Pacific Streams Spring 2015

PACIFIC

A FR EE Pub licatio n of Pa cific Hills C hr ist ia n S ch oo l

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

LIVING WITH HOPE • GOOD GRIEF SACRED GROUND • SPECIAL EDUCATION

Spring 2015

PACIFIC

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School Days

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Teach to Learn

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Living with Hope

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Special Education

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JS Sustainability

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MS Sustainability

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Life Adventures

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Good Grief

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Sacred Ground

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SS Community Service

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Sport

ON THE COVER Alexander Hellstrom, Caleb Lacy & Mackenzie O’Connor.

LEFT Artwork by Year 10 students Nicole Marom & Kahlee Scappa.

Pacific Streams is produced by Pacific Hills Christian School for school families and the school community. Pacific Hills Christian School 9 Quarry Road Dural NSW 2158 Phone: (02) 9651 0700 Fax: (02) 9651 3513 Web: www.pacifichills.net Email: pacificstreams@pacifichills.net An activity of Pacific Hills Education Limited ABN 001 832 282 CRICOS 04230G.

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In this Five things to discover in this issue of Pacific Streams

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1.

You may know about the Hockeyroos and the Socceroos but what about the Futsalroos? It’s a tough gig to make any of these teams but check out one past student who plays with the Futsalroos.

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Going by their awesome comments MS gardeners love growing things and then eating them in Mok Kitchen.

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Designed and made at Quarry Road, well kind of, what’s the collective noun for a bunch of students who take care of things for other people?

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Are you on board with Sustainability? Check out what JS students crunch, sip, mulch and recycle to help take care of our environment.

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Everybody fancies something special. So what’s so special with Special Education?

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SPRING 2015 / 03

school days THINGS THAT HAPPENED Fathers Night So many awesome dads and what to do to fit in a proper celebration for all that awesomeness? Solution: Spend longer celebrating - Middle School doesn’t just do Fathers Day they do Fathers Night too. Just how many things did they cook on a stick?

Being a Firie Once upon a time we all wanted to grow up and be a Firie. Kindergarten had a hands on taster when the Firies came to Pacific Hills.

Box Car Rally Let’s all give a cheer for Mrs Fletcher and History Week.

Going by the excitement levels and smiles we won’t forget it or the mad dash of the Box Car Rally runners, in the helter-skelter negotiating of the history obstacles as their box cars variously disintegrated in their arms.

History Week - Let’s Go There!

Illustrators, designers, model makers, writers – our school overflows with displays from all these students when History Week takes us to Ancient Egypt, the Medieval World, the 1920s and Pyrmont in the 19th and 20th centuries.

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Get Real Tired of feeling like Science just isn’t real? If you hang out with Mrs Gouws or any of these students things would get very REAL. Ask them about Project Real & their collaboration with Macquarie University and Hornsby Shire Council.

pacific hills christian school TEACH TO LEARN Dr E J Boyce Principal During 2015 I have had the privilege of teaching in other countries. I taught about the foundations and practice of Christian Education and in so doing God allowed me to learn through being the teacher. I had the privilege of reflecting on my basic assumptions, pre suppositions and beliefs so that I was able to challenge my own learning through teaching others. As the teacher I was challenged to examine those concepts that I take for granted and at the same time reinforce those understandings that I hold to be true. Whenever I teach I am challenged to teach the truth as God has revealed the truth to us and also the truth that I understand through what I have learnt throughout my life. When teaching others in different parts of the world I have clearly been the learner, reinforcing learning that I have received, so that my future learning is based most securely on what I really understand through my own learning.

Whenever I consider teaching and learning I am struck by the revelation from God as provided in the Bible. The words from Philippians 4:7-9 are of great significance to me. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praise worthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” This passage reminds us of that which is more important and beyond all learning, that is, all understanding. In this passage also we learn that what we learn or understand or have modelled to us is to be put into practice. The result of that activity is that the God of peace will be with you.

God is the truth unchanged, unchanging; also, all truth is God’s truth. Therefore, when we learn we are learning to understand God’s truth and therefore to glorify God in the thoughts and activities of our lives.

Therefore in our responsibilities as those who teach others, either as teachers or parents or significant others we are reinforcing our own learning of God’s truth and sharing that understanding with those who learn from us.

