Spreading Christmas Cheer

This term as part of our focus on loving our neighbour (Matt 22:39) Emmanuel Christian School’s Student Leaders have been visiting two aged care facilities in our Eastern Shore community – Fairway Rise in Lindisfarne and Regis Aged Care in Warrane.

The students have begun to build connections with the residents in various ways: chatting with them over afternoon tea, sharing their musical talents and engaging in leisure and lifestyle activities with them, such as building Lego trains, making Christmas crafts and colouring in.

On our first visit to Fairway Rise, many residents gathered for afternoon tea and some of the students served them, while others mingled with them in the facility’s café. When the keyboard we had brought failed to produce any sounds, thankfully the president of the Residents’ Association offered his own keyboard and Erin and Molly played and sang for us.

As we were about to leave the president shared with us all that he had been waiting a long time for the right people to play his keyboard. He told us that he had bought it five years ago for his wife, but tragically soon after she developed severe dementia and could not remember how to play. He shared how touched he was to hear it being played again and he told us that he loved singing and offered to form a singing group with our students.

Last week at Regis Aged Care a group of students chose to visit residents in their rooms who are restricted in their mobility, while some others helped one resident decorate the Christmas tree that is the focal point of the first floor of the facility.

In the lead up to this Christmas season our Student Leaders have been experiencing what a difference they can make in the lives of the elderly in our community. Just by taking an interest in them they are bringing the love of God to some of our community’s most vulnerable people.

This Christmas let us all be inspired afresh to reach out to our neighbours with the message of the Christ Child, whose coming on that first Christmas Eve shone the light of the love of God into the darkness in the world.

Jenny Berry - Chaplain

Developing Christian Understanding

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”

— Matthew 6:33

It was great to spend time with next year’s Grade 7 cohort this morning for their Orientation Day. I was able to talk to them about High School and how to approach it. We looked at how students can be empowered in their studies by praying and remembering Philippians 4:13 - I can do all this through him (Jesus Christ) who gives me strength.

A few minutes after speaking to the Grade 6/7 students, I interviewed a family considering joining us for Prep. You may remember, if I interviewed you for a spot for your child here at Emmanuel Christian School, that I asked, among other questions, “What do you want from the school?” The response from the family this morning was lovely. They wanted a school where their child’s Christian faith is nurtured above all. They noted that academic studies are important but second to the development of Christian understanding.

I know this can be a strange idea, but the closer and more determined our walk is to Jesus, the better our studies and work can be. It does not mean ‘A’s, but it does mean our God-empowered best.

Emmanuel Christian School has done well academically this year. Some students are making one and a half years’ progress in maths and some of our students recently went to Canberra with Mrs Newitt to receive a state award in the National History Challenge. We are very blessed and it is such a privilege to call ourselves a Christian School. 

Emmanuel is setting children up for a rewarding life after school by providing rich learning experiences. These are inseparable from our Christian journey and the last 40 years of school history. 

Let’s uphold all our new students and families in prayer and make them feel very welcome in our wonderful school community. 2020 is shaping up to be a great year!

Scott Winkler - Principal

Resilience and Hard Work

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”

— Joshua 1:9

My precious wife shared a phrase with me recently that she has found incredibly powerful to help her through a busy life: “Do it afraid!” Lynn read about this in one of Joyce Meyer’s books. Do it afraid! We just have to do what we have to do. How often are we faced with challenges that we think are too difficult? The more I have thought about it, the more I see so many of our school community, including our students, applying this to their everyday lives. Life can be very difficult.

I get so frustrated when students back out of opportunities and tasks because they are too afraid to have a go. It might be fear of failure or fear of something difficult or new, but it is still fear. This is where resilience comes in, as does the ‘rescuer’. It is tempting, as a parent, to step in and rescue a child rather than helping them develop the resilience needed to get thought a situation or cope with a major piece of schoolwork or deal with that difficult relationship. 

Years ago, one of my children had a terrible teacher. Lynn and I did follow up issues with the teacher. The bottom line was it was my child’s responsibility - in Grade 10 - to learn and prepare for the exam. We were not prepared to shrug our shoulders and allow poor results because of bad teaching. Extra time and effort toughened said child and excellent results were achieved. This attitude and effort were incredibly valuable at University where you get the work thrown at you with very little help. The phrase ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’ is correct but may it would be better if it was worded, ‘When the going gets tough, those afraid get going!’ 

As a school principal, I am surrounded by heroes. Darren Hardy, an American success mentor, was reflecting on those who fought in wars on Veterans Day, their equivalence of Remembrance Day. He gave the definition of a hero as, “someone, who in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength for the common good.” He proceeded to give examples of what incredible acts of bravery occurred during World War 2. I see acts of bravery every day in the lives of some of the students who struggle, terrified by trauma but are still here not letting life beat them down.

It is my sincere hope that we all support our students and help them deal with the things they find difficult, not by rescuing them from it, but by helping them be resilient learners who ‘do it afraid!’ God tells Joshua to not be afraid because He is with him. Joshua, I’m sure, would have been afraid. God gives him a huge task and then challenges him with ‘Do not be afraid’. 

Do it afraid and do it with God. It is as we set out in faith that He helps us with our fear and gives us strength and courage.

Scott Winkler - Principal

Schooling verses Education

The following quote has been attributed to Mark Twain, “I have never let schooling interfere with my education.” 

For many teachers, students rekindle our passion for teaching in those ‘aha-moments’. It is often just the little things. Unfortunately though, these can be few and far between. For Mrs Sargent, it might be seeing a Kindergarten student independently tie their shoelaces for the first time. For Mrs Cox, it could be that light bulb moment for a year nine student when they begin to understand Trigonometry and can explain SOHCAHTOA! 

It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasises the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. Where gracious professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions.

