News
Junior Book Week Parade
Our Junior School had a wonderful Book Week parade last week, and theme this year was "Reading is my Secret Power". So many students showed their love of reading by participating and many books came alive with lots of vibrant and creative characters. Students shared about their favourite book and those in character walked the catwalk. A huge thank you to all staff that coordinated this parade and to parents for helping their children dress up so creatively, making it such a great success!
Book week continued to be celebrated throughout our Junior School during the week. Kinder Russell had a wonderful day with their Year 5 Book Buddies from Mrs Macqueen's class, as well as a special time with parents, grandparents and friends. So lovely to see that books continue to bring our community and families together in such a positive way!
Katie Stanton wins Australian Geography Competition
Congratulations to LCS student Katie Stanton, who is the year 11 winner for Tasmania, in the Australian Geography Competition. Katie attends Geography at Launceston Church Grammar through our co-op program with other independent schools.
The Australian Geography Competition is a contest for Australian secondary school students, assessing their geographical knowledge and skills. The Competition aims to encourage student interest in geography and to reward student excellence. The top male and female students in Year 11 in each State and the combined Territories, are invited to participate in the annual Geography's Big Week Out. Geography's Big Week Out is a six day event on Kangaroo Island, South Australia which focuses on fieldwork, spatial technologies and analytical skills. Well done Katie!
The Examiner interview with Katie Stanton made the front page - click here to view
Book Week Highlights- 2 Heys
Last week 2 Heys had a lot of fun in Book Week. Some of the activities they enjoyed were dressing up as favourite book characters, reading in different places around the school, writing book reviews, writing character profiles, reading books they hadn’t read before, making book marks, writing their own books and acting out different parts of books. It was a fabulous week of celebrating reading and the wonderful skill it is.
Mrs Heys said "Students love reading because it helps them find out more about God. It shows that reading is interesting, really relaxing and lots of fun! It helps us learn new things, it helps our minds grow, it takes us to new worlds and it give us great ideas for our own writing. Some of the places we love to read are in bed, on the couch, in the library, in the classroom, outside in the garden, on a beanbag, in the pool on a floaty and in a restaurant while eating chocolate cake!"
When asked what their class's favourite book is, Mrs Heys said it was the Bible. Some other books that her students really love are the Pig the Pug books, the Treehouse Storey books, Zac Power, the Hey Jack series, the Flat Stanley series, the Wimpy Kid Diaries and the Ella and Olivia series. Favourite authors are Roald Dahl, Ahn Do, Drew Daywalt and Andy Lee and they are currently reading the Flat Stanley books in class.
We thank God for blessing our students with the ability to read and also giving us a school that values books by providing so many fantastic books for students. 2 Heys would also like to thank our library staff for supporting the many Junior School events throughout the week. Enjoy the photos from Mrs Hey's class below!
Science Challenge Team thanks West Tamar Council & UTAS
A HUGE thank you to the West Tamar Council and Youth Development Officer Andrew Beeston, for supporting our Science Challenge Team through the Youth Representative Grants Program. West Tamar Council are partnering with us as we represent our state of Tasmania in the National Science & Engineering Challenge in WA in October. LCS are very grateful for their support and look forward to competing in the finals soon.
LCS also had the opportunity recently to thank UTAS for their generous support of our Science & Engineering Team. Pictured with two of our team members is Susie Haley from UTAS, who is the State Coordinator for the Science & Engineering Challenge and she will be cheering for Tassie when she attends the finals in WA. What great support we have for our team.
Science Challenge & Junior School Tower Building
It was Science Week last week and to celebrate, our Science and Engineering Challenge Team combined with a number of our Junior Year 5 & 6 students to compete against each other in a Tower Building Challenge over lunch. It proved to be an interesting and challenging activity as the students only had 20 minutes to build the tallest tower in the gym out of newspaper and masking tape. The tower ideally needed to be able to house some of our Prep students. In the end our Science Challenge “Yellow” team, led by Josiah Rowlands, won very comfortably with a tower that was extremely tall and could house 2 of our Prep students. This was a lot of fun and a great way to finish up Science Week.
