Dear College families,

In preparing for this edition of Directions I asked the communication team to dig up my introduction from this time last year. It was really interesting to see what we were thinking about at this time last year and the words seem just as relevant, so I thought it would be good to share with you.

"I love Literacy Fun Day! It is always a delight to see ELC and Primary students confidently embrace the art of getting dressed-up. They do it with such joy, enthusiasm and abandon. I, on the other hand, reluctantly embrace the idea of dressing-up and usually feel self-conscious but I do it because I want to share in the students' joy.

What is particularly special about this Literacy Fun Day is the timing. In a year of uncertainty, worrying news headlines and ambiguity, our students continued to exude a love of life that is pure joy to be in the midst of. As an adult, I am inspired by their zest for life and want to acknowledge that there is much that we can learn from their attitude. Our circumstances this year may be challenging and not what we hoped for, but there is much to be thankful for and to embrace with joy. Life is good. Life is precious. Life is a gift from God. God’s word says “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever" (1 Chronicles 16:34)."

I want to thank the staff team that put together an online version of Literacy Fun Day 2021. It was a real blessing to do something a little different and pause and remember the pure joy of reading.

To our College fathers, may you be blessed and encouraged as your family celebrates the important role that you play in their life. And to those members of our community who for various reasons will find Fathers Day a less positive experience, I am praying that you will know the security and peace that can always be found in our eternal, heavenly Father.  

I am praying for you, parents and students, for peace over your household and for your safe-keeping. 

Felicity Marlow
Principal

It can be difficult working from home, managing the demands of online learning, the uncertainty of going to work, decision making around vaccinations, celebrations missed in their known forms, and possibly a myriad of other concerns.

Even though life is not as busy with our children's usual after school demands, it is busy in other ways. The mental load can feel quite busy each day. I am sure that you have heard the analogy of us not being in a sprint but rather a marathon at the moment, one where we are uncertain of the finish line. It is vital for us to equip ourselves for the marathon.

Part of equipping ourselves is caring for our wellbeing. This can come in many forms. Some would say six elements help to care for our wellbeing. These include:

• Spiritual values
• Emotional
• Occupational
• Intellectual
• Social community and
• Physical fitness and nutrition

When you consider these six areas, is there an area where you could make one decision today to care for your wellness? I want to look at spiritual values and how we can intentionally care for our wellbeing through God's word specifically.

While we know that we can take steps to support our wellness, it is encouraging to see that it is not my job alone to care for my wellbeing. I have a Heavenly Father who cares for me and is always there to support and guide me in easy times and in hard times. He is there to care for you as well.
 
When life becomes busy and demanding, we can ruminate over our worries and concerns. When life doesn't pan out the way we want it to, we dream or fantasise about how life should be. To help the state of our mind, we can choose to meditate and fix our mind on a helpful or positive thought and stay there.

Scripture recognises our tendency to meditate on our anxieties (Philippians 4:5) and invites us to instead deeply reflect on things that are true (Philippians 4:8). Instead of ruminating on problems, insecurities and fears, scripture encourages us to meditate on God's law (Psalm 1:2), God's works (Psalm 143:5), and God's promises (Psalm 110:148). Dwelling on these things is an opportunity to remind ourselves of essential truths we quickly forget but need every day, especially in this season of life.

Fixing our thoughts on the promises of Scripture affects our minds, bodies and soul. It can reduce the speed and intensity of our thoughts. It reduces tension in our bodies. It connects us with God and often helps his promises to stick with us throughout the day. 
 
If we look at Psalm 23, some key verses are found to dwell and meditate on when life becomes overwhelming. Take a few deep breaths, and reflect on these precious verses:

1. The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing.
2. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.
3. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.
4. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.
5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

What might God be saying to you through this portion of scripture? How does this scripture encourage you? How might God be asking you to live out this verse today?

We are called to love and serve one another. Next week, we will be having a more intentional focus on wellbeing across the College. R U OK day is on Thursday, 9 September. Throughout the week, from ELC to Year 12, students will be involved in lessons and activities to support their wellbeing and look for ways to help peers and friends. They will be learning, in age-appropriate ways, how to recognise their feelings and how to support their wellbeing. Students will be reminded that God sees them, loves them and cares for them. I pray that you know that God loves you, sees you and cares for you. I encourage you to be intentional in checking in with someone, asking them are they really OK and being willing to listen and support them as needed.

I was reminded recently of the story of a precious lady by the name of Corrie Ten Boom. She was born in 1892 and was a Dutch Christian watchmaker and a writer later in her life. Corrie worked with her Father Casper, Sister Betsie, and other family members to help many Jewish people escape from the Nazi's during the Holocaust in World War 2 by hiding them in their homes. Corrie and her family were caught, and she was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. The book, titled 'The Hiding Place', is a biography that recounts the story of the family's efforts and how she found and shared hope in God. At the same time, she was imprisoned at the concentration camp.

We are not suffering the hardship that Corrie endured. We do have our difficulties in this season. It is entirely alright to feel a range of emotions in this season. Please choose to action something to help you and your family members to support your wellbeing. Choose to rest in Him. 