We each have an awesome responsibility to those who learn from us and at the same time we are blessed richly by the deeper learning that comes to us as well.

of teaching, also they are engaging in acts of service. The revised Vision Statement of Pacific Hills Christian School is that we seek to be a community of excellence in teaching, learning and serving. Therefore teaching others is to serve others and for us service is an act of worship to God as we are using the gifts that He has given to us to show His grace to others in different ways.

I would like our Christian School community to adopt as a slogan that we are here to Teach to Learn. I would like to encourage our more able students and our older students to teach those who are less developed in their understanding, or who are younger, to learn.

Therefore by encouraging our students to Teach to Learn the students are actually in the process of improving their own learning both current and in the future. I am planning to work with The Excellence Centre team to develop this concept further so that the community of Pacific Hills Christian School can be a stronger community of learners who serve by teaching and who are blessed in the process of blessing others.

Personally I am excited as I consider this concept as I believe it will contribute greatly to increased excellence of learning of all members of our School Community and reflect our desire to serve the needs of others, both within our own community and far beyond. I have been delighted to celebrate with others the lessons that our people have learned by serving locally, nationally and globally. God is the debtor of no person and as we serve others we are blessed, both individually and as a community.

Teach to Learn is a concept that many of us practise in daily life through teaching others, and by encouraging older children to teach younger children they are effectively reinforcing their own learning by the process

SPRING 2015 / 05

Illustration: Alexandra Riach Year 9

living with hope

OUR DEEPEST PROBLEM IS THAT WE SEEK TO FIND OUR IDENTITY OUTSIDE THE STORY OF REDEMPTION David Johnston Principal, Pacific Valley The fact that we live in a broken world in which individually and corporately we experience the consequences of sin and the fall is undeniable. Whether it is the latest news headlines streaming into our news feed or a close friend dealing with tragedy or simply the most recent argument we have had with our siblings, we are confronted time and time again with pain, anxiety and dysfunction. Hope! What a desperate and deep need we each have for real and life changing hope in response to the brokenness that disfigures our daily experience of life.

A hope that has substance and a lasting foundation can only be found in one place, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings.

With Him there is the possibility for lasting, personal heart change. There is nothing sweeter than intimacy with Him. God tells us that according to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). So what does this look like within the constant tension of the now but not yet that is inherently present because we are this side of eternity. Recently, as I have read “Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands” by Paul Tripp, I have been powerfully reminded and challenged that it most completely looks like community. A vibrant, dynamic body where each member knows the essential nature of their contribution to each other and their core calling to live for the glory of their Creator.

We are designed to be worshippers, however because of

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the ongoing presence of sin we are involved in a constant battle for our heart. “Our deepest problem is that we seek to find our identity outside the story of redemption.” As sinners, we have a natural bent to “turn away from our Creator to serve His creation. We turn away from hope in a Person to hope in systems, ideas, people, or possessions.”

Our surest response to this is found within gospel centred community where we are able to inspire and encourage each other to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24-25) and exhort one another every day that none of us may allow ourselves to be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). This is to be a moment-by-moment experience of relationships in every context of life. We have the privilege of seeing God transform people’s lives as we bring His Word to each other.

Intrinsically connected to the hope that is found in Jesus is that He asks us to play a part in God’s plan to rescue hopeless and helpless humanity. We are not passive objects within His outworking of redemption. In Ephesians 4:11-13 God tells us that “He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians). As I reread this passage I realised that I often missed emphasising that every member of the body has work to do that contributes to building up the whole community into the fullness of Christ. Each of us has the great calling, privilege and responsibility of living out with each other the hope that is found in the grace of our Redeemer.

The good news of the Kingdom, this side of eternity, is not freedom from hardship, suffering and loss but rather news of a Redeemer who has come to rescue us from ourselves. This rescue fundamentally alters our response to the inescapable realities of the fall. God’s story provides an answer that is beautiful, pristine, complete, simple and multifaceted all at once. It allows us to face life and respond with faith, love and hope. May this be the story that truly flavours and permeates all of our communities as each of us seek to be an instrument in His redeeming hands.

what’s special about special education?

A VARIETY OF TEACHING STRATEGIES CONSIDERED TO ENSURE THE BEST LEARNING OUTCOMES Dianne Dowson Director, New Hope School Special Education has evolved over the years with changes in funding, new teaching methods, changing perspectives and an emphasis on inclusion. Technology has assisted many students with a variety of additional needs and inclusion has become a major focus for policy makers and educational leaders across the private and public education sectors. In mainstream classrooms there is an increased focus on catering for the diverse needs of students, with an ‘education for all’ philosophy. Pacific Hills Christian School, since its inception, has aimed to meet the needs of students with special needs, and the school stands out as having a particular heart and passion for doing this.

