From the Principal

Life balance and convictions

I want to share two main thoughts with you this week as we head off into what is supposed to be a time of rest, restoration, rejuvenation, renewal, repair, rebuilding, refurbishment, renovation, restitution, restitution and any other re word you can put there in preparation for return in Term 3.  The first is a great sporting story about Eric Liddell from a resource called Word For Today.  Even if you’ve heard it before, read on till the end.  It’s inspiring. 

Stand By Your Convictions And God Will Honour You

‘A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it.’ Numbers 30:2 NLT

For months Eric Liddell trained with his heart set on winning the 100-metre race in the 1924 Olympics. Most sportswriters predicted he would win. At the games, however, Liddell learned that the 100-metre race was scheduled to be run on a Sunday. This posed a major problem for him, because he didn’t believe he could honour God by running on the Lord’s Day. He bowed out of the race, and his fans were stunned. Some who had praised him in the past now called him a fool. He came under intense pressure to change his mind, but he stood firm.

Then a runner dropped out of the 400-metre race, which was scheduled on a weekday, and Liddell was offered the opportunity to fill the slot. This was not really ‘his race’. The distance was four times as long as the one he’d diligently trained for. Even so, he crossed the finish line as victor and set a new record of 47.6 seconds in the process. He earned an Olympic gold medal and made an uncompromising stand for his faith, and his story was told in the Academy Award-winning movie Chariots of Fire.

But Eric Liddell has an even greater claim to fame. He went on to become a missionary in China, where he died in a prisoner-of-war camp in 1945. He’s like the man of integrity who ‘makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath [and] never breaks it.’ The lesson that comes through loud and clear from this man’s life is—stand by your convictions, and God will honour you. 

The second are some thoughts about balance.  Let me share about the author.

Some of you will know of Martin Hanscamp.  Martin has played a significant role in Christian Education in Australia for many years.  My wife Lucy and I have had the privilege of knowing Martin and his wife Anita for many years, dating back to their time as youth workers in Hobart while we were doing the similar role up in Launceston.  Martin is currently battling the effects of prostate cancer and has been in our prayers for a long time.  He has been given a lot longer than any medical professional expected and has been able to do so much in that time to advance the cause of Christian Education in our country.  His contributions to Transformation By Design and Crafting Formational Learning have been pivotal. 

Another publication just released, written by Martin is titled ‘Can’t You Get Your Act Together’.  I’m sure every Principal in Australian schools could echo Martin’s Introduction to the publication.  It is a collection of newsletter articles written to his various school communities over an 11-year period of school leadership.  

Before you read my adaptation of one of these articles, ‘Balance – What’s That?’ I encourage you to pray for Martin (and Anita & their family) as he journeys the unknown road of nearing the end of a long battle with cancer, lived courageously and faithfully by an honest servant of King Jesus in his life. 

Dear Lord, we want to offer our prayers to you for Martin.  You know him, you made him, you knitted him together in the womb of his mother, born to God-fearing parents, and who has served you tirelessly. Lord God we ask that you give him strength in the days you have numbered for him.  Give him joy and peace for each day, even though the effects of cancer can rob us of both these things.  We pray for Anita as she supports her man, the man you gave her to have and to hold, to love and to care for; and she has.  We pray that together they may submit themselves to your plans for them in the days ahead.  And when you call Martin home, may he be welcomed into Your eternal Kingdom, into the place you have prepared for him, with those comforting and reassuring words of Jesus – Well done, good and faithful servant, enter my rest. Hear us and answer us according to Your will and according to Your purpose in the precious and powerful and wonderful name of Jesus, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.

Balance – What’s That?

The Christian Education National (CEN) organisation has a ‘Developing Leaders’ Conference at different locations around the country on any given year.  At one of these conferences a retiring Queensland Principal, Mike, dropped what for me was a clanger.  He said,

‘All this talk about achieving balance is a load of hogwash …. You’ll never achieve balance …. It’s impossible in our busy lives with multiple competing interests and demands to find balance …. I’ve never found it and a long time ago, I stopped trying to achieve it …. So, stop trying to find it.  Accept that you never will.  And besides, when you get close, by the mad tweaking of your practice, it all goes pear shaped when someone changes the goal posts and you have to start over again.’

Doesn’t that sound familiar!!