There is no doubt that there is value in schooling and education but we also love seeing our students developing soft skills such as ‘gracious professionalism. Unfortunately, on a global scale, we have a large problem. In 2017, One in ten or 264 million children worldwide did not have access to schooling or an education.

Recently I read an article that discussed the difference between ‘schooling’ and ‘education’ that intrigued me. The article argued that schooling is the institutional process that most people in the developed world slog their way through. It is a formal process where we pass from one institute to another, such as, preschool, primary school, high school, TAFE, VET courses, training institutes and universities. However, just because you have been through these institutionalised processes, it does not mean that you have been educated. In fact, schooling can at times be very non-educational. Schooling refers to a certain idea or set of values that we hold around education. The article discussed that making students conform to codes of dress and personal appearance and setting detentions are profoundly anti-educational. Such regulations are in direct conflict with and contradict the educational value of topics such as freedom of speech and independence.

“We need a mixture of ‘schooling’ and ‘education’ to become the best versions of ourselves”

So, what then is ‘education’? Again, according to the article, obtaining an education has a dual purpose. On one hand, it's about the formation of the individual and on the other hand it is about the formation of developing better communities in a shared world.

What is more important? To be honest, I am not subscribing to either argument. Instead, I believe that we need a mixture of ‘schooling’ and ‘education’ to become the best versions of ourselves and to help be responsible citizens within the communities that we live. Just last weekend, Mrs Janice Pieterse and I took a group of students ranging from year four to year nine to a robotics competition. ‘First Lego League’ provides multiple opportunities for students to perform and achieve success.

At the award ceremony, our team was presented the Gracious Professionalism award. The First Lego League definition is:

It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasises the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions.

For me, it was fantastic to see the students recognised for this award. Although the team might not have had the best robot build with the fanciest attachments or the most sophisticated program, the real lesson I hope that the students took-away from the day was that by working collaboratively and showing respect to the other teams at all times, even in the heat of competition, is more important than being perceived as the best or most intelligent. It’s not in any particular subject that these skills are gained to achieve this award. It’s all part of an education which is developed both at school and at home. 

A few weeks back, we held our Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT) which gives us an idea of how our students are developing academically in numeracy and literacy. We use this data to inform our teaching. There is no doubt that there is value in schooling and education but we also love seeing our students developing soft skills such as Gracious Professionalism.

Drew Roberts - Deputy Principal

Anxiety is not a dirty word

The few days before I board a plane I experience anxiety. I try really hard to rationalise my anxiety. I get very angry with myself. I give myself a severe talking to, but my anxiety doesn’t really respond well to logic or guilt. Generally this just makes me feel worse about myself, and still anxious.

Most teachers, even experienced ones, encounter anxiety on the first day of school, or should I say, the night before the first day. We may sleep badly, with lessons and students and all the things we haven’t done, spinning around in our heads.

What is anxiety? I have come to understand that scientifically anxiety is a release of adrenalin and other chemicals that cause my sympathetic pathways to turn on and prepare me for flight, fight or freeze. So why would my body release these chemicals? Well I have a whole system in my body keeping me safe and picking up any perceived threats or challenges. If a threat or challenge is recognised, my sympathetic pathway jumps in to protect and prepare me. This sympathetic pathway keeps me safe and when the perceived, or real, threat has gone away, my parasympathetic pathway takes over and I return to a state of rest and digest.

“Most teachers, even experienced ones, encounter anxiety on the first day of school”

Our bodies have been amazingly designed! We need to recognise this and be thankful for the way our Creator has specially designed us. Anxiety keeps us safe, it is a signal to keep us safe! It is a way of preparing ourselves and checking that we are ready for whatever is coming our way. 

The problem occurs when our sympathetic system is triggered when no threat is present, or the threat is perceived, but not ‘real’. Or our sympathetic system gets stuck and we can’t easily bring it back down. Staying in an anxious state for prolonged periods is not an enjoyable or pleasant way to live.

For me, I find regular exercise to be helpful. A funny thing to be saying from the couch, in my Moonboot, but lifting your heartrate through exercise can rid you of extra adrenalin and remind your body that fast heartbeats are actually normal and required in some situations. I like to run once a week at Parkrun, a free 5km running group that is increasing in popularity all around the world. Swimming laps is also a favourite and quite apt as we enjoy 2 weeks of swimming lessons at school. Anxiety can sometimes make us feel ‘outside’ of our bodies or stuck in our head, exercise of any sort can bring us back into physical sensations and thus our body. So going for a walk, climbing a tree, sitting and experiencing God’s amazing creation in any way can be calming.

So, why the chat about anxiety? I suppose I want to normalise what is happening in someone’s, child or adults, body when they are anxious. It is a normal reaction that has been hardwired into you, that you have been created with. We all, at some stage, feel anxious. There is no shame in feeling anxious. But, there are thing we can do to manage our anxiety. We need to get better at learning and sharing our own calming techniques. We need to not get stuck in anxiety, but if we do, have a toolkit of strategies to try.

Biblically we can get caught up in verses that seem to say anxiety is a problem. ‘Be anxious for nothing…Phil 4:6’  Yet the most amazing verse I think to look at is in Luke 22:44 Where Jesus was anxious at what awaited him to the point of sweating blood! Jesus understands anxiety. He not only was part of creating a human body and all its systems, he lived and breathed in one for 33 years.

So, maybe you, or your child, or someone you know experiences anxiety. There are lots of great resources available to help. Just remember; There is no shame. Your body is working well. It will pass. We all need help sometimes. And just a side note. I still fly on planes and each trip I know I will feel anticipatory anxiety, I’m hoping eventually it will pass. I’m still teaching children and I think when I stop getting anxious about my new year group preparation is probably when I need to stop teaching.

 Annie Joy - Primary Coordinator