Tim Hewitt, our Deputy Principal of Secondary School shares with us some reflections on Week 3. It has been a busy week with NAPLAN conducted online for the first time. Many thanks to the teachers involved and to the team headed up by Sally Rofe, for all your hard work behind the scenes.
On Wednesday evening we had our Annual General Meeting and it was a privilege to gather together.
Year 9 and 10 Wellbeing days provided students with the tools to cope, in what has become, a complex society. If you have students in these Year groups please continue these conversations at home.
From our Prayer Group
For Prayer and Praise
From the Prayer Group
Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
Psalm 144:15b (ESV)
For Prayer and Praise
Praise God that those who follow Him are indeed blessed! As David experienced God’s goodness and praised Him for being his rock, loving-kindness, helper, fortress, high tower, deliverer, shield and refuge, pray that our community too will pause to reflect on God’s goodness and give praise.
Prayer suggestions:
Pray for our nation to vote thoughtfully and prayerfully in the coming elections. Pray that those who are elected will enable Christians to live peaceful lives, live out their faith openly and allow Christian schools to teach the Bible faithfully.
Pray for God to grant wisdom to our Board, Principal and Executive to ensure that the vision and mission of our school may continue to flourish for generations to come.
Pray for those who are grieving the loss of loved ones, for God to comfort them with His love.
Pray for those with long-term illnesses and those who have had surgeries recently, for them to trust in God and that He will grant them His peace.
Pray for events this week:
Continues Monday 16 to Friday 20 May: Naplan Years 3,5,7,9
Wednesday18 May: Years 3-12 Cross Country
Friday 20 May: Secondary School Athletics Carnival
Prayer Group meets in T9 (demountable classroom next to Preschool) at 9am on Thursdays. Come and pray with us for our school community. Please sign in first at the front office when you arrive.
From our Director of Teaching and Learning and Director of Student Wellbeing
Good Goals
It has been said that "a goal without a plan is just a wish". For many of us, we might want to achieve something but find the first step all too much.
There is significant research around goals. When we develop goals, we have somewhere to aim. We can focus our efforts and resources. Rather than just wishing, we start working towards what is possible.
New collaborative research by UNSW and the NSW Department of Education has investigated the impact of goal setting. A study of over 60,000 students revealed that growth goal setting was associated with significant gains in high school students’ academic engagement: they reported improved perseverance, aspirations, attendance, and positive homework behaviour.
At the start of each term, Covenant’s Secondary School students develop their learning goals. They sit down with their Home Class teacher and work out where they are headed. The learning leaders for each faculty propose goals which might be helpful according to what students are studying, while teachers are available for suggestions.
The goals are specific and measurable. Students consider what they would need to do to achieve the goals and why they are worthwhile. Then, at the end of the term, there is the opportunity for reflection. This is a time for students to enjoy what they have accomplished, work out any roadblocks and plan where they will head next. Joel, a Year 12 student commented, ‘it was inspirational because it gave it me something to work towards. It helped push me to reach a certain standard’.
Student Learning Goals, assist learning, which in turn, assists student wellbeing, which once again helps learning. It’s one of the ways our learning programs are inextricably linked with our wellbeing programs, so that the whole student is developed and shaped.
Tim Hewitt, our Deputy Principal-Secondary, at Covenant, sees goals as a way to direct our attention on what we see is important. ‘Ultimately, all people have the responsibility to be faithful, no matter what we are doing. Likewise, learning goals help our students to honour God by being diligent and focussed in the tasks which he has given them.’
You might like to ask your child: What are your goals for the term? We look forward to seeing which goals our students will develop and the way in which they will grow as a result.
Sam Glassock (Director of Teaching and Learning) & Dan Apin (Director of Student Wellbeing)
From our Interim Head of Junior School
The P-12 educational advantage
I have been thinking a lot lately about the growth of a child – what it is that captures their imagination, what draws their attention, the way they play, the way they think, and what they hold dear. It’s so interesting to ponder the passing of time and the changes that naturally occur in what enthralls a young person as they change year by year.
My experience at Covenant began in 1979 at St Paul’s Church hall in Terrey Hills. The single-room classroom housed students from Kindy to Grade 6 all in one learning space. It is now truly incredible to me that Miss Goodwin was able to bridge the gap and concurrently capture the attention of every student, spanning the wide age range.
I recall one such day when I was playing hide-n-seek. I leant my hand on a tree but instantly jumped back with shooting pains flowing through my hand. My finger had landed on a spiky “spitfire” caterpillar, puncturing my right pinky with multiple spikes.
In true Miss Goodwin style, the stage for the afternoon lesson was set and we all were ready to learn. The whole school watched on as each spike was tweezered out, accompanied by a Biblical lesson on God’s creativity in making creatures that protect themselves. We were enthralled – the whole lot of us. You see, God’s creativity had captured our attention. We may have been processing differently, but we were all thinking deeply.
As Covenant has grown, so has the range of ages so that now students span from age 3 to age 18. We shouldn’t underestimate this treasure that lies within – the opportunity to learn from other ages and stages.
I have been introduced to the ‘P-12 educational advantage’. The way that the younger teach the older whilst the older teach the younger. We experience this advantage through inter-class interactions, discussions about God and His world, chats on the bus, assemblies and service. How wonderful it is to see our Year 6 students interacting with their Prep or Kindergarten buddies – sharing their joys and interests in excited discussions. It is a joy to hear of the desire of our Year 12 leaders to encourage the Year 6 leaders in their leadership journeys.
The opportunities for students to learn from each other are endless.
So this is what has captured my heart this week. We celebrate a God who grips both the mind of the bright-eyed 3-year-old up to the eagerly expectant 18-year-old. I am truly excited to explore opportunities for students to learn from each other as we make our way through our time at Covenant. There is much to learn from each other, all under the leadership of Jesus our Lord.
