Pacific Streams Spring 2013

Spring 2013

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

UNDER PRESSURE • NAIDOC DAY MOREE MISSION • A YOUNG WRITER SHOWCASED

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School Days

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Time for Everything

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Wilderness & Transitions

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Being a Historymaker

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A Place to Call Home

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New Horizons

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Under Pressure

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Moree Mission

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NAIDOC Day

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Showcase

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Sport

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The Story so Far...

ON THE COVER Mr Mok & Mr Waterhouse

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

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1.

Ordinary people, even children, can and do stand against powerful empires.

2.

The ‘Disney of the East’ had his mouse ears stripped.

3.

The world doesn’t lack food or water or shelter. Just the ability to distribute these resources evenly.

4.

You can do something about chronic, low-level anxiety. Mr Evans shows you how.

5.

Kangaroo tail is sometimes on the menu at Pacific Coast Christian School.

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03 SPRING 2013

School Days THINGS THAT HAPPENED

Drama Smiling stimulates our brain’s reward mechanisms in a way that even chocolate, a well-regarded pleasure-inducer, cannot match. We bring you smiles made by Year 9 Clowns and your brain’s reward mechanism.

We Love History Week William Wallace strode through Middle School during History Week and Medieval Day. Word was he triumphed at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. English Knights kept a low profile on the day.

Fusion Fusion ‘13 Exhibition and Performance Night was again a favourite night for us all to meet.

Past Students, present students, families and the stars of the night, our slightly stressed out Year 12 students.

CSSA State Athletics It’s not school without sport and sporting carnivals. All the Pacific Hills Schools were represented at CSSA State Athletics. Here is Courtney Hart, a 400 metre runner from Pacific Coast.

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Book Week Here’s a reason to smile some more.

Charming, happy winners of the Book Week colouring competition. Once upon a time… we all coloured in.

A Time

for everything DR EJ BOYCE PRINCIPAL

At this time of the year as we come towards Spring, we are reminded of our changing environment, as blossoms take the place of bare branches and as the dormancy of winter is replaced by the return to the warmth and vibrancy that is Spring and Summer. These changes may affect our psyche, our physical habits, even our clothing and footwear, and the way we spend our leisure hours.

The seasons of life for each one of us are not always understood or appreciated but we just live life. Yet for each of us there is early childhood, and then the years of adolescence, and young adulthood, followed by what is called middle age and then the senior years of life.

At different points in these seasons we can live through great excitement and deep tragedy, times of friendship forming, and loss of friendship. We can have times of anticipation and reflection and hopes and dreams and fears and disappointments. In the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible, we learn from the writer about the seasons of life and the time that is given to each season. Indeed Chapter 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”. Then in Chapter 3:11, “God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of people; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end”.

We are drawn to the One who is unchanged and unchanging, our great God. Although God is in time and space where we exist, He is also beyond time and beyond space. In the end we need to have faith. As Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him”. Therefore, we as human beings must come to the point of trusting God, acknowledging His provision in the various stages of life, and in the various circumstances in which we live. In knowing God therefore, we can have fulfilment and contentment despite the changes that are the lot of our humanness and our lives on the Earth.

It is of great importance that we teach the new generation to trust God by knowing Him, loving Him and worshipping Him. In these ways our young people will have the Rock, which is God with us, through all the vicissitudes of living in our humanity. As parents and as significant others in the lives of young people, there are many times that we would like to protect our children from the harshness of living, but in many cases that is not possible. Therefore, we must teach our children, by our example and by our training of them, that they can have assurance and a certain hope in their lives as they trust in God by obeying His commands. As caring parents and teachers we cannot always be there to save those under our care, but God is always there. We need to encourage our children to believe in Him and to be followers of His Son in order for them to live with hope, peace, joy and love in their lives.

Therefore, the seasons of life will neither be daunting nor disappointing.

Rather the seasons of life will be lived in acceptance of God’s will and purpose and in God’s strength by His grace. Therefore, our children will be blessed by God as they trust in Him and will be a blessing to others as they reflect the teachings of the Bible in their personal lives and in their relationships with others. The early Church Fathers said it well, “The end of being human is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”. So for us as Christians the seasons of life are just that; they are just seasons.

A life lived for God and under God’s authority, is a life lived well and purposefully and contentedly.

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SPRING 2013

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t a recent Leaders Conference in Hobart (August 7 - 9) I had the privilege of hearing the story of Sheridan Voysey and why he and his wife now live in Oxford, England.

To many of us Sheridan Voysey is the author of the Open House books, radio presenter and a voice for the marginalised. I have his books, I’ve listened to him on night talk back radio and I am a fan!