We look forward to our next day of fun on the 5th of September, when we will have one of our usual sausage sizzles combined with a ‘past’ Science Challenge Team versus ‘current’ Science Challenge Team Dodgeball Showdown.
Science Week Melon Drop!
During Science week our Year 10 Advanced Science students also had some fun and performed a ‘Melon Drop’ experiment to see if a melon dropped from the top of the gym would fall faster if a chain was attached or not. The results proved to be very interesting and it was great to be able to have some fun with this experiment and the results disproved the student’s hypothesis but did prove the scientific theory correct. Anyone who joins Advanced Physical Science will get to know what that theory is! A big thank you to Mrs Lawes for helping set up the experiment and Mr van Donselaar for providing and manning the scissor lift and all of the safety apparatus.
Interested in Science? There is a nationwide STEM outreach program for students in Year 9 or 10 in 2019/20 at UTAS from 3 - 5th December. The ConocoPhillips Science Experience is a fun 3 day program of science activities for Year 9 and 10 students supported by Universities, the Australian Science Teacher Association, Young Scientist of Australia members and Rotary. The program is designed to provide students who have an interest in science with an opportunity to engage in a wide range of fascinating science activities under the guidance of scientists who love their work. Download a brochure below for more information.
Year 9 Food Technology - Cake Designs
The Year 9 Food Technology class were recently given the task of designing and making a novelty cake suitable for a child up to the age of 10. They had to work within the boundaries of the design brief given. To add to the challenge they were given quantities of randomly coloured fondant with which they had to create a shaped piece which had to be incorporated into the final cake presentation. See if you can pick the challenge piece in each photo.
Brieanna Hill wins Photographic Competition
Congratulations to Year 10 LCS student Brieanna Hill, who has won the Snap 2019 Scavenger Hunt Photographic Competition run by Launceston Church Grammar School. She received a prize of a Nikon camera and you are able to view her photos as well as others at the Poimena Gallery (LCGS) until Friday 6th September. Well done Brieanna!
From our Head of Junior School -Irene Niebuur
It's already week 6 of Term 3 and the year is steadily moving on as we are starting to plan for 2020.
Congratulations to our Year 5 teachers, Ally Macqueen and Lianne Dykman on their exciting news with the expectation of a baby in the new year. We will miss both of these wonderful teachers as they have both richly contributed to our school in many ways. However, we do wish them well, and pray for good health and safe arrival of their precious gift. As a result of this news, we will be expecting some staff changes for 2019.
Thank you to Mr Lake for taking on the role as Acting Head of Junior School in my absence for the first part of this term. I was able to enjoy a lovely Long Service Leave break travelling and exploring South Australia, leaving Mr Lake to look after the Junior School, which I assure you, he did very capably. Miss Carins will be taking a well-deserved Long Service leave break in term 4 , and we welcome back Mrs Kidmas who is coming in to take her place on 6C for that term.
Term 3 is our Jump Rope For Heart term, where we become involved in community fundraising to support further research by the Heart Foundation. This is done most easily by enrolling participants online. Each week I get an update on our school’s contribution, and so far we have raised $1372.28. Not only do we contribute financially , we also use this as an opportunity to develop skipping skills and fitness levels, as well as build community by holding a whole Junior School Jump Off event. This will be held on Thursday 26 September between 2.00-3.00 pm. Parents are invited to come along, spectate, skip with the children and enjoy the event. We have decided that from 2019, Jump Rope will become a biennial event, alternating with the school dance event at the Silverdome.
