commonplace. This will continue until Jesus, the crucified and resurrected one, comes again. Those who place their faith in him can look forward to a world where everything is perfect—no more pain, suffering, or death!

May God bless you and your family this Easter as you reflect on and celebrate events that occurred so long ago and yet changed the world forever. May you look to Jesus for your hope and the hope of the world.

Join us on Tuesday, 8 April, for our Easter Celebration Assembly.

We are pleased to welcome the following new staff to the Kuyper team.

Cassie Dixon, Head of Teaching & Learning

For a number of years, we have taken our Senior students to Vanuatu on a Service Learning Experience. Trips like this aren’t about taking students on a holiday; it’s an opportunity for them to experience a different way of life and to serve those in need in various ways. Students step out of their comfort zones as they travel and do things they wouldn’t usually do. 

On Thursday, 10 April, seventeen of our Senior students will travel to Vanuatu with staff and parents for eight days. We will stay in Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila, and work with a school and other organisations to serve the ni-Vanuatu people. To be honest with you, I find that we are often more blessed by the experiences we have than those we seek to bless.

This will be the third year of Kuyper’s partnership with Child Care Centre, a Kindergarten to Year 8 Christian school in Port Vila. During our visit, students will teach three lessons to different grades. Over this term, our students have been working in small groups to plan the lessons that they will teach. Each lesson has three main components – Biblical Studies, literacy and Australiana.

We will also partner with Loaves & Fishes, an organisation that seeks to share the love of God with the ni-Vanuatu people while also serving them practically. While we are there, our students will learn to install water filters that help protect locals from bacteria and then put their new skills into practice in a small community on the island of Efate. With each water filter they install, they will also be sharing the gospel with ni-Vanuatu families. 

Scripture Union Vanuatu will be hosting an Easter camp and need some help to prepare the campsite at Pango Point before this happens, so we will be doing what we can there as well. 

The experience I am most looking forward to for our students is attending the Sunday morning service at Pango Point Presbyterian Church. In the past, it has been a great time for our staff and students to witness the faith of our ni-Vanuatu brothers and sisters and to experience the joy of focusing on worship and fellowship when there is nowhere else you need to be.

As we make the final preparations for this year’s Service Learning Experience, I would like to ask you to partner with us in prayer. Some things we would appreciate prayer for include:

• Health and safety during our travels
• Softness of heart as we see God at work through us
• Confidence for students as they teach lessons to classes with up to 45 students
• Strength in relationships between everyone on the trip.

The water filters we will be installing cost approximately $80 each. If you would like to donate towards the cost of these filters, please contact Tina in the Office.

Mitch Cavens, Head of Secondary

One of the great privileges of Christian education is the partnership between school and home in the formation of children. At Kuyper Christian School, we firmly believe that parents have been given the primary responsibility to raise their children in the knowledge and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Our role as a school is not to replace this responsibility but to walk alongside families, reinforcing the biblical truths that shape a child’s heart, mind, and character.

This covenantal approach to education is foundational to everything we do. We see education not as a neutral pursuit of knowledge but as a deeply spiritual endeavour. Every lesson taught, every discussion held, and every relationship formed contributes to the shaping of a child’s worldview. Our goal is to nurture students who see all of life through the lens of God’s truth, equipping them to live faithfully in His world.

True Christian education is not confined to chapel services or Bible classes; it permeates every aspect of learning. Whether exploring the intricacies of mathematics, the patterns of history, or the wonders of science, we teach our students to recognise God’s order, sovereignty, and wisdom. Education is an act of worship when it points students to the Creator and deepens their understanding of Him.

At Kuyper, we take seriously our responsibility to partner with parents in this formative journey. We recognise that students do not simply absorb knowledge; they are discipled in the way they should go. Our teachers, therefore, serve as both educators and mentors, modelling faithfulness and pointing students to Christ in both word and action. The culture we cultivate at school is an extension of the Christian home—a place where students are nurtured in truth, grace, and the love of God.

This partnership between school and home is strengthened when we pray for and encourage one another. As parents, teachers, and school leaders, we share the calling to raise up young men and women who will stand firm in their faith, think critically with wisdom, and engage the world with humility and courage. Our prayer is that Kuyper students will grow to be strong in their convictions, wise in their discernment, and humble in their service.

May we continue to labour together in this great task, trusting in God’s faithfulness as we seek to equip the next generation for a life of service in His Kingdom.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 4:6

Tim White, Interim Deputy Principal

Kuyper Christian School is an educational institution that seeks to continue the work of the Christian home. We seek to extend the values and beliefs of the Christian home. We want to see values and routines at school that reflect a commitment to exploring how to please God and honour Him. These are perspectives all young people need to consider. Even though our families may function differently, we are all under the one Heavenly Father who calls us to be obedient to Him. Kuyper is different as a school because we are all children under the one Father, not simply bosses and workers or service providers and clientele.

God’s purposes for his people require a unique response. He calls us beyond selfishness and what concerns us as individuals to service and concern for what gives Him the glory. This remains an ongoing challenge.

We are to look different as a school community because we are to function differently.

We are children of a King, and that makes us unique. Our first step is to strive to be like our King and not simply self-centred and self-seeking.

In this light, we cannot be happy simply to be considered an alternative to any other school. We are here for a special purpose. We take God’s claim on our school community seriously, so we live, move and act in ways that we believe will give glory to Him. In all our ways, we seek to acknowledge our God as king of every square inch of creation and enjoy the direction He gives to our path.

It is true that many of the school resources and educational approaches employed at Kuyper will seem similar to those in any school. It is how these are employed that creates a distinction. Kuyper seeks to open up a world of wonder to children. This is a world in which God Almighty not only plays a part but, in fact, is both Creator and Sustainer of all we can enjoy. All resources are shaped and used to develop a Christian perspective on life. This is where the true distinctiveness of the school emerges. The importance lies in how the staff think Christianly about using various resources to highlight and honour God’s place over His creation. This honours our partnership with the Christian home.

Kuyper is a special and distinctive school. Our commitment must be to making it more so!

What students, parents and teachers at Kuyper learn as we grow together will reflect what we believe about community and service to our Lord.

The way we presently think and act may be challenged. Our success will be measured in our love, joy and commitment to learning together as God’s people. Our failure will be just as evident if we simply become known as another school down the road that kids in the Hawkesbury can attend. I invite you to consider how you will partner with us in this growth.