18 March 2015
From the Director of ICT
One of the memories I treasure most from when my children were REALLY little,
is that of swimming lessons, particularly with my daughter. Every Sunday
morning before church we would have some Daddy and Daughter time at the
pool. Singing silly songs, squirting the teacher with inflatable toys, seeing the trust
in her eyes as she jumped with joy from the edge of the pool and swam, with as
much gusto as a little 12 month girl can manage, to my waiting arms.
I am sure this is an image that most of us who are parents can relate to. We
understand the risks associated with living in an area so close to the beach, where
backyard swimming pools abound, and do our best to ensure our kids learn to
swim. Even if that means singing silly songs with our kids: "Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock..."
Swimming pools, however, aren't the only dangers that our children face inside
our own homes in 2015. The nearly ubiquitous nature of technology is such that
both positive blessings and damaging temptations are only ever a few clicks away.
Parents have a new responsibility here. It is not appropriate to make technology
available to our children without developing a considered approach to how this
technology will be implemented in our own homes.
Our job as parents is to be an ongoing PEST:
We must Protect. In the same way that we fence our backyard pools, we should
have protection in the form of filtering on our home networks. The best form of
protection is where it operates independently and up stream of any device. Two
products that do this well are KidsBlocker and OpenDNS.
Once the fence is up around the pool, we still Educate our kids by teaching them
to swim, and we need to do the same with technology. Sit by their side and teach
them the age appropriate joys of digital technology, balanced with the risks and
dangers that lurk. We should never, for example, allow our children access to an
app on a smart phone or tablet that we haven't already engaged with and know
about.
Supervision is that part of swimming pool ownership we all do diligently, as we
know how quickly something can go wrong, even for experienced and strong
swimmers. Similarly, despite the best protection and education, things can go
wrong quickly as our children use technology. You might choose from a number
of strategies for supervising your children as they use technology, including the
use of monitoring software such as Covenant Eyes, and perhaps a home internet
use agreement. The best advice is to always ensure that technology is used in a
public part of the house and never in a child's bedroom.
Our children grow up - sometimes too quickly, sometimes not quickly enough!
With time, however, they should earn our Trust. Slowly we might supervise from
a greater distance and relax some boundaries, always ensuring that we are still
available to discuss any issues that might develop.
From the Prayer Group
The Father loves the Son and has given
all things into His hand. Whoever
believes in the Son has eternal life;
whoever does not obey the Son shall
not see life, but the wrath of God
remains on him.
John 3:35-36 (ESV)
For Prayer and Praise
• Praise God, for He is loving and just,
and rules over all.
• Pray for staff and students in Years 7
and 8.
• Pray for Year 10 Yarrabah Training.
• Pray for the Joshua Challenge.
• Pray for the Easter Assembly.
• Pray for those suffering, that they will
know God’s presence.
Please join us in prayer—
9-9.30am on Thursdays in T9
(demountable between Preschool & K Block)
If you would like the Prayer Group to
pray for you, email us at:
[email protected]
Kindy to Year 12
Easter Assembly
Next Tuesday, 24 March 2015
10.45am in the School Hall
All welcome!
Inside this issue:
CCS Dance Academy
2
Next Joshua Challenge
2
Careers News
3
What’s New on the Blogsite?
3
Community Events
4
Covenant Christian School Newsletter—18 March 2015
From the Director of ICT (cont’d)
None of these elements will help our children to become good Digital Disciples without prayer, and immersion in the
scriptures. At Covenant we seek to partner with you, and support you in these difficult times.
We are thankful for the good creational gift of technology, and ask for your continued prayer as we seek to implement
technology at Covenant with wisdom and sensitivity, and use it to further unpack the greatness of His creation.
Dave Youl
CCS Dance Academy
CCS Dance Academy continues to offer Classical Ballet classes for Pre-Schoolers through
to adults. These classes are taught by Mrs Linda Keen. Ballet training develops strong
dance technique, increases flexibility and encourages sensitivity to music and artistry in
performance. The techniques found in Classical Ballet are a framework for many other
styles of dance, so all dance students are encouraged to have some Classical Ballet
experience.
Dance Academy also offers Ballet classes designed to prepare students for a Royal
Academy of Dance (RAD) Ballet exam. Students wishing to sit an exam are encouraged
to discuss their readiness and exam level suitability with Mrs Keen. It is recommended
that all students preparing to enter a Ballet examination should take a minimum of two
classes per week.
All students are welcome to do a free trial lesson. Timetable information, enrolment
forms and additional information about RAD exams are available at
www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/dance, or please email us at [email protected].
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/free-trial-lesson-offer-for-dance-academy
Joshua Challenge
“Pride, Sin and Grace—owning up and owning all of it.”
Guest speaker this month is Mr Max Monin.
Monday 23 March in the K Block Performance Space here at Covenant, from 7.30pm.
Careers News
Remember to check the website: www.coviecareers.com.
