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What is… Success?
How do you define success? Our response to this question takes us deep into our own hearts and deeply shapes the way we live and move through the world. It speaks to our understanding of what a life well lived looks like.
Our world is swirling with different answers to these questions and different ideas continually vie for our, and our student’s attention. In our current cultural moment, there are four categories of success that most people are living for. They are;
Achievement – the act of making grades and reaching goals
Accumulation – the curation of material possessions and the building of wealth
Status – collecting followers, fame, notoriety and desired labels
Experiences – chasing the next perfect moment, view, adrenaline or dopamine hit
These categories of success often intermingle or switch across a lifetime and in our culture, they are very much up to the individual to define.
However, are these things enough for a person to feel satisfied and successful? The actor Jim Carrey while he was at the top of his fame and wealth said.
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.”
In the Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes the teacher explores every part of life, chases every version of success under the sun. To everything he concludes.
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Another way to interpret the word for meaningless is vapour or mist. Success is like mist, kind of visible but with no real substance. But why is this the case? It is like this because as human beings we need more than success, we need to know our purpose. Mark Twain is quoted to have said that “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
Success is linked to purpose. To know if anything is being successful, we need to know why it was made. A hammer is not going to be a successful frisbee.
Therefore, the real question for all of us to ask is, what is humanities purpose? The following is then what is my purpose?
Here at Green Point Christian College, we believe our purpose is to help our students toward lives of redemptive action. This flows from our understanding that there is a sovereign God beyond the sun who created and sustains the world. God’s love for His people was such that he sent his only son Jesus into the world to show us how to live and to go to the cross for our salvation. While on earth Jesus reminded us that humanities core purpose is to love God, and love others. Our deep hope is that our students come to understand their purpose because in understanding their purpose, they will be able to live lives of true, deep and sustained success.
Joel van Bentum
Principal
Mrs Amanda Rutlidge | Acting Head of Primary
Mr James Cantor, on behalf of Acting Head of PrimaryBook Week
Celebrating Book Week on Wednesday was an absolute hoot! It was incredible to see the vast range of costumes and characters who appeared at school, bringing joy and fun to student’s learning and connection to literacy. Can I also congratulate our parents and carers for their contribution in making the event such a success.
Throughout the day, I was reminded of the blessing we have to firstly, know how to read and secondly, have access to a great number of books. The enjoyment of reading a book can be exhilarating as we have the opportunity to escape into our own imagination and create images from the words off a page.
As a Christian College, we consider one of the greatest literacy blessings we have is access to the Bible. We often refer to the Bible as 1 book, but it is actually a collection of 66 books written by about 40 authors over a period of 1600 years. It has many stories filled with intrigue and suspense as it speaks about God’s creation, rescue, and plan for mankind to be brought into a relationship with Himself. At the centre of this story is Jesus, which the Bible states in John 3:17, who God sent into the world to save us.
Can I encourage anyone who is searching for meaning, and hope, to find a Bible, turn to the New Testament, (second half of the Bible) and allow God to speak to you as you read the words and learn about how Jesus can transform lives and bring peace with God.
Tickets for our Primary Musical 'Finding Nemo Jr'
Primary students and staff are getting very excited and practices are in full swing. Students are looking forward to performing in this year's musical, 'Finding Nemo Jr.'
Tickets are selling fast, and the Saturday evening show is sold out. There are plenty of tickets available for the Friday matinee and Friday evening shows. There is no ticket limit anymore, so we encourage you to bring along the family to these shows.
Earlier this term, 82 of our students in Years 3-6 signed up to participate in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee. This was our school’s first time participating in the event.
The Spelling Bee was held online, with each student using headphones and iPad to listen first, then type each given word correctly.
The competition was split into 2 levels, Years 3/4 and Years 5/6. All students had to spell 30 words. The top scorers from each class were presented with awards at assembly this week. Piper J from 4H was our best speller overall, with a score of 28/30.
Congratulations to all participants and winners!
