2022 Term 4 Week 3 28 Oct 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Today we recognise and celebrate all teachers as part of World Teachers’ Day. I am deeply thankful for the effort and expertise of our Lindisfarne teachers each and every day. Over the past three years, their important work has been made more challenging by the circumstances of COVID-19, so the recognition today is richly deserved. I am forever grateful to my year 4 teacher Mrs O’Toole who taught me to read after I had experienced reading difficulties early in my school life. I’m sure each of you reading the newsletter today can recall a teacher who had a profound influence on your life.

Earlier today, together with our Head of Middle School Mrs Cathy Cox, we announced our new Middle School Leaders. Congratulations to Middle School Captains Kailash Sivabalan and Sooke Paley, and Middle School Vice Captains, Sienna Williamson and Marcus Fox. I would like to acknowledge all the candidates for putting themselves forward for consideration for these important leadership roles. The depth and quality of the candidates highlight the strength and character of our Middle School students.

As part of our ongoing commitment to continuously improving the School, we believe it is critical to seek each parent and guardian’s opinion on a range of issues. Your feedback is very important to us as we continue to build a successful school and strengthen our reputation as an educator of choice. As such, we have engaged the professional services of MYP Corporation (MYPCorp) to undertake a strictly private and confidential School Results Survey on our behalf. These surveys have now been distributed via email and should take approximately 10 - 15 minutes. These need to be completed by Wednesday, 9 November. If you cannot find your email or link to complete this survey please email community@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au so we can re-send this information.

Nathan Verinder from Online Guardians presented to our year 4 and our Stage 3 students about online safety this week.  Nathan is a former NSW Police Officer and his knowledge and expertise allowed our students to clearly understand the appropriate behaviours that are required in staying safe online. This was supported by a ParentEd session with  Mr Gavin Kennedy, our Director of Information Services Facilities & Infrastructure who provided important information on how parents can understand, and gain insight on how to support their students in using their iPad appropriately away from school.

After a delay due to the weather, I want to wish all our Year 7 students a fun and safe camp experience when they are away at their Leadership camp at Mt Tamborine next week. Our Lindisfarne camp program allows students to develop their leadership and team-building skills. Camps also allow students to practice their communication skills as well as demonstrate care, support and empathy to others, whilst stepping beyond the normal school environment.

An invitation was sent this week inviting all in our community to the Principal’s Evening of Thanks at the Mahers Lane campus on Friday, 18 November. I look forward to seeing you all there so we can celebrate a successful year and we can say ‘thank you’ for your support over the past 12 months and during the Covid-19-related challenges of the past three years. 

Stuart Marquardt
Principal

Dear members of the Lindisfarne Community,

Confirmation at St Cuthbert’s

Last Sunday at St Cuthbert’s Church, Amy Blinco, Monty Lush, Leo Lush, Art Lush, Zoe Williams and Angus Williams were confirmed by Bishop Murray Harvey on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the parish church and hall. Through their confirmation, the candidates made a personal and public commitment to follow Jesus and to become His ambassadors. I thank them for their generosity and pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to fill their lives with God’s love and grace. If you’d like to be confirmed or know more about the Christian faith, please contact me.

Spiritual Gym on November 6 at 4.30 pm -All Saints and All Souls

Everyone is invited to our next Spiritual Gym -Family Service on Sunday, November 6, 2022, beginning with refreshments at 4.30 pm and followed by the Service at 5 pm. During this Service, we’ll be remembering our departed loved ones, staff, and students. Ayehsa Gough, an alumna of Lindisfarne and an accomplished musician will be playing and Ian Holston will also sing. The community of the living includes the dead; so come and let’s remember our ancestors in the faith, and pray for those we love but see no more.

Finding God and the Good in each other

It’s often said that human beings have a ‘negativity bias’ which makes us prone to see the bad before we see the good. Ben Crowe said that we are good at saying what we are not, but actually not very good at saying what we are. During the course of this year I have been encouraging the students to learn to see God and the good in each person in their class. By doing this we can create a more positive and compassionate school where every person is seen and loved for who they are and not just for what they accomplish or do. Students were encouraged to find good qualities in each other, write these qualities for them on their cards, and then we spent some time together sharing our findings.

A Poem for Reflection: Go to the Limits of Your Longing

Written by Rainer Maria Rilke & Translated and read by Joanna Macy

Listen

God speaks to each of us as he makes us,

then walks with us silently out of the night.

These are the words we dimly hear:

You, sent out beyond your recall,

go to the limits of your longing.

Embody me.

Flare up like a flame

and make big shadows I can move in.

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.

Just keep going. No feeling is final.

Don’t let yourself lose me.

Nearby is the country they call life.

You will know it by its seriousness.

Give me your hand.