I sat eagerly at my table with eight other leaders from all over the country, waiting to see him, waiting to hear him. The devotional speaker preceding Sheridan had asked the question, “What will it take for you to listen today?” Listen to what God is wanting you to hear.

So, maybe, it would be Sheridan to whom I should listen?

Sheridan arrived and sat at our table, waiting to be invited to the stage. A tall, lean man who looked every bit like a cool dude

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from Oxford. He sprang to the stage and began his story. He was real, he was authentic and he was courageous. He lay down the longings of his heart and spoke of ten years in the wilderness. A wilderness of expectations and disappointments. A wilderness of broken dreams.

Then, he asked: So what is your broken dream? Is it a broken marriage, broken relationships, broken careers, broken children, broken health, broken finances.

He paused and looking at the audience intently explained that we all have a wilderness experience.

In our wilderness experience, our broken dreams can cause cycles of expectation and then disappointment. Our Lord is with us in this brokenness and the Bible is where we find that this wilderness experience is a place of revelation.

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the

wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. Deuteronomy 8:2 My thoughts were hanging there like a cloud. I asked myself, “So God is wanting to see my heart?

He is testing me?” I had to affirm that I’m not so nice when I’m in the times of the wilderness. The wilderness is a place of revelation.

I see a person who is angry and full of self-pity. I see a person who knows God but has a problem with pain and sorrow. My curiosity is aroused and I’m engaged in his story.

Then comes this unusual statement. “The wilderness is a place of provision”. Sheridan reminded us that when the Israelites were in the desert they were fed every day and their clothes did not wear out. A clear reminder that God is with us, sustaining us for His purposes. We

Dr Tina Lamont Principal Pacific Coast Christian School

are becoming humble.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known... Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.

Deuteronomy 8: 3-4 Sheridan added that the wilderness is a place of discovery. This wilderness experience will strip us of our identity. We may lose what is important to us. We will gain what is important to God. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so The Lord your God disciplines you.

Deuteronomy 8: 5 So, I’m thinking of the song: ‘Who am I’ by Casting Crowns. In all of this, who am I? I’m God’s child.

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth Would care to know my name Would care to feel my hurt

Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star Would choose to light the way For my ever wandering heart

Whom shall I fear Whom shall I fear ‘Cause I am Yours I am Yours

Not because of who I am But because of what You’ve done Not because of what I’ve done But because of who You are

Sheridan concluded that: The wilderness is a place of transition and after the wilderness is a new beginning.

I am a flower quickly fading Here today and gone tomorrow A wave tossed in the ocean Vapor in the wind Still You hear me when I’m calling Lord, You catch me when I’m falling And You’ve told me who I am I am Yours, I am Yours

Observe the commands of The Lord your God, walking in his ways and revering him. For The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land... Deuteronomy 8: 6-7

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin Would look on me with love and watch me rise again Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea Would call out through the rain And calm the storm in me I am Yours

At the end of the talk, I sat in admiration. This man had shared the longings of his heart and how hard his journey had been over the last ten years. He can look back at what he learned in the wilderness and is a witness to the fact that a broken dream does not define us.

What defines us is Jesus. He loves, He cares and He wants us for His own. He died for us.

To read Sheridan’s book, Resurrection Year, you can buy it on line or hard copy or e-book. www.sheridanvoysey.com @ sheridanvoysey#resurrectionyear

07 SPRING 2013

Rev. Han Kim Love Fellowship Church

This year God called my son, Joshua (6R), to stand in the gap between the nations as a peacemaker. In April, Josh and five other students who attend Pacific Hills Christian school, together with their parents, were in the border city between China and North Korea. They were praying and weeping over the country where the most severe persecution is happening at this time. In July, Josh was on another overseas flight making his way to Delhi in order to go to the border city between India and Pakistan.

There he marched, praying for peace between two countries, with nearly 600 other teenagers from the USA and Korea and other nations. Many local Christians bravely joined the peace march. My wife and I however found these trips quite challenging because many people were concerned about the unstable situations that exist in these regions. When clicking the international news updates we kept hearing of a severe weather condition - massive floods and record breaking high temperatures, outbreak of epidemic disease, national border security issues and so many risk factors. Our anxiety level rose high.

Then the Word of God came in the midst of our shaky business; “Didn’t I tell you that

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blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God? I have called your son into a historymaking journey.

Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?

Young ones are my beloved peacemakers.

