I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him in thanksgiving.
(Psalm 69:30-30)
This week we celebrate a quarter of a century here at Good News. A group of dedicated people within the congregation had a vision for a school that would reach out into the community and provide both high quality education and Christian instruction and values. Today that vision is recognised throughout the local community as Good News maintains a strong reputation with continued support from the congregation.
In developing such a community, many people have worked together to build a common vision and shared ideals. Parental support is just as important today as it was in those early years when working bees were regular events to develop lawns and playgrounds; committed staff are just as important today as they were at the school’s start when resources were limited; and happy, friendly and hard working students are still attending just as they were in 1984. Through all of it, God has remained central to everything that is done.
As Good News celebrates its birthday this week, we give all glory to God for the blessings we have received and for the people that he has led here over the years to make the school what it is today. May you also join in celebration with us as we take the first steps towards the next 25 years. I wonder what blessings God has planned for us during that time?
Prayers
Dear Father, You have richly blessed us throughout the last 25 years and we thank you for the people that you inspired to start the school, as well as for the many people that have given of their time and talents to see it grow into the community that it is today. Please bless the next 25 years and beyond as we continue to do everything to glorify you. We also thank you, Father, for returning us safely from the Easter break and pray that the term is a positive and enjoyable one for all. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
| God's Action
Mr Adam Richardson - 2009-04-22 12:04:11
GOD’S ACTION
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:37-39)
A few weeks ago I spoke to the Year 6 and 7 students about this event that took place at the time of Jesus’ death. It’s an often overlooked event but one which I believe tells us much about God’s plan for us.
In the temple, a curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the alter area. The Holy of Holies was the most sacred part of the temple where only the High Priest was allowed to go. No-one else could enter this space at any time. The curtain represented our separation from God due to our sinful nature. Once a year the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies in order to provide a sacrifice for everyone’s sins. Through this action, the people would be restored again into a right relationship with God after the previous year’s sins.
At the moment of Jesus’ death, the curtain tore in half. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for all people. For all time, we would no longer be separated from God. It is also significant that the curtain tears from the top to the bottom. This shows that the action was taken by God and not humans. It was God’s act that paid for our sins, not anything that we did. It is only through Jesus’ death and resurrection that we gain eternal life.
This Easter there will be many images that people associate with. There will be eggs, rabbits, bilbies, chocolate, holidays and butterflies. There will also be images of Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, Christ’s death on the cross and his resurrection from within the tomb. Within it all, I pray that you will know Jesus as your Saviour and will take time to reflect on the awesome act that God undertook for you. May you all have a truly blessed Easter.
Prayers
Dear Lord, Thank you for dying on the cross as a sacrifice for us, even though you were without sin. We also pray that people will come to know you as their Saviour and will make this their prime focus this Easter. Please keep our whole community safe over the coming break and give us enjoyable times with our families and friends. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
| Generosity
Mr Adam Richardson - 2009-03-25 13:27:49
Give as freely as you have received! (Matthew 10:8b)
I have seen and heard about the generosity of the Good News community many times this term. Last week it was especially warming to hear of how much the students raised to assist the people affected by the recent fires and floods through their Free Dress and Crazy Hair Day. There is also the money that has been raised through chapels for children in Mozambique. I have witnessed children helping injured friends make it to the office safely, and heard about how parents have swiftly rallied to the assistance of families in need; I have seen how generously the staff give of their time and talents to help support the children, families and each other as they seek the best outcome for everyone; and I have experienced the generosity of the students through their giving of a friendly hello and wave as I move about the school throughout the day.
This, of course, makes for a happier and closer community. When we support each other we are all lifted higher and can achieve greater things. When we are all generous with each other, we will all benefit. However, it is not just financial and service assistance that we should be generous with. We are also being told in this Bible passage to be generous in our love, understanding and forgiveness of one another – just as God has been, and still is, generous with us in these things.
We all move between the heights of a wave and the feeling of having just been swamped by it. However, if we continue to be generous in our care and forgiveness of one another, and draw our strength from our loving God, then we will always have the courage and ability to move forward. I pray that each of you this year feels truly blessed by the generosity of others.
Prayers
Dear Heavenly Father, You have given of yourself so generously for us. Your love is unconditional and you continually forgive us when we don’t deserve it. Please be with us as we support one another, and be in extra measure with those families that are in special need at this time. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
| Choices
Mr Adam Richardson - 2009-03-25 13:24:16
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)
We’ve all been making choices for a long time now. In our early years it was whether we wanted strawberry or chocolate ice cream, whether we’d really clean our teeth or just run the brush under the water, and whether we’d play with this person or that person. As we got older, we began making choices about study habits, career paths and partners. Now we make choices about how to best raise our children, how to stretch our budget further, and about which things will compete for our valuable time. This weekend we will make choices about the people we believe will best represent us in State Government when we vote on Election Day.