Our Mission Money collections have been encouraging this year. In Term 1 we were able to collect enough money ($492) to continue our child sponsorship through Help a Child. We sponsor the care and education of Sampa Paik, a young girl living in India. We also contributed to Childhood Cancer research with a coin line, raising $375.95. In Term 2, we raised $617 for Run4Bibles and made a contribution to Bible Society, bringing bibles to places where the Word of God is not readily available. Our Term 3 collections will go towards supporting the work of Bright Star Foundation , which is founded by a school family, the Luate family, supporting the education of children in South Sudan. Giving to the weekly collections is always optional, but we do encourage our students to have a caring heart and generous spirit for others by raising awareness of these causes. I want to mention one particular contribution which really touched me recently. A tin was handed into the office by a parent , a tin which contained the contributions of a family who wanted to continue the practice of giving towards the needs of others at home. This was a beautiful picture of generosity and love that is alive in our school community.
Thank you to parents for supporting our students during our Book Week celebrations by encouraging the wearing of costumes that celebrate the love of reading, and by coming to our special assembly and into our classrooms. We have been developing and expanding the activities around Book Week to include a parent information session and an author visit as well as other class events. I wish to thank Sue Brown for leading a session for parents after our special assembly, and although only a small number of parents attended the session, it was a valuable and informative time. Sue regularly works with our Education Support unit in the area of Speech Pathology and Therapy. Petrarch’s Book Shop also donated a box of books to our school as a token of our ongoing connection with them. Marcus and Andy from Petrarch’s support our school by offering author visits, so we really appreciate their involvement in our school over many years. Book Week was definitely a highlight this term. Science Week was also celebrated the week before with Mr Lake initiating and organizing a number of class activities.
Our P&F have been busy preparing Father’s Day gifts for the stall being held as I write this report. I am hearing the voices of some excited children as they make their selections and enjoy their “shopping experience”. Our thanks go to Amy Kamphuis and her team who have been faithfully running this activity for the past few years.
Our Junior School is a busy place and life is very busy for parents too. May I continue to encourage you to engage in the journey of your child’s / children’s education by coming along to our assemblies when you are able to, our school events, information sessions, and keeping in touch through our Hub communications. By attending events and staying until they finish, you support not only your child but also the learning and growth of each child as well as valuing our community. I know that time is precious; may I encourage you to make the most of this window of opportunity whilst your children are at school. The years pass quickly and we don’t get an opportunity to wind time back.
Father's Day Stall Thank You
This week our P&F ran a very successful Father's Day stall and raised around $1,500 - well done! A BIG thank you to LCS parents Amy Kamphuis and Margaret Dingemanse for their organisation of this event. They were greatly helped by a number of students, parents and staff in our school community. A group of wonderful mums and grandmas gave generously of their time, materials and skills to make items for the Father’s Day Stall, and spent hours helping wrap and package other goodies. Thank you to Blanche Bejah, Carolyn McTurk, Sandra Tsakissiris, Heather Shennan, Cassie Jordan, Lisa de Graf, Sally Carter, Lyndle van Zetten, Patricia Crampsie and Anne-Marie Martin for their help. Some students and teachers also helped make items to sell and this included Year 8 students David Brown and Xavier Huizenga, Mr Lundie and Mr Gracie, who gave up their lunchtimes to make some fantastic wooden chopping boards. LCS are very grateful to everyone for their time and talents in making this stall a huge success once again. We hope our Father's enjoy their wonderful gifts this weekend!
Men of Faith Prayer Meeting
Sunday September 22nd in the school staff room
2.45pm - 3.45pm
All LCS fathers and especially those with children in Year 7 - 12 are invited join our Men of Faith Prayer Meeting on Sunday 22nd September. The focus of this meeting will be to pray for our Middle and Senior School. Praying as fathers is a manly privilege that fathers have been given by the Lord. The deep identity needs amongst this generation and the increasing confusion in our culture, are urgent prompts for us to seek the Lord’s intervention, for His Glory and for our/their good. LCS has such an opportunity to be fertile soil for kids to find their place, their joy, their identity in the Lord and be inspired to live wholehearted, faithful and joyful lives for Him. We need to be praying for these things with the spiritual authority given to us . We hope more LCS fathers are able to attend this meeting and join together in prayer over our school.
