TONGARRA TIMES

Wednesday, 25 February 2015 - Week 5 of Term 1

www.ics.nsw.edu.au

Key Dates

WEEK 6

Monday, 2nd to Wednesday 4th March Yr 7 & 8 Camp to Wedderburn Saturday 7 March Working Bee - Yr 11 & 12 (8-11am)

WEEK 7

Monday, 9 March Tongarra Campus Committee Meeting - 7.30pm Tuesday, 10 March K-6 Parent Teacher Interviews

See website calendar for more dates & other information

Check Your Child’s Bag!

These things went home this week: Yr 11 Study Retreat forms Yr 11 & 12 Working Bee notes Yr 12 Class Letter

Learning gives opportunity and purpose

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4

School learning may, for some, appear not to have a lot of relevance to today. After all, jobs today can be so specialised, that even university courses prepare their students for on the job training.

While it is inevitably true that not all learning will be directly applicable to real life situations for all students, school success provides students with the opportunity to succeed. Primary and Secondary education equips students with skills for life, from literacy and numeracy to more advanced skills such as research, discernment and time management. However, education provides even more important development than this. A great school will also intentionally develop in students a framework to view and understand the world, and help students to understand their place and purpose in it. Illawarra Christian School deliberately implements a biblical worldview in its education to ensure that our students are deep thinkers, able to be counter-cultural in their approach and to more fully live God's ways. Students at ICS should recognise that success in schooling not only provides a platform to achieve their goals in further education (for example, a high ATAR allows a wider choice of university courses) but allows students to know their purpose and develops skills in them to achieve their goals. As such, students should be taking every opportunity to maximise their chance to succeed, think and develop as people. This of course is not easy. Personal change to become better can take a lot of effort. We are keen to facilitate every effort in our students. Through hard work, students can maximise their opportunities to be ready for the world of tomorrow. ICS partners with students and parents in this process with enthusiasm. "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." - Derek Bok Stephen Babbage Deputy Principal

Please send all feedback and prayer points by email to

tongarra@ics.nsw.edu.au

"Education

equips students

with skills for life"

"Success in

schooling ... allows

students to know

their purpose and

develops skills in

them to achieve

their goals."

Pop to Popism Campbell Soup Cans, Marilyn Monroe, Hoover Vacuum Cleaners and Mickey Mouse Comics - what do they all have in common? Believe it or not these are the iconic images of Popular Culture and mass production from the 1950's and 1960's in London and New York that have been immortalised in large colourful canvases and screen prints. Ironically these days they are now considered 'high art ' and they are currently hanging on the walls at the Art Gallery of NSW. Last Wednesday, the Stage 5 Visual and Digital Arts class was privileged enough to see these artworks that have been assembled from across the globe. Jasmine Selby also managed to snap 15 seconds of fame instead of 15 minutes, when I granted her permission to grab a selfie with Billy Connelly ! What would the images of our time be? The big red McDonald's M, the iPhone, the selfie, Katy Perry? The students attended a one hour lecture followed by a tour of the exhibition. The students found the exhibition engaging, especially the two I had a little trouble locating at the end, as they were so absorbed in the experience- they were found in the children's activity section - colouring in! I am hoping these major art pieces will inspire their art making this term, so watch this space for which Australian icons will be the subject of our students work? We then had a quick lunch on the lawn entertained by the lunchtime joggers and then we went back into the gallery to view ArtExpress, a collection of 2014 HSC Visual Arts Major Works. Just amazing the gifts some 'young artists' have. The students were very well behaved and a credit to our school - well done class. Mrs Gillett Creative Arts Teacher

Pray for our Kindergarten students as they continue to settle in, get to know their Year 12 buddies and

establish routines. Give thanks for the ICS Read, Eat & Play sessions on Wednesdays for Kindergarten

students and their parents, and the great learning opportunity this program presents.

