Celebration Night

'Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.' Psalm 119:105

Last night was a very special evening for our school community, as we celebrated 2023 and the achievements of our Year 12 leavers.

During the evening, we enjoyed musical performances by students, speeches from leadership, recognition of student leadership and special awards, and incredible cinematic videos that capture the spirit of our school.

Congratulations to the graduating class for their hard work and dedication, and to the teachers, staff, and family who have nurtured them during their schooling years. It is a privilege for Launceston Christian School to play a significant part in this milestone. May God's word continue to guide and illuminate our graduate's journey ahead.

A big thank you to all the staff that made this event a memorable and wonderful night.

Junior School Celebration & Thank You, Mrs Niebuur

Our school community gathered at the Tailrace Centre to celebrate 2023 in Junior School. The audience enjoyed a performance by the Junior School Vocal Ensemble and each class sharing a special item.

A highlight of this event was honouring and farewelling our retiring Head of Junior School, Irene Niebuur. It was a privilege to sing her 'The Blessing', as a surprise flash mob. We thank Mrs Niebuur for the many years of service to our school, her steadfast Christian witness, and her impact on hundreds of students that she has nurtured and been an example to.

The Lord bless you

And keep you

Make His face shine upon you

And be gracious to you

The Lord turn His Face toward you

And give you peace

Middle School Celebration

This week, the Middle School celebrated the 2023 school year with their end of year assembly at Riverbank Christian Church. Years 7, 8 and 9 students reflected on what they had accomplished and how they had grown over this year, and awards were presented to students. Mrs Armstrong shared an encouraging message, and the TRJ video was also a highlight (see below).

It was a significant event as it is the last Middle School assembly with our school changing to the 7-12 Secondary structure in 2024. Thank you to all who made this special assembly an enjoyable, God-honouring, and memorable occasion.

Year Six Graduation

On Tuesday, our Year Six students celebrated the end of Junior School with their families at their graduation assembly. This is a significant milestone, as students move to Secondary School in 2024.

We enjoyed some special moments during the event, with the Year 3&4 choir singing a special song to the graduates, the Year Six Band playing a great tune to open the event, and Zachary Lim wowing the audience with his performance of 'My Hero', dedicated to his dad.

Graduates may the Lord continue to bless you as you move into Secondary School!

Some Special Staff Farewells

As the year closes, we say goodbye to some very special and long serving LCS staff members, Tony Barracu, Simone Griffiths, and Dave Barber.

Tony has been a groundsman and school attendant for many years, and we have been blessed by his steadfast service to our school. LCS is so thankful for all the work he has done - hard and jobs that may not be always noticed - but we are grateful for his dedication - and we will miss him very much. We are praying for you, Tony, as you begin a new chapter working at Hotondo Homes.

A much-loved Kindergarten Teacher Aide, Simone has made a difference in hundreds of our youngest students' lives (and their parents) over the many years she has been in this space. Working alongside Kerri-Anne Russel, her love, joy, smile, laugh and sense of humour will be missed at LCS. We pray the Lord will bless and keep you, Simone - and please visit us often!

Dave Barber has also been a long-time staff member at our school, working in the Secondary School as a Humanities Teacher. At the Middle School Celebration this past Monday, Mrs Armstrong shared these special words: Thank you for

your service and your heart for Jesus. You have been at LCS for over 20 years and you have definitely left an imprint on the kids you have taught. Whenever I see a packet of Fishermans Friends or hear the words to ‘take me home Country Road’ I will remember you and smile. You are a lover of storytelling, history and music. As you move to Hobart for your next chapter we pray that God leads and guides your steps.

2023 Milestones

A special shoutout to the amazing Mr Peter Cox for capturing the essence of this memorable year! 📸📘 Flip through the pages, and you'll find a mosaic of laughter, challenges conquered, and triumphs celebrated. Each snapshot tells a story, and together they form a beautiful tapestry of our LCS family.

Year Six Camp

On Wednesday and Thursday last week, the Year 6 students went on a camping trip down South. Students were treated to a trip to Port Arthur where they were immersed in Australia’s colonial history. This was followed by indoor climbing activities at the Blue Lagoon Camp site. The crate climbing proved a hit, our group becoming the first ever to have four students reach the ceiling (see insert: Sooki Van Den Berg, Jacqueline Cook, Arizona Stokes and Levi Dadson). The following morning included outdoor team challenges and obstacle courses before departing for Zone Bowling. A quick stop at Montrose Park and the students were on their journey home. Thank you to our staff and parents helpers who made this memorable experience possible for our Year 6s as they enter their final days as Junior School students.

Maria Island

Our Year 10 students embarked on their school camp amidst the breathtaking landscapes of Maria Island. The group summited Bishop and Clerk - with a keen group waking up at 3am to catch the sunrise. Students explored the island on mountain bikes, enjoyed snorkelling, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding.

The camp not only provided an opportunity for spiritual growth but also allowed the students to forge stronger bonds with their peers, strengthening their faith in the midst of the breathtaking wonders that served as a testament to the magnificence of God's handiwork.

Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

Senior Dinner Snapshots

NHSSA Grand Finals

Three LCS teams were involved in the NHSSA Basketball Grand Finals at Elphin Sports Centre. It was awesome to see a great LCS crowd at the Grand Final games! Thanks to those who came along to cheer the teams on!

Our Snr. 2nds Girls and Boys teams were successful in clinching the title of PREMIERS while our Snr. 3rds boys were gallant in defeat against the undefeated Lilydale side.

LCS Snr. Girls 2nds defeated Deloraine 42-28

LCS Snr. Boys 2nds defeated Cressy 27-16

LCS Snr. Boys 3rds were defeated by Lilydale 53-32

A special thanks to all the coaches this season who made it possible to enter these teams!

