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This week we farewell a long serving staff member, Mrs Michele Drover, who retires on Thursday. Michele has been the Registrar at GPCC for the past 13 years and prior to that served for 10 years in a number of different roles in general administration.
Almost all of our current students will have been through Michele’s hands as they entered our school. I have learnt that she knows so many of them by name, as I often watch her at the pick-up zone after school and see her interacting with students and parents.
Michele and I have talked a bit about what retirement might mean for her (and for me eventually). We agreed that it is not like being on holiday – hopefully she will still take holidays from time to time. It is about developing a new set of daily, weekly and monthly routines to replace the ones she has developed over 23 years of work at GPCC.
Retirement in the sense of stopping paid work and just taking leisure time is not a Biblical concept. Moses worked until he was 120 years old and then was taken up into heaven as were many other of the old saints. Some in the New Testament era had their life taken from them prematurely in the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire. Others, like Abraham, lived to a ripe age but still maintained their businesses to the end.
Stopping regular paid work is simply an opportunity to do other things which the paid work may have prevented you from doing. Our Board Chair, Dr Kevin Sproats, a retired University Pro-Vice Chancellor, claims he is too busy now to go back to work – and we are glad he fits the College Board work into his schedule. He and Eira his wife, took the first few years of their retirement to volunteer six months of every year for Mobile Mission Maintenance, helping do work for Christian Churches and organisations around Australia.
Michele is still working out what she will engage in, but I know she will find plenty to do that will utilise her skills and interests. It will be a change of direction for her in routines, in relationships and activities and that can be both daunting and exciting.
At GPCC, we are working to equip students for life and that must encompass retirement, even though it seems an infinity away to our students. How they are prepared for life sets them up to make good use of all the years they will be here, including the post, paid work years.
I wonder if this is in your mind as you train up your child. Are you thinking of equipping them to live a complete life of useful service? We can do so much when they are young to encourage them to develop early, good habits and attitudes towards work and service that will stay with them to the end.
We want to say thank you to Michele for her very faithful service to our school community. We will miss her a lot because we enjoy her sense of humour, her desire to serve our families and her commitment to do her work diligently. We wish her all the best as she enters a new phase of life and pray God’s blessing on her as she explores what that will look like.
Phillip Nash
Principal
Mrs Nicole Smith | Head of Primary
In my Monday morning online assembly, I have shared with the students about the importance of safety and all of the things we do to remain safe. At school there are many things that we do to remain safe such as not running on concrete, not playing tackle football, and there are some things that have recently changed to increase our safety including the addition of hand washing, sanitiser and physical distancing. Just because we put these things in place does not mean we will never get hurt or sick, it just helps to reduce the risk and alleviate some of our fears. Deuteronomy 31:8-9 says “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” When we have God as a part of our life, we can say with confidence that He is with us. He is our comfort, when we are sad, our strength when we are tired, and our hope for all eternity. I hope this is a blessing to you and your family this week.
As a majority of our students have now returned to school, we are once more reviewing our method of delivering learning to students. As a College, we still remain committed to families making the decision about when it is right for students to return to school and respect that for some families this is and will continue to be a difficult decision. From Week 4 teachers will be supporting our home learners with work assigned and continuing to hold an opportunity for class catch ups and online teaching. This will vary from grade to grade, so I encourage you to continue to read your emails carefully.
Head of School Awards
Congratulations to the following students who achieved the Head of School Award for Week 3:
Isla C, KDL; Amelia H, KDL; Skye B, KP; James N, KP; Lucy G, 1G; Josie R, 1G; Maddie F, 1PH; Miranda V, 1PH; Solomon B, 2G; Mitchell E, 2G; Louis A, 2J; Tatum C, 2J; Ayva C, 3B; Melia S, 3B; Bailey G, 3K; Miller P, 3K; Ariana D, 4B; Michela R, 4B; Ellen B, 4M; Alexander K, 4M; Anna-Lucia R, 5D; Harry L, 5D; Amelia S, 5H; Hunter M, 5H; Eva L, 5P; Emily F, 5P; Zaid A, 6D; Mischa M, 6D; Mikayla K, 6M; Fidel S, 6M; Lane D, 6T; Grace L, 6T.
Winter Uniform
Students are now attending school in winter uniform. Please ensure that all jumpers and outer layers are labeled with names and remind students to return jackets to their bags when they have taken them off.
Kindergarten EnrolmentsDo you have a pre-school child or know someone who is considering enrolling at GPCC for 2021? Enrolments are now open and places are filling fast. Please contact the Registrar if you have not begun the process of enrolment for 2021 to secure your place.
Working from Home Attendance
Students are required to be online each morning and attendance will be taken by teachers. If your child is not online, we will be marking them as absent and you will be required to provide a reason for their absence. Students who are sick need to remain at home and either participate in online learning at home or contact the absentee line and register as unwell.
