Liberton Link September 2002BOARD OF TRUSTEESAs I sit down and write this note tonight, I am struck by just how quickly this year seems to be passing. While it seems as if it were just a few days ago that we had the ERO (Education Review Office) staff at the school, it is, in reality, over three months ago. Since receiving the confirmed report at the end of June, we have not only had a parent forum to discuss possible actions, but I have been contacted by a representative of the School Trustees Association (Owen Edgerton) who will work with us to help us form our final plan of action. This plan then forms the guideline for our path ahead. I must say that I was encouraged by my conversation with Owen who, having read our ERO report, felt that it was a very positive document. He was of the view that the necessary additional training for the Board and staff could be arranged with relative ease. Last week I attended a lunchtime seminar at the university where the results from a nationwide survey of Year 4 and Year 8 children were discussed. I was intrigued to learn that from a national perspective the size of school was not a significant factor in the achievement of children. Indeed, while it was likely that small schools might have one or two curriculum areas that were not as well developed as others, they tended to have far greater parental support and much better patterns of interaction between older and younger children. I was also interested to learn that by Year 8, and with the exception of reading/listening, there is little difference between achievement levels of boys and girls. As we look ahead, many of you will be aware of the upcoming dinner to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the school. If you haven’t already decided to come, there are still places available. For my part, I think that it will be a wonderful evening of celebration as we review God’s gracious provision for the school since its inception. I know that we will be joined by a good number of former parents and pupils and I suspect that our teachers will be greatly encouraged as the fruit of their former toil now becomes apparent. I must say that I have always been impressed with the way in which our school has been able to develop the gifts and abilities of children and help all of them reach their real potential. I wonder if I could close, both by thanking you for your support and by encouraging your ongoing, active involvement in the life and work of the school. I am reminded that in the same way that our Lord came not to be served but to serve, so we too need to follow His example. With warmest Christian greetings John Hannah, Chairman DCSA COUNCILAs many of you will appreciate, with integration the role of the DCSA council has changed significantly. Whereas previously the DCSA had hands-on administrative responsibility for the school, its role is now one of responsibility both for the continuation of the special character of the school as well as for its capital works programme. At the DCSA AGM there was some preliminary discussion as to the future shape and responsibilities of the DCSA. For the time being, however, a no-change scenario has been adopted. What does this mean in practical terms? Principally that the DCSA will continue to meet all the requirements of its own constitution and its obligations under the integration agreement with the Ministry of Education. We do note, however, that our integration agreement is subject to review every five years with the next review being scheduled for October 2004. We currently have a five-member council of whom four also serve on the School’s Board of Trustees as proprietor’s representatives. This leaves the Council without the resources to work on much besides its core responsibilities. In principle, while it is easy to add to Council’s membership, the constitution requires a minimum of two years membership of the DCSA prior to election to the Council – a safeguard that we feel is important to retain. While Council urgently needs more members in order to explore new opportunities for Christian education in our city, we currently lack the membership to bring this about. At the DCSA AGM, the Council considered this matter of membership noting, firstly, that Liberton Christian School was established primarily for children of DCSA members and, secondly, that some form of incentive would probably be needed if membership was to grow. Accordingly, it was decided to offer members with children at the School an annual rebate of $100 on their school fees in recognition of their commitment to supporting the aims of the Association. As we approach the fourth term when fee statements for 2003 will be sent out, we have decided to include both the details of the rebate, and an opportunity for new families at the School to apply for DCSA membership. If you are not already a DCSA member, please feel free to pick up an application form from the school office. Since my last report, there have been a great number of physical changes at the school. We now have a completely new toilet block as well as a completely new (and expanded) library. We are so very grateful to Elizabeth Lee for her professional architectural and project management skills. It is of great encouragement to us to see a former pupil contribute to the school in such a practical and positive way. Some other capital works items that the DCSA has undertaken along with the library and toilet block are as follows: Electrical upgrading – replacement of old wiring and plugs and ensuring that everything complies with current electrical standards. Classroom heating upgrading – all classrooms have been fitted with night-stores and two wall-mounted fan heaters. They are all thermostatically controlled and run on a 24-hour, 7-day time switch that ensures that the classrooms are kept at a constant 18 degrees C. The next stage of work to be completed this year will be to provide a storeroom for equipment and