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Thank you to those parents who have responded to last weeks’ notice about the Principal Advisory Group and submitted expressions of interest. I will wait until the end of this week to see if anyone else is interested before we select the first group.
Term 3 is slipping away and reflecting with Year 12 teachers on the Trial examinations students have just had, there is still some work to do for many of them if they are to finish with a positive result. The Trials are an opportunity to highlight areas of focus for them in the lead up to the HSC exams themselves. The trap with exam preparation is to find comfort in focusing on what you already know rather than wrestling with what you do not yet know.
As a rowing coach, my head coach was fond of saying, “A race is not won at the start but at the end.” To start well is important but finishing well gets you the medal. Our past student Nicola Olyslagers (McDermott) won a bronze medal in the World Athletics Championships high jump competition recently with a jump of 1.99m. Nicola knows how to compete at the highest level and understands the importance of preparation and finishing well.
As I move into a full time role with the Melos Foundation, I too am challenged to finish my time as a school Principal well. How often do we hear of people getting to the end of their working life and fading away rather than finishing strongly. I am committed to finishing strongly and want my students to learn this lesson early in life. As parents you can help them, not by piling on the pressure or haranguing them when you think they should be studying but by being encouraging and supportive. Help them take appropriate breaks, prepare good food for them, let them have some friends time and help them set a good study program.
A good lesson to learn is that occasions like this do not last forever but are only for a short time. We set aside some things for a time in order to achieve a good goal. In the grand scheme of life the HSC lead up is a blip on the horizon of a student’s life expectancy so giving up some things now is not that big a sacrifice.
I have been speaking with Mr Steve Lobsey, our Head of Secondary who is an accredited Highly Accomplished teacher. His view is that at the senior level it is more about helping students learn how to learn than simply giving them content. As a school we are adopting this approach so your child will have been given instruction to help them learn the content required to know their subjects well. Remind them to think about this and not just think of learning as cramming content into your head for a short space of time to pass an exam.
One of our graduate profile elements is to be a life-long learner. Too often we think of the HSC or our bachelors degree, or trade certificate as the end of learning for us. Those are just signposts along the way to continuous learning especially in the fast changing world of today. We can help our students understand that school simply lays a platform for this continuous learning, it is not the end of learning.
Principal
A HUGE thank you to Mr McSwan and K-2 teachers for the organisation of the K-2 Athletics Carnival on Wednesday. Parent attendance and involvement also helped to make the morning a great success. What a wonderful opportunity we had to celebrate our different skills and abilities on the sporting field.
Father's Day Stall and Breakfast
These wonderful community events are made possible by the hard work of members of our parent body and staff. Thank you to all the grade parents in particular Jane L and Renee B for your work in the set up and management of the Fathers Day stall. This year we moved to an online purchase system and I am interested to hear how this has been received by families.
We had a wonderful turnup of over 200 Fathers and 300 students for our Fathers Day breakfast on Friday that was hosted by The Fathering Project team and was a K - 12 event for GPCC and YVCS families.
Fruit & Veg Month
To celebrate and educate students on the importance of eating fruit and vegetables they will be participating in lessons in class and have the option to enter a colouring in competition which will run from Friday 1 September and close on Thursday 7 September at 12:00pm. All entries are to be submitted to Mrs de Lore via class teachers.
Winners will be announced on Friday 8 September. Prizes include a fruit kebab from the canteen and a fruit ice block.
Fruit and Veg month is a great way to introduce new and different foods into lunch boxes and meals. We encourage all families to try a different piece of fruit or vegetable in September.
Hat compulsory wearing from Monday 4 September
Following our uniform policy hats are back from Monday 4 September. This means all students MUST wear a hat when playing outside or participating in Sport or classes outside. Please ensure that your child has a hat at school each day and that their correct name is on their hat, (class not necessary).
As the UV climbs above 3, students will also be encouraged to wear sunscreen to school each day. The College does provide sunscreen for reapplication if required or students can bring a small container of their own in their bags.
Summer uniform for girls can be worn in the last two weeks of term, (from 11 September).
Drop off areas – before school
It has come to our attention that there are some safety issues in the morning along Canteen Rd (the road off P1 that provides access to the rear of the campus). The combination of students, vehicles coming and going and often reversing, has led to a potential safety issue for our students.