Primary Chapel Online
Afternoon Buses and Car Park
Many families are still opting to collect their students from school by car. Please be mindful of not queuing or stopping as you pass through the bus bay and allow space for the buses to enter the College. It is important that the traffic in the car park continues to move to ensure the pick-up process runs smoothly. We have contacted the bus companies and they have assured us that there has been increased cleaning protocols established on their busses.
Extend OOSH Service
Extend have notified the College that they are ready and willing to re-open the Before and after School Care service for students in Primary School.
At this stage there have been no requests from parents for this service to re-open and operate, and as such they will remain closed until this occurs.
If you are wanting to make use of Extend OOSH service in the near future, please contact Extend on 1300 366 437 or email: support@extend.com.au
Library
Please be advised that the Premier’s Reading Challenge is continuing this term. The rules have changed to allow 10 personal choice books instead of the usual five, due to the current lack of access to books. If you do not know your child’s log in details, please email nvanwyk@gpcc.nsw.edu.au
Kindergarten to Year 4 students will receive an activity to help decorate our Library ready for Book Week. Please see the advertisement for more information.
Maker space is in Week 6, so please collect a few big boxes in readiness for this challenge. It will be a fun one.
When students have finished their leaves (K-2) or birds (3-4) sent home in Week 1, they can be returned to the Library to be added to our display.
Book Club is online only this term. If you are interested in looking at the discount books available, just click on this link. Orders for Issue 3 close today, Monday 18 May 2020.
National Simultaneous Storytime is next week. Kindergarten to Year 2 students will be joining over a million students throughout Australia and New Zealand to read Whitney & Britney Chicken Divas on Wednesday 27 May.
Mr Peter McLellan | Head of Secondary
The history of Green Point Christian College includes wonderful times and also sad times. It is through our history we can better understand who we are as a school and our culture. Two years ago on 15 May, one of our staff members, Mr Mark Welch passed away. His passing is part of our history and he helped shape us through his work in the Technologies Department of our College. It is good to remember people who influenced us for who we are today.
A reminder of what I sent in an email this week for things to focus on during the next few weeks to return to normal routines.
1) Uniform has not been up to standard for some students. The length of many of the girls’ shorts and skirts are too short. If they no longer fit, the expectation is that new items will need to be purchased.
Only GPCC school jackets should be worn to school as a number of students are consistently turning up with other styles of clothing.
Uniform should also be neat and tidy and worn correctly (not dishevelled).
2) Attendance – we want to get to as much consistency as possible in attending school.
We understand that some students are returning on a gradual basis and this is fine if parents are making this choice. It becomes difficult when students are coming to school and then they are making decisions with their friends to not attend on the next day. Once you have decided for your child to return full-time, that needs to be a permanent expectation for your child.
3) 7-Eleven is not an option for any student at this point in time. We allow Year 12 students as part of their privileges to go there during a day, however being careful with our social distancing, we do not want any students going to the service station including Year 12.
Top 5 Tips for Dealing with HSC Stress
Every student approaches their upcoming HSC exams differently, but if you are in panic mode, follow our stress management advice to help you get through this challenging time. Remember, if you are feeling particularly overwhelmed, do not be afraid to reach out to your teachers, tutors or a parent – they too have been through this and came out alive! Here’s how to deal with HSC stress:
(1) Don’t be unrealistic:
You have spent most of your life at school, so you know your capabilities and limits. The key thing is to do your best, and that will always be good enough. Keep telling yourself this every time you feel overwhelmed with pressure to be top of the class.
(2) Take time out: It’s not healthy to constantly have your nose in a book. So drawing up a realistic revision schedule and sticking to it is a great way to stay focused. Don’t forget to include some time for relaxation away from your books.
(3) Get some exercise: Not only is it a great way to deal with HSC stress, but a quick 15 minute jog around the block will max out your concentration span.
(4) Don’t listen to your friends: Chances are, they won’t tell you they spent all weekend studying for fear of looking daggy. On the other hand, there will be some of your friends who will tell you they will just "wing" the exams. Don’t use them as a benchmark – know what you have to do and do it.
(5) Revise methodically: Rote learning is not particularly useful, so write out important dates, facts, or passages and stick notes around your house in plain sight. After a while, these facts will sink in without any extra effort on your part.
Year 10Y Geography
130,000 tonnes of plastic finds its way into waterways and into the ocean every year (WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Australia, 2019).
Year 10Y Geography are studying Environment Change and Management. The students conducted a litter audit of the boundary between the oval fence and Egans Creek last week, to investigate the nature of plastic pollution at school.
A few sport equipment articles and some tyres were the large items collected, but by far food packing was the most frequent culprit.