At the end of Term 3, some of our class winners and runners up will compete in a face-to-face spelling bee with students from Wyong CCS.
Photo of our class winners:
Back Row: Henry H 5P, Poppy A 5L, Ryan Y 5B, Conor M 6SH, Orlando G 6S, Caitlin H 6B
Front row: Ivy M 3D, Owen T 3B, Laura T 3M, Jamie C 4M, Piper J 4H.
Primary CRU is an awesome time to hear how we can ‘Run for Gold’ this Term. We meet on Thursday lunchtimes at 1pm . All students from Years 1 – 6 are invited to bring their lunch and a friend along for Bible talks, games, songs and just hang out .
This week in CRU we spoke about putting off the sin that so easily entangles us and throwing off everything that hinders our pursuit of Jesus.
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
There has been a recent increase of whooping cough (pertussis) amongst primary-school-aged children and a modest increase in high schools.
Coughing spreads the infection to others nearby. Whooping cough caught at school can spread to any younger brothers and sisters at home. Whooping cough can be especially dangerous for babies.
Whooping cough starts like a cold and progresses to bouts of coughing that can last for many weeks. Older children may just have a cough that is persistent and is worse at night. The infection can occur even in fully-vaccinated children.
- Children with symptoms should see a GP.
- If your doctor diagnoses whooping cough, please let the school know and keep your child at home until they have taken 5 days of antibiotics. Keep coughing children away from babies.
- Whooping cough vaccines give good protection against infection but immunity fades. If your school-aged child has younger siblings, it’s a good idea to check that they are up to date with their vaccines.
For more information from NSW Health please follow this link: Information for Childcare and Schools - Whooping cough (nsw.gov.au)
Father's Day Stall Helpers
We are looking for lots of helpers for our Primary Father's Day Stall.
- Helpers needed on Thursday 29 August to assist in setting up the Father's Day stall.
- Helpers needed on Friday 30 August to assist at our Father's Day Stall.
If you can spare an hour, half a day or a full day we would love your help. If you can assist please text your full name and availabliliy to Rachel on 0422 665 662.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 is a very well-known verse. It tells us “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
A reflection I like to do is to insert my name into the verse instead of Love. “Steve is patient, Steve is kind. He does not envy . . . “. There are some parts which are mostly true but there are statements I know I cannot say with integrity, such as this week when I found myself easily angered!
I am asking the students this term at assembly to reflect on whether they are kind, and what they can do to improve in this area. A focus has been on realising being kind is not a passive or a neutral action. For example, to say “I am not excluding someone” is not kindness, but to invite someone to join in is. “I never say anything bad to them” is not kindness, you would need to be saying a friendly word to be kind.
Kindness involves going out of your way to do something to make another person’s day better. Our students do a good job of this but as we focus on it more, we will all benefit from an environment where people are taking positive steps to positively impact others.
Year 9 Boys AIM Mission Trip
From the 9 - 16 August a group of Year 9 boys travelled to the towns of Brewarrina and Gulargambone on a mission trip. The students that attended were: Lukas B, Zayne B, Noah F, Hamish M, Sebastian M, Michael O, Jacob S, Mitchell T and Fin V. The boys were a wonderful witness for the communities that they visited and the people that they met. They spent time with the locals of Brewarrina at youth group on Friday night; sharing lunch with Aunty Jo and Aunty Vera at Weilmoringle on Saturday; church on Sunday in Brewarrina where a couple of boys shared their testimony; visiting the Old Mission site on Monday with Pastor Isaac, followed by time at Brewarrina Christian School that afternoon.
On Tuesday, they headed to Gulargambone where they set up camp for three nights, one of which was quite wet!