Sometimes our choices are easy and sometimes they cause us great angst; sometimes our choices are wise and at other times they cause us challenges; and sometimes our choices are to benefit others and sometimes they benefit ourselves. Sometimes it’s the motivation behind our choices that determines the ultimate outcome. That is why Paul tells us to keep our thoughts fixed on honourable, right and pure things. However, it is not always a simple thing to do. After all, our human nature goes directly against that idea.
Paul reminds us that we can’t just read a Bible passage or listen to a sermon. We actually need to let it work in our hearts and minds. We need to ask God to help us to put it into practice so that our lives are positively transformed through the choices we make, along with the lives of those who are affected by our choices.
Prayers
Dear Father
All of your choices are wise and all of them are for our benefit. Thank you that you chose to bring us closer to you through the death of your only Son, and thank you for providing us with your Word as a way to guide our lives. Help us to live out your Word and will by making the right choices in our lives, and by keeping the motivation behind our choices noble and admirable. Please bless the election on Saturday and be with those candidates that are chosen to lead us.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
| Joy
Mr Adam Richardson - 2009-03-18 12:46:08
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16)
Joy is our current values word for the school community. What is it that brings you joy? For me it is fun times with my family, listening to the kids giggle with pleasure at a game being played or a joke being shared; it’s walking along the river in the late afternoon or evening; it’s spending time at the water’s edge eating prawns as the waves roll in; it’s seeing the excitement in a class of students as they engage fully with you in the topic being explored or with the skills you’re helping them to develop; it’s laughing with colleagues and spending time with friends.
Of course, it is not always like that. We are often bombarded by things that frustrate us, anger us, frighten us and sadden us. Things get us down and we feel anything but joyful.
Yet we are being told in this passage from 1 Thessalonians to be joyful and thankful at all times. Is God being unrealistic? Did he forget that we are only human? No. God knows about disappointment, he knows about frustration and he knows about despair.
The joy being talked about here is a spiritual joy that we can only receive when we know that we are one of God’s children. When we know that God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die for us, how can we not be filled with joy. We are given the gift of eternal life with God for free! Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
Prayers
Dear Lord, Your love for us is limitless and that fills us with overwhelming joy. May we look to you whenever our earthly nature brings us down so that we can celebrate again the wonders of your love and mercy. We pray too that you will watch over the communities experiencing the cyclone at this time so that they will be spared from too much damage. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
| Friendship
Mr Adam Richardson - 2009-03-16 13:39:21
Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command." (John 15:13-14)
This term we have been focussing on the theme of Friendship during our chapel times. It has been explored from a range of perspectives and through a variety of Biblical stories. Last Sunday our Year 4 and 5 classes presented their Family Service under the same theme using the story of Jonathan and David as found in 1 Samuel. Jonathan was the king’s son and David was the shepherd boy that would become God’s future choice for the throne. In this story we learn about two boys from different backgrounds who hold tight to their friendship despite Jonathan’s father wanting to kill David. In each of our chapels and through the family service, we have learnt that friendship involves a concern for and involvement with the well-being of others. These are achieved through unconditional love, personal enjoyment, mutual interests and acceptance of one another’s traits, talents and challenges, as well as loyalty and commitment to each other.
That is the kind of friendship that Jesus offers us. It is an unconditional love that flows out of a concern for our eternal well-being. So much so that he laid down his own life for us. Many years ago I was dismayed to see a Christian education book that showed Jesus facing and smiling at some children that were doing good things but frowning and facing away from children that were not being good. It sent the message that God’s favour, friendship and love were based on our actions; that it was our works that determined our worthiness for receiving God’s blessings. That is not the Jesus that I read and learn about in the Bible. The Jesus that I know is our best friend. He always has been and always will be. Nothing will ever change that. Even if we decide to turn away from him, he will never turn away from us. Our challenge is to have that same friendship for others, especially those that hurt us or offend us in some way.
Prayers
Dear Lord, You are an awesome God. You love and care for us unconditionally and never turn away from us. Thank you for being our best friend and for showing us how to love others. We ask that you continue to guide us in our relationships and help us to live as one united family. Please be with those people affected by yesterday’s tragic events overseas, and we ask that you help to bring peace throughout our whole world.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
| Ash Wednesday
Mr Adam Richardson - 2009-03-4 12:45:37
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
Today is Ash Wednesday and is a significant day in the church calendar. It marks the first day of Lent, which is the season leading up to Easter when we remember Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. The recognition of Ash Wednesday is thought to date back to at least the 8th Century and manifested itself out of the ancient practice of sprinkling ashes on one’s head and dressing in sackcloth as a way of showing that you repented of your sins.
