4 February 2015
From the Deputy Principal Pastoral Care (Yrs 7-12)
From the Prayer Group
I would like to add my welcome to Mr Rusin’s from last week, especially to new
students and families who are joining us in 2015. We’d like to welcome another
new staff member. Mrs Mairwen Chapman has joined our Secondary staff as a
History teacher.
In Him was life, and the life was the
light of men. The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not
overcome it.
John 1:4-5 (ESV)
For Prayer and Praise
• Praise God for Jesus who reigns
supreme and who shows us the way
to salvation – that through faith in
Him, we have eternal life.
• Pray for Year 10 Yarrabah Kids
Games Training.
• Pray for the Secondary Swimming
Carnival.
• Pray that God will equip class parents
as they serve our community.
• Pray that students will use
technology wisely and in a godly
manner.
Please join us in prayer— Thursdays
9-9.30am on the staffroom verandah.
If you would like the Prayer Group to
pray for you, email us at:
prayergroup@covenant.nsw.edu.au
Congratulations, too, to everyone for making it through the torrential rain to get to
school last week. Despite the rain, school ran smoothly and students settled in to
their routine quickly.
This week we have held elections for House Captains in the Secondary School.
These House Captains will assist at the various carnivals throughout the year,
encouraging House spirit and participation. The Secondary Swimming Carnival
will be held on Monday 9 February (Week 3) at the Warringah Aquatic Centre.
The main information evening for the Secondary School is scheduled for Monday
16 February (Week 4). Parents will be able to mingle and meet staff, including
home class teachers, prior to some general information. Year groups will then split
to hear from Pastoral Care coordinators for each year group. In addition, Mr Youl
will be distributing iPads to Year 7 and 8 families. Watch out for that letter coming
home soon!
Communication is vital in the Secondary School. While students are still given the
school diary and, while this is still a means of communication, we are moving
more and more towards electronic communication. This is both environmentally
friendlier and more efficient - fewer letters and notes lost in school bags or left in
lockers. The Parent Portal is therefore a vital means of tapping in to what your
children are doing in the Secondary School every day. Each parent can see any
test results, any good comments or discipline issues, detentions, commendations,
visits to sick bay and attendance. How to access the Parent Portal? Go to the Links
page on the school website or simply follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/ccsportal.
Finally, uniform. Girls’ skirts must be no shorter than 8-12cm above the knee
when kneeling. Many skirts are again shorter than that. Please ensure that your
daughter’s skirt is the required length. No student should be wearing black socks
- white socks for girls and grey for boys, please. Thank you to those parents who
ensure that their child’s uniform is always correctly - it is greatly appreciated.
You will have seen on the website congratulations to students who gained a Band
6 in an HSC subject. Our students did extremely well in the HSC and many have
been offered first round places in a range of subjects - Medical Science, Law,
Criminology, Psychology, Engineering, Science, Teaching and Nursing to name a
few. We look forward to preparing the Year 12 of 2015 to go out into the wider
community, to work and study as image bearers of God.
Mrs Chris O’Sullivan
Year 5-6 Parent iPad
Information Evening
Tuesday 10 February 2015
7.30pm in the
K Block Performance Space
Letters will be sent home this week.
Inside this issue:
Primary & Secondary Swimming
Carnival Notes
2
Premier’s Reading Challenge 2015
2
Dance Academy
2
Careers News
2
Dance & Drama Camp
3
What’s New on the Blogsite?
3
Covenant Christian School Newsletter—4 February 2015
Primary Swimming Carnival Note
The Primary Swimming Carnival will be held on Tuesday 17 February (8.30am
to 12.00noon). Unfortunately, the note sent home to you regarding the carnival
failed to say that bus travel to and from the carnival would incur a fee of $10 per
child. This will be added to next term’s school fees. Apologies for any
inconvenience caused.
Secondary Swimming Carnival Note
The Secondary Swimming Carnival is on next Monday 8 February at Warringah
Aquatic Centre.
We are pleased to advise that the three hour limit for parking at Warringah
Aquatic Centre has been waived for our carnival.
Position Vacant
Part-time Teachers' Aide (K –6)
Temporary 12 months (2015)
7½ hours per week over 3 days
Experience supporting high needs
individuals an advantage. To commence
as soon as possible.
Applications close: Friday 6 February
Please note: No application will be
considered without a completed package
(found on the website).
The Premier's Reading Challenge
The Premier's Reading Challenge is an initiative of the NSW State government
which aims to encourage in students a love of reading for leisure and pleasure,
and to enable students to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but
a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.