I could write at length about the benefits of an inclusive practice, and I do continue to fully support the inclusion of students with special needs in mainstream schools.

However, since becoming involved in New Hope School I have had first-hand experience in witnessing the benefits that a special education school can also provide.

In a special education classroom, instruction is tailored

to meet the students’ unique needs. Smaller class sizes and greater teacher to student ratios, assist in ensuring that the pace of instruction as well as the level of work that is presented is appropriate to each student. A variety of teaching strategies are also considered to ensure the best learning outcomes. Unique approaches can be used, and if one method is not working, then another is sort until success is observed. Detailed and individualised education programs are created for each student. These plans aim to improve a student’s educational experience.

In consultation with parents, goals are set and strategies considered in order to facilitate success.

Often when I share what I do with others, the response is that I must be a very patient person. I am not sure that I have any more patience than any of my colleagues, however, I am provided with opportunities to be patient.

Having the opportunity to work with small groups or individual students to target specific tasks that a student or students are working on, provides the luxury of being able to ‘stick’ at a task until they are able to master it.

Whether it takes two lessons or several months, the opportunities can be provided to ensure that goals or objectives are met before moving on.

It is wonderful to see the way the students at New Hope enjoy their time at school. They are supportive of one another and enjoy each other’s company. The students benefit from a small class size as well as the support of a teacher and a teacher assistant. They also benefit greatly from opportunities to join with the Pacific Hills community for activities such as assemblies and carnivals. A wonderful group of Year 8 students visit New Hope School each fortnight for devotions and our students express a great excitement in anticipation of their arrival. Particular students from Pacific Hills also choose to visit the New Hope School space at recess and lunchtimes. Their compassion and kindness is a credit to each of them.

SPRING 2015 / 07

Powered By The Sun Pacific Hills Photovoltaic System

FAST FACTS

PV System Power This system is one of the largest to be installed on a school in NSW.

90,000 KWp

106,800 KWp

113.2

Annual Production Online system monitoring gives real-time performance data, which is used by our students as a tool to understand how the system is working.

Tons per Annum

PHCS Solar In November 2014 Pacific Hills installed an 90 KW Solar PV System.

CO2 Avoided The system consists of 320 CSUN solar panels married with 5 German engineered SMA inverters.

sustainability PACIFIC HILLS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL WILL SAVE ON ENERGY FOR MANY YEARS TO COME Annette Cadwallader Head of Junior School, Pacific Hills Caring for our world is a mandate from God. The first book of the Bible reveals the order of God’s creation and then Genesis 1:26 declares the responsibility that humankind has been given to protect, support and care for the wellbeing of creation.

In Junior School, students study aspects of Sustainability through many of their HSIE/Geography lessons resulting in an understanding of both God’s world and God’s call

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on their lives to share in caring for it. They are taught that sustainability means finding the best ways to save our planet from negative impact and how to be an active participant.

Junior School students and staff have joined with the wider Pacific Hills community in actively promoting sustainability through several ventures that are operating.

There are numerous solar panels on some of our Junior School classroom rooves as well as across the whole school. The School received a grant for a 10KW system and self-funded an additional 80KW in order to consider the environment and make savings on energy costs. The system is one of the largest to be installed on a school in NSW. The School is able to monitor the electrical savings online. As well, the company that provided the system has ongoing system monitoring and report to us on a regular basis. In this way Pacific Hills Christian School will save on energy for many years to come. The company is also working closely with Pacific Hills carrying out talks with students to help them learn more about the operation of the system and the overall benefits of solar power.

Crunch and Sip was introduced to Junior School last year

whereby students are encouraged to bring a piece of fruit or vegetable to munch on prior to morning tea and also to sip water. Many students do not eat sufficient roughage and this is a healthy eating initiative that many schools have introduced. After eating, the students place their leftovers in the Crunch and Sip buckets. This year, Year 3 students have taken it upon themselves to collect these buckets each day and empty them into a large compost bin. Our cleaning staff wash the bins ready for the next day. The culmination occurs when the compost bin is taken to a nearby farm for decomposition. The contents are used as fertiliser for gardens and farms providing goodness for the soil. The benefits from this program not only enhance the soil but also allow students to see that left over fruit and vegetables which could be considered as waste to be thrown out, is actually recycled to provide much needed nutrients. In this way students have put into action both sustainability, healthy eating and recycling.