Send him with blessing.” We got on our knees before God with total surrender. And joy began to overflow from and within our hearts. Jim Elliot was right in saying; “The will of God is always a bigger thing than we bargain for, but we must believe that whatever it involves, it is good, acceptable and perfect.” With our young generation at Pacific Hills we can see the living God as the God of history, the God of mission and the God of peace. The great story of our God is still in the making and so is yours.

History shows that empires rise and fall but God’s people stand. God raises up ordinary individuals to stand against powerful empires. Moses delivered the Israelites from slavery under the Egyptian ruling power. Daniel and his three friends refused to shrink back in the face of Babylon one of the most powerful empires in the ancient world. The disciples of Jesus Christ and Paul overcame the ruthless Roman empire with their faith in the power of the cross. Most Bible characters seemed to be drawn by God to experience ‘significant

insignificance’.

God is the ultimate historymaker. He made and sustains everything through His Son, Jesus. By faith in His Son people are brought out of the world not only to be saved but also to take part in the making of God’s story. The children at Pacific Hills are part of God’s story.

Today the world and its citizens are yearning for capable leaders. But God is looking for faithful followers in whom God’s power and love might be fully revealed. Two thousand years ago a blunt voice of God was resounding when Jesus said “Follow me” to His hearers. Back then not many people noticed it was a heavenly voice calling upon them to live a life of historymakers. Who would have thought Peter, James and John would be remembered by countless people on earth for the next two millenniums when they left their nets and boats behind to follow the young Jewish rabbi named Jesus?

God’s children have never been called to serve the vanity of empire’s ambitions. It is my prayer that in this critical time of history our students at Pacific Hills would radically commit themselves to following the voice of God, not that of the empires in our times

and that our educators continue encouraging our young ones to be relentlessly engaged in the broken parts of the world. Jesus made clear the destiny of His followers “...In me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 This voice of Jesus is still echoing to our ears. We are living in a time when there are countless incurable global problems, and the world is crying out in misery and despair. The whole earth is yearning for peace. Grab your smartphone and check the news updates now. The whole earth has been groaning since peace with God was stolen from humanity.

Truth has been hijacked in this increasingly pluralistic and adulterous world. Less and less space is reserved for the absolute truth to stand. There is an increasing number of false teachers to say what itching ears want to hear. People tend to take up new religious fads or innovative ideas that claim their ways to freedom. Jesus proclaimed, “Truth will set you free...I am the Truth, the Way and the Life.” Many of our generation are wandering aimlessly in confusion, frustration and deep isolation because we live in a world that confuses good and evil,

truth and lies, wisdom and deceit, justice and anger, and love and lust.

Today there are many countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith.

Believers in Afghanistan and Iran are facing constant death threats; Christians in Uzbekistan, Nigeria, Syria, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, Egypt and many other countries all around the world face violence, imprisonment and even death.

According to Open Door’s World Watch list North Korea remains the most nightmarish state in which to practice Christianity today, taking out the top spot amongst the world’s 50 most persecuted countries for the 11th year in a row. But here we don’t see or hear of it. We feel absolutely helpless and powerless facing all of these massive problems. Are there solutions?

I can’t think of any better ways than imagining what Jesus would have done in this peace-broken, truth-stolen world.

If Jesus were to come in our life time and to walk down our streets He would have raised up young ones by saying “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Then he would have headed toward the places where the peace of God is lost. Jesus would have said to our young generation, “Follow me. I will make you into historymakers and peacemakers.”

This may sound very blunt. We notice He is much like His Father who called Abraham into a seemingly absurd journey; “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing” Genesis 12:1-2.

Then Jesus, the relentless King, would have comforted the persecuted ones by saying “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” Matthew 5:10-11.

Rev. Han Kim is the founding and lead pastor of One In Love Fellowship Church in Glenhaven, which he and a group of young people planted with the vision of reaching for all nations. Han grew up in Seoul, Korea and moved to Newcastle, Australia in 1997. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Newcastle. He received his Master of Divinity from Morling College and joined the Faculty in 2012. He has a huge heart for worship and missions. Han is married to Kristy and they are proud parents of three children, Joshua, Joanne and Jodie.

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Looking for a place to call home A transcript of an assembly presentation

Imagine this – you are going to the snow, you have been waiting for this trip for so long and you are in the back seat of your family car. As the trip gets longer, you start to get colder, you sense that the snow is near, you’ve been travelling for hours, everyone is a bit agitated and bored.

After enduring the long trip you finally arrive. You can’t believe it, the snowfall is the highest ever recorded, soft snow and the weather is perfect. You look at the snowfield and you think to yourself, this is going to be legendary. But suddenly, you are told to get straight back in the car because you are heading back home. There is no reason, you can’t argue with it and the next thing you know, you are on your way home. There is no doubt that you will be feeling devastated and gutted. All that anticipation and excitement just turns into the biggest disappointment.

