COMMUNITY NEWS30 November, 2018 : Term 4 Week 7

Principal’s Message

Our VisionTo foster a Christ centred learning community where all students receive an education which enables them to know

the Lord Jesus Christ, grow in Him and serve Him to their full potential.

Term 4Fri 30 Nov

P: Presentation Assesmblies

P: Celebration Night

Wed 5 DecP: Principal’s Gold

Morning Tea

Thurs 6 DecP: Gotcha End of term

Award

Mon 10 DecK-12 End of Year Assembly

P: Y6 Farewell

Tues 11 DecLast day of term 4

Regents Park Christian School59 Regent Street,

Regents Park, 2143Ph: 9644 5144 Fax: 9743 7082

principal@rpcs.nsw.edu.au

Thank God for our Government.

We are very blessed to have a system of government that is representative of, responsive to and pro-tective of the people it serves. Our constitution, laws and justice system are fundamentally based on Christian principles. Even as we see Biblical values eroded in our society, we still have the right to speak out and be heard. Like many other similar schools, we wrote to many federal members of parliament and senators expressing concern over the religious freedoms debate currently before parliament. In many countries, this would not have been possible, but we received many respectful and even supportive responses from our government representatives.

While we may not agree with all of the decisions they make, our politicians deserve our encouragement and appreciation in the difficult and sacrificial service they give to the community. As one example, our federal MP, Jason Clare is a strong supporter of all schools in his electorate, including our school. He encourages students in community service by sponsoring annual awards, and supports many events and organisations that serve our wider community. This is certainly at the expense of personal time with his very young family.

On Monday our staff took special time out to pray for our government as they consider the religious freedom issues that could affect our ability to employ only Christian staff. Please join us in thanking God for our leaders and earnestly praying that they will govern with wisdom and according to God’s will.

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1

Les Barnard

ALL SCHOOL NEWS

GROW Rule: Include Others

For the remainder of the school year, we will focus on building community by including others. By including others, we are show-ing that we know how it feels to be left out and making sure that others don’t feel that way. In Deuteronomy 10:19, God told the Israelites, “love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” We are to remember how it feels to be left out – so that we care for others who might be feeling that way.

As we approach Christmas, we remember that Christ left heaven to bring us back into relationship with His Heavenly Father. Let’s look for ways we can include others. As we do this, we make our community stronger and more Christlike.

Get it? Got it! Gotcha!

The Houses Are Coming Back!House Naming Competition

Have you ever thought ‘I could think of a better name than that’?Ever had a brilliant idea but you think ‘no-one listens to me’?Well now here is your big chance- and yes, we will listen!

Some of you may remember our old sports houses- Ridley, Spurgeon, Taylor and Carey that were honourably retired after many years of friendly competition. In 2019, RPCS will be bringing back the House System as a focus for sports competitions, student welfare, mentoring and more fun activities. It will not be just sports- your behaviour in class, on the playground, your participation in activities, your school service, will give you the chance to win points for your House.

But who will we name them after? Past school leaders? Bible characters? Great Australian Christians? Great scientists? Great musicians? Great sportspeople?

This is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in the naming competition for the new houses.

HOW TO ENTER1. Choose a theme AND 3 names matching that theme.2. Write those 3 names and your name onto a slip of paper3. Put that slip into the house box outside Mrs Denholm’s office by Friday 7 December.

Winning entries will be awarded prizes- and be building names that will last into RPCS history for years to come!

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Uniform Shop Christmas Holiday Trading HoursOver the Christmas Holidays, the Uniform Shop will be closed but will reopen prior to the new school year starting. Please take note of the following opening hours to ensure that you are able to get your child’s uniform prior to the commencement of school. Last trading day for 2018: Friday 14 December 2018 January 2019 trading days: Friday 18 January Friday 25 January Tuesday 29 January Wednesday 30 January Opening hours during this period will continue to be 8:00am -12:00pm & 12:30pm- 4:00pm.

From Friday 8 February, the Uniform Shop will be open every Friday of the school term. If you have any enquires please contact the school office.

Heartbeat Church61 Regent Street, Regents Park NSW 2143

For more information about any of the below activities please contact the Church Office on 9738 9799

Adult English ClassesJoin our fun and friendly English language classes where you can learn and share.

When: Tuesdays (term time) From:10am-12pm

Mums & Bubs PlaygroupJoin us for play time, morning tea, a story, arts and crafts, Music and Movement.

For children 0 - 5 yrs

Every Friday during the school term10:00am-12:00pm

Fee: $2 per family per session

Sunday SchoolDo you know that we have Sunday School for kids?

