Newsletter rs e t t a m d l i h ...because your c Edition 4 - Week 7 - Term 1 17th March 2015 Principal’s comments: What’s On @ NWCS Mar 27 High School Teachers In-Service Mar 27 H/School Student Free Day Dear School Family and Friends ‘Easter Eggs, Hot Cross Buns and Mind Obesity’ As we look at our world today, we are touched by the visual representations of Easter. The multicolored ‘Easter Eggs’ catch our attention in almost every shop that we visit. The hot cross buns pervade the bakeries of every city and town. The fishmongers wait for the boatloads of ‘white flesh’ to grace the traditional Friday dinners. Our travel agents, airlines, airports, hire car companies all gear up for one of their most profitable time periods of the year. The police fear the carnage on the roads, as the holiday makers escape their homes looking for the ‘ultimate’ holiday long weekend. Then the churches wait for the influx of visitors to fill the vacant seats. April 1 Interim Reports will be sent out April 2 Last Day Term 1 April 5 Daylight Saving Ends April 20 Term 2 Commences April 27 School Council Meeting - NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE May 12-14 NAPLAN Testing 1-3 June H/School Exams 11 June Parent Teacher Evening July 3 Last Day Term 2 July 20 Term 3 Commences 20-24 July Primary Swimming Lessons 27-31 July H/School Swimming Lessons Aug 3-7 High School Camp Often we become so accustom to the routine of an event that the significance is lost. Easter so often becomes the ‘holiday’ that is no more than an escape from the normality of our lives. The ‘Easter Egg Hunt’ is the scramble towards our continued ‘mind obesity’ where we forget a single simple event – God so loved us that he sent His Son down to this Earth to die so that every human in history and the future can live for eternity! Sept 25 Last Day Term 3 Dec 10 Last Day for Students Contact Information www.northwestchristianschool.com.au Email: nwcs@iinet.net.au Phone: 03 6437 2705 Fax: 03 6437 0976 In Christian Service Wayne Pepper (Acting Principal) Address: P.O. Box 117 18 Ling Street PENGUIN 7316 North West Christian School is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church NAPLAN TESTING: 12th - 14th May for students in Grades 3, 5, 7 & 9. We would like to inform you, the parent body, of your rights regarding your child sitting the NAPLAN tests. We quote from the NAPLAN 2015 Handbook for Principals: “All students in Years 3, 5 7 & 9 are expected to participate in NAPLAN tests. However, parents / carers may withdraw their children from the assessment as follows: Students may be withdrawn from the testing program by their parent / carer. This is a matter for consideration by individual parents / carers in consultation with their child’s school. Withdrawals are intended to address issues such as religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing”. TUCKSHOP: Tomorrow is tuckshop day. Thank you to the volunteers who help out each week. We apologise that we had to cancel last week’s tuckshop. FUNDRAISING TUCKSHOP: To raise funds to help with the costs of our High School Camp, we have a Fundraiser Tuckshop each Friday. Thank you to the ladies who come in and run our Friday tuckshops. Order forms are sent home Wednesday each week. Note - this is a different menu to our Wednesday Parents & Friends Tuckshop. Donations of packets of jelly crystals, English Breakfast muffins, onions, cheese, or loaves of bread would be greatly appreciated. Thank you to those who have donated items. Profit to date is $155.10. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FREE DAY: Our apologies parents that we have had to close the high school on Friday, 27th March. All high school teachers from the Independent Schools Sector are required to attend a day in-service at Campbell Town dealing with legal documentation. Note - Primary students attend school as usual. VACCINATION: The vaccination clinic for Grade 7 students which was postponed last Wednesday by Central Coast Council, will now be TOMORROW, 18th March, at approximately 10.10am. WINTER UNIFORM: Students may wear full winter uniform as from Monday, 20th April. All students are to be in full winter uniform by Monday, 4th May. Students must in in full winter or full summer uniform, between 20th April - 4th May. ATTENTION PLEASE: A reminder to parents that if your child is absent from school, please phone the office 8.30 - 9.00am on the day, or send a note in with a sibling. This is a legal requirement. If we do not hear from you, your child is marked as ‘unresolved absence’. Also, if you wish your child to go home another way other than the normal way of transport, you need to contact the office before 2.00pm. HOMEWORK BAGS: We have a new supply of primary school homework bags available at the office $10.50 each. KINDY: A reminder to parents of kindy students: If Monday is a holiday at any time throughout the year, kindy students come to school on the Tuesday; and if Friday is a holiday students come on Thursday. Therefore we will look forward to our kindy students joining us on Thursday, 2nd April. HONG KONG BILLETS: In August we will have students visiting from Hong Kong. If your family can help out by billeting two students or a teacher for a few days please contact the office. Dates are: 26th July - 2nd August (or if you wish just part of this time would be ok). Please contact the office if you would like to help out. The Hong Kong students do pay for food at both the host’s home and for the High School Camp. High School Assessment Tasks Due Dates: 18th March Tech. project due (9/10) 23rd March Draft Creation Assignment (7/8) 25th March Tech. evaluation due (9/10) 30th March Science podcast due (7/8) AWARDS Computer Work: Scott Allen Completing a level in Multilit: Charlee Ede Writing by yourself: Isaac Zariffa Being a great bucket filler: Kyesha Pascoe Spelling: Chevy Cooke, Eli Stockdale, Narissa Chilcott, Reuben Cooke, Emilio Elias, Edward Howe, Abbie Mitchell, Phoebee Stockdale. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS Swimming Lessons: 5 swimming lessons for $25 Start swimming lessons at Splash, Devonport Aquatic and Leisure Centre before the end of March and get your first 5 lessons for $25! Heated pools and change rooms. Qualified teachers. Royal Life Saving Program - Swim & Survive. ‘Terms & conditions apply’. Phone 64 23 3007 www.splashdevonport.com.au THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “Why wish upon a star when you can pray to the one who created it ”. BIBLE VERSE: “God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.” Genesis 1:18