They set sail for days without food, water or a toilet. They arrive to the Australian shores see our beautiful coastline and to them, a new life opportunity is just before them. But suddenly, they are intercepted and told to go back to their world of violence. I cannot comprehend their level of disappointment and anguish. It would be devastating.

Well, we might be able to relate this feeling to the feelings of the asylum seekers that we see on television. Living in a war torn country filled with violence and death, the only glimmer of hope people can find is to seek refuge in another country. People somehow manage to gather the large sums of money the human traffickers demand to get on board the most atrocious boats.

Well unfortunately, our sins have made this problem. The world doesn’t lack food or water or shelter. We lack the ability to fairly distribute these resources evenly.

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Recently, I have been watching the TV series, “Go back to where you came from” broadcast by SBS. The show explores the lives of people in developing countries.

Just seeing the horrific, inhumane conditions people face every single day of their lives forced me to wonder how fair is it that I live a comfortable life, have good food to eat, a comfortable bed to sleep in every night while millions of people live in poverty.

As much as I would love to, you and I can’t change this inequality overnight. Australia unfortunately can’t just accept every single refugee who comes to the shore. This is why I encourage all of you to bridge this

Jemuel Wong Year 11 Student

inequality. We are the future; we hold the key to shape how our future is going to be. Every one of you is incredible, you are all special with your unique talents and gifts and with that you are able to change this world. In Romans 15:1 it says, “We who are strong in faith should help the weak with their weaknesses and not please only ourselves.” Do not waste this golden opportunity, don’t just leave it for the next generation because the weak need our help and they need it now.

Of course, you can say but I am still young.

I am not able to make a difference in this world just yet. Well you are wrong, because something is always better than nothing. You just never know how your contributions can shape the life of others.

And it’s not just people who suffer from the developing world problems who need our help. People among our society too are facing their own problems. It is our duty as the representatives of God to bridge the gap that is stopping the relationship between God and His people. I encourage all of you to live your lives missionally, serving God by helping His people who are in need and by connecting the unbelievers back to their true Lord, our God.

New Horizons at the Valley

David Johnston Principal Pacific Valley Christian School

One of the biggest privileges of being involved in Pacific Valley Christian School is seeing each of the new steps that God is blessing and enabling our school community to take as we grow. We love the opportunity that Pacific Streams provides for us to share our journey with the members of our entire group of schools.

An exciting new development this year has been the commencement of a Stage 5 Drama elective class. This has resulted in the School holding its first ever production for our local community. The class, along with interested students from the primary and secondary sections of the school, performed a dramatised version of the Wizard of Oz to a packed auditorium at the Maclean Civic Hall. The event was a wonderful success with staff and students already looking forward to what next year might hold.

Another step that we have taken is the purchase of an additional five acres of land to allow for the continued expansion of the school facilities. Once again we have received generous support to enable

this to happen. The added space will not only be a blessing for our students but also links strongly to the big picture of the school becoming a learning and activity hub for the local area. It is eagerly anticipated that over time we will develop facilities that will be a blessing and support to the performing arts, adult education and sports within the local community Our involvement in mission focused activities continues to grow.

Our Junior School students have already made visits to local nursing and retirement homes with more visits to occur next term. We have also had our first student (accompanying his father) combine with the mission team that went to Malawi during August. We love our students being encouraged to have an outward looking focus.

Over and above all is the knowledge that we have been greatly blessed by God. In light of this knowledge we are intentionally continuing to tell our story, so that in all things, all the praise and all the glory will be given to Him.

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SPRING 2013

Pressure, pushing down on me Pressing down on you, no man asks for Under Pressure Under Pressure - David Bowie

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Ray Evans School Counsellor & Chaplain

It sometimes seems like anxiety is everywhere. I see more and more students for anxiety; exam or test anxieties, relationship anxieties, performance anxieties on the stage or the playing field and anxieties concerning the future.

This really shouldn’t be a surprise as we live in a very anxious age; we are anxious about strangers flooding our shores, about our employment and our capacity to maintain our standard of living, about the perceived dangers in the streets, wars, new diseases, government controls and a myriad of other perceived dangers to life or its enjoyment. The irony is that by so many measures our lives are so much better than any generation of Australians before us. We live longer and keep better health. We are actually less likely to be the victims of violent crime or to have our possessions stolen. We can travel freely to most of the world in a way no previous generations could. We are actually less likely to be hurt or killed in almost any kind of accident. And yet we are by far the most anxious generation Australia has known and it is affecting our children the worst.

