From the Principal
Michelle Fitzallen
Michelle Fitzallen has announced her intention to resign her position as Head of Senior School at LCS at the end of 2020. Michelle has communicated this formally with the Board. There will be numerous ways that we will honour Michelle in the coming months. Michelle’s passion to see the students in the Senior excel and grow academically, spiritually, emotionally and socially is abundantly evident in the relationships she has developed at school and continues to have with many students who have left LCS and stay in touch. While Michelle will be missed as part of the Leadership Team, she intends to stay on at LCS in a part time teaching role. The steps to recruit a new Head of Senior School are underway and your prayers for wisdom, guidance, God’s prompting to be evident and unity in decision making in this process are valued and sought.
Prayer, Wisdom & 4 O's
Throughout this period of history I have certainly found myself in prayer on many occasions. Whether that’s in personal prayer, praying in staff meetings, Leadership team meetings, Board meetings or praying in other settings - what are we seeking most from God? It is for wisdom.
Thankfully we have the support of God’s Word to us about this. James 1:5 reminds us:
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”
And again, later in James we are reminded, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness." James 3:13-18
As we all seek this wisdom for our particular circumstances in the decisions we need to make in life, I’d like to suggest there are 4 O’s to consider. I want to acknowledge the source of this from a group called Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Opportunity, Opposition, Obedience, and Outcome. When we truly understand these 4 O’s, we can lead and live courageously despite the circumstances.
Where do Opportunities come from?
Yes, God has gifted us as leaders with great abilities and strengths, and we have even worked to get opportunities. However, it is important for us to realise that God orchestrates and provides all opportunities. All opportunities come from Him alone. He will use us, but opportunities are God’s part, not ours. Once we accept this truth, pressure and stress is replaced with peace and patience.
Opposition will always come!
Every opportunity will be followed with opposition. We have three main enemies that give us opposition: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Each one has a goal to prevent us from succeeding. Paul seems to see it that way and even expects it. In 1 Corinthians 16:8-9, Paul writes, “But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”
Oftentimes, we equate the moving of God with blessing, easy roads and clear sailing. When things don’t go well, we question ourselves and God; Did I make a mistake? Did I hear God correctly? Did I take the wrong opportunity? But clear sailing is not the kind of open door we often experience is it? Walking in step with the Holy Spirit is often just the opposite! With every opportunity, opposition will come!
Obedience is simply saying, “Yes, God!”
When the going gets tough, the tough start obeying! In Joshua 1:9 we read, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Sometimes we shy away from an open door of opportunity because we can see the opposition. Could God be leading you into an opportunity that requires courage? Or an opportunity that requires obedience that confounds common sense? That sounds like a God-sized opportunity to me! Instead of leaning away, we need to lean in–that’s when obedience kicks in.
God is not looking for nibblers of the possible,
but the grabbers of the impossible.
- C.T. Studd
We need to seize the God-sized opportunities that require God-sized courage that only He can give! Courageous living requires obedience to walk with the Spirit through the open doors of opportunity, even in the face of opposition. Remember, obedience is our part!
Outcomes are God’s part, not ours.
It is the God of the Universe who is responsible for how things turn out. When we are obedient, we can rest in His results. In Mark 4:27-28, we read about the Parable of the Growing Seed and are reminded that while the farmer is asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows on it own. There is peace when we know that the Lord of the Harvest is taking care of the outcome. One of my favourite verses is Galatians 6:9: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” The harvest is coming!
Are we expecting God to open doors of Opportunities? Let’s not shrink back when the Opposition comes! Let’s be courageous and walk in courageous Obedience—step for step with the Holy Spirit. Then we can trust the Lord for the Outcomes.
Prayer
“Father, I ask for wisdom, discernment, and understanding. Help me to realise that all things come from You alone. You are so good, generous, and gracious. When the opposition comes, help me to keep my eyes fixed on You. Give me God-sized courage to obey. Finally, I will celebrate the outcome – no matter what. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Student Pickup in the case of COVID-19 at LCS
In our planning for the current COVID-19 situation, we have a plan in place should there be a need for parents to collect their children from school. While there have been no cases of this in Tasmania to date, the reality of this has been seen in other states.
So, it is best to be well prepared in the unlikely event of this happening. Below is our Student Pickup Plan. Please study the plan as it has particular procedures in place to ensure the safety of all students.
It is critical that a plan covers most foreseeable outcomes. There may be unique circumstances that need to be catered for, but we ask that the general flow of traffic be adhered to. In the event that a unique circumstance arises that is not covered in the plan, we suggest a call, email or text message be sent to ensure we can accommodate this. Please keep these lines free unless it is urgent to contact the school.
