Mr Mark Ramsay, Principal
It is with much joy that I welcome all students and their families back to Kuyper for the start of Term 3. It is the prayer of all staff that the last three weeks have afforded our students and their families opportunities to rest, be replenished and experience some of God’s blessings in new ways.
As we finish up this mid-year break, I have a number of exciting news items to share with you. The most joyous piece of news is that Mrs Karina Chambers has welcomed baby Micah into the world! Young Micah is doing well, and Mum and Dad are both rightly chuffed. Please join me in thanking and praising God for the safe birth of Micah and in praying for the Chambers family.
Kuyper has also been a recipient of God’s blessing in a very different way. Just before the end of last term, we received advice that our application for a grant to install solar panels and batteries on campus had been approved. We are thankful for the generosity of the Australian Government in providing this grant and for assistance from the Association of Independent Schools NSW in the application process. We are also very thankful to Penrith Solar Centre, who completed the installation at short notice over the holidays while students and most staff were not on site. I am also very grateful to Mr Steve Lauter, our Property Manager, for his professionalism and efficiency in overseeing a huge couple of weeks. Next time you are at the school, look for the solar panels on top of the Hall, the Library, D-Block and E-Block.
In addition, there is more exciting news about Mr Lauter. While working on the Maintenance Team at Kuyper, Steve has been studying part-time to become a teacher and has reached the point in his training where he can commence teaching. I am pleased to announce that he will start teaching Year 7 and Year 8 Visual Arts this semester. Steve’s experience in Fine Arts will be a great asset to our Secondary teaching team. In lieu of taking these classes, Miss Lyndall Gluskie will transition to assist in teaching the HSC Textiles Technology class.
Please join me in praising God for His ongoing provision for our school in myriad ways and praying for Steve as he takes up this new challenge.
The mid-year break is also an important time for our staff’s professional development. In the second week of the holidays, six staff and two Board members travelled to Perth to participate in the International Transforming Education Conference (ITEC). They will share what they have learned with the rest of the staff and the wider community over the coming weeks. All staff were back on-site last week for first aid and fire safety training, as well as some important planning and preparation for the resumption of classes on Monday.
We are looking forward to a vibrant start to the term! The Opening Night of Shrek, The Musical Jr., on Friday, 9 August, promises to be a highlight, Semester 1 reports for students in Kindergarten to Year 10 will be sent out this weekend, and Parent-Teacher Interviews will take place in Week 4. As always, please keep up to date with school news and events via your Parent App.
I pray for God’s blessing on each and every member of our community as Term 3 begins. May He remind us all that Jesus is Lord over every square inch of our lives. May He grow us to serve Him and each other as we learn together in His world.