Packaged food wrappers accounted for 60 litter items and there were 100 pieces of clingwrap.
Students were surprised at the number of items and how many were plastic. There was some interest in who may be most responsible, but due to run-off and wind conditions, it was concluded that it is a College wide responsibility. There is further scope for audits in different areas focusing on microplastics and other single use plastic.
Well done to these students.
For those interested in watching a video about a career of their interest, please see the Week 4, Term 2 Careers Newsletter.
For more details and other items of interest please see the Careers Newsletter
visit the “Student Careers” section under the News menu on the College website.
Mr David David Russell
Curriculum Co-ordinator (7-12) | Student Advisor (7-12)
Nathan Lambert | K-12 Sport Co-ordinator
OUR FIGHTING SPIRIT
Our school is made up of many sporting moments. We thrive on the taste of victory and love the thrill of a competitive game. Many times we have fought hard to the very end to just go down on the scoreboard; many times we have looked like we were out of the game, only to fight back and cause an upset in the dying seconds; many times we have done the impossible and clinched victory with amazing skill and determination.
Being a coach for a sporting team and watching them perform to the best of their ability, is fantastic to watch. All our teams at GPCC give 100%, working together as one, representing their school proudly, and always trying to clinch a win, even if the odds are against them. We never give up and keep fighting to the end.
We are all missing playing sport at the moment, wanting to get out there and test our skills against our mates. Even though we are unable to compete in competitions at present and looking forward to the time when we can resume, it is great to reflect on some of those moments that have defined our impressive sporting reputation, of students who have dedicated themselves to hard training and perseverance in any circumstance.
We have so many moments that reflect our fighting spirit. In recent years, you could look at our success at State Cross Country, Metro Cup victories and our dominating performances in Basketball gala days. There was the mammoth effort by our Year 6 Football team who in 2008, had one of the most dominating performances by any sport team, winning five Rugby League/Union tournaments.
In 2016 our Primary Boys Soccer team had been playing exceptionally well and had qualified for the State Futsal Championships and produced one of our greatest nerve-wracking moments and upsets in Primary School sport history.
This team was comprised of a number of current students that you may have heard of before Nicholas K, Arden C, Jacob B, Ben E and Ben S.
Their first game was against Wyong Christian School. Our boys, with their elite skills and talent, provided numerous scoring opportunities throughout the game. With over 60% possession, 184 first touches and 21 shots on goal, they took an early lead and held on to win comfortably 3-0.
In their second match, they played a strong second team from Bel Air. Again, with a high percentage of possession and accurate shots on goal, our boys fought to the end, winning 2-0.
Elmore Vale was their third opponent and they were exceptionally strong. They went to an early lead and even though GPCC had more possession and nearly four times as many shots on goal as Elmore, they just could not get it into the net, going down 3-1. This was a hurdle that our boys needed to overcome; to make it to the Final, they needed to bounce back.
After two wins out of three matches, GPCC had made the Semi Final and were now playing one of the hardest teams in the competition, Bel Air Firsts.
From the starting whistle, the boys went on the attack, pouncing on the ball and scoring quickly. They back this strong start with another quick goal, now taking a 2-0 lead. Not wanting to give Bel Air the chance to score, we changed our formation and with this in mind, protected our lead until the end of the match, even sneaking in another goal before the final siren. We eventually won 3-0 which now placed us in a strong position, heading into the Final. To show the dominance of our team in this match, our boys had 21 shots on goal to Bel Air’s one shot.
The Final was of course against the team that convincingly beat GPCC 3-1. This was going to be one tough match and one that our boys would need to rise and prepare for a hard battle.
With the scores level, we went on the attack and through Peter R, scored an amazing goal to take the lead 2-1.
After half time, the teams continued to battle it out, with shot after shot. Nick Kratochvil pulled off some of the best saves ever to keep GPCC just in front.
With only a minute left, Elmore Vale unfortunately came up with the equaliser and the scores were 2-2 until the final siren.
This could mean only one thing - a Golden Goal. Both teams had shots that were superbly saved by their keepers. By the whistle, scores were still level, meaning that the State Championships would be decided by Penalty Shoot Out. It came down to one person in the end who could give GPCC the win if he scored – it was Nick.
Without breaking a sweat, Nick walked up to the ball and kicked it firmly. We held our breaths with eyes closed, just hoping that it went in. The ball floated through the air and to the delight of our team went IN!!
GPCC had won the State Futsal Championships and cemented themselves as one of the strongest Futsal teams around.
Not only was this one of the greatest (and nerve wracking) moments of my coaching career, but it was one that really demonstrated our ability to fight to the end, to strive for excellence, to persevere no matter what is thrown at us, and to always rely on each other to get through the tough times.