(Book of Hours, I 59)

Now. Today. Everyday. Life presents us with “beauty and terror”. Let’s open our hearts, our lives, to the wisdom that life’s beauty is not inseparable from its terror. “Just keep going, no feeling is final.”

I wish you a relaxing weekend filled with joy, hope, meaning, rest and blessings.

Rev Constantine Osuchukwu
Chaplain

SLD-R has previously been known as Dyslexia which comes from the Greek language meaning 'difficulty with words'. Individuals with SLD-R typically have trouble with reading and spelling despite having the ability to learn, they just learn in a different way. These individuals, who have talented and productive minds, are able to use higher level language skills to support their reading comprehension; however, will often have difficulty identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words. Student’s with SLDs often have normal intelligence, usually have normal vision, and with additional emotional support, tutoring, and/or a specialised education program, most overcome their literacy difficulties, succeed in school, and live fulfilling lives.

Strengths of SLD-R

People with SLD-R tend not to realise or recognise what they can do well and their difficulties often contribute to low self-esteem and academic engagement which may further exacerbate their difficulties. You can support your child by helping them to become aware of some of the strengths they have just from the way they think and process information, such as:

• Good problem solving
• Creativity
• Observant
• High level of empathy
• Excellent big-picture thinking
• Strong narrative reasoning
• Three-dimensional thinking
• Making connections between ideas

For a deeper read of how these strengths may manifest in your child’s life, visit this link.

Children with SLD-R can face many challenges, but knowing that others have faced and overcome the same issues can be a huge source of encouragement. Share some videos of dyslexia triumphs with your child, which can be found at this link.

Tips and Tools for at Home

Learning at home plays an instrumental part when a child has an SLD. For those of you who are supporting learning at home, we say: Good on you. You can only do your best, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re feeling stuck in how much you can help. What is most important is for your child to know they are loved and supported. Here are a few things you can try at home if you haven’t already:

Nurture thinking skills

Encourage thinking skills that support your child in becoming independent and active, rather than a passive learner. Encourage their curiosity. Discuss the problem or topic involved in a school assignment or reading. Listen. Share points of view. This can be fun and quality time spent together.

Help them engage with reading

Ask your child: What is happening? What do you have to find out? What do you already know? Who are the main characters? What are the main ideas? Have you read something like this before? What’s your plan for answering this question? Can you divide it into parts? What are the hard parts?

Get them to work independently

Encourage your child to ask his or her own questions, tackle work independently, and consider following up afterward. Ask questions like: Did you use your plan? Can you rewrite this so it’s less messy? Is this your best work? Can you explain this to me, or show me how to do it?

Have your child teach it to you

Take an "I do, We do, You do" approach to learning. The ancient Roman philosopher Seneca said, “While we teach, we learn,” and studies have shown this to be true. At Stanford University, two groups of students were introduced to a computer program. One group was told they were to teach the program, and the other, told to study it as they would later be tested. The first group demonstrated significantly better understanding.

Break material down into chunks

Parents can help a child break assignments down into small manageable chunks. You might separate out the questions on a worksheet by drawing circles around different groups. If on Monday the school assignment is a list of 10 spelling words or a times table to be learned by Friday, encourage your child to do a little bit each day.

Give appropriate praise

Appropriate praise and rewards, especially from you, mean a lot to your child. Take opportunities to acknowledge their effort and recognise the positives where you can. Whether it’s for trying hard and achieving a significant goal or finally making a small incremental step they struggled to master. Offer support and praise.

Help them build a positive self-image

In the fairly recent past, SLD-R was not well understood and many children were unfairly labelled as thick, stupid, lazy, not trying hard enough, or being wilfully uncooperative. None of it is true. Students with SLD can have good and bad days, and remembering one day over the other can give the impression that they are being wilful or lazy. In fact, they may be having to try much harder than other kids to keep up with school work, which can be tiring and can eat away at self-esteem. Remind them of their strengths and help them keep things in perspective when they’re having a bad day.

Ensure they get enough sleep

This is relevant, whether your child has learning difficulties or not. A well-fed and well-rested child learns better, so get them off to bed in good time so they wake up refreshed. A good night’s sleep boosts confidence. Reviewing information right before bed can aid retention, so encourage it.

Set up a study space

Each child’s learning style is different. Some will be happy at the kitchen table with a buzz of activity going on around them; others will need peace and quiet to get anything done. Make sure they know they have a dedicated space to retreat to when they need it.

Create a custom calendar

Parents can put a nice big calendar on a notice board or the fridge and keep it up to date. Go over it together with your child, and get prepared for tomorrow the night before. This can save rushing around in a panic in the morning.