Pray for the Stage 4 Camp that is happening next week. Pray for fun, safety and a great time of fellowship

for all the students and staff members who are attending. Pray that this time away together will be a time of

growth in their relationships with each other and with God.

Continue to pray for those who are not well within our school community. There have been quite a number

on the sick list. Pray for those who are coping with serious illness and trauma.

Give thanks for the efforts of our Tongarra Campus Committee as they seek to serve our school and look

for ways to improve facilities, resources and to encourage community within our school.

Give thanks for those people who have volunteered to help within in the school in many different ways such

as Class Coordinators, School Banking Coordinators and helping out at our Pie & Ice Cream days.

Pray for our staff as they continue to work on the Registration and Accreditation documentation that is due

to the Board of Studies at the end of March.

Prep 2015 Prep is a very busy environment at the start of the year. There are so many things to do and new friends to meet. This year Prep is open from Monday to Thursday and the start of the year has been positive for children, parents and staff. We welcomed 14 families back to Prep after the holidays, 9 families that have previously had other children in Prep and 11 families that have their first child in Prep this year. Mrs Cornale has also joined the Prep staff, working in Prep on Thursday afternoons with Mrs Oliver. During the day the children at Prep participate in outdoor activities, indoor activities, small and large group times, a quiet time and have meals together.

Lunch time is a good

opportunity to have a

conversation with

peers.

The sandpit is a favourite

outdoor activity where

children can work

together on projects or

participate in a solo

activity alongside others.

During music time, we

have been “Jumping for

Jesus” with the music of

Johnny Burns and partici-

pating in musical games to

develop the fundamental

movement skills of the

“Munch and Move” Early

Childhood Program.

Group times have

focussed on getting to

know each other,

particularly learning the

names of our peers and

teachers. In this

friendship activity the

children decorated the

cut out friends and

named them from peers

at Prep.

Many amazing pictures

have been created at the

collage table

During devotions we

have been finding out

about “People that

God gives us” and

our memory verse is -

God always keeps

His promises

(Numbers 23:19

CEV).

Our prayer times

have focussed on

thankfulness.

Mrs Oliver (Prep Teacher)

Community Announcements Full information will be displayed on the Noticeboard in the playground near the stairs to E Block .

Street Soccer run by PCYC, every Saturday Feb 28th to March 28th. Ages 11+. Register no 4229 4418.

CAP Money Course - a free course to help you manage your money better. Starts Mon 2 March. Contact Bec Coole

on 0425 265 742 or email bcoole@c3churchshellharbour.com.au

Essential Employment & Training for people with disability, illness and injury - contact 4295 4744 or 1800 243 513

- www.eetgroup.com.au

Young girls & Women Drop-in Clinic on Tuesdays. 2-4.30pm @ Illawarra Women’s Health Centre Warilla.

Contact Denika on 4255 6800 or denikat@womenshealthcentre.com.au

Community Transport Volunteer Information Session, Tuesday 10 March. Call 4256 0091 or email

communitytransport@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au

CRU Holiday Camps - Activity Camps. HSC Study, Day Camps. Autumn 2015. Email crucamps@crusaders.edu.au

School Banking returns next week. Please

send in your student’s bankbook on Monday.

Working Bee - Saturday 7 March for Year 11 &

12, 8am-11am. Notes will go home shortly

Please mark in your diary -

Immunisations for Year 7 and Years 11 &

12 (MMR ‘catch-up’ only) Tuesday 24

March 2015.

ADMINISTRATION REMINDERS & ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Next Monday March 2, Stage 4 (Years 7-8) will be attending a three day camp at Wedderburn Christian Campsite, Appin. Activities will include archery, rockwall climbing, water skirmish, camp knowledge, night games and more. The purpose of the camp is to give the students a time of bonding and fun, all the while surrounded by and learning about God's amazing creation. We would appreciate your prayer as the students to prepare for camp and they look forward to time away with the peers and teachers.

Garry Hol (Camp Coordinator)