Time: Every Sunday from 10:00 - 11:30 am

Classes: Bubbles (3 yr old to Year 1) Splash (Year 2 & 3) Xstream (Year 4, 5 & 6)

Program: Worship, singing, Bible stories, Crafts, Prayer

Heartbeat Community CareHeartbeat Community Care welcomes donations of quality, 2nd - hand clothing, shoes and homewares (no electricals).

Our Emergency Relief program welcomes donations of non-perishable food items such as canned soup, Weet-Bixand basic hygiene items such as toothpaste.

Donations can be dropped off at:Heartbeat Community Care Shop 1/5 Amy Street, Regents Park.

Starting Week 2, Term 1 2019

Time: Wednesday 3:10pm - 4:45pm

For Kindergarten to Year 3 students

Cost $150 per term.

Includes afternoon tea, music lessons, exercise activities, art, craft and other activities.

More information to follow.

Music& Self Development

HEARTBEAT CHILDREN’S PROGRAM:

PRIMARY NEWS

Library BooksThe Library will be completing their annual stocktake at the end of this term. All books must be returned during week 7. Parents, please help your children to look for any library books at home, in the car or at the bottom of their bag. Also, please remind them to put library books in the “Return Bin” in their learning area.

We are so blessed to have many beautiful library books, and we hope to maintain the collection well by looking after them and knowing where they are.

Primary AssemblyEach Friday (9:00 - 9:30 am) we hold Primary Assembly in the school hall. This is a time when Primary classes come to-gether to celebrate God’s goodness. Parents and friends are very welcome to attend, particularly when your child’s class is rostered to share in Assembly. Stage Assembly dates are listed below for your convenience:

Class Date

Presentation Assembly 30 November

Assembly 7 December

K-12 Assembly 10 December

Presentation Assemblies and Celebration Night Friday, 30 November

The big day has arrived! Friday, 30 November will see our Pres-entation Assemblies and Celebration Evening happening. The musical for this year is Silent Night and we trust that all of our families will be attending. As well as the musical, we celebrate all that God has done for us over the year and graduate our Year 6 students from Primary.

In the morning are our Presentation Assemblies, when we ac-knowledge any special achievements of our students. Our K-2 Presentation will take place 9-10:00am and our 3-6 Presenta-tion will be held 10:15-11:00am. There will be a morning tea for our parents during the break.

Return and EarnRockdale Return and Earn are now providing us with a Return and Earn service. They provide the bins and collect them for us, depositing the money we earn into our account. All we need to do is return the right containers to the bin. Easy.

Remember, containers must be manufactured in Australia, have the 10c return symbol, be empty and not crushed. The Return and Earn bins have a green lid, are clearly labelled and are next to the Canteen. Please support our efforts to recycle and raise money for our Compassion children.

Thanks to your great work, we have filled our two Return and Earn bins! The full bins are set to be collected and replaced with empty ones! Keep it up!

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Parents’ Breakfast & Devotion (PB&D)Due to the Parents Day out to Manly, PB&D will not be taking place on Tuesday 4 December.

Our last PB&D for 2018 will be on Tuesday 11 December.

PB&D is held in H4: Breakfast is provided from 8:30am, with a brief (15 min) devotion at 9am. Parents are welcome to stay for some or all of it.

Chinese Parents Bible Study (Mandarin)Every Wednesday from 1:45 - 2:50pm in H4 during school terms. Contact Michelle Lin at Heartbeat Church on 9738 9799 or mlin@rpcs.nsw.edu.au

“When You Have A Worrier In Your Family”by Michael Grose

Do you have a worrier in your family? Do you have a child who worries or over-thinks things? If so, it’s worth remember-ing that rumination is the ruination of a peaceful mind.

If you’ve ever spent a sleepless night worrying then you’ll know how problems always seem bigger when you keep toss-ing them around in your head.

It can seem like everything is stacked against you. When this happens you’ve got to find the ‘off switch’ so you can get away from your worries for a while.

The same principle holds for children and teenagers when they worry. Their problems just seem to get bigger and they need to turn them off or tone them down so they can ease their anxiety.

Here are some strategies taken from our Parenting Anxious Kids online course that you can teach your kids to prevent them from ruminating – going over the same thoughts and worries over and over again.

Broaden their visionKids get tunnel vision when they worry. They often can’t see the bigger picture. For instance, a young person may fret over minor work matters such as getting the exact font match for an assignment they are working on, and neglect to get the sleep necessary for good learning the next day. Sometimes it takes a wise adult to remind children and young people about what really is important to them.

Put their attention elsewherePlacing attention away from worries is an age old technique for parents and teachers. Commonly known as distraction, the act of focusing attention on something other than what causes them distress is vital for good mental health. Examples of distractions include – going outside, playing a game, shooting some basketball hoops or listening to music.