Establish some ground rules

If you have a target for work to be completed or have agreed on one with your child’s teacher, don’t let him or her turn on the television or be distracted by a phone. Avoid power struggles and don’t tolerate conflict. Parents are in charge. Clearly set out your expectations. Choosing not to finish work is choosing not to enjoy certain privileges. Be consistent. Make it clear you mean what you say, even if it takes a few days for the message to sink in.

Additional Resources

For a host of informative, useful, and positive resources on supporting students with SLD-R, visit the Australian Dyslexia Association (ADA) website at: https://dyslexiaassociation.or...

For more ways to help your child at home, visit:

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/dyslexia-strategies-you-can-try-at-home

https://dyslexia.yale.edu/resources/parents/what-parents-can-do/

https://www.readandspell.com/how-to-help-a-child-with-dyslexia-at-home

Emmalene Wells
School Psychologist 

Teenage gatherings provide young people with important opportunities to interact and build on their social skills and experiences. Celebrations, partying and socialising are a fundamental rite of passage and one of the most important aspects of a young person’s life. However, it is possible for the best young person to get carried away with their peers and the euphoria of the moment.

For parents and caregivers, keeping your young person safe can at times feel daunting and is often a compromise and a challenge. Most teenagers try to do the right thing most of the time, but your leadership as a role model is crucial. Your child may appear to be physically large and mature, but this is not necessarily matched by their emotional maturity and responsibility in behaviour.

Every party has the potential to get out-of-hand as sometimes it’s hard for young partygoers to make good decisions. Communication and regular discussions are vital, particularly because young people are often faced with peer pressure to do things they prefer not to engage in. Hosting a celebration at home or at a venue can be a fun and memorable event but it is important to agree on the ground rules well before your event is announced to ensure there are no misunderstandings later on.

If hosting an event, you owe your guests a ‘duty-of-care’ and should ensure all reasonable steps are taken to keep partygoers safe. This Special Report provides caregivers with a list of things to consider when planning a celebration. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one, or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://lindisfarne.nsw.school...

Emmalene Wells
School Psychologist 

World Teacher’s Day was celebrated today marking a day where we can all stop and slow down to take a minute and admire our teachers who have given up their time and energy to ensure that we have all the resources we need for our senior years whilst also providing support for several other grade levels throughout the school. At Lindisfarne, the teachers have provided us with guidance and help when needed, something that is greatly appreciated especially due to the demanding nature of year 12. 

Going into Year 12 I could not feel more confident with the support system Lindisfarne has provided, from our Heads of House who have provided the utmost support for us in our senior year to our teachers who are there for us both in and out of the classroom boosting morale and encouraging us to approach every activity with a positive outlook. 

They have nurtured our passion for learning and helped us navigate what lies ahead. During this busy time at the end of the year, it’s important that we all take a moment to “take out hats off” for our teachers who have always been there for us. We have a lot to thank them for.

Trishul Sivabalan
School Captain

World Teachers Day is a day when we celebrate our outstanding teachers, it's a worldwide celebration. Our teachers at Lindisfarne have always shown us great resilience during the challenging times over the past three years with COVID-19 whilst also remaining supportive and compassionate. Teachers all over the world have given us a great education and have continued to be positive even through tough times. Our teachers at Lindisfarne, are always people who you can come to for a conversation which is something that is greatly appreciated and should therefore be acknowledged. 

All of our teachers from Preschool all the way to Year 12 have put themselves before us, they take time out of their personal lives to ensure we get the best education possible. They are our biggest supporters and are always encouraging us to be the best versions of ourselves. Years after we graduate, we will never forget the support that was provided to us throughout our years of schooling. 

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela said this quote to value education and the power it has in this world. We would never have the power of education if it wasn't for our teachers. So make sure you tell your teacher that you appreciate them and are grateful as they put their all into making sure you get the best education possible!

Gracie Lynch
School Captain

This week our Year 4 students were visited by Nathan Verinder from Online Guardians for a session tailored to their current technology use. As a former policeman and School Liaison Officer, Nathan’s extensive experience with online safety ensured a relevant and comprehensive dive into the world of social media and gaming - complimenting our current series of lessons about keeping online games fun and friendly. Students were encouraged to block and report any negative interactions and to work with their parents to safely secure their accounts. 

A reminder that as part of our ongoing commitment to educating our School community about online safety, we are pleased to be able to provide you with access to the Safe on Social Parents Toolkit. I encourage you to login using the information provided on Seesaw in the Messages section to view the Online Gaming section. You’ll find all the information you need to ensure privacy settings are as secure as possible.

Krissy Affleck
Information Services and Digital Pedagogy

It was exciting to welcome our Term 4 Student Leaders to their roles at a very well-attended assembly on Monday. I look forward to working with these young leaders throughout our final term of 2022.

It’s been great to see some sunshine this week as we’ve adapted to our newly restricted playground area. Arkinstall Park is drying out nicely and it’s been great to see our older students support and welcome our younger ones out on the oval.