At a modern Ash Wednesday service, the pastor will mark the sign of the cross on your forehead prior to receiving Holy Communion. The ashes remind us of our mortality and sinfulness; our need to make a right relationship with God again. The sign of the cross reminds us of the Good News that it is through Jesus’ death and subsequent resurrection that we are forgiven and freed from all our sins.
Through Holy Communion, we take in the body and blood of Christ so that we can be renewed and restored in that right relationship with God.
Many of our classes engaged in a mini Ash Wednesday activity today near the fountain. Under teacher guidance and assistance, they made a sign of the cross on their foreheads as they reflected on the sins that have weighed them down this past year. It was a special time that I appreciated being able to share with the children.
Of course, afterwards, they were reminded that it is through Christ that we are lifted up again, it is through Christ that we gain our peace and hope, and it is through Christ that we aren’t weighed down anymore.
I encourage you to participate in an Ash Wednesday service tonight or an upcoming Lenten service as we prepare to remember the ultimate price that God paid for us - the death of his only Son.
Prayers
Dear Lord, As we enter the season of Lent, may we focus our hearts and minds on your great sacrifice for us. May we remember your love for all people and find our comfort and peace in you. We thank you for the lives that you spared in the recent fires and ask that those involved in Sunday’s day of mourning found peace with you too.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
| Where is God?
Mr Adam Richardson - 2009-03-4 12:42:34
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (Psalm 46)
Australia has certainly seen its share of disaster over the last few weeks, from the floods in the north to the fires in the south. Even this morning, we woke to the news that towns in northern NSW have been cut off by floods overnight. The loss of life and property has been devastatingly high, not to mention the enormous loss to our wildlife and natural landscape. Families have been left without anything and businesses will soon go under. Whole townships in north Queensland are cut off from assistance and will continue to be so or many weeks to come.
So “Where is God?” is a question that people will naturally ask, as too is “How can a loving God allow this type of thing to happen?”. Some people resolve these questions by concluding that God has abandoned those people or is punishing them for something and, presumably, protecting others from it. Unfortunately, it is sometimes well-meaning religious people who also perpetuate this idea. Reassuringly, that is not the reality.
Our God is a loving God. He has not abandoned us. He is not punishing people. In fact, he is “not a God who takes pleasure in evil” (Psalm 5:4) at all. Rather, he is a God who understands our pain. He understands our loss and he suffers when we suffer. After all, he sent his only son to die on the cross so that we could all be saved and live eternally with him.
So where is God? He is in the fires. He is in the floods. He is with the victims. He is with the ones who are left behind. He is in the rescuers and volunteer helpers. He is in the communities all over the world who are giving of their resources to help the victims in these terrible times. God is in the midst of the suffering and in the love of the assistance being poured out.
We may not always understand the events that take place in our world, but we can be comforted by the knowledge that God understands our shock and our grief because he too has experienced it many times over. We can also be comforted by the knowledge that God continues to walk with us, carrying us when necessary, through both the good times and the bad. Where is God? He is always with us.
Prayers
Dear Lord, Thank you that you never abandon us, even when such terrible tragedies occur. Please continue to be with the victims and families of the fires and floods, and thank you for continuing to work through the people providing assistance in whichever forms are needed. Few of us are truly able to understand how it feels to be in such a situation, and we ask that those who do are able to find their comfort in you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
| Greatness Through Service
Adam Richardson - 2009-02-12 10:31:14
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)
Service is a big theme throughout the Bible. Jesus is known as the Servant King for he humbled himself to both his Heavenly Father and to us. In John 13, Jesus even washes the feet of the Disciples; a task that would never have been contemplated by other kings.
The reason that the act of service is made so clear within the Bible is that we are instructed by God to serve one another in love. This means that we are to uphold each other, value each other and support one another at all times. As Christians, when we serve others in love, we are glorifying God and all that he does for us.
Martin Luther King Jr talked about this same idea too. He understood that true greatness comes from serving others, not for our own glory or fame, but because it brings about greatness for all. In his sermon, “The Drum Major Instinct”, Dr King said, “If you want to be important - wonderful. If you want to be recognised - wonderful. If you want to be great - wonderful. But recognise that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” He goes on to say that everyone can be great because everyone can serve.
Therefore, for this year we have chosen “Greatness Through Service” as our over-arching values theme. As a Christian community, we have many opportunities to openly serve one another. By respecting each other, by speaking positively about each other and by helping each other, we can continue to grow the positive experience that we enjoy here at Good News. Many of our Year 7 students have already taken up this challenge to serve others through the various leadership positions they now hold.
As a school, we will also be looking for ways that our students can become involved in service activities within the wider community. Perhaps they could sing at a local aged-care facility, play music at the shopping centre or help with Clean Up Australia Day, as well as continue to raise much-needed funds for charities and welfare groups via our chapel offerings and various student fund-raising ideas.