Food Technology needs Ice Cream Containers
Mrs Reid is in need of 2 and 4 litre empty ice cream containers. Stocks are getting very low and it's such a handy item to use with our students in our kitchen area. If you have any at home, please bring them into our office and ask for them to be passed on to Mrs Reid.
IT Wisdom for Parents
DO I NEED TO WORRY ABOUT RADIATION FROM WI-FI?
Cards on the table, I’m not a doctor. You probably already knew that. I’m not an expert in radiation protection. I’m a qualified mechanic with a Certificate 4 in Information Technology. I also have a conflict of interest in that I earn an income in the ICT field. This disclaimer is not however a cop out on my part, or a reason to disregard this article. I have collated the information herein from various sources including WHO (World Health Organization) and ARPANSA (Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency). This is simply my best attempt to answer the question “Do I need to worry about radiation from Wi-Fi?”
The Science Lesson
Put simply, radiation is the energy emitted from a source. Light, sound, heat, radio waves are all types of radiation. The fact is, radiation is all around us, both natural and man made. Next time you stand in the sunlight, you are exposing yourself to radiation. Sit next to a person in church, guess what, that person is emitting radiation. Watch TV, talk on a mobile phone, use a laptop computer, yep, more radiation. Did you know that when you fly in an airplane, you are exposed to more radiation because you are closer to the sun?
Radiation is generally classified into 2 categories, ionizing and non-ionizing. When most people think of radiation, they’re thinking of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is more of a health threat to humans because it involves changing the basic makeup of atoms in cells, and more specifically the DNA molecules inside of cells, which is one way cancer can occur. Ionizing radiation is the radiation of chest x-rays, radiotherapy and nuclear power.
Unlike ionizing radiation, non-ionizing radiation does not carry enough energy to directly break or alter our DNA. Sources of man made non-ionizing radiation include power lines, radio frequency (RF) radiation used in many broadcast and communications applications, microwaves used in the home kitchen and infrared radiation used in heat lamps. Radio waves or radio frequency (RF) radiation emitting from our electronic devices like our mobile phones, laptops, tablets, televisions, cell towers, Bluetooth headphones, and Wi-Fi access points are all classified as low-energy non-ionizing radiation.
When you make a call on your mobile phone, watch TV, or use your laptop in a Wi-Fi enabled environment, you are exposed to radio frequency electromagnetic fields – non-ionizing radiation. This may alarm you but remember this, humans have been exposed to man made radio frequency radiation for over 100 years and we have always been exposed to microwave radiation from the cosmos.
What’s This Got To Do With Wi-Fi?
So, I started my research as all good researchers do, I asked google. Searching “wifi cancer” gives you 42,300,000 results. A lot of the top results referenced a press release from IARC. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organization. In this press release from 2011, the IARC classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)” based on an increased risk of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless phone use. This however is by no means proof of danger. As stated, Group 2b is ‘possibly carcinogenic’ and as well as Wi-Fi, the category includes coffee, carpentry, bracken fern and pickled vegetables.
Specifically, IARC’s panel said that the evidence that mobile phones pose a health risk was “limited” for two types of brain tumours – glioma and acoustic neuroma – and “inadequate” when it comes to other types of cancer. The Chairman of the group, Dr Jonathan Samet, said, “The conclusion means that there could be some risk, and therefore we need to keep a close watch for a link between cell phones and cancer risk.”
It’s worth noting that there are 4 classifications used by IARC: carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, possibly carcinogenic and not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. Being that people are still getting cancer (see below), “possibly carcinogenic” seems a reasonable conclusion. I believe the same is true for the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the chemicals we come in contact with, and… the entire radiofrequency soup that we all live in.