Recycling of the paper that is used in Junior School is encouraged in every classroom. With bins placed in various areas around Junior School the staff instruct each student to place paper, cardboard etc, that is no longer needed,

into these bins. Several areas such as the Junior School Office have shredders available for staff to shed their unwanted documents this is also sent to the recycling bins.

The School sends this paper to a plant that recycles it into a variety of paper products. This is part of a whole school effort and many tons of paper are sent for recycling every year. Added to this, the Junior School is part of the whole school initiative to save paper by roll marking on iPads rather than the paper version that operated up until last year.

Many teachers now use online learning with their students as this saves the necessity to provide paper copies.

Homework is also online in a number of subjects as well as being marked on line. Encouraging remarks or aspects needing correction may also be done by the teacher through this technology.

Sustainability in Junior School is ongoing and teachers encourage their students to think beyond the here and now and explore new and better ways of supporting our environment. Thus, we can all unite and make God’s world the very best place possible.

SPRING 2015 / 09

sustainability & the middle school garden club WE HAVE LEARNT THAT THE WAY WE RECYCLE CAN CHANGE THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT Jason Mok Middle School, Pacific Hills The Middle School Garden Club students have had a great time meeting regularly throughout the School year. We have been learning lots about gardening, sustainability and recycling. We have enjoyed getting our hands dirty and watching plants grow, survive, thrive, go to seed and occasionally die. It has been so much fun playing with worms and learning about all their benefits for the garden.

We have smelt the disgusting scents of cow manure and Rooster Booster; this has helped us understand why so many house gardens absolutely reek in Spring – the gardeners are trying to feed their plants extra nutrients and minerals to be ready for the amazing display of colours and smells during September and November.

It has been such a blessing having Bunnings Dural engage with our learning on a regular basis, along with Hornsby Council who support us in the Ready Steady Grow Program. All of this input and learning has strengthened

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our Crunch and Sip program – encouraging us to make healthier choices for snack foods and for what we drink. The composting system is teaching us lots about sustainability and recycling – you may be surprised to know that 40% of the average red bin household garbage is comprised of food waste that is full of nutrients and goodies for the soil.

Gardening Club hasn’t limited itself to gardening only, it has morphed into using the things we have grown.

Occasionally, Mr Mok has set up Mok Kitchen, and cooked something from the garden, or shared some special things for us to eat – the food has been very yummy. We have tasted a cold roast chicken salad with cos lettuce, fresh watermelon, butternut pumpkin soup, fresh cucumber slices, and all the tomatoes that we could ever want to eat, both yellow and red ones. If we ever forget to brush our teeth, Mr Mok has even let us use the mint leaves to rub on our teeth. It is delicious. More recently, our snow peas and shallots have been really yummy, albeit a little hot.

It was a shame when possums pilfered the first harvest of mandarins, passionfruit and lemonades. The fruit was almost ready to be plucked.

Gardening Club carried out an inaugural Middle School Health Challenge – this was to see how many push ups we could do in three minutes. This was a real challenge and many students became involved. Mr Mok organised some QR codes for us to log our results into a Google Doc. In the end Rebel Sport Castle Hill came and donated some prizes to students and staff who showed the most significant improvement and strength. Some students and staff even managed over 100 push-ups in three minutes. Well done!

We look forward to seeing what the next Middle School Health Challenge will be.

Here are some of Garden Club members’ reflections on

their gardening experiences: Shakina T - 5M: We have been putting our food scraps in the compost bin and watching them be eaten by worms.

Kara O - 5M: I have enjoyed watering and eating some of the food in the garden. I’ve learnt about how to compost.

Mikayla K - 5M: Hanging out with friends, gardening, having fresh fruits and vegetables has been fun. Doing the push up challenge and having the Bunnings people come was great too.

Amber J - 5F: I have learnt that a lot of the plants in this world need worms.

Petra F - 5F: We have learnt that the way we recycle can change the impact on the environment. We’ve also learnt not to eat raw shallots.

Alecia K - 5M: I have learnt how to compost and how to take care of the environment and plants with friends.

Smoon C - 5F: I’ve been learning to compost.

Annie X - 5F: I am a newcomer so I have not gained too much experience yet, so far I have learnt to collect garden scraps from all over MS for the compost bin.

Jemima H - 5F: I enjoy planting new things and learning new things – like how Hornsby Shire Council come to us and teach us new things.