Australian National College of Beauty Open Day
Sunday 3 May, Level 5, 235 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont. Contact: 1300 885 385. http://www.ancb.edu.au/events/openday-sydney
UTS Bachelor of Accounting Information Evening
Tuesday 19 May, 6.30-7.30pm, UTS City Broadway. Prospective students, parents and teachers are invited to visit UTS and
meet students, staff and sponsors of the Bachelor of Accounting. All students in the course receive a tax free scholarship worth
over $46,500. http://www.uts.edu.au/about/uts-business-school/accounting/events/bacc-information-evening
Built Environment Student and Parent Information Evening
Wednesday, 25 March 2015, 6.00-8.00pm, UNSW Kensington Campus. The Built Environment faculty includes courses in
Architecture, Interior & Landscape Architecture, Construction & Property Management, and Industrial Design. Register at
http://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/unsw-built-environment-parent-student-information-evening-tickets-15719947787?ref=ebtn
UNSW Year 10 Subject Selection and Information Evenings
Thinking about Uni in the future? This evening is the best place for you to start if you are thinking about coming to university
in two years' time and are currently a Year 10 student (or you are the parent of a Year 10 student). We offer a number of Year
10 Subject Selection & Information Evenings during the month of May.
For dates and to register, visit https://www.whatson.unsw.edu.au.
Café Covie - Open every day 8.30 -11.30am
School Canteen - Open Monday and Friday. Order online www.munchmonitor.com
CCS Uniform Shop - Open Monday 2.00-3.00pm and Wednesday 8.00-9.00am (ph: 9450 2696)
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Covenant Christian School Newsletter—18 March 2015
Year 8 Picnic
Year 8 families are meeting at Davidson Park (under the Roseville Bridge on the
western side) on Sunday 22 March at 2.00pm. BYO Picnic afternoon tea, drinks,
chairs, games etc.
Any queries, please phone Sarah Mulray 0413 224 753 or Kylie Sheehan 0438 256 319.
(NB: we have no wet weather plan, so please pray for favourable weather!)
Canteen and Café Covie
Please note that, due to Year 7-10
camps and Year 11 and 12 exams, the
Canteen and Café Covie will be
closed in the last week of this term.
What’s New on the Blog Site?
Keep up to date via www.facebook.com/covenantchristianschoolsydney
Professor Benjiwobble Makes Appearance at Year 3/4 Sleepover
Of course, if you had been there to pick us up on Saturday morning we may have
looked a little ruffled, bedraggled, dishevelled and grubby. Our hair was toothed and
our teeth were hairy. Although, on the surface we may have looked ghastly, in actual
fact… we - couldn’t - have been - happier. Yep, the Year3/4 Sleepover 2015 was FUN!
First there was the bushwalk. On the way we patted horses, saw wallabies and some of
us even spotted bunyips, real ones. Mrs Young challenged us to come up with 65 ways
to use a stick. We succeeded.
Our mystery guest speaker for the Bible talk was Professor Benjiwobble, who looked a
lot like Bailey’s dad, Mr Molyneux. Using chemicals, he showed us how sin stains our
life but Jesus’ death takes away all our sin, past, present and future. It was so cool.
Except for the snoring, the mozzies, the crickets, the girls, the boys, the bunyips and
Emlyn Shaw :) we slept pretty well.
Dion Rushbrook & Taylor Bradac (on behalf of all Year 3 and 4)
PS Thanks to our wonderful Year 3 and Year 4 teachers plus all the mums and dads who helped make Sleepover 15 a
wonderful experience. Such a team effort! – Mr Morton
For the whole article and lots of photos, go to
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/professor-benjiwobble-guest-appearance-at-the-year-3-and-4-sleepover-2015
Pi Day Is Infinite
Pi Day, which recognises the mathematical symbol π, is celebrated by Maths enthusiasts on
14 March. This year, Pi Day fell on 3/14/15 (US date format), a sequence that occurs once a
century. By celebrating at 9.27am, pi enthusiasts will recognise three more digits (3.1415927).
Perhaps school Maths is a distant memory, but you may recall pi is the symbol for the ratio
of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. At Covie, thanks to the initiative of the Maths
Department, Pi Day is celebrated each year. This year it was celebrated on the closest school
day, being Friday 13th. It is a tradition for the students to bake pies (or round treats) to sell
and raise money for a charity. TEAR Australia was selected to complement the Junior
Schools fundraising on ‘Random Sock Day’.
Special thanks to Alicia Ee for her elaborate pie, decorated with pi symbols and numbers.
Other notable contributors were Laura Monin, Asher Jaggers, Grace Cheung and Serly
Sarkissian. Thank you for your time and creativity.
Emily Bennett won the prize for reciting pi to 30 decimal places. Well done!
Finally, a bad pi joke: The roundest knight at Sir Arthurs table was Sir Cumference - he ate too much pi!