Partly this is because our expectations and hopes have risen so quickly that we feel we have so much more to lose. We are afraid of losing or not even getting things other generation couldn’t even dream of having. So we become anxious and our children become anxious.

As well, modern media and the rapid rate of the so-called ‘news cycle’ means we hear about so much more bad news and it keeps on churning over and over. In the news and current affair programs we encounter people’s pain and grief up close and personal but seldom hear how they overcame difficulties. It can seem like everything we hold dear could be lost in an instant. And so we become weary and constantly vigilant even when there are no reasonable immediate threats to us or those we love.

All this is hard enough for those of us who have years of experience to look back on and can remember how we experienced hard times but with God’s help and the support of friends and family we made it through and became stronger and wiser in the process. We have learnt to say, “This too will pass!” It is so much harder for a young person who is less able to filter all the stresses that flood our lives, courtesy of the media and the shared anxieties of social networks, to face a new challenge with a calm heart and mind. Just for starters they need the adults in their lives modelling good ways of reducing anxieties. We who have known God’s grace in our times of trouble in the past should model how we ‘cast all our cares on Him’ knowing that He cares for us.

Anxiety has been described as ‘slow burning fear’

and perfect love casts out fear. Our bodies have a built in emergency response called the ‘fight or flight response’. This occurs when the body switches from the parasympathetic nervous system to the sympathetic nervous system. Blood rushes to the limbs, the heart beats faster and harder, breathing becomes rapid and shallow, adrenaline courses through our veins as we prepare to run or stand and fight. This is only meant to be a temporary response because if it continues, we risk hurting our health. When the danger passes we go back to the “rest and digest” mode of the parasympathic nervous system where our body heals and maintains itself. The problem is if we have lots of little perceived dangers and fears we don’t go back to our proper rest mode and we suffer physically, psychologically and spiritually as our reserves become depleted and life becomes increasingly more challenging and more worrying.

We can, and should, approach this problem of chronic, low level anxiety at four levels; • At the physical level we can get better habits of sleep, eating and exercise and learn to do some simple relaxation exercises to break the physical feedback cycle of anxiety leading to less clear thinking leading to increased anxiety.

• At the cognitive level (thinking) we can learn to challenge anxious thoughts which are often exaggerated and misdirected. This is a skill a person must learn for themselves. It does no good to simply contradict another person’s fears. However, much can change if we can learn to challenge our own thoughts about whether something is really as pervasive in our lives, or will really have such long term effects or whether it is really out of our control, etc. (This is sometimes helped by working with a counsellor.)

• At the level of feelings (affect) it is important to include things in our daily routines that lift our inner selves such as music, laughter, beautiful stories or art and so on.

• Finally, at the level of spirit. The apostle John records that Jesus left as a gift to His people, His own peace. We need to spend time in His presence if we are to receive His peace. We need to be still and to know that God is God. God has never promised us a trouble free life. Stresses and strains, troubles and dangers will come but if we are able to meet them with a calm heart focussed on Christ it is possible to reduce the debilitating effects of anxiety.

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Moree Mission

Cheryl Hard Junior School Teachers’ Aide

On Sunday 30 June a team of 21 adults, students and family members joined together to represent Pacific Hills under the direction of the Junior School Sports Coordinator, Mr Justin Cox. Our mission was to build on the relationships already established with the community of Moree over the past seven years and to share the love of God with the local people. For Pacific Hills, this was our first opportunity to serve in the community of Moree.

Prior to setting out the team met on Sunday morning to worship together at the Salvation Army Church in Rouse Hill. From there we departed on two Salvation Army mini buses and headed to Moree. A nine hour drive through rain and dreary weather made the day quite long and we were relieved to arrive safely at our destination late on Sunday night.

Monday morning we woke to a beautiful sunny day. After a time of prayerful planning and preparation we set out to explore the community and shop for essentials needed for the week ahead.

In the afternoon we drove out to Myall Creek to familiarise ourselves with the local history and to appreciate the journey Indigenous and Non Indigenous Australians have travelled together. We visited the site of the Myall Creek Massacre which took place on Sunday 10 June 1838. This is a significant historical event, as it is the only time in Australia’s history that white men were arrested and charged for violence against Aboriginal people.

Many years later the Myall Creek Memorial Walk was built together

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with all the descendants, including Indigenous and Non Indigenous Australians. It was a privilege to walk, read, reflect and pray over the early history of the area as a team.