Tahlia S - 5F: I have learnt that compost takes about 6 months to become good compost. I’ve also been taught about our health and that there are so many different ways to save money by having a garden. We have been recycling by putting cardboard in the compost bin and old sheets of paper that is not needed and by putting some stuff from the recycling bin into the worm farm or compost bin.

Vionna W - 5F: We get this springy thing and we aerate the compost bins. We have to water it to keep it moist and check that there are worms that are alive.

Brooke C - 5F: It has been fun and informative when Bunnings Dural visit our club.

Emma D - 5F: We have been recycling by feeding our worms and making compost.

Caitlyn V - 5F: We have been making compost to recycle food and garden scraps. I also liked when Bunnings came and when we did the push up challenge.

Katherine D - 5F: Bunnings came and helped us learn more about gardens and how to care for them. I also enjoyed it when Mok Kitchen was set up. Yummy!

Lucy L - 5F: I have learnt about gardens and how to compost and how to look after a worm farm. I’ve also learnt that flowers have gender. We have been recycling food scraps like apple cores, banana peels and also garden waste. We made pots out of plastic milk, juice and soft drink bottles. Garden Club taught me so many things about gardens and this is very useful to look after my home garden. I love to plant things and I hope that we even get to go on an excursion.

Jennavive L - 5F: I’ve learnt so much about looking after a garden. If I had a garden of my own I would like to plant flowers around the vegetables.

James P - 5E: Learning to plant. To smell the nice smells of the compost – earthy and nice smelling and not disgusting at all.

Josh T - 7P: We have learnt about what can and can’t go in compost and what we can do to prevent it from drying out or smelling bad.

SPRING 2015 / 11

life adventures A NEW LOCATION, WITH A NEW SET OF ACTIVITIES HAD ENCOURAGED AND ENABLED A BEAUTIFUL DYNAMIC OF COMMUNITY David Johnston Principal, Pacific Valley Pacific Valley Junior School students returned bubbling over with enthusiasm, pleasure and the pure joy of living life. Camp had clearly being a mountain top experience for both them and the staff. As they clambered off the bus they were bursting to tell anyone who would listen all about what they had done and learnt. A new campsite, in a new location, with a new set of activities had encouraged and enabled a beautiful dynamic of community.

The most immediate news was how amazing the Commando obstacle course had been, perhaps not surprising given the amount of mud involved. However, it was also one of the first activities that the staff reflected on as well. Not because of the mud, but because of the way it encouraged real teamwork and community membership. If the whole group didn’t all finish then the timer just kept on going. The staff had the pleasure

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of observing the students quickly change from being competitive to supporting, and helping each other and celebrating as each group member completed the course.

The next activity that quickly surfaced in the story telling was the Mega Drop. The Mega Drop, for those of you new to challenge by choice activities, requires climbing to the top of a 12 metre electrical pole on metal staples embedded into the pole. At the top is a small platform which you then jump off and trust a harness system to lower you safely back to the ground. The 12 metres is more than enough height to stretch most of us. The reason the students were so excited about the activity was that they had successfully encouraged all of their teachers to make the jump. It was very funny to hear about the motivational yelling that they engaged in to encourage each of the staff members to actually jump, I believe at least one of them froze at the top for a little while.

Finally I was excited to hear from the students what they had been learning about from God’s Word. Indeed some of them were so keen that one of their earliest questions to Mrs Hackfath was “When are we going to use our Bibles?”

I know that a number of them took notes about what Mr Buckley shared with them. Perhaps most significantly they were able to explain how the activities they had enjoyed so clearly linked with, and provided concrete examples of, the truths of who God is and what He desires for us.

Each year as our students experience camp I am reminded of how much we have to be thankful for. So as you continue to pray for Pacific Valley please join with me in thankfulness for the safe and vibrant time of community that our students were blessed with and ask that Christ may be the ongoing centre and foundation of all that we do.

good grief THERE IS A BITTERSWEET BEAUTY TO BE CHERISHED IN THESE MANY SMALL REMINDERS Lauren Graham School Counsellor, Pacific Hills I recently lost my beloved grandfather. He was eighty eight years old and had been in a state of declining health for many years, and yet it was still such a sad shock.

There is something inherently incomprehensible about the fracture in relationship that death brings. Even though we know it well to be one of life’s most certain eventualities, which we must all face; when someone we love dies, it is always deeply distressing and incredibly sad. Quite simply, it just feels wrong.

may manifest in various forms depending upon who and where we are in our life journey at the time it comes - it is undeniable that there is a ”process” we all go through when our lives are touched by death.