As a staff, we look forward to serving you and your children this year through our programs, our pastoral care and our genuine desire for every student to develop their abilities fully. May you also serve us with your support and encouragement.
Prayers
Dear Lord, you have set the example for us to follow so everyone can be great. Help us to serve others in your name so that we can glorify you in all that we do.
We thank you, Lord, for the many people who are in service around our country, helping others through the many natural disasters that are taking place. Bless them and encourage them through these times that are very difficult. We also ask you to be with those families that have lost loved ones and property. Give them an extra measure of your love and care at this time, and help us as a country to continue that spirit of community support that Australians are so well-known for.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
| 4 February 2009
Adam Richardson - 2009-02-4 19:33:11
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Peace is our values word for the first few weeks of this year. In our busy world, it is a word that tends not to be heard or used very often. Instead, we speak of stress, tiredness and lack of time; all of which tend to push our opportunities for experiencing peace to the side. Busyness and peace seem to be at odds with each other.
As we read and listen to the news, we can also be forgiven for feeling that finding peace in our world is perhaps an elusive concept. The tragic stories that made the headlines last week seem to reinforce that notion, as we struggle to believe that people can inflict such cruelty on others, let alone their own family.
Therefore, peace is often viewed as the end point of the journey we’ve been through. It’s seen as the reward or the reassurance and comfort that we feel after a period of sadness or difficulty; something that only comes with time. However, what Jesus is telling us through this passage is that peace is actually also meant to be experienced on the journey itself. The peace that Jesus offers us is one that comes from the reassurance that God is with us and in us at all times; both the good and the bad. It comes from the understanding that we can call on him at anytime to help us and that through his own suffering Jesus knows how we are feeling.
In these words from Jesus, we are reminded that the peace that comes from him is a real and present one. It is not a hope or wish like the type that humans offer one another. Jesus’ peace is permanent and an unconditional gift. It’s not earned and it’s not taken away. When we let Christ live in our hearts fully, and we put our full trust in him, he gives us total well-being and an inner calm that cannot be matched by anything else. Jesus’ peace gives us the strength to face and endure whatever life throws at us as we live in the knowledge of his saving grace and eternal love.
Prayers
Dear Lord, you are a God that constantly gives so that we can delight in you each day. May we truly let you into our hearts, putting our full trust in you, so that we can know and feel the peace that only you can provide.
Thank you also for blessing us with a wonderful day on Sunday as our staff were installed into the new school year, and for the wonderful fellowship that was experienced at the luncheon afterwards. Thank you that you have given us the opportunity to be a part of such a fantastic community. May we always keep you at the centre, Lord, of all that we do.
We also pray for Ky Pulvirenti and ask that his injury heals quickly after last week’s fall. Please keep all of our school families in your care and bless them richly throughout the coming year.
We pray for those people in other parts of our country that are experiencing extreme weather at this time. Please provide them with a refreshing change soon, and give them respite from the fires and damage that have resulted.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
| 28 January 2009
Adam Richardson - 2009-01-29 11:58:26
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
These words form part of the opening of Paul’s letter to the people of Ephesus. He had a clear understanding of the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and sought to share God’s purpose for us. Paul knew that our heavenly Father wants us to be richly blessed in all areas of our lives and to have a close relationship with him through Christ, so that ultimately we will live with him eternally in Heaven.
Over the last few months since accepting the position of Principal for 2009, I have certainly felt God’s blessings within the Good News community. There is a real generosity and care amongst the people of the school and congregation, and my whole family has felt welcomed and encouraged through our experiences. When the staff, students, parents and friends of a school keep Jesus at the centre of all that they do, the love and warmth of God will be felt and great things will happen. As we continue to raise and educate your children in partnership with you, may God’s blessings be felt richly in your family too.
Prayers
Dear Father, we thank you for the great and loving God that you are. Thank you for blessing the Good News community so richly and for returning us safely from the holidays. We ask, Lord, that you continue to give us your favour and help us to keep you firmly within our hearts. We also pray for our new students, families and staff. As we are enriched through their presence here, please help them to settle in quickly and to feel your love and blessings within the community. We thank you also for blessing our country with a lifestyle and attitude that makes Australia such a wonderful place to live. May we remember to value the blessings that you have given to us, not just on Australia Day, but everyday. We thank you also that we have the freedom to openly worship you in our country and to share your Good News with others. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
| Key Developmental Assets for your Child .... Part 2
Dr Loyd R Fyffe - 2008-11-4 10:44:41
Following on from last week’s newsletter I have included (attached) the remaining 20 Key Developmental (Building Blocks for Development) Assets.