The ELC building process continues and it’s been exciting to see the progress on recent site visits. The ongoing inclement weather has, of course, significantly impacted the proposed completion date. We are well and truly on track for a 2023 occupancy and can’t wait to get into our new, world-class facilities.

I encourage families to keep an eye on communication from the school (emails, SeeSaw, newsletters, etc) as we dive head-first into what is always a busy end-of-year.

Urgent Reminder - No Parking or Access to the School (including Preschool) via Sullivan Street

I have received correspondence from the Tweed Shire Council and residents in Sullivan St regarding members of our School Community parking and dropping off and picking up students from Sullivan Street. As previously communicated, the School currently has no approval for access via Sullivan Street, and I ask that members of our School Community respect the existing planning approvals.

Access to the School must be via Sunshine Avenue or the Arkinstall Park gate. If using the Arkinstall Park entrance, parking is available across the oval.

We continue to liaise with Tweed Shire Council and work with our town planning consultants regarding longer-term solutions. In the meantime, it is essential that all members of the School community respect our existing planning approvals.

I take this opportunity to remind families of the introduction of the Walking Bus from Arkinstall Park. Staff members will be on duty in the area marked on the map below, allowing parents/carers to drop students off without the need to walk them across the oval. Walking bus departure times in the morning are 8:15 am and 8:30 am. This service is available in the afternoons also. Departure time in the afternoon will be 3:15 pm. Parents can select this option in the End of Day Process form on Parent Lounge.

Jeremy Godden
Head of Middle School

Hi there, it's Evelyn Thompson and Sierra Jewell, the Semester 2 Sustainability Captains for the Junior School. 

Did you know that over 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since mass production first began in the 1950s? Only 9% of this plastic has been recycled, the other 91% sits in a landfill, floats in our oceans or has been burned. An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year. Many animals mistake plastic as food. When plastic enters the animal's body it can cause; suffocation and starvation which can lead to death. Plastic can also contaminate our air, land, sea and that makes it much easier to enter our human body. If you take a look at the whole school’s lunch boxes, you'll see a humungous amount of plastics being used. For example, zip lock bags, glad wrap, plastic packets, wrappers and plastic water bottles. These are all examples of plastics that instantly get thrown out after use.

Recycling is so easy, so why don’t we all do it! Reusing is super easy, so let’s all give it a go! Reducing the amount of plastic in our lunches could not be easier! Here is a tip: if you want to keep your items fresh, you could use beeswax wraps or reusable containers. Don't buy a disposable water bottle, instead grab a reusable water bottle from home and you can always fill it up at school. The benefits of us all having a waste-free lunch are; we will have a clean school, the plastic will not get mixed up with the compost and recycling and the sea creatures will have a cleaner and much healthier environment. This is the end of our article; however, it is just the beginning of an opportunity to not only change our school but to change the world!

Evelyn Thompson and Sierra Jewell
Sustainability Captains

Middle School Captains Announcement

This morning I was delighted to accompany Principal Stuart Marquardt, Reverend Constantine, Year 7 and 8 Coordinators, and Homeroom teachers for the announcement of our 2023 Middle School Captains.  

All 11 candidates that spoke at our Middle School Assembly last week, brought their own skills and attributes and unique style of leadership. However, after the collection of votes from Years 5 to 8 and staff, the elected leaders are:

Captains – Kailash Sivabalan and Sooke Paley

Vice Captains – Sienna Williamson and Marcus Fox

I would like to congratulate these students on their well-deserved appointments and wish them all the best as they begin their leadership journey. 

The process for appointing House Captains for the four existing Houses, Andrew, Barnabas, Cuthbert and Stephen will now commence. 

Shortly I will call for Expressions of Interest for the inaugural House Captains of Hilda and Margaret. Information will be communicated to you in due course.

Year 7 Leadership Camp

Next week sees our Year 7 cohort attending their Leadership camp at Mt Tamborine. Students will be divided into two groups and attend on alternate dates as detailed below:

GROUP 1:  Home Room 7A - 7E  - 7G - 7H Tuesday and Wednesday (1-2 November)  

GROUP 2: Home Room 7B - 7C- 7F - 7D Thursday and Friday (3-4 November).

Mr Sam Dick will share a 'Trip Cast' app invitation with parents and carers prior to the student's departure so you will be able to stay up to date with the student's camp experience. Should you require any further information regarding camp, please contact Sam Dick at sam.dick@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au

Cathy Cox
Head of Middle School

On Wednesday, 9 November, students from Years 5 and 6 will be presenting the Stage 3 Showcase, “It’s Showtime”.

This variety concert will feature a wide range of performances across all aspects of the performing arts from Music, Drama, Dance, and more. Throughout the semester, our rehearsal spaces have been overflowing with keen performers who have been preparing their ‘live performances.’