From this point forward there will be no car access to the rear of the College for parents. Whilst we apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause, the safety of our students is our priority. Parents can park in P1 to let their students off for Camp Australia, Band and Choir and they can safely walk down Canteen Rd.
Student of the Week Awards
Congratulations to the following students:
Isaiah O; KDL, Luke B; KK,Georgia W; KS, Hayley W; 1C,Isaac H; 1G, Elle S; 2G,Jacob H; 2J, Phebe A; 2PS,Matthew L; 3B, Piper J; 3D,Lavinia S; 4D, Rosalie L; 4M,Josie R; 4RM, Lexi A; 5L,Harrison D; 5P, Allegra N; 6B,Bella F; 6SH, Melia S; 6S.
Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes
Green Point Christian College have been supporting Operation Christmas Child for over 30 years. This term we will be handing out the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes in Primary school, one box per family.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. It is a hands-on way for you to bless children in need across the world by filling shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and fun gifts. OCC collect the boxes and distribute them in the name of Jesus Christ to children living in vulnerable situations.
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to provide God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
We encourage you to start shopping now. For directions on how to pack a shoebox and what to put in it, please click on the link below.
How To Pack A Shoebox - Operation Christmas Child
Mr Steve Lobsey | Head of Secondary
This term I had the opportunity to go to a Conference and hear Dr Jonathan Eckert speak. He is an American educator who worked as the Teaching Ambassador Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education in both the Bush and Obama administrations. He is currently the Head of Baylor University’s Center for School Leadership and is the author of a number of books, including one called “Just Teaching”, which had many concepts we plan to implement at GPCC.
Dr Eckert also visited Green Point and was part of a masterclass session run for us and other Christian Schools on the Central Coast. He has provided much more meaningful information than I could present here, so I will just focus on one.
In looking at mountains of educational research about what we can do at schools to help students learn more, Dr Eckert provided a list of the 4 most important things we could do to help our students succeed in their learning. One of the most significant things we can do as a school to help out students to achieve more may come as a surprise to you and it is to ban mobile phones. He did not present this as moderately important, but as one of the 4 most important things a school could do.
Phones are a distraction from learning. A study done at Baylor University showed that learning was significantly impeded merely by having a phone on a student’s desk as they studied, and this was even true if was in their bag. If the phone was in another room, it improved a student’s ability to both remember information and to apply it, as seen below:
A study into smartphone use by Yehuda Wicks and Aviv M Weinstein showed that phones are more than just a distraction. A study by Yehuda Wacks and Aviv M Weinstein makes a link between excessive phone usage and mental health issues, delayed cognitive changes and even changes in the brain. The research is showing that a school which cares about learning and physical and mental health will remove phones. There is good reason why we take phones from students and hold them in the office until the end of the day.
I invite you to consider how you monitor phone use by your children. I have heard wonderful stories from parents who place phones in the kitchen while homework is being completed and while their children are in bed. Students are becoming more aware of the mental health connections with using social media and the fact that phones are making us less connected, not more.
Year 10 English
Year 10 students that were not at the Ski camp spent time this past week visually representing a quote from Shakespeare's play, Macbeth.
Thanks to Mrs Menzies for providing stationary from the Art Department.
Year 7 Cyber Safety Talk
On Friday 25 August three Community Police Officers delivered a presentation to the whole of Year 7. The focus was to educate the students about the risks and dangers of using social media and how to use it appropriately. The Police explained a variety of Cyberbullying scenarios and how in certain circumstances students could be in serious trouble with the law. This included receiving and sending inappropriate images and text messages. It was made very clear to the students as to what is considered acceptable and not acceptable. Students were also informed how and where to seek help and support from (for example a trusted adult and the eSafety Commissioner). The ultimate message was: If in doubt, don’t take it, don’t open it, don’t share it and don’t post it.
Mobile Muster
Do you have any old or broken mobile phones lying around at home and you’re not sure what do with them? Mobile Muster is a stewardship program that is reducing waste from the phone industry by recycling old mobile phones, chargers and accessories. To be part of this program students can bring old mobile phones to school, and put it in the collection box, which is in the HSIE staffroom. We will be collecting for the rest of this term. Remember to remove your phone data. For more details visit the website: https://www.mobilemuster.com.au
Correction to Year 9 Boys Mission Trip - by Joshua B
Apologies to Joshua B (Year 9) for incorrectly naming your recount of the Year 9 Boys Mission Trip in the Week 6, Term 3 Messenger. It was a great article and we appreciate you sharing with our school community.