It is important to note that developmental assets are not the same as economic assets. Indeed children tell us that; it is not our money that they want, it is our time, it is our love, it is our care that counts.
Family income (or excess income) is not a good predictor of child development, neither is education (or the lack of it). There are ample examples of people who have been educationally poor, economically poor, and their children have developed into outstanding citizens. The “secret” as these children, now adults, report is that their parents demonstrated or cultivated at least 30 of these 40 Key Developmental Assets.
The message for us is to focus on the building blocks listed in the attached sheets which, cumulatively, are our best strategy for positive development in our children or alternatively our best insurance against poor development/choices in and by our children. It is important to note that we need to be proactive in the developing of these “assets”. That is, for example, if your child does not have; “No 3 … support from three or more nonparent adult”; then we need to work out a way where they do have access to these nonparent mentors.
Note:
Research has shown that in terms of academic progress numbers 9, 17, 18, 19 and 25 are three times more powerful contributors than the other Assets, while 15, 20, 22, 31 and 36 are twice as efficacious as the remaining 20.
| Key Developmental Assets for your Child
Dr Loyd R Fyffe - 2008-11-4 10:45:38
During the last school holidays nine of the staff at Good News School went to Melbourne to attend the 3rd Australian Conference on Lutheran Education, there they joined with 830 other Australian and overseas delegates. A number of high quality speakers and presenters were engaged for this conference but one presenter, Clay Roberts, stood out for his clarity of presentation and his common sense approach to his topic. Clay Roberts is the founder of an American company dedicated to the development of healthy, contributing young people.
The material that Clay presented, while good common sense, was nonetheless grounded on good and rigorous research. Basically Clay’s presentation was about explaining and applying 40 Developmental Assets; assets that are good predictors of leadership potential, good health, values diversity, and success in school. Better still, these assets can cumulatively help to protect youth from high- risk behaviours such as problem alcohol use, violence, illicit drug use, and sexual activity.
Students who do well at school and in adult life, and who avoid risky behaviours, typically have at least 30 Assets or Building Blocks for development, so if, as parents and teachers we can provide or facilitate Developmental Assets for our children then we are indeed giving them a great start to the rest of their lives.
| "The "Ten Commandments, The Most Negative Piece of Writing ever Written"
Dr Loyd Fyffe - 2008-11-3 12:41:42
Recently I read the above headline on a billboard in an inner city suburb of Melbourne. Immediately below the statement was an invitation to come to a [named] Church to hear why. Clearly, when you read the Ten Commandments it is easy to recognise this set of statements to be a series of prohibitions and very strong prohibitions at that; in short to view them as a set of negative statements.
Originally God gave the Ten Commandments, via his servant Moses, to the people of Israel at a time when they were drifting aimlessly in exile following their urgent and hasty departure from their suffering and slavery in Egypt. These Old Testament people did not see the Ten Commandments as a negative set of prohibitions rather they saw them as a gift of ‘grace’, a saving event of the first rank; an undeserved gift from God given in love.
The Israelites saw the Commandments as undeserved love because, of all the people in the world God selected them to receive not a set of prohibitions but a set of guidelines. No other people had been singled out to receive these guidelines. And in keeping with their aimless wandering following their escape from Egypt the Israelites knew that without directions they were completely lost. The Ten Commandments were directions for living rather than travelling but armed with the knowledge that God was interested in their living then his interest in their journey would surely follow, and it did.
Today it seems that the Ten Commandments are not top of the pops when it comes to ‘building self-esteem’ and conveying ‘warm fuzzies’ and generally ‘building people up’. They were never intended to give a person a daily fix of positive reinforcement, rather they are the general brushstrokes for a whole of life application. They give the ground rules for an intentional living pattern and they give clear boundary lines. And they remind us that we have a relationship with a loving and saving God; just as the Israelites did.
As a young lad I knew where the boundary lines were at home and at school; I knew when I crossed those boundary lines; and I knew what would happen when I crossed those boundary lines! And I expect you, as parents, knew where the boundary lines were when you too were young. Today there are so many advertisers and others telling us to consider ‘No 1 first’ and ‘if it feels good then it must be right for you’; in short work out what works best for you. However, if our children are left to ‘work out their own destiny’ amid the noise and glitter of rampant consumerism and economic imperatives then they, like the Israelites of old, will flounder in the wilderness. Our children need rules and guidelines.
Research tells us that children not only need guidelines and rules they actually appreciate them! Just like the Israelites of old children appreciate the boundaries and they therefore appreciate the security and the freedom to live and love within the boundaries.
| Being Childlike or Childish
Dr Loyd R Fyffe - 2008-09-10 14:17:30
One of the really charming things about working with children is that sometimes they say the funniest things. I don’t know how many times, after the penny has dropped for one little mite that I am related to Mrs Fyffe only to be met with the exclamation that, “I know who you are, you are Mrs Fyffe’s father”. And again, when I was stressing a point about manners to a little guy when he asked me to pass him something and he hadn’t said ‘please’ so I asked him what the magic word was. He thought for a moment and then replied, “Abracadabra”.