When: Wednesday, 9 November 2022 at 11.00am Matinee and 6.30pm Evening Performance

Where: Ngahriyah, Mahers Lane

Pre-show drinks and snacks will be available to purchase from 5.15 pm.

Many thanks to Friends of the Arts (FOTA) who will be supporting this event. 

Todd Hardy
Director of Performing Arts 

At the start of Term 4, our team had the honour of representing NSW at the Tournament of Minds international finals, held in Canberra. 

This was an amazing weekend with an official opening ceremony at Parliament House and the tournament itself held at the Australian National University. This was a competition of the best of the best with state champions from each state and New Zealand competing against each other. 

On Friday we were escorted to Parliament House with the rest of the NSW committee and teams. There, we did a badge swap with the other states and New Zealand, which was fun for everyone. When we went into Parliament House we had the opening ceremony followed by morning tea, a scavenger hunt then lunch (no one actually completed the hunt). After the scavenger hunt, we went to the Australian Museum of Democracy, where we got to learn about change makers, politicians, and plenty more important people that helped create Australia to be as it is today. When we went back to our hotel we made plenty of friends from other NSW teams and had dinner.

On Saturday, our team was very nervous but excited, about the day planned ahead. We started off in the lecture theatre with the other primary social sciences teams. We were escorted to our rooms prepared for the 3-hour lockdown. Our challenge consisted of creating a new celebration for something that unifies our nation. We went with celebrating our native animals, especially during bushfires. In that time, we completed our spontaneous challenge. Which was designing sculptures out of pencil graphite that has a deep meaning and connection lying behind them. We chose one sculpture to represent Gough Whitlam pouring sand into the hand of Vincent Lingiari and the second sculpture represented Britain and Australia. The connection was that both were a sign of unity and freedom.

We had help from many people to get there. The support of Mr Marquardt and Mrs Cox to get us to Canberra. Mrs Jones, helped us with State and International tactics and strategies to use on the day. Mr Lewis, as Regional Director helped and guided us through our journey of T.O.M. Finally, Mrs. Dowker, she led us through this wonderful journey and we couldn’t have done it without her!

We are very excited about being involved in T.O.M. again next year!

Rithika Sivabalan, Rio Proart, Charlie Buchan, Audrey Schapowal, Sana RIce, Eira-Grace McGilligan, and Kayla Mupunga

Year 6 Primary Social Sciences Team

This week Nathan Verinder from Online Guardians presented to our Stage 3 students about online safety.  Nathan is a former NSW Police Officer and his knowledge and ability to relate to the students was fabulous. He talked through a number of the platforms that are being accessed and informed us about the importance of privacy controls and parents knowing and being actively involved in their children's device controls and screen time.

Some interesting points that came about were;

• Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat - have a 13+ age minimum. 
• Appropriate photos to share and not to share (nothing in uniform, sport or school etc).
• Privacy settings - he talked through students through where to find these and how to adjust.
• NO DEVICES in BEDROOMS - ever!
• Off Screens and devices one hour before bed.
• Kids messenger - safest option for online messaging.
• Catfishing - what does it mean? Are people who they present to be?.
• Whatsapp 15+  has the least controls and least monitored.
• Parents - should know all of your platforms/passwords/should be controlling your privacy settings and screen time.
• Reporting Unsafe behaviour. 

Nathan also held an online Webinar for parents on Wednesday evening. His presentation was informative and gave parents an insight into how students view their own use of technology and trends in the social media and gaming platforms they use. His main points were;

• Knowing the platforms your child is using and the age restrictions that apply (most platforms are for 13 years+)  https://www.classification.gov.au/.
• Addictive nature of gaming and how research shows that this can lead to gambling addictions later in life.
• Spending too many hours gaming impacts a child’s ability to focus and their brain development.
• The concerning rise in predators and catfishing. 
• Delay giving your child a phone and allowing them to use social platforms/gaming. The longer they are off devices the better it is for their social, emotional and mental development.
• Recommend Kids messenger as this can easily be monitored by parents. 
• Employers looking at applicant's online profiles. This has an impact on employment and sponsorship opportunities later in life.
• Setting up parental controls to filter content through settings on the device. Many platforms have recently updated their parental control set up. Go into the setting of the app and adjust accordingly. 
• Family tech agreement with clear structures and boundaries put in place and need to be set up from an early age. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources/family-tech-agreement.

For anymore information and tips for helping your child navigate the digital world please go to https://www.esafety.gov.au/

IPad Control Parent Information Night 

The iPad Control Parent Night was held on Thursday evening. The Year 5 and 6 Coordinators, Mrs Jarvis and Mrs Thompson explained the Stage 3 expectations and framework involving technology and safety. Mr Gavin Kennedy, our Director of Information Services Facilities & Infrastructure demonstrated the Jamf Parent Application and how it can be used to restrict school iPad usage at home. This was a very informative session for the parents and will help them to gain more control of their child's device usage at home. The Jamf Parent App is available on Apple App Store or Google Play store.