sports gear with access off the hall. This will occupy the space of the old staff toilet. Robert Storm, Chairman TREASURER'S REPORTWe continue to be blessed with healthy finances. The Board of Trustees, who manage the day-to-day running of the school, have taken a step in faith in employing a third teacher this year from their own finances. In contrast to the other teaching positions at the School, this position receives no entitlement to funding. The Board’s ability to fund a third teacher has been made possible through accumulated surpluses from previous years together with careful control over expenditure this year. Please pray that three-teacher staffing may continue to be affordable in 2003. Ideally we would like to have a roll in excess of 50 pupils to generate sufficient operational-grant funding. Even better would be to break the 56-pupil threshold at which we would become entitled, as of right, to employ three teachers. The DCSA Council who oversee the upgrading and improvements to the property have been busy letting contracts for capital works around the school. We can be thankful that our bank, Bank of New Zealand, has been very accommodating regarding the loan we needed to take out. Also that the Association was able to present a healthy financial state of affairs to give the Bank confidence to lend. While we have access to $90,000 in total, it is unlikely that all of this will be required as income from other sources, especially attendance dues, has exceeded expectations. Please pray that funds may be available for the required work to be completed efficiently this year and in the following years. John van Dyk PRINCIPAL'S REPORTThe decision to employ a third full-time teacher, for 2002, has proved of great benefit to the School. With just 39 pupils at the beginning of the year, employing a third full-time teacher was a step of faith. So it is with thankfulness that we note that the school roll will pass 50 this term. I believe we will soon reach the number required for a government-funded third teacher’s salary. After a trial period we decided to adopt the new division of the school day, giving three almost equal time periods for school work. These changes were as follows: 9.00 am to 10.30 am, 10.50 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 3.00 pm. The children adapted readily to a later lunch hour and more work is being achieved. The weekly Friday afternoon assemblies are attended by more and more parents and friends and build on our already strong sense of community. They also provide an added incentive for the children’s work during the week. Both children and staff have watched the progress of builders and other tradespeople who have been with us for most of the year. They have coped well with inconveniences and changes in routines etc. We’re grateful to now have the use of the new toilet facilities. It’s also a delight to be able to come into warm classrooms on cold mornings. We look forward to moving the library into its new area. Initially we plan to just move our collection of books, but we will continue to work within the National Library Focus contract to aim to improve and upgrade the library. The ‘old’ library has had to double as a staffroom this year. So it will be good to be able to claim it as our own and make it a bit more functional and user-friendly until such time as we can move into the planned new staffroom. With the appointment of Ché Luke and the volunteer work of Simon Purvis, the teaching team has become more balanced in regard to gender and age. Ché initially took charge of the year 4 and 5 students but as the junior class grew through the year, Standard 1 students joined his class at the beginning of Term 3. We were pleased to be the recipients of furniture and other resources from Maia School especially as the desks arrived at an opportune time for the expanding middle class. Simon has taught in all three classes to the equivalent of one day a week. His contributions were much appreciated. He became very much part of the staff and school life. The Education Review Team’s visit earlier in the year proved very positive. Their report confirmed that we excel in the basics i.e. numeracy and literacy. Recently the senior class students competed in the Australian English and Mathematics competitions. Results were very encouraging: English – one distinction and four certificates of credit; Mathematics – two distinctions and five certificates of credit. With extra teachers, secretary and parent volunteers we have been able to enhance the School’s programme, especially in technology, science and art. Remember the making and marketing of ‘Wacky Soup’ – the parachutes and kites, the making of shelters at Bethune’s Gully and the Electives? Physical Education also received a boast. Kyra’s coaching for the cross-country raised the children’s level of fitness. For the first time we competed in the Year 7-8 race at Balmacewen. Also, out of the nineteen participants in the Dunedin North Year 4, 5 and 6 cross-country at Chingford Park, ten gained certificates. Congratulations! Ché and Karen coached the netball teams. The junior and senior teams took turns playing other schools in the Dunedin North Schools’ draw. The teams did very well. For home games, team members have been encouraged to show hospitality by inviting the visiting team to share in refreshments after the game. During Friday’s assemblies the ‘Player of the Week’ and the ‘Fair Play’ trophies were presented to the chosen players. I hope to be able to enter the senior team in a Dunedin-wide intermediate competition next year. We’ve also been involved in interschool volleyball, Intermediate sports days, Ten Pin Bowling and school swimming. I am writing this during the holidays. There are many other areas I could report on as we are already well through the year. We apologise for the lateness of this Link. As a staff we are now planning for the last, longest and busiest term. We have a