Of course all parents have stories to tell about mispronounced words, and amusing anecdotes. One anecdote that I read recently went something like this; “After putting her children to bed, a mother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. At last she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard her three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was that?"
The beautiful thing about children is that they, for the most part, tell you the truth in an honest manner. Yes it may be funny or it may be a little embarrassing but it is said with honesty. Children often call it how it is or at least how it appears to them and they don’t seem to hide their true feelings or fears. In this sense children show us that they are still in the formative stages of language and conceptual formation, but unlike some adults they are refreshingly open about the ‘facts’ as they appear – fears, frights and folly included. Children use childlike imagery and understandings.
On the other hand children, for reasons better known to them sometimes use childish expressions and childish language. We have all heard ‘baby talk’ from our children and by and large this does not impress us; at least it doesn’t impress me. Childish ‘baby talk’ indicates a regression on the part of the child, doing away with their reason and abandoning their maturing understanding of the world.
The news lately has carried a number of stories surrounding the recent hurricanes in and around Cuba the Florida Keys and other areas in the pathway of “Ike and Gustav”. Scenes of devastation and chaos in Haiti testify to the reality of the effects of these massive storms, but juxtaposed with this devastation are shots of people in the pathway of the storm who, rather nonchalantly have expressed the wish to remain in their homes and wait the storm out! These foolhardy characters seem to be of the opinion that, come what may, they will stand and fight and finally prevail!
I have seen footage of the storms pounding the seashore and the ferocity of the winds as they rip iron from buildings and use it as a ‘knife’ to slice whatever is in its way…and people will prevail against this force; this power!! If ever I have seen something that was childish this type of futile resistance is it.
During the course of this year I have witnessed strong men, who in the face of overwhelming odds have said simply that all I can do is rely on God because, “I can’t do this on my own”. These men were metaphorically standing on the seashore with huge five metre waves thundering toward them. With childlike faith these men have faced the ‘facts’ and enlisted the support of the only protection that is capable of rescue.
Similarly I have seen strong men standing against all odds vowing to beat the forces against them. These men were metaphorically standing on the seashore with huge five metre waves about to crash and they, with all of their personal resources would prevail. If ever I have seen something that was childish this has been it.
Children can teach us so much about childlike trust and faith in a loving God and yet as adult men and women, we can be so childish in trusting of our own strength and reason even against overwhelming odds.
| The Value of Values Education - A Presentation
Dr Loyd R Fyffe - 2008-09-10 14:12:41
Education is a value-laden activity. Values are core to a school; they come with the architecture and the furniture and decorations of the building itself. They are personified in the attributes of the teachers and in the standards of behaviour of the students; they are made explicit in the rituals, particularly those that accompany tragedy or celebrate success.
However, in recent times there has been a lamenting that core values have been lost from our community. Typically, from the Australian perspective, Judge McGuire, President of the Children’s Court, Queensland, in 1997 said the following, “There is now, I believe, a widely accepted view that we as a nation have abandoned many of our traditional values, and are living off our moral capital”. Others have linked the lack of values by children with an increase in family breakdown and delinquent crime, Australia’s high youth suicide rate, and a decline in respect for those in authority. The argument is that schools have a responsibility to help teach student values.
Good News Lutheran School has had an active values program in place since 2001, long before the current interest in values education. And unlike most values programs we explicitly teach our children what justice, for example, looks like and feels like when it is practised and applied. In addition, as part of my doctoral studies I developed a measurement instrument (Children’s Values Profile) to measure children’s values. Children at Good News as well as other students around Australia have undertaken the Children’s Values Profile and I now have a body of data that gives clear directions about how to develop and maintain a school values program. Further, my research indicates how to strengthen children’s values.
Earlier this year the P & F asked me to present my findings to our school parents with a particular emphasis on how parents can help their child develop a value system. Now that I am leaving Good News at the end of the year it has become urgent that I give this presentation NOW! Soooo next Wednesday evening parents, grandparents and friends of school families are invited to come to the Worship Centre (7:00pm-8:00pm) where I will give a presentation about values, values education, the dimensions of children’s values development, and how parents can enhance their child’s values development.
I look forward to sharing some of my work with you next Wednesday evening.
| I Tried My Best
Dr Loyd R Fyffe - 2008-09-3 14:17:48
I, like millions of others around the world, have been watching the Olympic games, or at least snippets of the Olympic games. Some events interest me more than others and some competitors excite me more than others. I have to say that I was awestruck by the feats of the swimmer Michael Phelps who won an astonishing eight gold medals and seven world records in the process. Indeed at one stage if Phelps was a country he, on his own, would have been third in the medal tally!