Heresy!  This isn’t in the leadership manual.  All the management -speak talks of weighing up your competing priorities and getting the balance right.  I’ve been trying to find this elusive spot for decades, though like Mike, I never seem to find it.  I’m forever getting home a little later than I should …. Always leaving without having finished work that was on my hit list.  And I’m always frustrated that I’m not doing a good enough job.  Poor dad, poor husband, poor friend, poor Principal, and lots more ‘poors’.

Do you share my experience?  Have you found balance between work, home, health, church and parenting?  Nor have I.

Therefore, when Mike said, ‘you won’t find it,’ I was startled. Hang on.  That’s my goal in life – to get it all right and now you’re telling me I might as well give up.  Mike went on to say ….

“Just change your focus.  Don’t try to find the impossible.  Accept that a busy life will be hard work.  Take a front-on look at those competing interests.  Prioritise them.  Plan where they should go.  Do your best. Accept you won’t get them all done. And be okay with yourself, but make sure that when there’s a parent’s gig that they want you to speak at and it means you won’t make your 3 year old’s birthday party, just make sure you are there to blow out the candles.”

I didn’t expect that my framework of understanding about leadership would get such a shake-up.  But I was blessed. 

I admit that I love my work (most of the time) and I think there aren’t too many more important things to do than helping children understand their place in God’s world.  Developing Christian Education is a lot of fun, even though it gets us all unbalanced at times.  It’s good to know that we can simply accept that it’s hard work, that we won’t get there tomorrow, and we can go home and enjoy that place without having to feel the ‘guilts’.

Blessings,

Adrian Bosker

School Drop off & Pick up

While many of the restrictions we have had to put in place due to Covid-19 have been challenging, the Junior School teachers, and in particular the Early Childhood staff have also noticed some benefits. Dropping children off at the gate took a little getting used to for some, but teachers have noticed a positive difference in their classrooms. The things that teachers have noticed since the morning drop off at the school gates is that children mostly arrive in their classroom in time for a start at 8.50 am, ready to start the day in a calm manner, which sets a positive tone for the day. 

Children are showing improved independence especially in following morning routines when they arrive. They have displayed development in their skills of organisation and resilience. Their improved focus on readiness to engage has led to fewer disruptions to learning. Increased participation and engagement in Daily PE activities has also been noticeable.

The restrictions that are in place currently will continue into Term 3, until advice from the Public Health Authorities changes. We will notify parents when these restrictions will be lifted and look forward to the time when our parents can again have access to the classroom spaces and teachers. 

Uniform

The uniform policy is currently under review. Work towards an updated policy is being planned for the beginning of 2021. In response to this, we do not want to impose an additional financial burden on parents at this time so we are recommending that parents hold off on buying new school uniforms at this time. Until the end of this current year, we are giving students the option of wearing the sport uniform in the place of full uniform. We do ask that parents ensure that the correct uniform is maintained, which includes plain white socks. Students are expected to wear either full sport or full formal uniform, and not a mixture of the uniforms. It has been good to see the response to the way the uniform options have been followed in Term 2, with the majority of students wearing this correctly. 

Staff Announcements

We are pleased to announce the appointment of new staff to the LCS team.  Ruth Davies has been appointed to the teaching staff to replace Dave Barber who will take well-earned Long Service Leave from 14th September to the end of the year.  Please keep an eye out for Ruth when she comes in. Ruth is a graduate of LCS who left Year 12 in 2006.  Ruth has taught in Tasmanian schools and most recently been involved in Missions in Thailand. 

Other staff who have been appointed to the cleaning staff are Harrison Stowe, Isaac Plummer and Antioch Kim.  While our cleaners are not always that visible to all of the staff and students, the work they do is.  We look forward to welcoming these new members to our LCS team.

Building Works

Over the holiday break, the eave linings around the Junior School Quadrangle will be replaced.  There is the potential that these may contain asbestos. While these are not dangerous in their current state because of the seal of paint they have, we are working to ensure LCS is completely asbestos free. The removal is being done in the first week of the holidays by licenced asbestos removal agents and the replacement done in the second week. Once the works commence there will be NO ACCESS to this area of the school.  

2021 Term Dates

LCS has now published Term dates for 2021.  You'll find these in the Calendar area of our newsletter.