When things start to return to normal and we are able to compete in competitions again, let's continue to produce some of these great moments in our school sporting history, moments that whether we win or lose, we will be remembered for how well we played the game.
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/children (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.
Thank you.
Prayer
We pray that “… the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.” Ephesians 3:17-19 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Canteen
The Munchery (Canteen) has resumed full time operating hours from today, Monday 18 May 2020.
Uniform Shop
Uniform Shop has recommenced normal trading hours.
Green Point Baptist Church
In light of the current COVID-19 crisis, Green Point Baptist Church has suspended all regular church activities and has encouraged any Church member who is not in a high risk category to find ways to serve the vulnerable in their community. If you are in need of assistance, please contact the Church office on 4369 1585 or office@gpbc.net.au
GPBC has moved their services online:
SERVICE TIMES
Sundays
9:30am
6:00pm
Sunday Service
Green Point Baptist Church invite you and your family to join the Sunday service LIVE on Facebook at 9:30am every Sunday.
Thrive
Thrive is on hold for now, but kids can join via Zoom from home each week during the school term. Join the “Thrive Green Point 2020” facebook group for information.
Constructing a Food Hamper …
Over the past few weeks, Green Point Baptist Church has been partnering with Kincumber Neighbourhood Centre to help those who are doing it tough in our neighbourhood as a result of Coronavirus. The One + 1 Food Aid Project is based on a simple idea, when you are out shopping, buy a few extra items each week and build up a food hamper that can be passed onto a family who really needs it.
We would love for you to get involved with us in this project, so we want to show you visually how to put together a food hamper for a family.
A couple of questions we have had from people putting food hampers together:
Q: Are there absolute must haves in a food hamper?; and
Q: Can we put in some lollies or something special for children?
The answer is simple. Be guided by how you shop for your own family - not too much sugar or salt or processed food. Buy items that can be combined and added to with simple fresh food items to make simple meals and items that might drop off your list, like Vegemite, if you don’t have too much cash at the moment.
So let’s get this hamper for a family done ...
First up are hygiene products. These include toilet paper, antibacterial soap and tooth paste, as well as germ killers like antibacterial wipes, surface sprays and hand sanitiser. The bargains here were paracetamol for 69 cents and Lynx deodorant for $3.99, both from Aldi.
Next are food items for meals ... canned soup, instant noodles and most of the ingredients for nachos minus the mince, cheese and avocado. There is also pasta and good quality sauce, as well as rice and a simmer sauce to make butter chicken.
Last but not least, are all those items that make life a bit more comfortable - half price chicken crimpies, sour squirms, tea and chocolate, all bought on special from Coles.
Remember, once you have completed your food hamper, your items can be dropped off at the kitchen behind the Church office between 9:00am and 12 noon, Tuesday to Friday, or the College office if it needs to be earlier.
For more information, feel free to call the Church office on 4369 1585.
Coast Shelter Restaurant
Due to COVID-19, Coast Shelter have had to suspend dinners and are not allowing volunteers to enter.
Green Point Trader
Amanda Lawer - Finance and Mortgage Broker: Home Loans, Car Loans (new and private sales), Personal Loans, Business and Investment Loans. As a Liberty Adviser I have a panel of 22 Lenders and can source a better deal or assist you with your new lending requirements. Contact me today on 0478 055 609 or www.liberty.com.au/amanda-lawer.
For Sale: 2 x Baby Bunting tasmaneco Siena - Mocha (dark brown - not light brown like in photo) cots (bought for $600 each) - still in boxes and unused.
2 x Baby Bunting innerspring deluxe mattresses (bought for $150 each) - still in plastic and unused. WILL SELL ALL FOR $700.
1 x Mocha wooden change table $50.
Contact Gabi: 0426 501 115
If you would like to place an advertisement in the Green Point Trader, please email details to Marie Hay at newsletter@gpcc.nsw.edu.au
Coming up
Wednesday, 20 May, 2020
Year 12 Music - Backing tracks recording for HSC performances
Uniform Shop
Operating Times
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday during the School Term:
8:30am - 11:00am
(Closed Wednesdays)
Afternoons by appointment only.
Contact (02) 4367 9954
gpcc@alinta.com.au
Canteen
The Munchery
Welcome back to Term 2.
Munch Monitor
New to Munch Monitor? Order your school lunches each morning before 8:30am via Munch Monitor from home, for a hassle free start to your mornings.
We have daily menu specials as well as popular items available every day of the week.
www.munchmonitor.com
Username: greenpoint
Password: munch2251
TERM DATES
Term 2, 2020
Wednesday, 29 April 2020 to Friday, 3 July 2020
Term 3, 2020
Monday, 27 July 2020 to Friday, 25 September 2020
Term 4, 2020
Tuesday, 13 October 2020 to Wednesday, 9 December 2020