On Wednesday, the team headed into Gilgandra to pick up Pastor Henry and share the day with him at Hickeys Falls and The Warrumbungles. It was wonderful for the boys to be encouraged by Pastor Henry and listen to his stories. On Thursday, the boys travelled to Pillaga where they enjoyed a relaxing soak in the hot bore bath. There they met some travellers who were also Christian and this was a great source of encouragement to the boys. We then went to the other side of town to the church that Henry preaches out of and again, some of the boys shared their testimony. We had a time of prayer with Henry before heaading back to the campsite.
After an early start on Friday, the boys arrived back at school by 2:30pm and then unpacked the van and headed home for some much-needed rest.
Overall, the trip was a wonderful success with a number of the boys reporting that they felt much closer to God after the trip. The boys all co-operated and got along very well.
Mr Andrew McGillivray
Backflips Against Bullying
At GPCC we take the issue of bullying seriously, and continue to build a culture of respect and resilience amongst our students and school community. Today our Year 7 students were captivated by a performance from 'Backflips Against Bullying'. This unique program uses aerobatics and audience participation to engage students while addressing the critical issue of bullying.
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
There has been a recent increase of whooping cough (pertussis) amongst primary-school-aged children and a modest increase in high schools.
Coughing spreads the infection to others nearby. Whooping cough caught at school can spread to any younger brothers and sisters at home. Whooping cough can be especially dangerous for babies.
Whooping cough starts like a cold and progresses to bouts of coughing that can last for many weeks. Older children may just have a cough that is persistent and is worse at night. The infection can occur even in fully-vaccinated children.
- Children with symptoms should see a GP.
- If your doctor diagnoses whooping cough, please let the school know and keep your child at home until they have taken 5 days of antibiotics. Keep coughing children away from babies.
- Whooping cough vaccines give good protection against infection but immunity fades. If your school-aged child has younger siblings, it’s a good idea to check that they are up to date with their vaccines.
For more information from NSW Health please follow this link: Information for Childcare and Schools - Whooping cough (nsw.gov.au)
School Vaccination Program: Catch-up Clinic
If students missed attending the recent Vaccination Clinic (Year 7 and 10) a Catch-Up Clinic will be held at the College on Tuesday 3 September 2024 between 8.45am and 10.30am.
In Year 7, students are offered free vaccines for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV).
In Year 10, students are offered the meningococcal ACWY vaccine.
Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received.
How to provide consent:
To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit: https://nswhealth.service-now.com/school
Follow the steps to log in to your existing ServiceNSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you don’t have a ServiceNSW account, refer to ServiceNSW to create one.
Update or confirm your personal details in ServiceNSW as required.
Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:
Enter your child’s personal details
Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement
Provide consent
If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper-based consent form directly from your child’s school.
The benefits of providing consent online:
Easily update your child’s details
Receive SMS and/or email notifications when vaccinations are given
Faster upload of vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination.
If you require information in your language, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/school_vaccination_language.aspx
Mr Stuart McSwan | K - 6 Sport Co-ordinator
Dates for your Calendar
School Carnivals
TERM 3
Wednesday 25 September - GPCC K-2 Athletics Carnival (GPCC grounds)
TERM 4
Friday 25 October - GPCC K-2 Swimming Carnival (Peninsula Leisure Centre)
Representative Carnivals
TERM 3
Friday 6 September - CIS Primary Athletics Carnival
GPCC Sport Teams
We are looking forward to sending our teams to a number of Gala Days and competitions in Primary this year.
Students will have a chance to trial for certain school teams over the coming terms and will need to keep a close eye on the notices and listen out for Assembly announcements for when trials will be held.
The protocol for team selection is as follows:
- Teams have at least 2-3 trials before final selection.
- Unfortunately, it is simply not possible for all children who trial to be included in final teams. It is not uncommon for up to 60 students to trial for a team that only has 10 spots available. Due to these limited spots, it is highly likely that students will miss out on making the team. We acknowledge that we have a number of skilled athletes who trial for these representative teams and we strive to give opportunity during trials for students to demonstrate their skills.
- Once teams have been chosen, they will aim to have at least one training session each week before a competition.