Let’s face it, most of us live our lives surrounded by radio frequency energy / radiation. As evidence for this, I decided to do a little test. Sitting in my office I picked up mobile phone and searched for available Wi-Fi networks. Not including the school Wi-Fi, my phone could see no less than 6 available Wi-Fi networks. My office is located pretty much in the centre of our school and at least 30 metres away from the nearest residential home. At home, I can also see another 6 available Wi-Fi networks. Chances are, you live in a similar environment. The entire CBD of Launceston has free Wi-Fi provided by the Launceston City Council. Doctor’s surgeries, businesses, hospitals, hotels, conference venues all have Wi-Fi. Truth is, turning off the Wi-Fi does not mean you eliminate radio frequency radiation from your world.
Distance Does Makes A Difference
Whilst both Wi-Fi and the radio frequency emissions used for mobile phones are at approximately the same frequency, distance from the source of the radiation is a factor worth mentioning. The strength of the RF fields is greatest at its source, and diminishes quickly with distance. What makes Wi-Fi safer than mobile phones is that we typically do not carry Wi-Fi access points in our pocket all day or hold them up to our head. The Wi-Fi access points across Launceston Christian School are all ceiling mounted, making it virtually impossible to be any closer than a metre from any device (if you were standing directly underneath one).
Mobile Phone Numbers Are On The Rise
The latest statistics say that the number of mobile phone users around the world is estimated at 5.11 billion, up 100 million or 2% in the past year. The 3G mobile network became available in the 2000s, 2G was available in the 1990s. It’s safe to say that mobile phones have been with us for roughly 20 years.
Are Brain Cancer Numbers Increasing?
As I reflected on this data and the press release from IARC, another question came to mind. Being that mobile phones and Wi-Fi networks have been common place for a significant time, are glioma brain cancer numbers increasing around the world? Whilst I was not able to find numbers on this specific type of brain cancer, I was able to find some statistics on all types brain cancer in Australia. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the estimated number of new cases of brain cancer diagnosed in Australian in 2019 is 1968. This is an estimated 1.4% of all new cancer cases diagnosed in 2019. Back in 2015, brain cancer was the 18th most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. It is estimated that it will remain the 18th most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2019. In 2000, the age-standardised incidence rate was 6.9 cases per 100,000 persons (8.4 for males and 5.6 for females). In 2019, it is estimated that the age-standardised incidence rate will remain at 6.9 cases per 100,000 persons (8.3 for males and 5.5 for females). Based on these numbers, brain cancer numbers do not appear to be increasing in Australia.
So, What’s The Verdict?
The following quotes are taken directly from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) website: “A large number of studies have been performed to investigate whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. It is the assessment of ARPANSA and other national and international health authorities, inc
LCS Uniform Shop News - Volunteers Needed
Our Uniform shop needs more second hand items to sell - so time to have a clean out at home of old uniforms! Please ensure items have been washed prior to bringing them in. Our Uniform Shop is open and able to accept old uniforms on Monday - Friday from 8.30am to 9.30am and Wednesday's from 1.30pm - 3.30pm.
The Uniform Shop also needs some more volunteers. Training is provided and the parent roster is very flexible. Uniform volunteers need to be available to help for one the sale days in the January holidays. For more information please contact our Uniform Shop Coordinator, Mrs Anne Rixon:
2020 Calendar has been updated
Our calendar for 2020 has been updated - please download the newest version below
LCS Vimeo
Did you know that our school has a vimeo channel where you can see the many films our Visual Production & Design Team create about our school community? Vimeo is a great way to show prospective families more about our school as it allows the opportunity to explore school areas and programs at leisure. You can click on the Vimeo logo on our website, view some creations on our Facebook page or use the link below to see all of the audio visuals that have been created by our team. Below is one sample of what you can see on our page and we'd love you to follow us!
LCS Vimeo home page - click HERE