Mr David Russell
Curriculum Co-ordinator (7-12) | Student Advisor (7-12)
This week’s Careers Newsletter has information UAC key dates for University applications, HSC resources for Year 12 students, an opportunity for students interested in Engineering, and Open Day for UTAS at Rozelle where Nursing and Paramedicine degrees are available.
For more details, please use the link to access the Careers Newsletter or visit the “Student Careers” section under the “Education & Learning” menu on the College website.
For more details, please see this week's Careers News or visit the Student Careers section under the "Education & Learning" menu on the GPCC website.
Mr Stuart McSwan | K - 6 Sport Co-ordinator
Central Coast Oztag Gala Day - Stage 3
Year 5/6 Girls Oztag Team
On Tuesday 29 August the Year 5/6 girls Oztag team went out to West Gosford to play in the Central Coast Oztag gala day. It was a huge day with teams from most schools across the coast turning up to play. In the lead up to the event the girls trained hard, and it showed as they had a superb day.
The girls started their day with their hardest pool game against OLR, they played well and showed great sportsmanship even though they didn’t get the win. In our next game it was clear their determination had kicked in, resulting in some wonderful Oztag being played and we came away with 3 straight wins against Narara, Warnervale and Erina Heights. Throughout the day the girls developed their kicking, passing and tagging skills and began to work extremely well as a team. With over 35 teams in the girl’s competition, the girls efforts in their pool games secured us a place in the quarter finals where we played Kanwal who were ranked top of the table (and went on to win the tournament). It was a hard-fought battle for much of the game with only a few breaks from both teams. GPCC girls went down 3-0 in the quarter final, ending our day as 8th place.
All of the 5/6 girls’ team should be incredibly proud of how they played and walk away knowing that they gave it their all. I was impressed with their stamina, sportsmanship, and skills throughout the day and how well they represented our school. Thank you to Mr McSwan for his organisation and all the parents who took the time to cheer the girls on.
I look forward to giving it another go next week!
Congratulations to Zara L, Lanayah H, Riley D, Mia D, Khloe M, Kaelah B, Chelsea S, Penny L, Sibella M, Jess W, Lily D, Evelyn D.
Mrs Sirone
Year 5/6 Boys Oztag Team
The boy’s Oztag team had a fantastic day at the gala event on Tuesday. Their performance was outstanding, showcasing their teamwork and skills. The boys gave it their all, displaying great sportsmanship and determination. We are looking forward to our next gala day.
Mr Brown
K-2 Athletics Carnival
The boys and girls in K-2 participated in the Athletics Carnival on Wednesday. What a beautiful morning we had with lots of running, jumping, throwing, skipping and balancing. Well done to all the students in each class from K-2 and YVCS. Thank you to the parents, teachers and Year 6 House Captains for all that you did to make the morning run smoothly.
CSSA Primary State Biathlon Splash and Dash
On Thursday 26 October, CSSA will be running a Primary Biathlon Teams Event at the International Regatta Centre Penrith. Participants are to either swim for 150m (Years 3 and 4), 200m (Years 5 and 6) or run 2km (Year 3-6). Students in Years 5 and 6 may decide to compete in the individual event too.
It is recommended that students are either very strong swimmers and/or runners to be able to participate. The swim will be held in open water which is different to swimming in a pool. Please consider this before putting your child’s name forward.
Mr McSwan will be putting the final teams/pairs together (a swimmer and a runner) and will let the students know once this is finalised.
Parents will be required to organise transport for their child to and from the event.
If you would like to be considered for one of the teams then please contact Mr McSwan via email smcswan@gpcc.nsw.edu.au places are limited.
CSSA (Christian Schools Sports Association) Child Protection Training
CSSA have recommended that all adults (teachers, volunteers, parents) complete the following module on Child Protection before attending any CSSA event (trials, gala days or carnivals). Thank you.
https://www.cssa.net.au/child_protection/index.html#/
Dates for your Calendar
PRIMARY
School Carnivals
Friday 20 October - GPCC K-2 Swimming Carnival (Peninsula Leisure Centre)
Years 7 - 12 Sport Co-ordinator
Australian Cross Country Championships
Congratulations to Year 12 student Wade B who competed in the Australian Cross Country Championships at Stromlo Forest Park in the ACT last week. He placed 37th out of a field of 65 athletes from Australia and New Zealand in the Mens 17 6km race with a time of 20min 34sec. This is a fantastic result and we are proud of all your sporting achievements this year Wade.