It has been a very productive week of students and parents engaging in ways to promote safe online behaviours as our students learn to navigate this platform of communication and education. Please use this information to open the discussion lines with your child and set some firm boundaries at home for the responsible use of devices. Thank you to the parents who were able to attend these sessions. 

Amber Jarvis and Kylie Thompson 
Year 5 and 6 Year Level Coordinators 

Southern Cross University Discovery Day 

Last Friday, 44 students in Year 11 attended the Southern Cross University Discovery Day. It was a day aimed at showing Year 11 students the opportunities and range of courses available at the University. Some feedback from one of our students: The discovery day at Southern Cross University was amazing, it was a very hands-on experience and everyone at the university was approachable! We had a bunch of different university courses that we could choose from and there was A two-hour workshop for that course. Each workshop had an overview of the subject and the possible job outcomes there are in each industry. I had taken both a psychology/social work workshop and an exercise science workshop. Both workshops were very interesting and gave us an insight into the course. The exercise science course had such an interesting and engaging session because of a bunch of activities that showed us what they study in university. I was privileged to have a Senior Oestopath student examine my movement and give feedback on how my body reacted to certain things. We also did some reflex tasks, to see how reactive our nervous system was. It was a really great and encouraging program and has given me a lot of new career ideas once I leave school.  

Gracie Lynch
Year 11 Student

Job Vacancy at Xenia Grill

Xenia Grill are looking for a new staff member at their Casuarina restaurant. If you are interested in the role of Kitchen Hand, then please call 0266 74 31 23 or email casuarina@xeniagrill.com.au

For our Year 12 School Leavers…

Kingscliff TAFE is running some Summer Skills courses.  The Summer Skills program has been designed specifically with school leavers in mind, to learn valuable skills for real jobs across a range of sectors.

The program allows students to dip their toes into the vocational training world by exploring fee-free* courses that interest them and help them to gain valuable skills to take with them wherever they want to go.

They have the following courses coming up post-HSC that focus on skills shortage areas within the hospitality and cookery industries:

• Statement of Attainment in Bar Skills, commencing 6th December
• Statement of Attainment in Commercial Cookery Basics, commencing 6th December
• Statement of Attainment in Espresso Coffee, commencing 9th December

*To be eligible for these fee-free courses you must:

• be aged between 16-24
• have completed the HSC this year or have completed Year 10 and left school permanently
• be living or working in NSW
• be an Australian/New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or humanitarian visa holder.

 There are limited places available, so enrol now and get ahead of the game.

Dr Natalie Marriott
Acting Director of Careers 

Hearty Dissections 

Over the past few weeks Year 8 students have been exploring the organisation of living things and in particular, human body systems. After studying the circulatory system, students conducted a bovine heart dissection. Please see some lovely images below of 8C. Currently, these students are planning for and investigating the effect of a chosen activity on heart rate. We look forward to reading their findings in the coming weeks. 

Out and About with Year 11

As part of their preliminary Earth and Environmental course, Year 11 students attended a field trip to the Tweed Shire Council wastewater treatment plant at Bray Park, and the Clarrie Hall Dam at Uki. Students were amazed to see the array of both physical and chemical processes that our local drinking water undergoes and the large scale project that it is. This forms part of the module on Human Impacts where students first calculate and consider the very small percentage of available freshwater we have on the planet and then the potential impact of our activities. Hence the importance of treating our water and ensuring we are more considerate with both our water usage and where pollutants come from so as to reduce this impact (detergents, rubbish, fertilizers, etc). Please find some images below. 

Sophie Farmer 
Science Teacher 

I am very excited to be able to invite students in Years 9-11 in 2023, to attend a conference hosted by St Stithians Boys’ College, Johannesburg. Below is an outline of the conference.

The conference name is uNhlaba – the isiZulu word for Aloe. The symbolism relates to our connection with the environment, the fruits that our wild places can elicit and the beauty that we need to preserve in our natural world.

The conference theme, therefore, is all about our Environment with a bit of Adventure thrown in. Delegates will meet at the beautiful campus of St Stithians College (a green lung near the central business hub of Sandton) for the opening ceremony. Afterward, they will board buses for a 2-hour journey to a 270-hectare Nature and Game Reserve where they will spend the next 4 nights delving into Ecological and Environmental Awareness. They will learn about a large variety of fauna and flora, identify the various signs of the wild, and have an opportunity to view animals on foot as well from a game vehicle. They will learn elements of outdoorsmanship and spend some time at night learning about the stars and planets.

