Secondary Years, Tarneit

Amazing Love

Amongst my many favourite Christian worship songs is the relatively contemporary song "Amazing Love". The lyrics of this song go something like this:

"I'm forgiven because you were forsaken.

I'm accepted, you were condemned.

I'm alive and well, Your Spirit is within me

Because you died and rose again.

Amazing love, how can it be,

That you my king would die for me.

Amazing love, I know it's true,

And it's my joy to honour you."

I love this song because it reminds me that: God loves me so much that he would sacrifice his son so that I can be forgiven and set free; because of his sacrifice, I can live "alive and well"; it is a joy to honour God's love for me by walking in love with God.

One of the pleasures of being in a Christian community such as GNLC, is that we get to live out our lives in a manner that honours God's gift of love. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, we get an insight into what "love" looks like: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails"

However, the act of "walking in the way of love" (Ephesians 5:2) is not easy in a world that celebrates selfish desires and ambitions over the greater calling of "building each other up according to their needs." Christian Living is counter-cultural in a world that is intent on living with bitterness, rage, anger and malice. Paul's letter to the Ephesians (4:32) provides as a powerful model for living out our calling to act in love: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

At GNLC we are constantly seeking to extend ourselves so that we are able to live with God's fruit of love dwelling in our hearts.

Ms Joanne Wegener

Head of Secondary

A Visit from Victoria Police

As part of the College's ongoing education plan for helping students to navigate the space of social media and online safety, we had the pleasure of welcoming Victoria Police to the College on Thursday 8 August. The police addressed the Year 7-10 students about the pitfalls and dangers of social media, while also learning how to keep themselves safe in the online environment.

Parents are encouraged to have some critical conversations with their children around the content of the seminar. I also encourage you to refer to the following resources for more information on this topic:

eSafety Commissioner's Parent resource

https://goodnews.vic.schooltv.me/

These resources can help to navigate and support our young people on their digital journey.

Ms Joanne Wegener

Head of Secondary

Term 3 Parent Support Series

A reminder that Elevate Education offers Free Parent Webinars that are designed to help parents support their child's studies at home.

The Term 3 webinars are listed below:

21 August 6.30pm: How you can make technology an ally (& not the enemy!)
4 September 6.30pm: How to help your child improve their note taking
18 September 6.30pm: How you can support your child during exams

Ms Joanne Wegener

Head of Secondary

Year 9 Visits Victoria University

On Tuesday 23 July, all Year 9’s visited Victoria University (Footscray Park Campus) to introduce them to the tertiary sector pathways and experience.

The day included a pathways presentation, student stories, a race around the campus and immersion activities in business, law and health.

Year 9 is a good opportunity to commence research in future pathways, tertiary providers and careers.

Mrs Naomi Nolan

Pathways & VET Coordinator

Year 9 Humanities Excursion - Shrine of Remembrance

As part of their investigation into World War 1, Year 9 visited the Shrine of Remembrance. The guided tour took students into the museum to discuss the artefacts and exhibits relating to Australian involvement in the war, even allowing some of them to try on uniforms and handle equipment from the war. Some students found the cabinet containing a pine from the original Lone Pine tree in Gallipoli, from which grew other various commemorative Lone Pine trees similar to our own in the Poppy Garden. Students were surprised to learn that Australians as young as 14 years old managed to enlist to fight in the war. In the Crypt we paid respect to the Father and Son statue and the battalion colours. In the Sanctuary, a student read the Ode while remembering unknown soldiers and soldiers who did not return.

We also visited other buildings and commemorative statues nearby that were involved in the war, including Government House which was the centre for the Red Cross charity work and the Victoria Barracks where men could enlist to fight, as well as the Simpson and his Donkey memorial and the Australian and Turkish Friendship Memorial in the botanic gardens.

During our lunchtime, some students and teachers climbed to the Balcony to view the city in the sunshine, and others explored other exhibitions relating to other 20th-century conflicts in which Australia was involved.

Mrs Brooke Peters

Teacher