lot to prepare and look forward to, e.g. camp activities, concert, end-of-year party, reports, school picnics, swimming and general curriculum school work. We have experienced many of God’s blessings and we value your continued support and prayer for a successful finish to the school year. Nel van’t Wout MIDDLE CLASSSeals & Sea LionsOne of the highlights for Term One was a visit to Sandfly Bay for a science unit on seals and sea lions. Pre-trip research involved identification of seals and sea lions and various observational drawings. Researching seal and sea lion behaviour would tell us how close we could get to these creatures before we found ourselves in hot water. After a week of preparation a field trip was undertaken. Intrepid explorers set off, well equipped (complete with sand toboggans, and sunscreen) in search of the appealing pinnipede. After our arrival, a brief walk, lunch and some fun in the sand, our journey met success about halfway along the stretch of coast of Sandfly Bay. The students were quick to establish a position so as not to frighten our star of the show identified as a Sea Lion. After some acute observation the students set out to record the environment, and an observational drawing. A success, our field trip ended with a fun walk back up the beach and the creation of a Kelp Castle. Special thanks to: Mr Aarsen, Mrs Lark, Mrs McFadyen. Music VideosThe highlight of Term Two, this music unit was a lot of fun. In an attempt to create a positive response to music the students were asked to create a music video for a song they chose. In groups the class chose pop songs. Before we could record anything on videotape we needed to know what the song was talking about. Students summarised each verse, bridge and chorus into one or two verses by explaining what they thought the message was. Some very clever and insightful inferences and conclusions were produced and the next phase showed creative minds as well. Storyboards were created from the students’ summaries. Storyboards were a graphic interpretation of the summaries the students had made. Between four and six pictures would ‘tell the story’ in scenes for music-video recording footage. Roles were chosen and props were constructed for recording. All students participated in the final recordings as main characters or ‘extras’ depending on which group had created the storyboards (scenes). At the completion of filming the video footage was edited at the Dunedin College of Education. The editing team at the College of Education sponsored the video editing. The use of the editing suite was free! Premiere presentation of the videos featured as the Middle Class’s assembly item in the last Friday assembly of Term Two. Thank you to: the Harrex family, the Pettigrew family, Dunedin College of Education, students of the senior class at Liberton Christian School, students of the middle class at Liberton Christian School. Ché Luke JUNIOR CLASSIt has been a year of expansion for the Junior class. At the beginning of the year we welcomed several new children to our class. These included new entrants; Nerima L. and Simone M., Adrian A. who joined our year-2 group and Thomas M. and Kristine J. who joined our year-3 group. This gave us a February roll number of 15 children. These new entrants have started during the year: Michael J., Shannon M., Carl A., Hannah D. and Raquel M.. Harumi T. joined our year-3 group and Tomomi T. and Evan H. joined our year-2 group. These additions brought our class numbers in Term Two to 23 children. At the beginning of term three the year-3 children moved into Mr Luke’s class. The children have helped me to report on some of the activities that have taken place. Our recent science topic demonstrated how food is changed by cooking. The experiments all got eaten – even the raw potato! Our class held our own Commonwealth Games. The children reported on events. The Commonwealth Games. We played skittles. We made gold medals. We got to take them home. Taylor P. The Commonwealth Games is fun to play. You get some medals and I like it and it was fun. Nerima L. We played skittles. We made gold medals. To win the big race, we ran around and around the school. We liked it. Matthew J. We did Commonwealth Games, bowls, and marathon, and egg and spoon races. Matthew B. We did some Commonwealth Games, and we made some gold medals. Evan H. We made these medals. We got to take them home. Raquel M. We made gold medals. It was fun. We even got chocolate money. Hannah D. God is very good to us. We realised during our study of food that we have a great variety of wonderful food here in New Zealand. Some people in other parts of the world are not as fortunate as we are. Our Bible study followed the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan. Some of them complained about only having manna day after day. We tend to take food for granted but it is a wonderful gift from God. We made pikelets. It was fun, and we made hokey-pokey. Before we cooked it, it was runny. When it was cooked, it went sticky and hard. It was nice. We made cup-cakes. They were nice. Petra K. When we made pikelets, the pike let mixture was runny, but it turned into pikelets when it was cooked. The cakes were nice. Jasmine H. We made pikelets, but Mrs Stewart cooked them. Shannon M. We did cooking. I liked it. Michael J. We did some cooking and we tried hokey-pokey and pikelets and we did some cup-cakes, and we have eaten it all. Thomas V. We are sorry to have lost our relieving teacher, Mrs Corlett. She has been the usual relief teacher for the Junior Class for a number of years, and the children enjoyed her visits. The walls of our classroom always benefited from the creative art work the class produced under her guidance. We trust Mrs Corlett and her family are enjoying their new home and life in Invercargill. The children really enjoy acting in plays. The Standard Ones did “Jack and the Magic Harp”. I liked it. Hannah D. The play was