CSSA (Christian Schools Sports Association) Child Protection training and Risk Warning
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#/
Below is a link for the Risk Warning that accompanies all CSSA run events
https://cssa.net.au/risk-warning.html
Individual Sport Trials for Primary CSSA and CIS Teams (NOT GPCC teams)
These trials are not for GPCC school teams that we trial for here at school to play at certain gala days throughout the year (as mentioned above). The CSSA or CIS trials are usually held in Sydney and students will be trialling against students from either other Christian Schools (CSSA) or other Independent Schools (CIS) and are usually recommended for those students that compete at a representative level.
Please email Mr McSwan before these Nomination dates if your child (YEARS 5 AND 6 ONLY) would like to be considered. They need to be currently playing in the sport and have several years’ experience (preferably at a Representative level): Parents are required to transport students to and from these trials.
CSSA and CIS Sport trial dates: Please note these are not for GPCC school teams.
TERM 3
Monday 9 September - CIS Primary Boys Cricket trials (select students. Max 3 per school can be nominated) - Nominations close Monday 2 September
On Friday 16 August, our Years 7-8 girls netball team and Years 9-10 girls netball team competed at Adcock Park in the Netball NSW Schools Cup. The girls displayed incredible energy, with strong performances in both attack and defence, and excellent teamwork throughout the day.
The Years 7 and 8 girls netball team secured convincing wins against Central Coast Grammar, Lisarow, Henry Kendall, St Phillips, and Wadalba, showcasing their skill and determination. Their only loss came against Central Coast Sport College, a formidable opponent.
In a closely contested match against St Joseph's, the game ended in a draw. Despite our team having a better overall "for" score, St Joseph's advanced to the finals due to a stronger "against" score. We are proud of how the girls handled this news, demonstrating great sportsmanship.
Our Years 9 and 10 girls netball team played with determination, winning three of the seven games they played and having an overall successful and enjoyable day of netball.
Overall, the girls played exceptionally well and represented our school with pride. Well done, girls!
Sporting Dates
CSSA Secondary State Athletics: Thursday 29 August SOPAC Homebush
THACCCSA Secondary Boys Basketball Gala Day: Tuesday 3 September Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium
THACCCSA Secondary Girls Futsal Gala Day: Tuesday 3 September Federation Centre Maitland
THACCCSA Mixed Oztag Gala Day: Wednesday 11 September Adcock Park West Gosford
Book Week Competitions
Colouring Competition
|
Class |
Place |
|
KDL |
1st -Ruby 2nd -Lily |
|
KK |
1st - Ariel 2nd - Nina |
|
KS |
1st - Cora 2nd - Eili |
|
1C |
1st - Taimani
|
|
1G |
1st - Athena 2nd - Hugo |
|
1PS |
1st - Anna 2nd - Kalla |
|
2G |
1st - Nash 2nd - Freddie |
|
2J |
1st - Rita 2nd - Ivy |
Dioramas (all received prizes)
|
Grade |
Entrant |
Theme |
|
2 |
Gabbi V (2G) |
Noni the Poni (WINNER) |
|
3 |
Phebe A (3M) |
Noah’s Ark (WINNER) |
|
Tara J (3D) |
The Frozen Sea |
|
|
Moses P (3D) |
Star Wars |
|
|
Ivy M (3D) |
Jungle Book |
|
|
Kiera (3M) |
Beauty & the Beast |
|
|
Ella K (3D) Maddie K (3B) Zara K (1PS) |
Frozen |
|
|
4 |
Paige R (4H) |
Mary Poppins (WINNER) |
|
Evie M (4M) |
Jack and the Beanstalk |
|
|
Scarlett M (4H) |
Inside Out |
|
|
5 |
Chloe H (5P) Avalon R (5L) Emily H (3M) |
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (WINNER) |
|
Kade O (5L) Cooper F (5L) |
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory |
|
|
Elsie H (5L) Henry H (5P) Everly P (5L) |
Heidi |
|
|
Nathalie S (5B) |
School of Good & Evil |
|
|
Miranda V (5L) |
The Good Dinosaur |
|
|
Nathan Poppy |
Harry Potter |
|
|
6 |
Scarlett J (6SH) |
The lion, the witch & the wardrobe (WINNER) |
|
Emily T (6SH) Ashley (6SH) |
Castle/ Frozen |
|
|
Unknown |
|
Peter Rabbit |
Some entries did not have names, but they were still amazing.