Over the next four days the community children were entrusted to us as we ran a morning and evening school holiday program which included breakfast, games, sport, craft, lunch, life lessons and coach’s interviews. Relationships with the children grew very quickly and it was great to be recognised by some of the locals when we visited the Moree Artesian Hot Spring Baths during one afternoon and then again in some of the local shops in the town centre. We will remember the many friends we made within the community and the lives we touched during the week. As always whenever we travel away on a mission trip, we were blessed. It was an honour for us to be involved in the lives of these precious children for a week.

The team would like to thank the Pacific Hills community for donations of prizes and equipment. Prizes were presented to ‘Players of the Day’ and it was wonderful to see the smiles on the faces of the recipients following each presentation.

Our team honoured God and Pacific Hills with their hard work and dedication during the week. We look forward to continued mission trips in the future and the opportunity for building relationships with the Moree Community.

NAIDOC Day

Joanne Allen Marketing Assistant Pacific Coast Christian School

On Monday 5th August God blessed Pacific Coast with a beautiful day. Members of the local community came to the school to share this special occasion with the students and staff. It was wonderful to have both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives along with a traditional dance troupe from both cultures.

assembly, felt the presence of God in a real and personal way.

It was an unforgettable experience. Nathan Green shared his testimony and he encouraged the students to keep close to God as they go through school and then on to further education or work.

During a whole school assembly it was very exciting to see some of the students participate in a number of activities, including dancing, with various groups from the community. We are thankful to God for placing people in our Tweed Heads Christian community like Indigenous Elder, Pastor Willie Dumas. Part of the message that Pastor Willie brought us was from Proverbs 29:18. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish’. It is so vital that as followers of Christ we focus on the word both reading and studying it to keep our vision focused on God Himself.

After the assembly the students took part in a number of workshops. These included boomerang throwing, painting, dancing and cooking kangaroo tail on the campfire. It was great to see all students getting involved, having fun and learning about the culture of the traditional owners of this great country.

Many of the Pacific Coast Indigenous students were blessed and encouraged by having the opportunity to share part of who they are with their classmates and teachers. This was a powerful occasion to see students interacting as God blessed both those that were sharing and those that were learning, equally.

The Ganggalah Church Worship team lead the School in a powerful spirit-filled amazing worship. It was awesome to join the students, staff, parents and members of the community in worshipping our God together. Many people, who attended the

The day was a success thanks to the huge effort by our High School teacher, Carol Stubbs along with her family. The School looks forward with expectation to NAIDOC 2014 and for what God will do.

15 SPRING 2013

Showcasing a Young Writer Mrs B Nunn Dean of Curriculum

Young Writers’ Showcase is the title of a book published each year by the NSW Board of Studies. It comprises a collection of 20 of the best pieces from the Higher School Certificate English Extension 2 Course. The book includes a range of critical and creative responses chosen from 2,500 candidates that attempt the challenging English Extension 2 Course. Kaitlin Nunn (Year 12, 2012) had her critical response, “Stripping the Mouse Ears from Miyazaki”, chosen for the 2012 edition.

Kaitlin chose to study Extension 2 English partly because it provided her with an opportunity to explore an area of personal interest. “I have always had an interest in Japanese cultural expression and in the anime of Miyazaki.

I was particularly interested in the cross cultural components of Japanese cinema and the ways in which western audiences read its cultural frames of meaning”. Her extended essay looked at the female villains in films such as “Spirited Away” and “Howls Moving Castle” and the ways in which the villains cannot simply be viewed in the same manner as Disney films, despite Miyazaki being dubbed ‘Disney of the East’.

“The great thing about English Extension 2 is that it relies on self directed learning. In my discussions with my mentors and other students I was able to refine my ideas. As a sustained research topic it helped me with planning and goal setting as it took over nine months to complete the Major Work.”

In recognition of Kaitlin’s achievement she was invited to a presentation at the State Library in July where the Minister for Education made a presentation to all students who had been chosen for this edition of Young Writers’ Showcase. It was a time to

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acknowledge the hard work of candidates from a range of schools across NSW and a wonderful celebration of a successful completion of the year’s work.

Kaitlin was one of seven Pacific Hills’ students who completed the course.

During the year, students were involved in trips to the State Library as part of developing the research base of their piece, study groups, discussions with mentors and numerous drafts and redrafts.

As a group they achieved outstanding results with 58% of the class in the top band, E4, this was 35% above State average. Two students, Kaitlin and Thomas Sharpe, achieved a mark of 49/50.

Students from this cohort, apart from critical responses, also completed short stories and film. However, while these results are outstanding, the real value of the course, according to most students, is the personal stretch academically of achieving beyond what they expected, being able to design their own learning and to write in a form of their own choice.