See more photos at http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/pi-day-is-infinite
New Blog Posts to Visit
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/year-4-explore-ku-ring-gai-wildflower-gardens
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/primary-state-swimming-carnival-2015
http://www.ourcovenant.com.au/christian-school/carpentry-at-tafe-giving-barney-a-head-start-on-career
http://www.ourcovenant.com.au/christian-school/open-doors-challenging-students-to-consider-persecuted-church
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/continued-studies-for-staff-recognised-and-encouraged-by-covenant
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Covenant Christian School Newsletter—18 March 2015
What’s Coming Up!
This Friday’s Canteen Special:
Friday 20/3: Barbeque Meat Lovers Pizza .......................................... $3.50/slice
Order via Munch Monitor or www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/canteen
Year 7 & 8 Tests and
Assignments
Here are tests and assignments given to
the students which are due a week or
more from the issue date. This will assist
students and parents in planning their
work load.
Subject and Title
Date Due
YEAR 7
7.1, 7.2, 7.4 German Class Task Wk 9
English speech due
23/3
Geog: “Describing My Home
Geographically” due
Wk 9
D&T Food – health snack
and package
Wk 9
Science Prac Task
Mr Wright & Mr Tatzenko
25/3
Mrs Collins & Mrs Wright
26/3
Science Theory Task
Mrs Collins
25/3
Other classes
26/3
Biblical Studies Finding Your
Way Response Choice (all)
26/3
NB: Mathematics unit tests are held regularly at
the end of units. Students are notified in class at
least two days prior.
YEAR 8
Carry It: Bags and Portfolio
Week 8
German projects, worksheets,
bookwork
20/3
The Passion Project
Independent Investigation Task 23/3
English Essay due
24/3
D&T Food: Herb Product & Folio 25/3
Science Theory/Prac Task
Mr Wright’s class
24/3
Mr Green’s class
25/3
Mrs Collins & Mr Grey
26/3
NB: Mathematics unit tests are held regularly at
the end of units. Students are notified in class at
least two days prior.
Term Dates for 2015
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Term 1 – Tue 27 Jan – Thu 2 Apr
Term 2 – Tue 21 Apr – Fri 26 Jun
Term 3 – Mon 20 Jul – Fri 18 Sep
Term 4 – Tue 6 Oct – Thu 3 Dec
Letters to Parents
Some may not have been distributed yet.
Date of
Letter Class Topic
9/3
12/3
13/3
16/3
16/3
3-6
12
3-12
8-12
8
Chess Challenge
French Beginners Task
School Cross Country
Girls Soccer Day
Term 2 Sport Information
If you did not receive a letter relevant to your child,
please ask your child to collect a copy from their
teacher or go to http://tinyurl.com/CCSNotes.
Community Notices
(The school cannot necessarily make careful assessments of the
quality or integrity of all of the services or events advertised in
the newsletter. The Board welcomes feedback from members of
the school community about the organisations which receive
promotion. Comments should be in writing, addressed to the
Board, and will be treated confidentially.)
 New Lower North Shore Bible Study
For ladies wanting to know the Lord
Jesus in a deeper, more intimate way,
come and join this exciting new BSF
class. Info presentations being held in
March. Ph Kay Woodward (9489 6423)
or Joanna Kwan (0425 337 047).
 Manly Warringah Gymnastics Club
School holiday short & long day
programs. 24 Middleton Rd, Cromer.
Details at www.mwgymclub.com.
 Warringah Council Holiday Program
Brochures for vacation care and
holiday workshop program available
from the school office or online at
www.warringah.nsw.gov.au.
 Breakdancing Workshop
Fri 17/4, 4-5.30pm, for students in Yrs
5-7 at Yoyo’s Youth Centre, Forestway
Shopping Centre. Learn popping,
toprock, footwork, drops, freezes. Free
but bookings essential on 9972 2401 or
[email protected].
 Club 567 Roller Disco Fluoro Party
Fri 17/4, 7-9pm, at Yoyo’s Youth
Centre, Forestway Shopping Centre.
Cost: $10 incl skate hire. Bookings
essential on 9972 2401 or
[email protected].
Important Dates can also be found on the
Calendar page of the school website.
Saturday 21 March
Year 10 Yarrabah Training
Monday 23 March
Joshua Challenge (7.30pm)
Tuesday 24 March
Easter Assembly
Thursday 26 March
School Tour 9.15am
Thursday 26 March to Thursday 2 April
Year 11 and 12 Exams
Friday 27 March to Thursday 2 April
Year 10 Yarrabah Trip
Monday 30 March to Thursday 2 April
Year 7 to 10 Camp Week
Tuesday 31 March & Wednesday 1 April
Junior School Parent/Teacher Interviews
Thursday 2 April
Last day of Term 1
Tuesday 21 April
First day of Term 2
Wednesday 29 April
School Cross Country Carnival
Friday 1 May
School Tour (9.15am)
Monday 4 May
Year 11-12 Parent/Teacher Interviews
Wednesday 6 May
Biggest Morning Tea & Mother’s Day
Stalls
Friday 8 May
Mother’s Day Breakfast
Monday 25 May
School Photo Day
This Week’s Quizzle
get get
get get
Answer to the last Quizzle
LIGHT BULB