T20 Cricket Tournament

We had a great couple of days of cricket and we were able to produce our best results in this competition, against some powerhouse cricket schools!

This is the 3rd year that we have been involved and to be competitive in 3 out of the 4 matches was an awesome effort. We pushed Grammar right to the end and nearly caused a huge upset as they made it though to the Grand Final!

It was great to see the boys rewarded with a win in the final match against Marist and with a bit of luck in the super over against St. Brendan’s we could have come away with another win.

Overall the wins/loss column is only one measure of success, I was proud of how the boys played and the improvement that we have been able to show in this competition. Some of these schools have ex. Tasmanian cricket players as coaches with 10’s of thousands of dollars poured into their cricket programs and give scholarships to good cricketers to get them into the school so in a way it is a lopsided competition.

To register 3 x scores over 100 and get quite a few wickets were great measures of improvement.

Thanks to the boys who came back in their own time to play and represent LCS, as well as the parents who came along and supported and provided transport.

Looking forward to doing it all again in 2024!

My Christian School

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS ARE different.

Our students go into the world with Christian hope in their hearts. A new generation of Aussies who love to volunteer, to serve their communities and to build strong families.

At the heart of this difference is the living Christian faith of teachers and staff. People whose lives model the grace and love of Christ. However, proposals from the Australian Law Reform Commission threaten to change this. Hiring a teacher or staff member at a Christian school because they are actually a Christian may soon be seen as discrimination.

My Christian School is for Australians who believe in this difference.

Together, we can preserve this precious difference for future generations.

Subscribe to show your support and stay informed: www.mychristianschool.au

Employment Opportunity: Payroll Officer

Payroll Officer: Position Description

Part-time position available

For more information about positions available, click the link below:

Employment | Launceston Christian School (lcs.tas.edu.au)

Grow Your School - Fundraiser Opportunity

2024 Fee Schedule

From the Office

Our office will close on Wednesday 20th December @ 3pm and will be open again Mon 22nd & Tues 23rd Jan from 9am-3pm. The office will be closed on Wednesday 24th & Thursday 25th for staff meetings and Friday 26th is a Public Holiday.

From Mon 29th January the office will open as usual 8am-4pm.

From 2024, I will be moving on as Office Manager at LCS into a new role as Senior Administration Officer, providing more focused Admin support to various areas within the school. I would like to take this moment to thank all staff, students, and parents for their support over the past 15 years in my role as Office Manager. I also want to thank the ladies that I have had the privilege of working with during this time. Mrs Monica Kibbel will be taking over as Office Manager from 2024 and I know she is going to do a wonderful job and under her guidance the office will continue to serve the LCS Community in an efficient and productive manner to the best of their ability with humility patience and kindness.

Have a wonderfully blessed Christmas!

Mrs Katrina Barracu – Office Manager

Uniform Policy Update

Uniform Update

HATS in 2024

Currently across Australia, and more importantly in Tasmania, there is an alarming increase of melanoma and skin cancer in young people. At LCS we take our responsibility of students’ health and safety very seriously. To ensure we are fulfilling our duty of care towards our students, the following changes to our uniform policy is necessary.

WHOLE SCHOOL POLICY CHANGE

From 2024, during Terms 1 and 4, all students from Kindergarten to Year 12 must wear an approved LCS hat when outside. This includes PE lessons, excursions, camps, recess, lunch, carnivals and when students are arriving and leaving school. Students are also encouraged to regularly apply sunscreen when outside.

The Cancer Council of Australia recommends a ‘bucket’ or ‘broad brimmed’ hat as part of it’s SunSmart policy, and LCS provides both of these styles in our Uniform Shop.

LCS CAPS

LCS Caps can continue to be worn by secondary students during Terms 1 and 4

HOWEVER,

If as parents you choose to allow your child to wear the school cap rather than the bucket or broad brimmed hat, you are accepting the risks that caps do not offer the most effective sun protection to your child. I would encourage all parents to consider asking their children to only wear the LCS cap during PE lessons or sports activities that require a cap for practicality, and to wear the recommended SunSmart hats at all other times.

SUN SCREEN

LCS will ensure that there is sunscreen available to students who are undertaking activities outside. Please partner with us to encourage your child to apply regularly when outside.

UNIFORM UPDATE FOR 2024

Old LCS hats of various colours will no longer be accepted as part of the school uniform.
Please plan ahead to ensure that your children have official LCS head coverings ready to be worn at the start of 2024.

These changes to our policy will result in the Primary School being classified as “SunSmart” and the Secondary School to be classified as “Sun Aware”. This is in line with the majority of Primary and Secondary schools in Launceston.

Resources:Rachel's melanoma story - YouTube Nadine’s Skin Cancer Story | Protect Your Skin (Full Length) - YouTube Wes Bonny’s story - A young man lost to melanoma - YouTube Shannan's story | Melanoma March 2018 - YouTubeLCS Uniform Order FormUpdated LCS Uniform Policy

Uniform Shop

By Appointment

Monday 22nd January (new parents only)

Tuesday 23rd January

Thursday 25th January

Shop Open

Tuesday 30th January 10am - 4pm

If you have any inquiries regarding uniforms, please get in touch with our Uniform Coordinator, Anne Rixon, at 0400573902

A REMINDER: LCS Uniform Policy - Shoes

Designated sports shoes only

LCS Volunteer Application Form

At LCS, we believe in the importance of fostering a positive, supportive community. We believe that parents and community members are essential partners in achieving this goal, and we would like to invite you to consider volunteering at LCS. We welcome your involvement if you have a specific skill or talent to share or simply want to lend a helping hand.

If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the form below and return it to the Office/email it to kibbelm@lcs.tas.edu.au together with the required documentation.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you.