Full details and job descriptions
located on the school website
www.covenant.nsw.edu.au
The Challenge runs from 2 March until 28 August 2015. Ongoing reading is encouraged. Books read from 1 September 2014
can count towards the 2015 Challenge. The Challenge is divided into four groups: Kindergarten to Year 2, Years 3-4, Years 5-6
and Years 7-9. The readathon will be promoted and explained in the Junior School Library.
For more details of the challenge, refer to the website www.schools.nsw.edu.au/premiersreadingchallenge or pick up
information from the school library. Students who wish to participate must write their name and class on a list found in the
school library by Friday 20 February.
Mrs Robyn Watson and Mrs Wendy de Jong, Teacher Librarians
Dance Academy
Dance classes for Term 1 commenced this week. It is not too late to enrol. Timetables and enrolment forms can be
downloaded from the Covenant website (www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/dance), or copies can be collected from the school office.
Please return your forms as soon as possible.
For Dance Class locations, please check the Dance Academy Daily Timetable board out the front of C Block. Please check this
board each week, and encourage your children to check it to ensure they know the correct venue for their class.
If you have any questions, please email danceacademy@covenant.nsw.edu.au.
Careers News
Remember to check the website: http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/careers.html
UMAT 2015
UMAT is a test used specifically to assist with the selection of students into the medicine, dentistry and health science degree
programs at undergraduate level at the universities listed on the website. Registrations for UMAT 2015 are now open and
close at 5:00pm (AEST) on 5 June 2015. The test takes place nationally on Wednesday 29 July 2015. http://umat.acer.edu.au/
Sydney Institute of Business and Technology Information (SIBT) Session
Thursday 5 February - 3.00pm, Macquarie University, North Ryde Campus. Learn about SIBT’s pathways options to
Macquarie University. Contact: 9850 6533 or study@sibt.nsw.edu.au.
Go to http://study.navitas.com/SIBT-AUS-InfoSession-Registration-5feb2015.html
Study in USA Info Evening @ Redlands in Cremorne - 16 February 2015, 6.00-8.00pm in the Redlands Hall. A mixture of
presentations from US admissions officers followed by an expo, with approximately 20 universities attending. Please RSVP
early. All students and parents welcome but event targeted to Years 10-12. http://www.trybooking.com/GUFB. Any questions
contact Simone Salier: ssalier@redlands.nsw.edu.au. To book, go to http://www.trybooking.com/GUFB.
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—4 February 2015
Dance and Drama Camp 2015
Students from Years 7-10 are invited to sign up for this year’s fabulous Dance and Drama Camp to be held at Camp Kedron
on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 March.
Students will be able to choose from Improvisation and Dance workshops, as well as devising and rehearsing a performance
based on ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ for the Easter Assembly.
Cost will be $165 per student and will include meals and accommodation. For more information, please contact Mrs Heather
Pitt, Drama Teacher: hpitt@covenant.nsw.edu.au.
Extend OSHC at Covenant Christian School
Last week Extend opened at Covenant Christian School for the first time and it was great to have so
many children and families already using the service.
To celebrate Australia Day, we had several activities across the week which included making
boomerangs, reading picture books about Australian native animals and listening to our favourite
True Blue musician, Colin Buchanan! Despite the rain we spent time playing outside under the
cover to enjoy some intense (but very fun!) handball matches.
Our Extend Superstar is ... Jonah C for his enthusiasm to always help others at After School Care.
Enrol online – allow 24 hours
Enrolling is quick and easy! Simply set up your own account online via the Parent Portal. Please note it is a government
regulation that all children must be enrolled BEFORE attending an Extend service. For information on operating hours and
fees, go to the link below.
New Families – Enrol in After School Care
Enrol now, pay later. The annual enrolment fee per family of $20 is NOT payable until you first use the service. So why not
enrol now so you can access the service later? It doesn't matter if you don't end up using the service, because you won't be
charged.
Parent Portal: www.extend.com.au
What’s New on the Blog Site?
Keep up to date via www.facebook.com/covenantchristianschoolsydney
First Day of 2015
Enjoy some photos from Kindergarten's first day. It was a special day with
some tears (parents and children) and much excitement. Many parents took
the opportunity to linger and chat with others at a morning tea held in Cafe
Covie. It was a wet day to start the school year so not as active for recess and
lunchtimes. After lunch students were taken on a tour to meet some staff and find
where the Library, Office, Sick Bay, Computer room and Art room was.