Secondary School Sport Calendar Term 3 - 2023
|
Term 3, 2023 |
|||
|
Event |
Date |
Venue |
Convenor |
|
Secondary 15 and Open Netball Challenge |
21/08/2023 |
Netball Central Sydney Olympic Park |
CIS |
|
CSSA |
24/08/2023 |
SOPAC Homebush |
CSSA |
|
Secondary State Athletics |
|
|
|
|
THACCCSA Oz Tag Gala Day |
04/09/2023 |
Frost Reserve Kincumber |
GPCC |
|
Hunter Region Independent schools Rugby League 9s Gala Day
|
06/09/2023 |
Morry Breen Reserve Wyong |
CCRL |
|
Secondary 15&U Boys Basketball Gala Day Finals |
18/09/2023
|
Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre |
CSSA |
|
CIS SECONDARY ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS |
19/09/2023 |
Sydney Olympic Park |
CIS |
Premiers Reading Challenge
We had 372 students complete the PRC this year. More student than ever before! This equates to 73% of Primary students finishing the challenge. It is also the most Secondary students that have ever finished. We hope to achieve even better results next year, especially in Secondary school. All certificates and medal will be presented at the end of the year.
|
YEAR GROUP |
NUMBER OF STUDENTS |
|
Kindergarten |
59 |
|
Year 1 |
40 |
|
Year 2 |
85 |
|
Year 3 |
33 |
|
Year 4 |
58 |
|
Year 5 |
32 |
|
Year 6 |
36 |
|
Year 7 |
27 |
|
Year 8 |
2 |
|
TOTAL |
372 |
Secondary Literacy Day
We are excited to have Paul MacDonald speaking to Years 7-10 in LIFE on Wednesday 13 September. Students are welcome to wear indigenous colours on the day, we are raising funds for decodable readers for students at Brewarrina Christian School. Paul is a very engaging speaker who talks to many Secondary schools each week to promote reading. Year 9 are running a BBQ, students can purchase a sausage sandwich and a drink.
Scholastic Book Club- Issue 6
Booklets have gone out for Issue 6. Parents can order online LOGIN (scholastic.com.au) until Wednesday 6 September.
Preschool Storytime 2023 - Term 3
Please join us on Mondays for craft, games, and stories in the library at 9am. Parents and carers can register their interest with Nicole van Wyk- nvanwyk@gpcc.nsw.edu.au.
Preschool Story Schedule Term 3, download below.
Kindergarten 2025
We are currently experiencing very high demand for enrolment at GPCC. If your child is due to commence Kindergarten in 2025 or Year 7 in 2026, please apply now using our electronic application which is available on our website.
YVCS - Principal
https://www.yvcs.nsw.edu.au/employment/employment-opportunities/principal
YVCS - Teacher (full time)
https://www.yvcs.nsw.edu.au/employment/employment-opportunities/teacher
YVCS - Teacher (part time)
https://www.yvcs.nsw.edu.au/employment/employment-opportunities/teacher
YVCS - Teacher's Aide (part time)
https://www.yvcs.nsw.edu.au/employment/employment-opportunities/teacher-aide
GPCC Phone App
On Thursday 27 July we sent out an email sharing the good news that our new GPCC Phone App is live and available to download.
We encourage you to download your App today if you haven’t already. Please refer to the email from Mr Nash regarding how to download and set up your App.
Click for Setup Instructions
Click for Explanation and FAQs
For further explanation and assistance with Subscriptions, including step-by-step instructions, please click here.
Operation Christmas Child Fundraiser
Uniform Shop
2023 Uniform Shop Trading hours
Monday: 8:00am - 10:30am
Wednesday: 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am - 10:30am
Friday: 8:00am - 10:30am
Pricelist Update from 4 September 2023
For the price list and further information on ordering through Alinta, please visit our website – https://www.gpcc.nsw.edu.au/enrolment/uniform
The Munchery Canteen Operations and Menu
Click on link to access: THE MUNCHERY MENU
All students are strongly encouraged to order online. However, over the counter sales will also available.
