Parent' Information
MANGOES & CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS
Ready for collection
Dear College Community,
If you ordered mangoes or Christmas puddings from our PFA fundraisers earlier this term, your order is ready to be collected.
Orders can be picked up from the MPH Kitchenette (located next to the drop off/pick up area), during the following times:
· Thursday 10th December: 10am – 12pm or 3 – 5pm
· Friday 11th December: 10am – 12pm or 3 – 5pm
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us on (03) 8847 8399.
Kind regards,
Sally Wade
PFA
2021 TERM DATES
Term 1
Monday 1st February – Thursday 1st April*Preps start on Tuesday 2nd February
Term 2
Tuesday 20th April – Friday 25th June
Term 3
Thursday 15th July – Friday 17th September
Term 4
Monday 4th October – Tuesday 7th December
SAVE THE DATE!
COMPLIANCE & RISK IN THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
It’s been a great privilege for me to work at St Andrews Christian College for the last two years. I have been a teacher and leader in other Christian Schools for many years, and I can assure you that this is a College that really seeks to be a Christian community more than an organisation, where everyone involved – teachers, students, administrators and parents as well – is challenged to know and follow Christ. St Andrews holds true to its original vision and mission, seeking to be truly Christian in practice, in word and deed, not just in name. That is a constant challenge and it requires courage and commitment, every day.
I want to propose that compliance and risk are very much at the heart of Christian life and service, not because we are risk-averse or forced to comply, but because we choose to align ourselves with Jesus, with biblical principles for life, following in word and deed, the teachings of Jesus.
Compliance has to do with following the rules, keeping the law, being obedient to commands and expectations, out of respect, responsibility and, dare I say, love for God and for our neighbour! We have just come through one of the toughest lockdown regimes in our history. We were asked to stay at home, to wear masks when outside and to practice social distancing. Did we always feel like complying? Not at all! It was restrictive of our freedoms, and made us change our behaviour. But, because we could see it was for the common good, that it could protect our family, neighbours and friends, we complied. The result of our compliance has been the virtual elimination of COVID-19 in our state!
As nice as this illustration is, it is not specifically a Christian response. When Jesus spoke with his disciples in John 14, he said, ‘If you love me, show it by doing what I have told you.’ (v 15) and ‘the person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me!’(v21). Jesus’ commands are mostly about acting out of love, for God and for our neighbour. He puts relationship first, personal benefit and gratification last. In fact, He calls us to sacrificial love, to lay down our lives for others, and He demonstrated this dramatically on the Cross.
Risk is a more complex concept to work with. God does not call us to a life of avoiding risk. In fact, following Jesus involves a lot of risk, a lot of moving outside of our comfort zone. We are required to manage risk. Throughout my work in schools I have been involved in getting students out of the classroom into the great outdoors, where they learn a whole raft of personal and social skills not possible within the classroom. It’s always riskier to be outside, in the bush, climbing a tree or a mountain, swimming in the ocean or navigating a ropes course. But we manage those risks because the benefits are many. I like the phrase, ‘Out of the comfort zone, into the challenge zone, but not into the danger zone.’.
We all need challenges and the excitement and focus that taking some risk involves. But, we can still act responsibly. We face our fears, test ourselves, but we don’t act stupidly. We look before we leap! Risk Management is all about assessing risk and doing what we can to be safe, able to enjoy learning and doing.
My role at St Andrews involves ensuring that our policies and procedures comply with the law and that our students, to whom we owe a duty of care, are safe and doing well, thriving academically, emotionally and spiritually. If my work ends up as just words on a page, on a computer or in a folder on a shelf, then it’s a waste of time! Our policies and procedural expectations must be practiced. This leads to consistent, responsible and caring supervision and teaching. It allows us to challenge students but not to put them in danger. It seeks their growth and development into confident, skilled and empathetic young men and women. They learn that living for Christ involves compliance, service and sacrifice, but it is immensely satisfying. In the end, this is what Christian Education is all about.
Romans 12:9-20 is a great summary of a practical, obedient, sacrificial Christian life.
Read and reflect!
Stephen Leslie
Risk and Compliance Manager
PROTECTING YOUR CHILD WITH ASTHMA
If your child currently has asthma, please make sure you have yearly reviews with your GP about their asthma to ensure that they have the right asthma medication, know how to use it properly and that your child has good control of their asthma.
It is also important that the student has an asthma action plan and that they see the GP to ensure that it includes advice for thunderstorm asthma. Ensure the student has a reliever medication, like ventolin, along with a spacer stored in sick bay.
If your child is at risk of developing asthma symptoms throughout the day, please provide the appropriate medications which can be stored in sick bay. The student’s Operoo (formerly known as CareMonkey) Care Profile should be updated with any current medical information.
If you have any questions regarding asthma and hay fever treatment at school, please contact Mrs Cheryl Pajor at reception.
Cheryl Pajor
School Nurse & Student Services Administrator