The Heritage Herald

Week 5 - Friday 10 November 2023

A message from our Principal

How much of our lives are dependent on feeling connected? This week we witnessed how important the ability to connect with others is because of a phone network outage. Many Australians were unable to use their phones to call family, friends, or even conduct business. We were, for a moment, flung back to a bygone era; where face-to-face communication was critical and plans that were made needed to be kept, because – well, you couldn’t ring to say you were running late. I had to stop for a moment and consider how often I had needed my phone to change or cancel a plan. It was a convicting moment of reflection. 

Mobile phones, and the immediate connection that they afford, are a modern wonder.  But, the way we use them highlights an age-old problem of the heart; a self-centredness. The problem is STABO - “Subject To A Better Offer”. People can live STABO lives, where they will commit to meet with a friend only to retract the commitment later because something better has come up. The mobile phone and the impersonal and removed ability to cancel via a text message means that we aren’t forced to face the uncomfortable nature of cancelling a commitment or the injury to the relationship that is a consequence of doing so. The extension of this problem is not just the inability to commit to social events and extra-curricular plans, but rather a tearing at the fabric of relationships. The outworking of this behaviour is a slowly rising isolation of each one of us; unable to rely on certain friends, an anxiety of being alone. Of concern to me, as an educator, is that our young people have turned to the ubiquity of social media posts such as Tik Tok and Instagram in place of deep and committed relationships as an outworking of STABO and similar behaviours. It is a deep irony that the “connected generation” is in danger of feeling incredibly disconnected. 

All these thoughts because of a day of phone problems? Sometimes it takes an interruption to our daily practices to see the problem clearly.  

Two of our school values are “Live with Integrity” and “Serve in Community”. We are forming our students to see and enact that they have a commitment to do the right thing even when no one is watching, and a commitment to the dignity of others. This is certainly a counter-approach to the STABO way of living, however it doesn’t, by itself, address the root problem.  At the core of the STABO way of living is an embracing of “me” as the most important person, and a rejection of God. It doesn’t consider the reality that we can be fully connected to God, at all times. That He has made a way for us to be in constant relationship with Him, through Jesus, and that we will find fulfilment and purpose and identity in Him.  

Importantly this means that when our phones stop working, we are more than ok; in fact it might be just the opportunity we need to focus on Him rather than our devices. The writer in Proverbs puts it this way: Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” When we do this, we will find the peace that transcends understanding. The peace of following Jesus. 

Praying for a rich week of Learning 

Matt Cohen 

Principal 

 

Exciting Upgrades and Additions

We are thrilled to share some fantastic enhancements happening around campus! The outdoor learning space has had a makeover with a revamped space.

For our Senior students, we've installed brand new Monkey Bars and are anticipating new outdoor fitness stations.

Meanwhile, the Junior School will soon be enjoying a new half-court basketball court, offering an additional play area. Our existing basketball court is set to be resurfaced and transformed into new handball courts.

In the classrooms, students can look forward to a more comfortable learning environment with new desks and upgraded spaces.

We have also recently added additional/upgraded lockers to Senior School.

There are more exciting improvements on the horizon, set to be unveiled in time for the new academic year. We're committed to creating a vibrant and dynamic environment for all our students.


Commemorating Remembrance Day 2023

Today, our school marked Remembrance Day with a heartfelt ceremony. Beginning with the reading of The Ode by our School Prefect Lily Oehlman, followed by The Last Post, which was played by our Principal, Mr Matt Cohen. The whole school observed a minute of silence, a powerful moment of reflection honouring the ANZACs and all those who have selflessly served in defence of our freedoms. Lest we forget.

Success in the 2023 Rotary Port Macquarie Photography Competition

Many of our Co-curricular Photography students entered this year's Rotary Port Macquarie Photography Competition. Today in Assembly, Rotary Youth Director, Mrs Brenda Sarno, presented all participants with certificates. One of our students, Ruby Collis-Baddiley, won the competiton with her photo, "Flightless Birds". Mrs Sarno presented a canvas print of Ruby's work as the prize for the winning entry in this year's competition. Congratulations to all our students who entered, and especially to Ruby!


 Mr Dougal Parsons

Coordinator: Co-curricular Photography

Rotary Youth Director, Mrs Brenda Sarno, with Heritage Photography students.