Apart from a live snake show, a bird of prey show, and other interactive experiences, delegates will learn about the challenges that face our environment and the way that we can make a significant difference to preserve our wild spaces. Delegates will be exposed to indigenous knowledge and the value that it holds in our relationships with each other and the planet. In addition, the adventurous experiences of a Rambo Night Obstacle Course, swimming games, nature trails and other problem solving exercises will add to the fun of the conference. 

Delegates will be accommodated in cabins at the Nature and Game Reserve, located in a secure compound.

Further information will be made available shortly, but for any initial queries please email via mlush@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au

Mike Lush
Round Square Coordinator 

From March 3 to 24, 2023 (please note the slight change of date), Lindisfarne will again be hosting students from the Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU) in Tokyo. The students are aged between 19 and 24 years and are studying various university subjects. 

The AGU student visit aims to provide cross-cultural experiences for both the Lindisfarne and AGU students.  Homestay families are required to provide a room, meals, transport to and from the school (they can catch the Lindisfarne bus), Sunday visits to church, and plenty of fun and conversations. Homestay families are reimbursed $300 PW ($900 in total) to cover the cost of food and transport. Due to the change of dates, there will be an additional $40. On Friday, the students arrive, and they will engage in activities at the school. It is hoped families can collect them (and their bags) at the conclusion of the school day. 

If you would like to express interest in being a homestay family, please email drsuzannehudson@gmail.com or phone 0432 147 776 for further information. I hope you can support this excellent program. 

Jeremy Godden
Head of Junior School

Volleyball

This week we took four teams to Coffs Harbour to compete in the CIS Secondary Volleyball competition. Our boys and girls did really well and all ended up with a medal.

• Open Boys - 2nd place
• Open Girls - 2nd place
• U15 Boys - 2nd place
• U15 Girls - 1st place and undefeated

Pictured Above - Open Girls Team 

Pictured Above - Under 15's Boys 

Pictured Above - Under 15's Girls

The inception of the greater Volleyball program has kicked off for the first time this year, with our boys and girls training since late Term 3. We have a few more fixtures approaching, including our first ever foray into the Australian Schools Volleyball Cup on the Gold Coast, details here.

Basketball 

The NCIS Basketball for our Primary and Secondary girls and boys is on in the next two weeks. Wishing these boys and girls all the best.

In other basketball news, our Lindisfarne Lions have 7 teams competing in the Summer League GCJBL competition - which is a more social brand of their competition format. 

Please remember that Lindisfarne will be scooping names in earnest at the end of the term to get prepared for the Winter League, which begins in February. Give some thought as to whether you will want to play with the Lions throughout Terms 1 to 3 and put your name forward when the registration scoop begins.

Tennis

On Thursday we took a team of 16 students to Grafton to compete in the NCIS Tennis Championships.

Results and details forthcoming next week!

NSWCIS Secondary Athletics MERIT TEAM 2022

The following Lindisfarne students have made it into the NSW CIS Athletics Merit team for 2022. Congratulations to them all for their outstanding achievements.

• Giselle Smith
• Lily Alford
• Kiara Denny
• Charlie Gately
• Olivia Kane
• Henry McMillan
• Liam Reardon
• Owen Reardon
• Malaki Yen

Spotlight on Tyson Walk

Tyson has been selected to represent our region North East in the Tennis NSW U10 State Championships in Bathurst.

There were 6 regional teams and 6 metropolitan teams, with 4 boys and 4 girls each representing their region.

The format was based on round robin, Tyson successfully won 3 singles and 3 doubles out of 5.

Our team the North East Breakers came 7th overall which is the highest ranked regional team.

Damien Clucas 
Head of Sports and Activities 

Monday Night Netball continues this week.  Please be aware of your game times and let your coach and/or manager know if you are not able to play.  Our Lindisfarne Blue Lions game this coming Monday has been forfeited.

Please reach out via netball@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au should have any questions.

Rugby Union Report

What an anti-climax!

Unfortunately, the significant weather event we experienced over the weekend forced the cancellation of the Queensland Rugby All Schools 7’s tournament. We had been training very hard in preparation for this weekend but unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas. Ultimately this was the right call but it was disappointing nonetheless for our 7s teams who were keen for their final hitout of 2022.

As a result, we have one last competition for our U14 and U16 7s squads at the North Coast Anglican Schools Week competition on Wednesday 16th November. Squads will be named shortly and relevant communications passed on.  

Rugby Captains Dinner

On Thursday 13th October we gathered for our first Rugby Captains dinner. This was an opportunity for us to celebrate our inaugural season and was a massive success with the event being sold out for over 150 seats at the Salt Bar.