about Jack and the cows. A long time ago there was a boy called Jack. He was nice. Simone M. We did a play about the three little billy-goats. It was fun. We did lots of practice. Yesterday we did a worksheet about the play. I like doing worksheets. Worksheets are fun. Petra K. & Tomomi T. The children are delighted at the changes that are happening around the school. We are getting a new library. It is going to look cool, and I am going to like it. Matthew B. We have got new toilets and we are getting a new library and sickbay. Jasmine H. We have appreciated having Mr Purvis teach our class every Thursday, from 9.00 am until morning interval. His maths topics have included measurement, geometry, statistics, and the current topic which is algebra. Grateful thanks to the generous helpers who have helped at writing time, and with other activities in the classroom. Rosalin Stewart HOME AND SCHOOLIt seems such a long time ago since we were last asked to write a report of our happenings, that I’d better refresh my memory with meeting minutes. The second term social activity was a family games night preceded by a takeaway dinner. The school hall was full with energetic goings-on of the body and mind, young and old joining in and having a good time. We spruced up some desks that had been donated to the school to cater for new pupils joining us. Since May we’ve been organising a celebration dinner to remember 20 years of operating as a school. On 3 August we had a cake stall outside Gardens New World which raised just over $200. We hope to purchase some posters and books for the new library. Thanks to all who helped on the day or who provided products to sell. Shari McCabe and Sherly Mathew have joined the Committee. Laura Hannah has offered to be secretary. We are still in need of a treasurer, if you would like to take up this position, then please ring me. Thank you for your ongoing help and support. Suggestions for functions or fundraising are always welcome. Antje Storm, Convenor 40 HOUR FAMINEEarlier this year, 19 children from the senior and middle classes of Liberton Christian School took part in the 40 Hour Famine, run by World Vision. They did without food for 20 or 40 hours to raise funds to help children in very poor parts of the world. One or two, for health or other reasons, deprived themselves of something else very important other than food. One child did his best to do without electricity for 40 hours. In total, the children raised a very impressive $1,050, which will make a vast difference in the lives of those it goes to help. Recently we were informed by World Vision that our school has been selected for a special award for its involvement this year – the Silver Plaque. Last year we were awarded the bronze plaque. The children have been congratulated for doing something positive about children in need. Thanks to Josua, Natasha, Kim, David, Lydia H, Zachary, Jourdain, Jennifer, Rosie, Chris, Alicia, Lydia, Rachel, Sam, Simeon, Stephanie, Colin, Conor and Samantha for their great efforts in showing Christ’s love to deprived children; ones they will probably never meet but have helped in a very special way. Well done! Connie van Dyk REPORT FROM A STUDENT TEACHERThroughout this year, I have had an ongoing posting at LCS. I have been teaching Mathematics, Technology, P.E., Spanish and Science, and have thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to teach here. As an Honours student studying at the University of Otago, I have been able to choose an area of study within education to research. I chose to research a Christian worldview of education. Through my time at Liberton, I have been able to observe Christian education first hand, and apply Christian teaching in my own practice. Although I am in my fourth year, I feel like a first-year Christian education student, and have only begun to fully realise what is involved in teaching a Christian worldview of education. The NZACS conference I attended in July was a blessing, and a great opportunity to further my knowledge in this area. I met many other Christian teachers there, and was able to share in their vision of teaching to a Christian worldview. Unfortunately, my time at Liberton ends at the end of the third term, but I believe my studies in the area of Christian education will extend beyond this, as will my association with the school. God bless everyone, and thank you for all your Support. Simon Purvis ANNIVERSARY DINNERSeventy-five people attended the anniversary dinner on 7 September which proved a wonderful evening. It was really special to catch up with old students and friends. The food was excellent and the speeches were very interesting and enjoyable. Speakers included Alan & Marion Kerr, Bill Lee, Nel van’t Wout, John Hannah and ex-pupils Paratai Penman, Matthew Hegan and Elizabeth Lee. Home and School did a great job in organising the event. WHY A CHRISTIAN SCHOOL?Education is never neutral but always reflects a particular view of life. Children are influenced by this view – whether it be new age, secular humanist, post-modernist, or Christian. By age 12, most children will have spent more than 8,000 hours in school. The educational perspective presented during these hours will have a major effect on their lives. We seek to reinforce the moral, social, and spiritual values taught in the Christian home in a manner that is not possible in the State school system. The personal disciplines and relationships that we seek to encourage and develop within a child are Biblical in their origins and are aimed at providing the child with a secure foundation for future life and learning. The Christian school is not an insular community, but rather it seeks to help children to learn to live successfully within a world that often lacks a moral and spiritual foundation. It seeks to develop within children positive attitudes and good lifelong habits. ITEMS FOR PRAYER
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