Pacific Hills encourages all students to use their gifts and talents in the area of English to attempt this course, and it is a significant pathway for providing extension opportunities for gifted students. The school has had considerable success in the course which has been offered for the past 12 years. Kaitlin is the fourth Pacific Hills student to have their work published in a young writers showcase.

Previously students have had work published in 2003, 2007 and 2008. Students have been placed in the top 10 in NSW in 2002 and 2007.

Creativity is a wonderful gift from our Creator and it is exciting to see students at the school choosing to use the gifts they have been given.

CSSA Softball Congratulations to the Girls Open Softball Team that recently competed at the CSSA Softball Gala Day. With only half of the team having played Softball before, the girls rose to the challenge and were extremely competitive. With two wins, one loss and a draw, our girls finished in equal 2nd place, an amazing result. With accurate pitching, excellent catching and some strong batting our team deserved their second place result. Well done to all the girls on a fantastic day.

Team - Jessica Bajema, Gemma Cooper, Victoria Cooper, Brittany Dell, Amelia Dorey, Danielle Frigerio, Briana Glavinovic, Georgia Kirkegard, Naomi Kroll, Maddie Mahaffie, Hannah Payne.

Perisher or Bust!

On Tuesday 20 August Year 11 PDHPE students, staff and four Year 8 students, headed off to Jindabyne. The Year 11 students went to fulfil the outdoor recreation component of the Year 11 PDHPE Course. The Year 8 boys joined the group because they had missed out on Year 8 Ski camp due to other sport commitments. Of course all the students embraced the challenge of their Winter Sports adventure. After a slow start to the ski season many wondered whether conditions would improve sufficiently to provide the opportunity to learn new skills and refine old ones. As they departed for Jindabyne the news was all positive with more than a metre of snow falling in a matter of days. The slopes were covered in fresh white snow and the forecast was for more to come. In blizzard conditions the students covered themselves from head to toe with temperatures dropping to minus four degrees. Nevertheless, spirits were high and although visibility was limited everyone knew that the depth of snow meant a soft crash landing. The skiers returned to school with no serious injuries late on 23 August.

17 SPRING 2013

I

was appointed to the Science Staff of Pennant Hills Christian School in autumn 1982. Upon my arrival, I found a small, three year old fledgling school, meeting in the erstwhile bedrooms, hallways and kitchen of a two story Lutanda Childrens’ Home in Pennant Hills. There were three portables situated on the verge of a very dusty ‘adventure’ playground decorated with several brick piers lying in ruin from recently removed buildings.

meet the needs of growing staff and student numbers.

Facilities were crude and primitive as were the teaching programmes. The workload for staff was enormous but we were greatly blessed to have the services of a retired and very experienced High School Principal, Mr Ken Oliver, who wisely directed the school to a very successful inspection in 1983.

One of these portables served as a small science laboratory.

It was backed up by a versatile bathroom in the main building and included a sectioned off area for storing science equipment, including many donated glass jars that were used as beakers. Just as well the classes were small and only went to Year 9. The woodwork room was in the double garage of an old house on the same block.

All this seems to indicate a struggling time for the school.

But God’s guiding hand was always present and His encouragement sustained us all. Like the week the first teacher’s salary could not be met. Just the day before it was due a large donation was received so that payment could be made on time. Like the provision of Ken Oliver at a very critical inspection time. Like provision of a staff dedicated to Christian schooling, willing to go the extra mile with their teaching, assistance to colleagues and love of their students.

Primary age classes met in Lutanda’s bedrooms. This was a squeeze even though most classes had less than twenty students. Two other small rooms served as staff rooms. It seems that every year we swopped room functions around to

There was a real pioneering spirit that emanated from an excited community dedicated to a new concept, Christian education. This was a great blessing as we dealt with sparse facilities and a very heavy workload.

18

The school visibly came of age in 1986 when we moved to the present site in Round Corner and the name changed from Pennant Hills Christian School to Pacific Hills Christian School. The wonderful facilities are here for all our community to see and God’s gracious provision of bricks and concrete is obvious.

Also immediately obvious is the wonderful Christian community these physical blessings serve. There is a wonderful, friendly spirit of unity and collegiality about Pacific Hills. This reflects the spirit of Jesus.

The original Lutanda buildings have now given way to a housing development but the Christian spirit of Pacific Hills lives on and continues to grow in more rural surroundings.

I praise God that I have been part of this exciting journey.

Mr Stephen Hale Property Manager

A

s I reflect on 30 years of teaching at Pacific Hills I think also of two other long serving members of staff with whom I’ve shared this journey. Our Principal, Dr Boyce and Mr Stephen Hale, our Property Manager. The three of us together make a total of 90 years of commitment to the community.