Whether we grieve with tears or words, connection or withdrawal; each one of us needs to find a way to remember the person who has died, reflect upon what this relationship meant, honour the memories that were shared, and say goodbye in a way that is meaningful.

Helping our children to understand death and grief can be extremely hard, but is so important. Sharing stories, memories and even tears, as a family, can help each person to process what has happened, and the very real impact not only on themselves but on one another.

For me recently, it was looking at and showing my children photographs of my grandfather, throughout his life, that allowed me to reflect upon and remember treasured memories from years gone by. Sharing these with my son and daughter, allowed them to see different facets of who my grandfather was and of the varied moments and experiences that comprised his earthly life.

Personally, were it not for the hope in Christ of life eternal beyond the grave, I am not sure how I could make sense of such loss, or of the fleeting nature of life here on earth… As the Bible states so poetically, we are all but a breath… We are gone so soon.

Indeed, for young children to see old photos of people they have only ever known as elderly, can bring a beautiful deepening of their understanding of life’s journey and an appreciation for the fullness and significance of the life that has been lost. Similarly, involving children in funerals or memorial services can be a healthy and helpful way for them to move towards an understanding of death and grief, rather than a fear of it.

In the initial days of grief, it often feels surreal to conceptualise a world, a life, a version of reality where our loved one is no longer there. The more involved that person was in our life, the more we notice their absence and feel the pain of their loss. Getting used to all of these changes and readjustments can be so very difficult…and it usually takes time.

It has been a few months now since we farewelled my grandfather, but most days I still find myself thinking of him. Certain moments bring back memories and certain traditions will always bear his mark. And yet, there is a bittersweet beauty to be cherished in these many small reminders, for it is through them that he remains both on my mind and in my heart.

Indeed, grief is such a common, yet complex process.

It confronts us, often unexpectedly, and captures our thoughts, feelings and actions.

There is an anonymous quote about grief which aptly describes this painful yet precious process so well…, “Grief never ends, but it changes. It is a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith…It is the price of love.”

Whilst we all experience grief differently, and whilst it

SPRING 2015 / 13

sacred ground STORIES FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE BUNDJALUNG NATION WERE RETOLD Jo Allen Pacific Coast Eighteen students from Pacific Coast Christian School performed cultural dance and entertained Richmond Christian College during their recent NAIDOC assembly.

The theme for 2015 NAIDOC celebrations is Sacred Ground and the young people, ranging from Kindergarten to Year 8, explained and demonstrated the importance of Country in Aboriginal culture. While the Pacific Coast students all attend the same school and all speak fluent English they also represent many different Aboriginal nations from throughout Australia and for many of these children their language is still alive.

Andrew Stubbs and Hezzy Cora proudly greeted the assembly in their language and shared that Jesus loves

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each student and that His word is true.

Stories from the beginning of the Bundjalung Nation were retold through drama and photographic presentation.

Chloe Allen compered the afternoon ensuring all students were on cue to take part. The audience heard of the first Aboriginal to enter federal politics, Sir Neville Bonner (28 March 1922 – 5 February 1999) and his humble beginnings.

He was born under a Palm tree on Ukerabagh Island at the mouth of the Tweed River. His family attended Lismore South Primary School for one day before being asked to leave as other families refused to allow their sons and daughters to attend the same school as Aboriginal children.

The history of the first settlers to arrive in the Tweed region was retold. These loggers noticed the Aboriginal people inhaling tea tree scent to cure colds and rubbing the crushed leaves into sores to ward off infections. This became an excellent remedy to the early settlers who had minimal medicines with them and who suffered from infections as a result of timber felling accidents, insect bites and the humidity.

The students are to be commended for the manner in which they proudly performed and shared the gospel through culture. Mrs Stubbs scripted the program with support on the day by Jo Allen and Mr Stubbs. The Principal of Richmond Christian College, Mr Gary Binks, along with Mr Kevin Hogan MP, congratulated our students for teaching them some of our shared history and for

Assistant Principal Patrick Donnelly

This is my thirteenth year working in Christian Schooling and my time at Pacific Coast has served to enhance and deepen my understanding of what this entails. My abiding hope in the years ahead is to see the lives of our students transformed through a revelation of God and His unique purpose for their lives.