Staff at LCS have been briefed on this procedure and know what their roles are. This advance notice is to prepare our parents and carers as well. Hopefully this will alleviate any panic or confusion.
Some Helpful Advice from Focus on the Family
As parents, our schedules are usually packed with things to do and places to go. It can be so easy to rush from one thing to the next, causing us to miss out on opportunities to connect with our children. Talking to our kids is a chance to get to know the depths of who God made them to be and to watch them learn and grow.
Having intentional conversations with our children demonstrates steadfast love and encourages them to share their triumphs and challenges with us. It is a beautiful opportunity for us as parents to show our children that we are listening to them and are genuinely interested in what they have to say.
Asking our children questions is a wonderful way to teach them and help them grow. Inviting your kids into conversation can create a solid foundation of trust and love for the rest of their lives. One of the best times to start these conversations is at the dinner table.
Starting Conversations with Your Kids
Starting a conversation with your kids, however, can sometimes be easier said than done. Many questions that parents ask their kids can easily be shut down with a simple “yes” or “no” answer. It’s important that we ask our children open ended questions that leave plenty of room for them to answer and elaborate.
It’s also important to make the questions fun and interactive. One way to do this might be to get a large jar. Have your children help decorate it. Then, on colourful slips of paper, write out all of the questions you can think of that might start a good conversation. Fill the jar with the questions and at dinner time each night, have your children take turns drawing a question out of the jar. The question of the night can then become a family discussion. This can be a fun and interactive way to get your children excited and engaged about having conversations with the whole family.
Remember, the sky is the limit when it comes to what questions you might choose to ask your kids. The questions can be tailored to your child’s individual interests. For instance, if they are interested in superheroes, or certain book/movie characters, or cars — you can word your questions to reflect that interest.
50 Questions to Ask Your Kids
To get you started, here are 50 questions to ask your kids around the dinner table, broken down by age group:
Pre-School
What makes you happy?
What makes you laugh?
What is your favourite food?
What is the funniest face you can make?
If you could be an animal for one day, what animal would you be?
What is your favourite thing to do?
Who is your best friend?
What are you really good at?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Which story that grandma or grandpa tells is your favourite?
What is your favourite Bible story? What do you like about it?
What is something you are especially thankful to Jesus for right now?
Lower Primary
(Feel free to also choose questions from the Pre-School list.)
If you had one superpower, what would it be?
Who is your favourite Disney princess or superhero and why?
If your pets and/or stuffed animals could talk, what would they say?
What is your favourite book?
If you had a genie that could grant 3 wishes, what would you wish for?
What would you do if you swapped roles with Mum or Dad?
If you wrote a book, what would it be about? Who would the characters be?
What did you do to help someone else today?
What are some of your favourite things that God created in nature?
How did you see someone showing kindness to another person today?
What do you think heaven is like?
What do you like best about your brother or sister?
Who is your favourite Bible character?
Upper Primary
(Also, feel free to choose questions from the previous lists that are appropriate)
If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what powers would you have?
Would you rather travel back in time or travel into the future?
If you could meet anyone from history, who would you want to meet?
If you grew up to be famous, what would you like to be famous for?
If you had to go live on a space station for a month, what three things would you take with you?
What is the funniest joke you’ve ever heard?
Is there anything you really want to talk about that we haven’t discussed?
How do you know when God is near? When do you feel His presence the most?
When do you feel most proud of who you are?
If you could invent something, what would it be? What would your invention do?
If you had a thousand dollars to help someone, what would you do?
When you are praying, how do you picture God?
High School
(Also, feel free to choose questions from the previous lists that are appropriate.)
What is the weirdest dream you’ve ever had?
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If you joined the circus, what circus act would you be?
What is your dream holiday?
If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
If you were a photographer for a day, who or what would your subject be?
What is your favourite family tradition?
If you had to live in another country for a year, which country would it be and why?
If you could have lunch with anyone – living or deceased – who would it be and why?
What do you think university/TAFE would be like?
If you were Prime Minister, what would you do first?
What is the most important thing you’ve learned from the Bible?
If you could ask God one question right now, what would it be?
Having conversations with our kids is critical for building a solid foundation of trust, demonstrating steadfast love, and teaching them how to grow as a young person. These 50 questions to ask your kids are a great starting point for conversations around the dinner table. What other questions can you come up with to ask your kids?
© 2020 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Originally published at focusonthefamily.com.
Blessings,
Adrian Bosker