A second athlete that I found most impressive was Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man and the winner of the men’s 100 metres sprint final in world record time; and he was slowing down! What an impressive run, comfortably, almost effortlessly beating the seven fastest men on the planet!
The events that I find most stressful to watch though are the gymnastics women’s beam and the men’s rings events. The rings require precision strength of the highest order and I cringe when I see men forming a cross and using every ounce of strength to stop the rings from moving! The beam, on the other hand, must be one of the most difficult of apparatuses with gymnasts trying to perform all manner of routines on a strip of wood no wider than my hand span and perched over a metre above the ground!
Having said all of the above, the most impressive thing I have seen at the Olympics so far was the style and grace with which Grant Hackett accepted his silver medal for the 1500 metres freestyle event. Hackett swam his heart out in the race and as he left the pool and walked across the pool deck to a awaiting interviewer it was obvious that he was totally spent. In a subsequent interview Hackett was gracious in defeat, thankful for his placing and satisfied that he “had tried his best”.
To have tried your best and finished the race against the best opposition in the world and to be satisfied with that is for me a marvellous statement about your own ability, recognising your limits and at the same time meeting your obligations to the team and to fellow competitors. For me, Hackett was a real winner in the way he managed himself and the honesty with which he recognised his fellow competitors and team mates. How good would it be that all people who enter a race, or perform a job, or work at relationships could say that they have tried their best, that they have selflessly given their all and they had been loyal and committed to the team?!
And so it seems the task at school and at home is to help our children understand that after all the preparation, all the commitment, and all the effort that has been put into a task that “to have done your best” is in fact good enough!
| Routine Makes a Good Student
Dr Loyd R Fyffe - 2008-08-7 11:09:29
An article in The Australian last Saturday caught my eye. Under the headline ‘Routine makes a good student’ the article set out to make the point that a regular homework routine carries benefits into the classroom.
Researchers from the University of Western Sydney conducted research into the study habits of Year 3 students. While it was found that study habits differed among Chinese, Anglo and Pacific Island students with the former spending the greatest amount of time per night on homework, the study importantly identified that the time spent on homework was not as important as the study routine.
Sitting at a desk at night undertaking a small amount of homework had the benefits of developing the skills of concentration, self-discipline, self-control, and the bodily skills of application to work and independence in learning. In addition, attending to a short homework task at night also developed body strength, particularly fine motor skills (writing) and core strength (torso strength). Importantly all of the above enhanced classroom skills and learning.
Further, the authors of the study claim that; “There has been inadequate attention given to the ways educational attainment is founded on embodied capacities such as productive stillness and quiet, which are crucial to sustained attention and application in intellectual endeavour”. At Good News our values program and our social skills program are in place precisely to develop ‘embodied capacities’. And, together with the findings of this current study, we have seen real benefits to our classroom program through these programs.
There are many pieces to the education puzzle. Education is not simply giving children a bundle of information in a classroom setting. We now know about and utilize a gamut of supporting educational activities at Good News. A values program and a worship program and a social skills program and an anti-bulling program and an arts program and leadership programs and physical education programs, to name just a few, all come together to undergird and support the rich curriculum program offered in the classroom. And now we know that a modicum of homework does more than give students some revisionary practice; it can actually aid and abet the classroom program in qualitative ways.
Educators have known for a long time that parents are critical in supporting the learning program in our schools. This current research from the University of Western Sydney supports the importance of this partnership and gives pointed direction about how parents might add to the education of their children by setting aside a designated space and a designated time for a little homework at night.
| From Planting to Plate with a little help from Year 2
Dr Loyd R Fyffe - 2008-08-7 11:05:57
Earlier this year the Year 2 students requested, via the Student Council, permission to construct a garden. The request came partly in relation to the learning program (“Growing and changing”; “Working together”; “Life cycles”; and developing a “Co-operative enterprise”) and partly in response to a real love to dig and plant and to have a go at growing things!
Well, YES was my answer to the request because it is both a good idea AND I had a garden patch prepared last year just waiting for me to make a move but somehow I simply hadn’t gotten around to it. Here was a golden opportunity to see the newly established ‘garden’ used and in an ongoing capacity. What followed was an avalanche of parental support and action.
Parents assisted the children to set the garden experience in motion. Plants of all descriptions have been planted, nearby seats have been built (by the adults) and painted (by the children) and little paved paths have been installed so that children can walk between the plots without squashing everything to a pulp!