As a Christian school, we are fundamentally different in terms of what guides our teaching. As the secular and Christian worldview is so conflicting and incompatible, this will often mean guiding the choices of students while at the same time encouraging self-discipline. The Bible states that: “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, to teach children without explicit reference to God’s Word would deny them the fundamental truths that help them make sense of the world around them. In this way, students grow in wisdom and character and learn to see their true identity in Jesus, not merely the secular world.

Head of Senior School Doug Zylstra

My first experience of school was in Western Kenya.

The students in this community made their own desks and brought them to school in order to learn. I believe that each child has been made in the image of God, our heavenly Father, and has been given unique gifts which they can use both in their own lives and to contribute to their community. I would like to assist the students to hone and refine their talents, supporting each student to develop their potential. I have taught in a variety of Christian and public schools in both New Zealand and Australia, pastored a congregation in New Zealand, and have also served on the Panel Chair for Modern History in Brisbane North. I am excited to be part of the Pacific Coast Christian School journey and vision of providing Christian education in the Tweed community. educating the audience with a professional performance.

The students also performed at both the Opening and Closing ceremony at the Pacific Coast NAIDOC day celebrations held on 25th August.

COAST LEADERSHIP Principal Mr Ben Krahe

I was recently given a book to read called Together Alive – Rediscovering the lost art of living in community by Lam Kuo Yung. It is a small but very thought provoking book about how we can rediscover the ability to live in community with each other. At Pacific Coast Christian School our aim is to help our students, staff and families develop and use their gifts to serve each other and glorify God in Christian community. We aim to develop and assist students with achieving their academic, physical, emotional, social and spiritual goals.

However, our main difference is that we want to work in partnership with parents to help students discover and develop the gifts God has given them. We are all gifted in different ways and these gifts are distributed by God to use in community to serve each other and glorify God. 1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Head of Junior School Klaus Knobloch

I believe that God has given each student gifts and talents that need to be developed and exercised, to serve one another in unity, bringing glory to our Heavenly Father. As a community of learners, we aim to intentionally grow an authentic love and respect for God in our students while seeking to further His kingdom by impacting society through knowledge, leadership and service.

Our school’s mercy, grace and justice-based culture is founded on Biblical values that directly impact on how we interrelate with parents, pupils, staff and the wider community.

As I look back at my own schooling years in Germany, I can still remember the teachers I liked. These were teachers who wanted to know me as a person, who actively worked on creating a meaningful relationship with their students. This helped me to work on my character and it also gave me a sense of hope.

As a husband and also a father of four children, I am passionate about students discovering the ‘Father’s Heart’; to acknowledge, to understand and to have a deep relationship with our Heavenly Father and His unconditional love for each student and each one of us.

The Bible states, “Be steadfast and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18

SPRING 2015 / 15

community service WHOEVER WANTS TO BECOME GREAT AMONG YOU MUST BE YOUR SERVANT Steve Grice Head of Senior School, Pacific Hills Community Service Day is one of the highlights of the Senior School calendar each year.

It is a day where Senior School as a whole move out of the classroom environment and spend time relating and serving others within both our local and wider Sydney area. In Term 1 this year, our students served at 20 different organisations in the Sydney area.

Some of these organisations include:

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Dural Baptist Church The Ponds School Newtown Mission Swain Gardens – Ku-ring-gai Some of the activities the students were involved in included: packing of boxes for charity fund raising initiatives, gardening and yard maintenance, working with children including those with disabilities, working with the elderly and running music performances.

I’m sure most adults acknowledge that an opportunity such as this is a great experience in which students can participate. However, how do the students view this chance to serve?

Here are some student quotes: “The experience was confronting at times and a full time job there would require a lot of patience and understanding. We came from there happy that we were able to help out and bless another school community with our talents and time.”

Samaritan’s Purse

“It was a real privilege to be involved in such a practical and worthwhile Community Service Day.”

The Hills Special School

“We still had a great time doing what we love... serving the

Lord in an unknown environment.”

“The students commented about the contrast between the poverty and homelessness and the extravagant wealth a few blocks away.”

“It was great to see everyone work together as a team for a common purpose and goal.”

“The boys were impacted greatly and encouraged to look outside their own circle of friends to serve God in a sacrificial manner.”