Give the worry a nameSomehow giving a worry a name makes it feel less scary and more manageable. A wonderful picture storybook for toddlers called ‘There’s a Hippopotamus on our Roo’ by Hazel Edwards personifies fear of the dark as a friendly hippo. Much more friendly and easier to boss around if you’re a child.

Put their worries in a jarWouldn’t it be great to put all your worries into a safe and throw away the key? As an adult you may do this when you take time out to watch your favourite TV show; or lose your-self wandering for hours online. Children need something a little more practical. They can write their worries on some paper and lock them in away in a jar by the side of the bed at the end of the day. It’s good to know that their worries can’t get out because they are locked up tight.

Limit talking timeIt’s good if kids can talk about what’s on their mind but talking needs to be contained to prevent their worries from dominat-

ing their lives. Set aside ten minutes a day to talk about their worries and then put worry time aside until tomorrow. This is not about shutting kids down but teaching them they can change tack in their thinking rather than go over the same old thoughts again and again.

Normalise rather than lionise their anxietyAnxious kids are very sensitive to their parents’ concerns and worries. One way we build their concerns is by continually reassuring them that things will be fine. One reassurance should be sufficient most of the time followed by “I’ve already talked to you about that.” Continually going over old ground can allow worries to linger longer than necessary.

Give them the tools to relaxSome people can relax in front of the TV, and it is enough for them to take their mind off their worries. Some people need a bigger set of tools including mindfulness and exercise to help them neutralise our worries. Talk with your kids about how they relax; share what works for you and help them explore relaxation techniques that will fit their interests, age and life-styles.

Move baby moveGet kids moving. Physical exercise is not only a great distrac-tion but it releases feel-good endorphins that help children and young people feel better and more optimistic about the future.

Let their subconscious minds solve their problemsA wonderful strategy is the notion of allowing the sub-con-scious mind to solve problems. There’s a good body of research that points to the power of the sub-conscious mind solving problems when we are asleep. If you’ve ever woken at four o’clock in the morning with an ‘aha!’ moment, where everything seems clear, then you’ll have experienced the sub-conscious mind at work. Talk about the sub-conscious mind with your kids and let them know that they can give their sub-conscious permission to go to work. “Okay, I’m not going to think about this anymore. My sub-conscious can solve this now.” “Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…” What kid doesn’t light up at the sound of those simple words?

For more parenting advice go to www.parentingideas.com.au.

Crunch n SipGood nutrition and healthy eating habits are an important part of learning. Each morning our students en-joy Crunch n Sip, when they will have a drink of water and eat a serving of fresh fruit or vegetables. We ask parents to support this, by providing your child with a serving of fresh fruit or vegetables for their Crunch n Sip break. Students should also bring a drink bottle filled with water.

Mindful eating, by Healthy KidsIt is not uncommon these days to be constantly grazing on food without taking time to enjoy a full meal – it’s definitely not mindful eating. Often pre-packaged, these convenience foods are high in nutrients linked to increased risk of diet related diseases. Being time poor, more of us are eating on the run, or in front of our computers or TVs – and often when we’re not hungry.

Instead, we should be choosing to eat mindfully; bringing our attention and focus to the present moment. Prac-tising mindful eating can help to bring back an appreciation and enjoyment of food.

1. Sit at the dinner table for your mealIt’s important to pay attention while eating, rather than grazing mindlessly. Put the phone down, log off your computer, turn off the TV and enjoy your food. That way, you’ll be less likely to overeat. Take the time to talk to family members about their lives and have a conversation. A meal should be a positive and enjoyable time for all.

2. Rate your hunger levelIf your child says they’re hungry, ask them to rate their hunger level on a scale of 1-10 with one being very hungry, 5 being satisfied and 10 being so full that they feel sick. Do this throughout the meal and if they are not hungry, don’t force them to eat a whole meal. If your child is hungry, they will keep eating. Encourage them to stop eating once they rate their hunger as 5 and not to keep eating until they reach level 10.

3. Let kids serve themselvesIf your child is old enough, allow them to serve themselves how much they would like to eat. While you can provide guidance so that they have enough veggies on their plate, allow them to decide how much will fill them up.

4. Encourage slow eatingSet the pace for the meal by eating slowly yourself. Take time to chew food properly and put your cutlery down before each mouthful. Aim to take at least 20 to 30 minutes to finish eating your meal. Make this a rule so your children know they will be sitting there for 30 minutes so they might as well eat their food slowly instead of rushing off to see what’s on TV or check their phones.

5. Discuss the foodAt the dinner table, discuss how much you like or dislike a certain food. Ask your child to describe the taste or texture and if they don’t like it, encourage them to explain why that’s the case.