I am most thankful to God for the privilege of teaching in an educational setting that is encased in a purposeful Christ centred framework. Many wonderful memories flood my mind that begin with the faithfulness of staff, parents and Board members who volunteered many hours of their time to support all aspects of the school operation. Resources were limited but this provided teacher creativity of an inordinate quality and diversity. For example, teaching music to the Infants with only a few triangles and clappers meant that body percussion and natural materials such as tree branches, stones and tree nuts became exciting musical instruments.

Parents, students and teachers utilised their talents and the results were two annual high quality musical spectaculars, brightly costumed, whose focus was always centred on the character of God. Our Infants/Primary play area was a dust bowl but the students, especially the boys, loved to run and kick the ball.

Often when I looked out of the staff room window I could hardly see the children playing because of the dust storm.

The boys would come back into class covered in a reddish dust but their enthusiasm for the dust bowl play experience was infectious.

The purchase of the land at Dural and the change of name to Pacific Hills Christian School were quite overwhelming. God provided this amazing site in beautiful Dural and the school building offered large, airy classrooms with natural light and plenty of much needed storage space. We met outside under the blazing sun beside the current JS play equipment area for our whole school assemblies each week and we kept thanking God for the beautiful location. When we grew in number our assemblies then moved to the front of the school. No one could enter or exit the school grounds during assembly time.

Without doubt, one of the most memorable experiences for me was the 1988 Bicentenary Celebrations. So many people volunteered their time to construct and practice the event, source, design, cut, post and sew the outfits for the hundreds of students involved across Australia. The impact of the event at the Royal Easter Show was everlasting as many friendships were cemented that will last a lifetime.

2 Peter 3:8 says, ‘With the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day’. As I look back over the past years it does, at times, seem just like yesterday that

I excitedly began my career at Pacific Hills, never believing I would experience life so abundantly. Many teachers have come and gone during my time at Pacific Hills and each has left an impression that has blessed me abundantly. My hope is that I can continue to serve the community revealing God in all His awesomeness to each student, staff and parent as they travel along their life journey.

Mrs Annette Cadwallader Head of Junior School | Mission Adviser

M

y time at Pacific Hills Christian School has been a rich blessing in my life. Literally I have enjoyed every day of the 29 years that I have spent at the School to date, some days more than others. I have been blessed and supported by many and various Board Members, staff, parents and students. Pacific Hills is first and foremost a Christian community that operates as a school. The primary purpose of Pacific Hills is to bring glory to God through preparing and educating young people for the world in which God has placed them.

As I reflect on my life at Pacific Hills I constantly remember God’s place in my life. The foundations of the School were set strongly by John and Robin Odell and many others involved in its formation who sought to understand the Biblical pattern for building a Christian educational community. Many lives have touched my life in special ways from the first Deputy Principal, Terry Ware, and people such as Stephen Hale and Annette Cadwallader, who have both contributed significantly to the life of this community. Another who has contributed greatly to the everyday life of the School is Andrew Waters who is in his 28th year of service at the School. Through the years our lives at Pacific Hills have been touched deeply by the passing of a number of staff including Mr Ken Oliver, the School’s first Principal, Mr Don Turner, our Maths Faculty Head, Mrs Pip Bannerman, a much loved Primary School Teacher, and Mrs Susan Watson, Head of Middle School, as well as a number of students who have passed away. We thank God for each of them and the part that each one of them played in the tapestry of what we call Pacific Hills Christian School.

From the School’s beginnings in the orphanage at Pennant Hills to the beautiful semi rural environment at Dural, we thank God for His provisions and His blessing. We thank God for the opportunity to integrate students of special needs into the life of Pacific Hills. We are thankful for the Augustine programs for the students with abilities that have led to high performance. We thank God for the gifts given to our community in the Creative and Performing Arts and in Sports and in public service. We thank God for the Missions program which is such an important part of the ministry of Pacific Hills Christian School. Linked to that we have the Christian Education Development Program for supporting Christians in education in other parts of the world.

Pacific Hills Christian School has been the parent of Pacific Outback Christian School at Bourke, Pacific Coast Christian School at Tweed Heads, and Pacific Valley Christian School at Maclean, as well as being the operator for several years of Southland College. The ongoing vision for Christian education by so many Board Members has highlighted the importance of good committed men and women to the governance of our School community.

For all of these people and for all of the blessings, we thank God. It is my prayer that Pacific Hills will continue to be strengthened within its own community and as it serves within Australia and different parts of the world. All we have is only by God’s grace.

Dr EJ Boyce Principal 19 SPRING 2013

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