Congratulations to the major award winners on the night:

Under 13 Player of the Year: Eden Humphries

Under 15 Player of the Year: Koen Hodge

Open Women’s Player of the Year: Giselle Smith

1st XV Player of the Year: Jesse Frier

Representative Player of the Year: Giselle Smith

Most Promising Player: Ruby Power

Most Improved Player: Owen Reardon

The final award, and perhaps most prestigious, was The Lily Dick Spirit of Rugby Award.  This award is named for our past student Lily Dick recognising her achievements in rugby, including winning a Gold Medal at the recent Commonwealth Games, as well as her contribution as our inaugural Rugby Ambassador. This award recognises students who epitomises what rugby is all about: developing strong work and training ethic, building camaraderie and team spirit with their teammates, and developing not just as a player but also as a person. The students considered for this award were Tucker Groves, Cimmaron Crawford and Jesse Bravington and congratulations go to our inaugural winner, Tucker Groves.

Casuarina Cup

Our Year 5 and 6 team is busily preparing for the Casuarina Cup next Wednesday 2nd November. Interest in this competition was very high and we look forward to offering our Stage 3 students more rugby in 2023. 

Season 2023

We will begin to communicate plans and dates for the 2023 season over the coming weeks. This will hopefully include the Ballymore Cup (Queensland’s largest schoolboy rugby tournament) in term 1, the Len Diett Cup (which is a 1st XV competition but we hope to expand to U15 and U13) in Term 2, and the Queensland rugby 7s series in Term 3.  Please keep an eye out for these email updates. 

We are very keen to welcome more players into the program next year to make our program as strong as possible. We would love to have a number of teams in each age group in U13, U15, and open’s (e.g., 1st XV, 2nd XV). We also need to strengthen our numbers in our open girl's squad for 2023. So if you’re interested, please reach out to Dr. Coyne (jcoyne@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au) and let him know.

Thank You

As we wrap up Season 2022 it’s only appropriate to thank our coaching and management team for all their work getting the Lions on the field each week. Thank you to Dr Coyne, Mr Croft, Mr Dick, Mr Hall, Mr Elliston and Mrs McDowell.

Thank you to all the parents and supporters for your support of our program. We appreciate there were lots of early-morning drop-offs and late-night pick-ups!

Finally, thank you to all the players for turning up each week and giving your time to develop our program. There are great things ahead for the Lindisfarne Lions! See you in Season 2023.

Scott Lewis
Rugby Manager

As you know, the Lindisfarne Netball Program continues to be among the most popular offerings at our school. Our students are fortunate to have access to a Netball program that supports involvement at all levels; from recreational through to high-performance pathways. 

As with all major initiatives, it’s important that we continually evaluate and work on ways to grow and improve. As we close in on the end of the 2022 school year, now is the time to reflect on all things Netball at Lindisfarne. 

For the next three weeks (Friday 21st October to Monday 7th November), we will have a survey open for feedback. The survey seeks to gather input from all participants in the program and is focused on a range of areas inherent to the running of Netball at Lindisfarne. I’d invite you to complete this survey, your views are really important to us. Responses are anonymous and you are encouraged to be open and honest in your feedback; this is how we will improve.  We hope to be able to use the findings from this survey to inform decisions about the program for 2023. Any questions about the survey process can be directed to Mr Kane Bradford, Head - Professional Practice, Innovation and Partnerships on (07) 5590 5099 or via email Kane.bradford@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au

CHG Integrated Wealth is a multi-disciplinary financial firm that delivers all financial needs in one place – Tax & Accounting, Financial Advice, Wealth Management & Estate Planning.

We service our local communities of Tweed Heads & Coolangatta, but our diverse client base extends into all areas of the Northern Rivers, Southern Gold Coast, and further afield, including overseas.

We are looking for someone bright & bubbly to join our incredible administration team.

Responsibilities will include:

• Answering & directing phone calls to relevant staff

• Coordinating day-to-day administrative duties

• Preparation of documents for meetings and entity setups

• Grocery shopping & taking mail to the post office

• Scheduling meetings & appointments

• Ordering & taking stock of office supplies

• Processing & directing mail and incoming packages/deliveries

• Greeting visitors & preparing boardroom for meetings

• Corresponding with the ATO regarding client matters

• Weekly review of ASIC Annual Reviews

What we’d love you to bring to the role:

• Outstanding customer service skills

• Good time-management & problem-solving abilities

• Excellent verbal & communication skills

• A flexible approach to work & a team-focused mindset

• Basic Microsoft Office skills

• Open to completing higher education i.e. Diploma of Business

Work Type: Permanent or permanent part-time (flexible working arrangement)

Location: Tweed Heads, NSW 2485

Commencement Date: As soon as possible

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

Kind Regards,

Shaun Costello
Director
CHG Integrated Wealth

CHG Integrated Wealth is a Lindisfarne partner as part of the Lindisfarne Business Network.