Year 12 Valedictory Dinner 2023

Last night was a special and memorable occasion as our Year 12 cohort shone brilliantly at their Valedictory Dinner, marking the conclusion of their journey at Heritage Christian School. It was a night that beautifully reflected their dedication, their strong sense of friendship, and the tight-knit community they've built, as well as the unwavering support they've received from our dedicated teachers, staff, and parents.

As they step into this exciting new chapter of their lives, we have complete confidence that they will continue to make us all immensely proud. The future holds boundless opportunities for these remarkable individuals!


NSW Constitutional Convention, Parliament House

On Friday the 3rd of November I attended the NSW Constitutional Convention at Parliament House in Sydney. In order to be one of 100 students from across NSW chosen to represent my school and region I initially wrote a personal exposition on the value of referenda in our Australian political system. On the day, we heard from Referendum experts, and collaboratively discussed these issues together in the beautiful setting of the NSW Parliament House.

We began the day by hearing from keynote speaker Anne Twomey AO, a leading specialist in Australian constitutional law. She explained the history of Australia’s Constitution, and talked us through the process required to make change to our constitution via referenda.

We then separated into groups and had a discussion and activity about the focus topic of whether we need to revise the way we go about constitutional change. We all expressed our opinions and beliefs on things such as evaluating how we educate Australians on the Constitution and constitutional change, whether the double vote majority should be required in order for referenda to pass, and if we need to update the formal process by which referenda are held.

I found it greatly beneficial to be a part of these discussions and to hear the opinions and beliefs of a cross-section of students from various places and backgrounds. I count it a privilege to have been selected and it was amazing being with young people who share the same interest and passion for law.

Zoe Tucker

Current Year 12 student

 

Stage 3 Camp, Diamond Head

Stage 3 had an amazing time away last week at Diamond Head. The excursion began with all the students working in pairs to put up their tents and arrange their sleeping gear, before heading off on a 5km circuit around the headland.

The following days included water activities at the beach, a team sand modelling competition that featured a scale model of Mordor from Lord of the Rings, and some real-life mermaids! The students also enjoyed roasting marshmallows around a fire at night and an inspiring morning Devotional talk from Kye Dures.

There were lots of friendships that were strengthened between students, and opportunities for them to help each other out through the preparation, serving, and clean-up of meals.

The exemplary behaviour of our students drew praise from other campers, reflecting the students’ Christian values.

We are immensely proud of our Stage 3 students for their enthusiasm, teamwork, and

positive attitude.

Renee Thomas

Mark 12 Awards for Week 4 & 5

A Moment for Wellbeing with our School Counsellor

Hello families,

 

Thanks to the NSW Government’s, Children and Young People Wellbeing Recovery Initiative, our school received funding to deliver The Resilience Project: School Wellbeing Program during 2023. This program has been delivered to all our students from Kindergarten to Year 12, and has focused on how practicing Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy positively impacts our everyday lives.

 

In the previous newsletter, we shared an activity that your family could do to practice gratitude throughout your week. This week, we have an activity that looks to engage your family in the practice of empathy.

 

Empathy

Working on empathy helps us to identify, understand and feel what another person is feeling. When we show empathy or we do something kind for someone else our brain releases oxytocin. This leads to increasing our self-esteem/confidence, energy levels, positivity and overall happiness.

 

Whole Family Activity:

Neighbourhood Kindness Challenge

As a family, choose an act of kindness from the list below that you would like to do for a neighbour or family friend. Each family member can select one to commit to, or you can choose to do one together.

• Cook them something delicious like a cake, bread loaf, or cookies.

• Write a note to put in their letter box thanking them for being a great neighbour or friend.

• Design them a Thank You card.

• Pick or buy some flowers to deliver to them.

• Choose a little plant from your garden to give them.

• Make them a gift from things around your house.

• Offer to do a job for them, like wash their car or water their garden.

• Offer to take their pets for a walk.

• Invite them over for afternoon tea.

• Invite them on a walk.

• Recommend one of your favourite books to borrow and read.

• Ask them if they need anything from the shops next time you buy groceries.

• Say hello next time you see them, and ask them how their day is going.

• Feel free to do more than one and spread the kindness even further!

• Report back to each other in one week and share how your acts of kindness were received, and how doing them made you feel.

 

Family Habit Builder:

Every night at dinner, have each person thank another family member for something

they’ve done or said today, or give another family member a compliment.

Kye Dures

School Counsellor

 

Heritage Christian School

We encourage all families to have a copy of our weekly newsletter, via 'Audiri', or email to stay up to date with what is happening within the school community.

Educating | Nurturing | Empowering