Please visit the GPCC website for the link to The Munchery portal: https://www.gpcc.nsw.edu.au/community/the-munchery-canteen
Munch Monitor Account Settings
To assist the staff at the Munchery Canteen in serving your child/ren, if you have a Munch Monitor account you may indicate your preferences for snack money, a daily or weekly limit, and if your child has any allergies.
Please note that The Munchery Staff are under strict instruction to follow these preferences. Please log in to your account and update these settings if required.
Please download document below for more information.
GPCC OSHC Provider - Camp Australia
Out of School Care is available at the College, offered by Camp Australia.
Camp Australia Spring Holiday Adventure
Parent Lounge Details
The College has a legal requirement to keep our records up to date.
Please review your details on Parent Lounge to ensure that all your information is correct. This includes medical information on your child/ren (only complete the immunisation question if your child is not immunised).
Please note: Should you require both parents/carers to receive SMS notifications, please tick the appropriate boxes.
Green Point Community Notices
Terrigal Mobile Blood Donor Centre: 20 - 23 September
Pre-book your spot at Lifeblood.com.au or phone 13 14 95.
CC Spring Holiday Junior Chess Tournament
Code Camp - School Holidays
Kincumber Avoca Cricket Club Registrations
MacMasters Beach SLSC Registration and Information Day
North Avoca SLSC Registration Day
Lake Macquarie Kokoda Challenge - Saturday 14 October
Softball Trials for Decoys Softball Club
Firewood for Sale
Contact Brian Shaw at the College on 0404 478 341.
If you would like to place an advertisement in the Green Point Community Notices, please email details to our Messenger Editor, Justine Collins at
Green Point Baptist Church
Services: 9:30am Worship Service, 6:00pm Service
Services continue to be available online each week.
MyZone - Primary and Year 7 Students
Coming up on August 20th Green Point Baptist Church have a 5 week Sunday morning program for any primary and year 7 students who might be interested.
This year children get the opportunity to choose a course...some are filling up, sign up ASAP to get your first choice....
We have Lego Masters , Dance, Cake Decorating and Art. It is going to be a wonderfully creative time! Invite your friends! Starts August 20th
All Primary school and Year 7s are welcome to participate.
Link for registration https://gpbc.elvanto.com.au/.../3eabcc42-cd77-47bb-8934...
We are updating our Facebook page regularly with what's happening, so check it out: https://www.facebook.com/greenpointbaps/
Coming Up this Week - Week 7
Monday 4 September
THACCCSA Zone Secondary Oztag Gala Day
Wednesday 6 September
Yrs 7 - 10 Rugby League 9s Gala Day
Primary THACCCSA AFL Championships League
Year 10 -12 Faith in Professional Life (optional) at Wyong Christian School
Year 6 Incursion Write a Book in a Day
Thursday 7 September
Kariong Bulgandry Excursion
Year 12 Ancient History - Macquarie Study Session
Primary THACCCSA Oztag Tournament Mixed
Friday 8 September
Secondary Basketball Gala Day Finals
Year 1 Swim Lessons
Dates for your Calendar
Monday 11 September
Yrs 10 - 12 Coast Shelter Serving Opportunity
Tuesday 12 September
CIS Primary Boys Cricket Trials
Wednesday 13 September
Secondary Open Futsal Gala Day
Year 12 Study camp - Winmalee Chrisian Conference Centre
Thursday 14 September
Year 12 Study Camp
Secondary 15&U Futsal Gala Day
Friday 15 September
Year 12 Study Camp
Monday 18 September
CSSA Secondary State 15UU Basketball Gala Day
Tuesday 19 September
CIS Athletics Championships - Primary and Secondary
Wednesday 20 September
Year 12 Last Chapel
Year 12 Treetops Excursion
Thursday 21 September
Year 12 Breakfast
Year 12 Graduation
Friday 22 September
Primary Rugby GPCC vs The Coast Christian School
Last Day Term 3
TERM DATES 2023
Term 3, 2023
Monday, 24 July to Friday, 22 September
Monday, 2 October - Labour Day Public Holiday
Monday, 9 October - Wednesday, 6 December
Click on: TERM DATES 2024