Book Week - Wednesday 21 August
Thank you everyone for contributing to such an amazing day. A big thank you to our library staff who have worked hard over the last few weeks to organise a fun day for everyone. Year 10 Drama students and Year 11 Prefects also leant a hand. I hope you all had as much fun as we did.
Term 3 Storytime
Preschool story time themes for Term 3 are below. Please register your interest with Nicole van Wyk: nvanwyk@gpcc.nsw.edu. See the flier for more information.
Scholastic Book Club- Issue 5
Issue 6 Scholastic book club magazines went out this week. Parents can order online at LOGIN (scholastic.com.au).
Issue 6 orders close on Wednesday 11 September.
Casual Teachers Primary https://www.gpcc.nsw.edu.au/employment/casual-teacher-primary
Teaching Positions - Permanent Full time (2025)
https://www.yvcs.nsw.edu.au/employment/employment-opportunities/teacher
NAPLAN Results 2024
Uniform Shop
2024 Uniform Shop Trading hours
Monday: 8:00am - 10:30am
Wednesday: 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am - 10:30am
Friday: 8:00am - 10:30am
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
Please note: All bakery goods will now be supplied by Bakers Delight.
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 children, 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.
Rocketeers - Spring School Holiday Bookings Now Open.
At Green Point Christian College (Monday 30 September - Friday 11 October). - Camp Australia OSHC | Green Point Christian College (gpcc.nsw.edu.au)
Celebrate Camp Australia’s 30-Year Anniversary
On Tuesday 10 September 2024, we invite the entire Green Point Christian College community to join us at Your OSHC for an unforgettable celebration.
What’s in store:
- DIY Friendship Bracelets
- Ball in a Cup
- Pass The Parcel
- Egg & Spoon Races
- And yes, CAKE!
Enjoy an afternoon of fun, food, and festivities. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Download flye below for more information.
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
Scripture Union - Inspire Art Camp 2024
29 September - 2 October
For more information visit click on this link.
ANZAC Flag Bearer Recruitment
North Avoca SLSC Registration
Barbara May Foundation Fundraiser
If you would like to place an community advertisement in the Green Point Community Notices, please email details to our Messenger Editor, Justine Collins at newsletter@gpcc.nsw.edu.au
Green Point Baptist Church
Services: 9:30am Worship Service, 6:00pm Service
Services continue to be available online each week.
Coming Up this Week
Wednesday 28 August
Year 9 CRU Camp (26-28 August)
Secondary Interschool CRU (3:15-5:30pm)
Thursday 29 August
Year 9 Camp
CSSA Secondary State Athletics
Year 11 Mingaletta Cultural Immersion Excursion - Mrs Freeman
Friday 30 August
Primary Father's Day Breakfast
Primary Father's Day Stall
Year 9 Camp
Father's Day Stall
Dates for your Calendar
Tuesday 3 September
THACCCSA Secondary Boys Basketball Gala Day
THACCCSA Sec Girls Futsal Gala Day
7-11 Vaccination Clinic Catch-up
Friday 6 September
Years 7 - 12 Girri Girri Tour with Mrs Walls
CIS Primary Athletics Carnival
Primary Musical - Finding Nemo Jr (Friday 6 September: Matinee and Evening show) (Saturday 7 September: Evening show)
2024 TERM 3 DATES
Friday 27 September - Last day of Term 3
2024 TERM 4 DATES
Monday 14 October - Students commence Term 4
Wednesday 11 December - Last day of Term 4