A couple of times each week Year 2 parents arrive at school before the end of the school day and take a group of children up to the gardens to plant, water, weed and tend the plants. In between parent visits the children, accompanied by a responsible person (Year 7 student or staff member) often tend the garden plots at lunchtime. Yesterday I went along and observed first hand the industry and the results of the Year 2 students. Yesterday turned out to be a weeding day and I was heartened to see that little people were prepared to do the unglamorous work of weeding and, more importantly, they knew the difference between weeds and plants!
Finally, yesterday before the expected hail/storm was due to hit us some of the tender produce was picked. Lettuce of different colours and kinds together with a big bunch of parsley was picked and the majority given to the tuckshop for use in the tuckshop salads.
What a great learning experience the Year 2 garden is! Children can dig in God’s good earth, plant and nurture plants, watch as sun, rain and soil feed the plants and finally share the produce AND all in an atmosphere of ‘working together’. Well done Year 2 team!
| Mr Lewis to Retire at the End of the School Year
Dr Loyd R Fyffe - 2008-07-25 09:39:28
After 45 years of faithfully teaching hundreds and hundreds of children across a range of classes Mr Richard Lewis has announced that he will finish his full-time teaching responsibilities at the end of the current school year.
Mr Lewis commenced his teaching at Dumaresq Island–(near Taree NSW) in 1964 and taught in this small one teacher school for three years from 1964 to 1966. He taught an average of about 22 pupils each year and they were in about five different grades. Shy, quiet obedient children. This was a far cry from the rough, tough children from working class families at Fairfield West Primary (1967-1972) in the western suburbs of Sydney. Despite this, Richard remembers these children as, “rather wonderful and really appreciated anything extra that the teachers did for them in Music or sport etc.” Fairfield West Primary was the second largest primary school in NSW. So many children used the playground that the grass wouldn’t grow. Fairfield school had over 2000 pupils and Richard taught classes of over 40 children. There were no teacher aides, supply teachers or specialist teachers apart from the librarian. If a teacher was away their class was split up among the other classes in the grade.
In the following years Richard taught at the following schools and he writes:
VILLAWOOD 1973-1975. Villawood was a smaller school, also in the western suburbs of Sydney with wonderful appreciative children. I really enjoyed the music and sport involvement with the children. I coached a couple of premiership winning girl’s softball teams at Villawood. The musicals that I produced at Villawood were great fun and the children loved them.
CAMPBELLTOWN NORTH 1976 This was a school in a fast developing area SW of Sydney, where we had bought a new house in 1973. In this year I decided I needed a change in my career and decided to go overseas to PNG with the Australian Board of Missions (Anglican).
BALOB TEACHERS COLLEGE – LAE PNG 1977-1980. These four years were wonderful years teaching older teachers college students. We found Papua- New Guineans kind, caring and friendly people. We met many staff members from many and varied countries-all who’d come to serve God in this foreign land. Balob is a Lutheran Teachers College and the Anglican Church is an associate partner. So it was there that I first met and then made many Lutheran friends.
MARRARA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (DARWIN) 1981-1982 I spent two years at Marrara as the Deputy – Principal. I was also Acting-Principal for six months. We enjoyed Darwin, but after being so far away from our family in NSW for six years we decided to move closer to them in SE Queensland, when I was offered a position at Grace Lutheran Primary School. This was the beginning of my 26 years of teaching in Lutheran Primary Schools.
GRACE PRIMARY (Redcliffe) 1983-1986 At Grace I taught grades seven and four. The last three years I was the Deputy. We loved our time at Grace and made many friends.
FAITH PRIMARY (Redlands) 1987-1990. In 1987 I became Principal at Faith. These were difficult years- years leading a school community that had suffered much trauma and division. Despite this I am pleased to see that Faith School has survived and prospered and now my three grand-daughters are pupils. In many ways I enjoyed the position of Principal, but as I was in a non-teaching position I missed teaching the children. So in 1991 I made my final move to Good News School.
GOOD NEWS 1991- 2008 In my 18 years at here there have been many changes. The most notable is the number of staff. Even though the school’s number of pupils has remained much the same, the number of staff has more than doubled. As well as this there has been a great many improvements to the facilities. There have been many friendships made through Good News.
Throughout 45 years of teaching it has been a wonderful privilege to teach so many wonderful children. I haven’t found today’s children any harder to teach than those I taught 40 years ago. Of course the extra support and specialist staff we have these days helps significantly. God has always seemed to have made it possible for me to find something to treasure in all the children I have taught. In all these years, even in state schools I have always been able to tell my students of God’s love. Of all the subjects I teach Christian Studies is one of my favourites along with music. Sometimes listening to the children sing just blows me away. There have been some wonderful singing groups over the years- this year’s year fours are great singer.
We congratulate Richard on a fine contribution to education in general and to Good News in particular and we look forward to recognising this in a formal way at the end of this year.
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