6. Make nutritious snacks easy to accessBy having fruit in a bowl on your kitchen bench or vegetable sticks cut up and in the fridge, your child is more likely to eat these foods. Stock your pantry and fridge with nutritious snacks.

7. Don’t buy “occasional” itemsBy having confectionery, chips and other less nutritious items in the house, you just have to keep saying ‘no’ when they ask for these foods. Avoid buying these foods at the supermarket, It will be easier to say “no” in the supermarket once, than have to say it numerous times if you bring the product home.

For more ideas about healthy eating, visit, www.healthykids.com.au.

Parents Day Out To Manly BeachTuesday 4 DecemberA day for us to relax, fellowship and to see God’s amazing creation!We will be meeting at 8:30am at the Regent Street school gate.Please bring your Opal Card, water, light lunch & sunscreen.We will be back at school by 3:00pm.

For more information, please contact Michelle Lin via email: mlin@rpcs.nsw.edu.au

SECONDARY NEWSYear 11 Semester Two Reports

Year 11 Semester Two Reports have been emailed home to parents/carers. If you have not received your child’s report please check your “Junk Email” and/or phone the school office. Also if you would like a hard copy of your child’s report please call the school office on 9644 5144.

UTS Law Discovery Day 2018Year 11 Legal Studies students Martin Hua, Ammy Keriaqos, Trivina Moussa and Jessica Said attended the UTS Law Discovery Day on Tuesday 27 November. These students have all demonstrated a passion for learning about Law and were keen to gain an insight into what studying Law at University is like.

The students participated in various activities that University students experience. These included mini lectures on contemporary law reform topics of Native Title and how the concerning incidents seen at Don Dale Youth Detention Centre in the Northern Territory are relevant to Child Protection and Human Rights Law. They were also involved in a mock mediation scenario with students from otherschools and performed in a mock trial case.

Martin, Ammy, Trivina and Jess all very much enjoyed the challenge that these tasks presented and how it took them out of their comfort zones. For some of themthe Law Discovery Day cemented their desire to study Law after High School and for others it raised Law as an option for their tertiary studies.

Mr Forster

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An Inkling of the FutureOn Friday, 16 November, three English Extension 2 students headed out with Ms Evangelista to attend the annual introductory workshop run by the English Teach-ers Association, which was held at the University of Sydney.

The English Extension 2 course represents the crème de la crème of English students in New South Wales. In order to do Extension 2, a student must take Advanced English and English Extension 1 – both courses being challenging in their own right.

In English Extension 2, a student produces a significant Major Work – a short story, a suite of poetry, a film, a series of speeches, amongst other possible forms – and conducts their own independent research and investigation to support their writing.

Every year, Regents Park Christian School enrols a number of students in the English Extention 2 course, which is a testament to the talent and calibre of our English students.

This year, Catherine Ray, Jonah Kim and Yolanda Luchko have chosen to take on the course, and are already showing themselves to be highly committed to their Major Works.

The workshop was run by a series of presenters, including teachers with many years of marking experience under their belt, as well as successful Extension 2 candidates from 2017. Students were treated to comprehensive talks on wide-ranging topics, from how to narrow down their concept, to how to create an effective action plan for writing.

The event was highly inspiring, and during breaks, students enthusiastically dis-cussed their ideas and how these were evolving as they listened to the speakers. While the idea of composing a Major Work was incredibly daunting, the chance to create something completely original was very exciting for these well-read, creative students. The setting of the workshop was also undoubtedly inspiring, as students were awed by the beautiful grounds of the university (particularly the Hogwarts-like Quadrangle!).

As an extra treat, Ms. Evangelista also took the students inside the Quadrangle and into the Nicholson Museum, which held many objects of interest for Catheri-na, Jonah and Yolanda, who are also enthusiastic History students.

The day was an amazing experience for everyone – a day that gave students a taste of the myriad of possibilities for their Major Work, and an inkling of the bright future ahead of them.

Library Craft TimeLunch Time

Monday 3 December

More details availablefrom Library Staff

2019 Campion Textbooks

The Years 7-11 resource lists for textbooks are now available online for ordering. Below is the link that you will take you directly into the Campion website for RPCS ordering. Alternatively, students can access this through their dashboard on Schoolbox.

If you are ordering via the Campion website, the School Code is: 2GDC

Direct link: https://order.campion.com.au/index.html#resourceListListView?code=0C60555C

Schoolbox link on student dashboard:

Second hand Maths textbook sale

Time and date: Wednesday 5th December 2018Where: In front of the Prefect noticeboard on the upper floor Bring in your textbook to sell.

You will receive $30 for it AFTER it has been sold.If it does not sell on the day, we can keep it until it does, or you can take it back.Bring in $30 if you would like to purchase your textbook for next year.