Heidi Stead Interim Head of Junior School
What's been happening?
Prep Celebrate Mother's Day
Our Prep 2 and 3 day groups, each celebrated with an Afternoon Tea in honour of their Mums. The students spent much of the day preparing gifts and edible delights for their Mums. Thank you to our Mothers and Grandmothers for all you do.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The 2022 Covenant Christian School Association Dinner and AGM was held on Wednesday this week. We were blessed with a thought provoking message from Vanessa Cheng from the Australian Association of Christian Schools (AACS). We are particularly grateful that she travelled inter-state to be with us.
We are pleased to announce that Graham Baikie and Alison Streeter have been elected to serve on the Board. They both come with a wealth of knowledge and experience. We would like to take the opportunity of thanking Karen Anderson who is 'stepping down' from her role on the Board, we are grateful to you for serving our school through your dedicated work on the Board.
I will always be grateful to God for the opportunity to go to the National Art School for the HSC Intensive painting course and for the myriad of things I learnt from the experience.
The course helped me meet a diverse range of people from all across New South Wales who shared the same passion and level of skill in their art-making. I made a lot of friends who are probably the most creative and technically brilliant artists I’ve ever met. We learnt a lot from each other and were extremely supportive of each other’s artistic practice.
Going to art school in itself helped refuel my creativity; being consumed by the workload of Years 11 and 12, I was unable to fully pay attention to my art-making which almost got ‘lost in translation’. Our painting tutor reminded us to keep going even if it means just doing a few thumbnail sketches a day. He was excellent with his art and was completing his doctorate in fine arts. We were taken to see the postgraduate and undergraduate exhibitions which motivated us to see how far one could go with their practice. The course also encouraged me to explore the infinite nature of possibility within art, specifically within painting. This included the importance of experimentation, drawing and painting from life, painting from a set-up, etc. All these were different ways one could develop original works which were then exhibited on the final day of the course, also remembering that the experience and process of creating a work is more valuable than the final product because we are all still learning to be better artists!
I’m thankful to Miss Rose who encouraged me to apply and supported me throughout the experience, also attending the exhibition. Overall, I would encourage any Visual Arts student who is passionate about art or wishes to catch a glimpse of what art school is like to apply to this course as the experience was truly invaluable.
Ashreya
Star Wars Lego Challenge
The first three weeks of Term were dedicated to the celebration of Science Fiction in the Learning Hub. The highlight was Star Wars Day, during which the much-anticipated Star Wars Lego Challenge took place. Students worked in teams to build a scene from Star Wars, and the builds were then judged by staff and students.
The votes have been counted and we are proud to announce the winning team is the Starkiller team (first image below) with their Imperial Base build. Well done to Caleb J, Jake H, Ewan B and Elisha N!
CIS Hockey Trials
On Monday 9 May, Ethan, Caleb and Angela trialled for the CIS Hockey teams to play in the NSW State Championships later this term.
Congratulations to Ethan for making the CIS Boys Team to play in Tamworth in early June.
Covenant Information
Evening of Music
Please join us for an Evening of Music on Thursday 9 June at 7:00pm.
Please note that due to the large number of students performing and the capacity of the Hall, tickets are limited to 2 per family. There will be a waiting list for this event, so if you are unable to secure seats, please ensure you add your name to this list.
Save the Date - El Hombre Junior School Musical
After a couple of years of non-musicals due to the pandemic, we are planning to perform the musical, El Hombre, in Term 3. This musical was written by the very talented Mr Wayne Morton and Mrs Hailey Bootes and tells the story of King David but within a distinctly Hispanic setting. It is filled with brilliant acting, amazing dancing and a plethora of catchy tunes that are underpinned by the story of God’s faithfulness and mercy pointing to the true El Hombre - King Jesus. We have been rehearsing since the start of the year and cannot wait to perform next term. We will soon be sending home information about costumes and other props that may be required.
Every child from Kindy through to Year 6 will be involved in every performance, so we wanted to give you advanced notice so that diaries can be ‘blocked out’ for this memorable event. This weekend coincides with Father’s Day weekend and maybe a good opportunity to invite extended family to an entertaining night out. Tickets will be going on sale at the start of Term 3 – more details to be advertised in coming weeks.
Junior School Teachers (who are just a little bit excited!)
Bible Society Year 12 Masterclass Evening
On Thursday 19 May from 6pm to 8:30pm the Bible Society will be hosting an evening with two engaging speakers and a Q&A over a two-course meal and drinks. The speakers are Scott Warner, AFES Team Leader at the Macquarie University Christian Union and Erica Hamence, an Associate Minister at St Barnabas Broadway. They will be speaking on: “Does Christianity Restrict our Freedom?” and “Dealbreakers with God” respectively. Further details about the event can be found here.
The event will be at the Epping Club, 45-47 Rawson St, Epping. The usual cost of this event would have been $50. We have been offered a small collection of free tickets for students who may wish to attend. You can contact Gayle Baikie to access these tickets at gayle.baikie@biblesociety.org.au.
Jason Marriott Knowing God Coordinator
Letters sent home
Letters Sent Home: Term 2, Week 3
These letters can be found on the Covie App > Links > Letters to Parents.
General letters:
Year 8 Passion Project (letter sent Wednesday 11 May)
El Hombre, Junior School Musical (email sent Thursday 12 May)
Year 11-12 Parent Teacher Interviews (letter sent Thursday 12 May)
Program for Secondary Athletics Carnival 2022 (letter sent Friday 13 May)
Changes to Prep Drop off and Pick up (letter sent Friday 13 May)
