Covie NewsIssue 6

At CSSA Cross Country last Friday we were delighted by the great support from parents and students cheering on our Covie runners! There were lots of surprised and happy faces with the pace they had set around the course. A number of our students just placed outside that elusive 10th place. Others were content with their times and their race (and their hot chips from the canteen)! It was a beautiful day to be out in the sun and getting some fresh country air.

A big thanks to Mr Haes and Mr Moody for all their help with the team.

Congratulations to the following students who placed in the top 10 and qualified for CIS Cross Country Championships! #covieproud

9 Years Boys | Daniel L | 4th

12-13 Years Boys | Raif B | 10th

8-13 Years Multi-Class | Owen K | 3rd

10 Years Boys Team | Edward S, Henre VH, Kai T, Zion K | 2nd

12 Year Girls | Adalia S | 4^th

13 Year Girls | Meredith L | 1^st

13 Year Girls | Adelaide S | 10th

14 Year Boys | Matthew D | 1st

14 Year Boys Team | Matthew D, James G, Coby S, Kobe T | 3rd

15 Year Boys | Oliver B | 8th

17 Year Boys | Luke S | 2nd

17 Year Girls | Amy N | 7th

Open Multi-Class | Jeremiah M | 1st

Marco was selected to represent CSSA in the 2025 CIS Football Championships last week. This was a notable achievement for him, having progressed from the U16 division where he spent the last two years. Despite the team's youthful composition, Marco's unwavering dedication inspired his teammates to excel. Notably, he played every minute of the five games, demonstrating the trust placed in him by his coaches. The team's hard work and perseverance culminated in a resounding 5-1 victory over NCIS (North Coast Independent Schools Sports Association), a testament to their teamwork and spirit.

Well done Marco - we are #covieproud!

We've been receiving regular updates from the wonderful Mrs Drain. You can find them all here! Tomorrow the teams will be working on their action plan presentations (a four-minute creative skit) and then present them to an audience for evaluation in the evening.

Continue to join us in praying for our students, teachers and parents.

It's on again for 2025 - the infamous Push Up Challenge at Covenant! We are raising money and awareness for mental health! From the 4th to the 26th June, we've invited our students and teachers to do push ups as part of the Push Up Challenge. There will be a final day challenge where we will discover if Mr Dhemba can reclaim his title after a devastating loss in 2024. We'd love your support - please give generously here!

As part of their exploration of space, Year 3 have been considering the importance of gravity. This led to an exploration of Galileo’s (hypothetical) experiment of dropping two objects from a height to see which hit the ground first. Whilst he most likely did not drop anything from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Year 3 actually attempted the experiment. The children had to record the aim of the activity, develop their own hypothesis, and consider what a good scientific method might involve. They took paper, handballs and recycled bottles to the C Block balcony where there is a 5-meter drop.

At this point learning gave way to hilarity and chaos as bottles filled with water were dropped to the concrete below. However, there was also some method to the madness! Data was taken, recorded (and often debated), and some analysis occurred. The final stage of the scientific model is communication, and despite all the fun we're confident that some of the reasoning will be remembered.

Help us help them!

Here are some tragic statistics:

• 23% of homeless people are aged between 12 and 14 years old.
• In Sydney, there are 346 people sleeping "rough" and 380 people in occupied hostel beds.

Our Secondary students are participating in a Wellbeing Drive to bring in pantry items to deliver to LocalKind, Manly. This NGO serves the vulnerable and at-risk people, including the homeless community, on the Northern Beaches. Until the end of term, students are being asked to bring in particular items to their Home Class and there will be a pizza party for the Home Class which brings in the most items. The items are:

• Cup/Instant noodles
• Canned goods (e.g. tuna, spaghetti, baked beans)
• Long life milk
• Cereal
• Biscuits
• Other non-perishable items
  

• Wednesday 11 June
• 9.00am-2.00pm at Grass Oval Track, Sydney Academy of Sport, Narrabeen
• Parents are responsible for arranging the transportation of their children. There is a bus leaving Covenant and returning to Covenant for the afternoon at a cost of $8 each way. You will need to make a booking by midnight Wednesday 4 June. Make your bus booking here.
• Parents are invited to come and cheer as spectators, or volunteer to assist at the carnival (towards PIP hours). Sign up to help by Monday 2 June.
• For more information, find the letter titled 'Years 2-6 Athletics Carnival 2025' on the Covie App > More > Links > Letters to parents > Junior School.

Parents are warmly invited to join us each fortnight on a Friday at our Infants and Primary assemblies in the PAS.

• Infants Assembly (Kindergarten to Year 2) is from 10.00-10.30am on Friday 20 June.
• Primary Assembly (Years 3 to 6) is from 1.40-2.15pm on Friday 20 June.

• Thursday 26 June
• 6.00-7.00pm in the Performing Arts Space (PAS).
• Enjoy wonderful performances by our Year 10 Dance Elective class and Eisteddfod Troupes.
• Bookings can be made here - https://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/events/evening-of-dance-2025

This is not a school event, but you might be interested in putting a table together to support this wonderful Christian organisation who are caring for the vulnerable in our local area.

Grandparents are invited to visit classrooms, enjoy music and dance performances, FLIP displays, visit the our Junior School Art Gallery and Scholastic Book Fair.

Thank you for your continued support and patience as our Learning Hub and Staffroom redevelopment progresses.

As part of this next stage of building, a new elevated walkway will connect D Block to the south side of E Block on the western side, near the Colosseum. This will be a fantastic addition, improving access and connectivity between the E17 and E18 staffrooms and the new Learning Hub.

To make this happen, the air conditioners for rooms E21 to E24 will be temporarily decommissioned and relocated to the awning roof. The large Colosseum shade structure will also be modified to accommodate the new walkway.

The D Block tunnel walkway will close until the end of Term 3. This allows for construction works and ensures we are ready for the HSC Trials scheduled in Week 2 of Term 3.

Access to the Secondary School will be available via the south boundary driveway, near Wakehurst Rugby Oval, or through the passage between E3 and F1 classrooms.

Please also be aware that the Colosseum area will be reduced in size as construction extends into that space. At some point, the only access to E Block lockers will be via the E4 classroom or the Learning Hub after school.

Please see the map attached for a visual reference of these changes.

Thank you once again for your adaptability and support as we move into this exciting phase of the project. We’re deeply thankful to God for his provision, and we encourage you to join us in praying for the ongoing safety of all workers and for our staff and students during the construction period.

- Andrew Lowry, Business Manager

Our religious freedom is under threat.

In the lead-up to the 2025 Federal election, the Labor and Liberal parties both made commitments to faith leaders on religious freedom. Both parties committed to protecting freedom of speech and religion, including the commitment that existing religious freedoms would remain and not go backwards. Labor also committed to developing a religious discrimination bill, but on the condition that it can be negotiated in a bipartisan way with the Coalition. This is a helpful commitment, because it rules out working with the Greens or other independents to push through cuts to religious freedom.
Multiple Labor MPs and Ministers promised that any changes to the rights of faith-based schools or other religious organisations to choose who they employ, or operate according to their faith, would also have to be bipartisan. Finally, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland also ruled out reintroducing the disastrous Misinformation/Disinformation Bill, because of its impacts on religous freedom.

What can you do to protect religious freedom?

Your action today matters more than you might think! Labor needs to be constantly reminded of their promises, and that people are watching. By signing the petition, you’re joining with thousands of Australians to send a message loud and clear: religious freedom matters.