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/welcome-to-kindergarten-2015
New Blog Posts to Visit
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/year-3-receive-their-bibles
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/nsw-premiers-reading-challenge-2015
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/quiz-helps-year-7-get-to-know-each-other
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/year-10-asked-who-lives-and-who-dies-on-the-titanic
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/dance-and-theatre-sports-electives-combine
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/canteen-helpers-serving-our-community
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/who-is-who-in-junior-school-staff
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/congratulations-to-first-rad-ballet-exam-students
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/mums-group-children-enter-year-7-in-7-schools
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/northern-beaches-hospital-video-fly-through
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/superbowl-streamed-live-at-covenant
http://www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/christian-school/the-little-mermaid-announced-as-high-school-musical-for-2015
│3
Covenant Christian School Newsletter—4 February 2015
This Friday’s Canteen Special:
What’s Coming Up!
Friday 6/2 & Monday 9/2: Greek Salad ...............................Lge $4.50 Sml $3.00
Friday only: Beef Nachos .............................................................................. $4.50
Order via Munch Monitor or www.covenant.nsw.edu.au/canteen
Community Notices
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
YEAR 7
Maths Test
English speech due
Date Due
11/3
23/3
NB: Mathematics unit tests are held regularly at
the end of units. Students are notified in class at
least two days prior.
YEAR 8
The Passion Project- Proposal
23/2
(Aylward and Lewis only)
Biblical Studies (TB and W)
13/2
Two Ways to Live Quiz
Maths Test
12/3
English Essay due
24/3
Carry It: Bags and Portfolio
Week 8
NB: Mathematics unit tests are held regularly at
the end of units. Students are notified in class at
least two days prior.
Letters to Parents
Some may not have been distributed yet.
Date of
Letter Class Topic
27/1
29/1
30/1
4│
1
2
4
5
7-12
Introductory Letter
Introductory Letter
Introductory Letter
Introductory Letter
Secondary Swimming
Carnival
12
EEC Excursion
12
English Ext 2 Task Change
11
Photography, Video &
Digital Media
6
Introductory Letter
7
Maths Calculators
11&12 Dance Excursion
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.
(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.)
 Covie Senior Boys Basketball Team
Covie have a Senior Boys Basketball
Team in Open Competition with
Manly Warringah Basketball, and
would love new members. Games are
Friday afternoons at Narrabeen
Indoor Sports Centre. Training at
school Tuesdays until 4.30pm. Mostly
Year 11 but boys from other grades
welcome. Enquiries to Helen Bilton
helen@bilton.com.au or 0434 354 051.
 Free Teenage Triple P Seminars
Free positive parenting program.
Tue 24/2—Raising Responsible
Teenagers; Tue 3/3—Raising
Competent Teenagers; Tue 10/3—
Getting Teenagers Connected.
Warringah Council Civic Centre, Dee
Why. Bookings essential at
stockg@warringah.nsw.gov.au.
Enquiries: Greg Stock 9942 2681.
 Cyber Safety Seminar
Raising Responsible Digital Citizens
with Leonie Smith, the Cyber Safety
Lady. Wed 11/2, 7-9pm, Mackellar
Girls Campus, Manly Vale. Info: 9942
2681. Free but bookings essential:
youthbookings@warringah.nsw.gov.au
Brochures available from school office.
 Pittwater Tigers Junior AFL
Boys & girls Auskick 5-8s, Juniors U9s
-U17s. Reg.: Sat 7/2 & 14/2, 10am-2pm,
North Narrabeen Reserve, Walsh
Street. Enq: 0407 699 811 or online at:
www.pittwaterafl.com.au. or
pittwatertigers@gmail.com.
Important Dates can also be found on the
Calendar page of the school website.
Friday 6 and Saturday 7 February
Year 10 Yarrabah Kids Games Training
Monday 9 February
Secondary Swimming Carnival
Tuesday 10 February
General Assembly (10.45am)
Year 5-6 iPad Information Evening
Friday 13 February
Year 9 Picnic Day
Monday 16 February
Secondary Information Evening
School Tour (9.15am)
Tuesday 17 February
Primary Swimming Carnival (8.30am to
12noon)
Wednesday 18 February
Year 7 HPV Vaccinations and Year 8
Catch Up Vaccinations from 2014
Wednesday 25 to Friday 27 February
Year 5 and 6 Camps
Friday 27 February
School Tour (9.15am)
Tuesday 3 March
CCS Association Information Evening
Primary Zone Swimming
Thursday 5 March
Secondary Zone Swimming
Monday 16 to Tuesday 17 March
Year 7-10 Drama Camp (note date change)
Tuesday 24 March
Easter Assembly
Thursday 2 April
Last day of Term 1
This Week’s Quizzle
DECK
 Shared Rental Opportunity - Forestville
DECK
Single mum with teenage kids is
seeking a Christian lodger to share the
family home in Forestville. If
interested in finding out more, please
contact Suzanna on 0418 440 861.
DECK
Answer to the last Quizzle
EXCUSE ME