Richmond Christian College TIDINGS

Dear Community,

A great hero and role model of mine once said to his little girl, “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” What Atticus Finch (from, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee) was asking his daughter to do was to value others more than herself, to live from a foundation of love, and to look after people like they are her own.

What I have come to realise is this is very easily said and reasonably easy to do when things are predictable, you have plenty and the future is stable. In unprecedented, uncertain times, however, this is very difficult and it requires more. It requires more than we have. It requires faith in something greater than yourself. When we know God is looking after us, then we can look beyond our self when panicked, unsure, and frail knowing that we are secure and provided for.

Jesus says that all who are thirsty should come to Him, and he will give them rivers of living water that will flow through them to others (John 7:37 & Isaiah 55). Jesus’ gift to us is not just for us, His abundance is for those around us too. In this moment He becomes like an author of our faith; He provides what we need to be well and faithful and what we need to look after others.

It is in times like this that we must recognise our own weaknesses and gather strength from our faith and from those around us to remind us of what is important, what needs to be our focus and what we have to get it all done!  

I want to thank you for the way I see you looking after each other, the way I see you drawing on your faith and love for one another to make sure everyone is looked after. It reminds me of what a blessing it is to be a part of this community.

RCC Learn@Home Update

Thank you for your patience and grace on this journey into the unexpected and unknown as we seek to find the best, most effective, most sustainable system to enable you to support your children at home.

Please know that all we ask is that you do your best with this material. Should you be unsure or have questions, please email staff to clarify.

Primary

Next week the primary school system will change a little. We have heard some great feedback, positive, negative and constructive and have decided to implement some changes to the planning.

On Monday at 8.30am you will receive the week’s lessons. All year levels, K-6, will follow a similar pattern. Literacy block, numeracy block and a project block. The project block will be the same project for all our students with varying degrees of difficulty. Each block of work will also clearly outline ‘must do’ tasks and ‘can do’ tasks, or the essential tasks and the extension tasks.

We believe this revised structure will reduce the volume of work that some students are finding it difficult to navigate. It will also allow for some learning to be done with siblings to reduce the amount of different tasks parents must supervise at once.

The plan will continue to have a set structure for those who would like to continue to operate this way. Whilst we recommend this approach to provide stability, predictability and consistency for your children, this is a recommended structure only. If your home has a different structure, or a different set of pressures that make this structure unfeasible, this is more than okay. You must do what works best for you and your family and we support you in this.

Secondary

Secondary will continue with the current structure according to their timetable and receive this information every 48 hours to ensure their best work is done and it is not rushed.

Teachers will, however, clearly label the essential and extension activities so students know what is required of them.

Welfare

Our teaching staff will continue to email and contact parents and students to provide feedback and ensure we are offering help where it is needed.

Our school counsellor has also emailed out a letter outlining her proactive plan for taking care of our students and their family’s wellbeing during this time. Please be sure to contact her should you have any concerns.

Hardship

I wrote an announcement earlier this week regarding hardship and wanted to reiterate this for those who may have missed it:

I would like to reiterate to our families at this time that RCC has measures in place to assist families who suffer financial hardship, long or short term, during this time to ensure their children stay at RCC and meet their financial commitment.

I encourage those in need to email me:  jonathonsimmons@richmond.nsw.edu.au  should they have need for assistance. This will all be kept private and confidential.

Finally, as of the time of writing this communication, Scott Morison has announced that schools will not look the same after the Easter holidays. What this means he has left up to the states and territories to work out. When I have a clearer picture of how this will impact RCC, I will let you know.

For now, RCC is not closed and will continue to operate as best we can in the circumstances we are facing to support you in maintaining your child’s wellbeing and education.

For any other questions or enquiries please be sure to call the School Office for clarity.

Good tidings,

Jonno

Harmony Week, ‘Everyone belongs here at RCC’ (15–21 March). This week was about celebrating inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. RCC celebrated Harmony Week through daily activities, educational videos and developing skills for empowering equality. Through the week students learned what defines bullying and how to stand up to people bullying, both for yourself and for others.  This includes the STOP, WALK, TALK program. Students firmly saying "STOP" to someone when they are feeling bothered by them. If they continue, WALK away and then TALK with a teacher if it continues. We are empowering bystanders to be UPstanders who stand up for the person being bullied.  Data has shown that UPstanding is the most effective way of combating bullying, so encourage your child to stand up to bullying and to look out for those ever having a hard time.  

Year 8 putting the new Science facilities through their paces, seen here obtaining some elemental hydrogen (gas) from hydrochloric acid by reacting it with magnesium.