St ANDREWS 2019 PRESENTATION EVENING

- A NIGHT FOR CELEBRATION

It was a warm but memorable December night as the St Andrews family met together to celebrate a wonderfully successful 2019 and recognise the achievements of students, teachers and the valuable contributions made by many of the College community.

Principal Catriona Wansbrough's key note message was a thought provoking presentation on a 'Christ-centred' education; its positive impact on students and its importance to the future success of St Andrews. Her message also drew a wonderful analogy between a sumptuous, richly infused chocolate cake and our own lives. She highlighted how each of us need to be equally infused with truth of God's Word, not only to have a fulfilled life, but to also be effective within the community at large by demonstrating the love and message of Jesus Christ.

The audience was also entertained by a number of wonderful musical performances and saw a host of awards given to students from all year levels for their academic achievements, community service, performing and visual arts, sports, Duke of Endinburgh activities and more. Overall, it was a joyful and successful night.

Special mention needs to be given to a number of honourable guests who gave of their time to present students with awards and join in the College's celebrations. Thank you to Mr Nick Wakeling, MP Member for Ferntree Gully, Shadow Minister for Ageing, Child Protection, Industrial Relations & Workplace Safety, the Honourable Alan Tudge, MP Federal Member for Aston, Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure & Population, Senator Raff Ciccone Federal Labor Senator for Victoria and Professor Allan Harman Foundation Board Member.

ALUMNI 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY DINNER

SO GOOD TO CATCH UP WITH OLD FRIENDS

Thanks to the energy and efforts of past students Ben Spanos, Lauren Mehanni and Lilly Suraj, St Andrews was able to hold its first 10 year Alumni reunion with over 25 delighted past students and teachers in attendance.

It was a wonderful evening of hugs, laughter and reminiscing. And as could be expected, there were plenty of hilarious stories about past classmates and teachers. A special bonus on the night was the attendance of past Principal Bob Speck and his wife Valmae. Current Principal Catriona Wansbrough thanked them both for attending and for the wonderful contribution they have made to the ongoing success of the College.

2009 graduate Lauren Mehanni and now mother of two said;

"We were so richly blessed to be students at this beautiful school, where Christ was always central to everything that we were taught. I truly love St Andrews and thank God for the way He has used the school to shape my walk with the Lord. The reunion event was a lovely opportunity to reminisce with students and staff and also see how God has worked over the past 10 years. Thank you to the wonderful staff who partnered with us in organising this event. And thank you to the school for hosting us."

St Andrews is invested in its Alumni program and will be undertaking a number of exciting developments in the coming year to assist past students to stay connected with the St Andrews family for Alumni news, updates and pastoral support.

Stay tuned for more exciting Alumni news coming in 2020!

CONGRATULATION TO OUR YEAR 5 STUDENTS

FOR A FANTASTIC NAPLAN RESULT

Congratulation to all of our Year 5 students and their teachers for achieving such an outstanding NAPLAN result for Victoria, ranking second below PLC and outperforming many other prestigious Colleges.

NAPLAN performances are calculated over a five year assessment period and are tallied for each year level. These latest outstanding results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Year 5 St Andrews students and staff. Well done and congratulations to everyone involved.

A FOND FAREWELL TO LIZ ROMNEY

After 30 years of faithful and tireless service in our second hand uniform shop, Liz Romney says it's time to hang up her final uniform and move on to the new horizons God has prepared for her. Liz began her voluntary service back in the early 80s when St Andrews first started in Surrey Hills. "It was a tiny school back then" said Liz "and I've seen it grow unbelievably. God has truely blessed this College and it will be sad to leave, but I have a multitude of wonderful memories to take with me."

In recognition of her loyal and dedicated service the College PFA organised a 'Farewell Liz & Family Feast Day' to honour Liz and to wish her well in this new chapter of her life.

God bless you Liz and thank you for your selfless and faithful service over the years.

You are much loved and will be greatly missed - from your St Andrews Family

CHRISTMAS - GOD'S MESSAGE OF LOVE

Everything we know about the original Christmas (you know – the one about Jesus being born) comes from the Bible.

I wonder which Christmas story is most familiar to you. Is it God announcing to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus? Is it the angel’s announcement to the shepherds of the birth of Jesus? Or perhaps it’s the journey of the wise men to find him.

In the final assembly, our Christmas Assembly, held at our college on the last day of the year, I chose not to speak to the students about any of these familiar Christmas stories, wonderful though they are! Instead, I retold one of Jesus’ parables – the Parable of the Lost Sheep. It is found in Luke 15:1 – 7. You may be familiar with it. It is the one where the shepherd who has one hundred sheep loses one and leaves the ninety-nine to search for it. He is full of joy when he finds his lost sheep and he invites his neighbours and friends to rejoice with him. Jesus concludes in verse 7; “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent”.

The shepherd in the parable represents God. It is wonderful to see then that God searches for people – just as the shepherd searched for his lost sheep. Jesus is saying that God feels similar overwhelming joy when someone comes back to him and is “found” by him.

You see, without a relationship with God, found only through Jesus Christ, God regards us as lost. This is not what I think – this is what God tells us in the Bible. And here’s the thing – God is searching for us. Not because he wants to punish us, but because he longs for us to come back to him. He wants us to enjoy the Eternal Life, love and forgiveness that he wants to pour on us.

So could it be that God is lovingly pursuing you? Is God searching for you and beckoning you to enjoy his love even more? Perhaps he’s doing that through the people you love, or through nature or even through difficult times.

If God, as Jesus describes, cares about us like a good shepherd cares about his sheep, that is a wonderful truth. Christmas and the recollection of Jesus’ birth is God’s obvious expression of seeking out people – of God pursuing us with a wonderful invitation to once again be caught up in his love and embrace. No wonder the angel in the Bible’s Christmas story said that he had Good News for all the people! He also said, “Don’t be afraid.”

Ultimately, God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins on the cross and to rise again to Life. Christmas is God taking on human flesh, being born as a vulnerable little baby, who grew up to become Jesus the Saviour, and pursuing humanity – including you & me. He died on a cross for our forgiveness and rose again and is inviting us to enjoy his love forever.

Augustine was a church leader in North Africa in the 4th & 5th century and he said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Over the holidays, as we have a bit more time than we normally do during the term, I hope you have time to consider if God is gently pursuing you in the same way that the shepherd in Jesus’ parable sought out his sheep, and inviting you not to simply acknowledge him from a distance, but inviting you to really engage with him and to immerse yourself in his love - forever. And it can be FOREVER.

But like all invitations, you have to accept it! Why continue to be lost when you can allow God to “find” you? Fall into his loving arms this Christmas. There just isn’t a better Christmas present!

Rev Warwick Grant - College Chaplain

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