Service is clearly a priority at Pacific Hills as evidenced through our extensive missions program. However, we also acknowledge that there is a great opportunity to serve our local community. Further, I believe that authentic Christianity is demonstrated by the way in which your faith impacts or changes your life. Hence, as Christians we should allow God’s Word to transform who we are, as Paul writes in Romans 12. God, through His Word, teaches about the principle of service: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider

others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-4 “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:43-45 It is through serving others we can demonstrate humility and compassion hence revealing God’s love to those we meet.

However, service is not just important to us because we are a Christian community. Rather, we believe service produces better people. That is, people who have a better understanding of how to live as part of a community and people who are concerned about others. Consequently, we don’t aim for our students to perform well academically for their own sake, but rather for the sake of others. All careers exist to work with and serve others, therefore as educators we are preparing our students to enter the community to serve. Consequently, service should be integral to the school experience.

Therefore, we believe Community Service Day is a valuable part of both Christian and academic development and hence will continue to be an integral part of Senior School.

SPRING 2015 / 17

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sport

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NSW JUNIOR OPEN TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS Congratulations to Year 7 students, James Kim & Daniel Ra, who recently competed in the NSW Junior Open Table Tennis Championships held at the Olympic Sports Hall on July 19.

Both of the boys were selected as NSW State Team members and reached the semi-finals James in the A Team and Daniel in the B Team.

Each team consists of four State Team members.

James & Daniel will both compete at the 2015 Australian Junior Championships to be held in Adelaide from 26 September to 3 October.

This championship is also a place from where Australian Junior National players are selected.

All the best to the boys and their families.

FUTSALROO - GLEN KELSHAW Class of ’12 (2000-2012) Congratulations on your selection to represent Australia in Futsal and in being part of the winning team in the Oceania Tournament.

Tell us about your journey to make it to this level.

I started playing futsal when I was 8 years old, representing both Pacific Hills and also Dural Warriors. I’ve been playing for them for over 10 years and have now been part of Men’s team for a couple of years travelling all around Australia. During this time I have represented NSW in State titles each year, this has lead to my selection in the Australian Futsal team.

What’s next in terms of Futsal for you?

I hope to be selected in the upcoming 2015 AFF Futsal Championship to be held in Thailand in October.

What’s your training regime?

We train as part of the Futsalroos team every Sunday from the 16th of August to the 4th of October with a morning session and afternoon session preparing for the AFF Championships. I have also started to train with the Dural warriors every Thursday to prepare for our upcoming summer Premier League competition.

representing CSSA and CIS in several of these sports.

What are your goals and ambitions in Futsal?

My goal is to continue to represent my country and secure my position in the team for the future. I would love to be part of the team in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and hopefully make it to the World Cup in Columbia in 2017.

What are your fondest memories of being at Pacific Hills?

Spending time with mates while playing sport during, as well as after, school activities for Pacific Hills. Year 12 was a highlight for me as I excelled in my sporting achievements and our grade became a tight knit group.

What sporting involvement did you have at Pacific Hills?

I was involved in many sports throughout my 13 years at Pacific Hills, participating in Soccer, Futsal, Cross Country, Touch Football and Cricket while

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What have you been doing since you left School?

I have been training heaps for Futsal and outdoor soccer as well as studying a Bachelor of Health and Movement at Australian College Of Physical Education

What advice would you offer to current students to achieve their sporting dreams?

My advice would be to never give up, even when times are tough, to keep working and train hard.

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sport

MEET ANGUS SPICER What motivates you as a Christian to succeed in Rugby Union?

To compete fairly, honestly and leading by example.

Rugby Union can be a very physical and tough game played by very strong individuals. It is important to lead by example and show that you can play competitively with integrity.

Do you have a favourite Bible verse you would like to share with us?

Psalm 23 (see opposite) When and where did you start playing Rugby Union?

Under 8s for Dural and District Rugby Union Club Who would you say has had the biggest influence on your Rugby Union career?

My family and coaches over the years have all contributed to various parts of my game – improving me every year.

What are some of your achievements and highlights so far?

I have played representative rugby union for Eastwood, Western Zone and Sydney for over three years. The highlight would be being elected Captain of the Under 17s this year. I feel honoured and very humbled by this experience and I hope I have lived up to their expectations.

What lies ahead next year for you and Rugby Union?

I have been asked by a few first grade coaches from various districts to play in their 1st Grade Colts teams next year. I have to make a tough decision on who to play for. I am also trying to get in to the Waratahs’ Academy to further my rugby union career and hopefully be a Wallaby one day. I am undecided as to what I want to do career wise, however, landscape architecture is appealing to me at the moment.

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The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

SPRING 2015 / 19

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