Connie is remembered for many inspiring quotes. One that is beautiful to remember in this season is:

'If you look at the world, you'll be distressed.
If you look within, you'll be depressed.
But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest.' Corrie Ten Boom

May you be reminded that Christ sees you in this moment of hard. God wants to support you in this season. I pray you can find rest in Him, His promises, and His word. 

Tara Waller
Head of Primary Years

RUOK Day is Thursday, 9 September 2021. We can’t acknowledge this day in the way we usually do at school. As a way of thinking about the day I thought it may be helpful to share some of Dr Murray Wrights thoughts on COVID-19 and recovery for the pandemic.

Dr Murray Wright suggested:

1. Plan to manage your stress by setting daily goals.

• Have structure in your life, that includes diet, exercise, sleep, work, education and relaxation.

• How do I wind down at the end of my workday or school day?

• Am I menu planning for the week and having mostly healthy foods?

• Am I engaging in activities that are fun and make me laugh?

• Check in and connect with family, friends, and neighbours. Ask people, “Are you ok?” It has been researched that asking people connects with them. Then they know that someone cares and that they are not alone. If they say that they are not ok, refer them onto other services that will assist their mental health and wellbeing. (listed below)

2. Monitor your plan.

• Ask yourself how is my plan going? 

• Am I sticking to my plan on most days? 

• Am I able to function, doing normal daily routines, most of the time? 

• Do I have a set time to go to bed and sleep? Only use the bedroom for sleeping if possible. Being on devices in bed disrupts our circadian rhythm which is necessary for good sleep.

• Do you regularly talk about your feelings and experiences with others? Regular contact and debriefing helps us to minimise the impact of stressful events.

3. Review your plan.

• Am I feeling irritable, overwhelmed, unduly fatigued, lack concentration or engaging in harmful behaviours?

• What can I do to change how I am approaching my plan? Does my plan need to be adjusted?

• Do I need help from someone else, or do I need professional help? (See help links below)

4. Use your plan like a reset button

• Even in isolation we can connect to services such as telehealth, zoom counselling, online psychology services and website assistance such as beyond blue. 

• Start a project that you have always wanted to do for a long time but have never had the time to do so. Woodwork, gardening, artwork, building, drawing, listening to audio books or reading, relaxation exercises or home gym workouts.

• If you plan isn’t improving your mental health, re-evaluate what is in your plan and modify or adjust it so that it is achievable.  Your plan should give you a sense of belonging, connection, achievement, and success.

Helpful websites and telephone contacts:

Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Services

1800 512 348

https://coronavirus.beyondblue...

https://www.helpguide.org/arti...

RUOK?

https://www.ruok.org.au/how-to...

https://www.ruok.org.au/educat...

Lifeline

13 11 14

NSW Mental Health Line 

1800 011 511

Catherine Redwood
College Counsellor

Requests for Consideration for Primary Class Placements for 2022

Staff are beginning the process of creating classes for 2022. This is a process that is complex, where staff consider the academic and behavioural mix of students in each class, gender balance and friendships issues. There is much prayer and reflection in the organisation and creation of classes. 

You are invited to communicate with the College about class requests for your Year 1 to Year 6 child. All classes in 2022 will be grade classes. 

Your requests will be taken into consideration but cannot be guaranteed. Please let us know if:

• there are social concerns with your child and another and you would like some consideration about who your child is placed with in class.

• there are other concerns that we are not already aware of, that should be considered when forming classes. 

Requests for specific teachers are not required. We are blessed with amazing staff at the College, who are professional and lead beautiful learning environments in their class.

This information is due at the College no later than Friday 8 October, the first Friday of Week 1, Term 4. Submit your request here. 

Beginning on Monday, 6 September, the two pedestrian gates on McCulloch Street will remain closed in the afternoon. The carpark gate will remain open for cars. 

The two pedestrian gates on Regent Street will be open in the afternoon for students who walk home or are collected by parents at the gate. 

Primary and Secondary students are to be picked up through Kiss and Go or your child can walk to the pedestrian gate to be collected. If you need to be on-site to pick up a child in ELC or OSHC, please ensure that you wear a mask and use the QR code to check-in. A copy of this code will be placed on the pedestrian gates to assist families. 

Thank you for your support.

Wednesday, 15 September at 7:30pm

The next P&F Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 15 September commencing at 7:30pm on Zoom. Meeting details will be sent via the College App closer to the date. Regular P&F items (events and reports) will be discussed. Additionally, Mr Julian Elton, College Chaplain and Year 7 Year Advisor, will be the College representative. He will be talking about Spiritual Growth at the College.

We look forward to seeing you there.

P&F Executive

We love having your family as part of the College community, and look forward to partnering with you in 2022 to continue to realise your desire for your child to have a Christ-centred education that inspires and equips them to build a purposeful life. However, if you are considering withdrawing your child/ren from the College for 2022, a friendly reminder to please notify the College in writing to [email protected] by the last day of Term 3, to ensure you provide the full term’s notice required as per your Enrolment Agreement.

From Monday, 6 September students attending the College on campus can wear their summer uniform. Click here for more information on Uniform Requirements. 

Click here to read the Primary Communication Notes.