2023 Term 1 Week 0 27 Jan 2023

All Parents and Guardians are invited to attend the Welcome for 2023.

RSVP - We ask that you kindly indicate your attendance via this link.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the 2023 School year. We look forward to an exciting year of learning and achievement at Lindisfarne.

We trust that all families could have some downtime over the holiday period and enjoy some rest and renewal—a special welcome to families, students, and staff who are joining the School for the first time.

Our office reopened on 4 January, and since then, both campuses of the School have been a hive of activity as we prepared for the 2023 School year.

It was very rewarding to secure our licensing and accreditation for our new Early Learning Centre at Sunshine Avenue. We are excited to welcome the children and families to this exceptional facility next week. We also progressed the installation of demountable buildings at the Mahers Lane campus that will act as transition rooms whilst we finalise the approval of the development application and undertake the construction of our new Senior Centre. The transition rooms are a few days from completion, necessitating a few room changes next week. Staff will communicate any room changes necessary to students as needed.

This week staff undertook a week of professional learning and development in preparation for the year ahead. We welcomed a number of students and families to both campuses today for various orientation activities.

We are excited to announce the launch of our new Parent Education Program called ParentEd. At Lindisfarne, we understand that the key to student success is effective communication and collaboration between home and school. We believe that when parents and teachers work together, all students benefit. 

Our ParentEd Program is designed to strengthen the connections between home and school and to better respond to each student’s individual and collective needs. Through this program, we will provide a variety of resources and opportunities for parents to become more involved in their child's education and to be better equipped to support them at home. You can access the 2023 parent program here.

As we commence the year, please be aware that traffic will be very busy at both campuses for the start of the School year. Please remember to drop and go as much as possible and use the various Bus services available for School travel. 

Bus services will be affected on Tuesday after we were advised late today that Kinetic (Surfside) Bus Services have planned industrial action. (Please see the notice sent by Kinetic here). We recommend that parents make other arrangements for Tuesday if your child catches a Kinetic Service. We will communicate further information on Monday. All Lindisfarne-owned and operated Bus Services will run as usual.  

I would also like to remind you to be mindful of the local residents as you approach and depart from both campuses. Please do not obstruct driveways at any time.

As we start School next week, it is timely to remind all families and students of the standards and expectations of the School. Please find three very important documents for your review ahead of School commencing on Monday.

Student Code of Conduct
Parent Code of Conduct
Uniform Handbook

We look forward to your support throughout 2023 and a great year ahead. I look forward to seeing our students on Monday, ready for a terrific year.

Stuart Marquardt
Principal

Dear Students, Staff, Parents and Guardians,

“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.” ~Rilke.

Welcome Back!

I trust you’ve had a great start to 2023, and that the year has been kind to you and yours. We look forward to welcoming all the students back on Monday and the adventure of learning and growth this school year. A special welcome to those new to our Lindisfarne community - may you find kindness in all you meet here.

A Eucharist to Start the School Year at Mahers Lane Chapel, 5 February 2023

You are warmly invited to join our School community and the Tweed Valley Anglican churches for service and fellowship as we entrust the academic year to God’s blessing and guidance. Refreshments in the Chapel at 4.30 pm, followed by a Service at 5 pm. All are welcome!

World Cancer Day (4 February 2023)

World Cancer Day invites us to remember the devastating impact cancer has on so many of us and those that we love. It’s also an opportunity for us to continue to raise awareness, improve education and galvanise action toward ending preventable cancer deaths and providing equitable treatment to all cancer patients regardless of where they live. Please visit here for more details.

World Interfaith Harmony Week (1-7 February 2023)

During Interfaith Harmony Week, we are encouraged to promote harmony between people of different faiths in order to enhance mutual understanding, cooperation, and peace. Interfaith Harmony Week extends the two commandments found in most religions: “Love of the Good, and Love of the Neighbour”.  To find out more about how you can participate, please click here

A Prayer for our Community

Loving God, thank you for this new academic year;

May we welcome it with gratitude, joy, and expectation,

And make it something beautiful for you.

Bless our staff, students, and families;

Grant us health and wealth to do our work;

Enable us to make our School a ‘beloved community’,

So that all may flourish and become more fully the people you created them to be.

For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Rev Constantine Osuchukwu
Chaplain

SEQTA is a leading teaching and learning support system that integrates Wellbeing, Learning and Attendance management in one solution, driving deeper engagement with students, teachers and parents to improve learning outcomes.

SEQTA is made up of three systems that all work together to assist teachers (SEQTA Teach), students (SEQTA Learn) and parents (SEQTA Engage).

The linked guide below will assist Parents in beginning to explore SEQTA Engage, which will allow them to have better visibility across their child’s whole school life, including:

• Lesson information
• Homework
• Reports and teacher feedback
• Timetables
• Notices
• Attendance and wellbeing information
• Key school documents
• All assessment and feedback data

Parents will still use Parent Lounge for things like school fees, trips and excursions, absenteeism etc but parents will be able to access these Parent Lounge features via the SEQTA Engage portal so we recommend logging into SEQTA Engage.

You can log into SEQTA Engage by using your current Parent Lounge username and password at:

https://engage.lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au/

We have prepared the Lindisfarne SEQTA Engage Parent Guide to assist you.

SEQTA Engage Parent Guide

The first meeting of the Lindisfarne Parents and Friends Association for 2023 will be held on Tuesday, 7 February at 6.30pm at the Junior School.

All are welcome to attend and here about the positive work form the P&F Committee and be involved in supporting the School.

Kind regards

Ramesh Sivabalan
President

Dr Kaylene Henderson is a medically trained child health specialist and one of Australia’s leading parenting experts. Popular for sharing her expertise in a warm and relatable way, Kaylene presents a talk on supporting all children to tackle anxiety and build resilience.

To confirm your attendance please use this link.

The Wellbeing team has been busy over the break making sure that those of you who need a few extra supports in place for the new year are set to go. We’ve adjusted our referral process making it easier for all staff to link students with relevant supports. We’re looking forward to being able to provide you with physical copies of our wellbeing links card soon too. https://linktr.ee/lindisfarnewellbeinglinks

We have a few new School Year tips and helpful ideas for all of our students - those who are returning from summer break, those transitioning between campuses or sub schools, those we haven’t seen for a little while due to illness or travel and those who are new to our wonderful school community. We’re looking forward to see your happy faces on campus next week (it’s been far too quiet without you all here!)

Get ready

Try on your school uniform and school shoes. You may have had a growth spurt and it may not fit! Get organised and pack your bag the day before school starts. 

Be safe

Wash your hands or use hand sanitiser during the day and before you eat. Cough or sneeze into your elbow. If you need to blow your nose, use a tissue and put it in the bin. 

Feelings

Just so you know, it’s ok to have different feelings when coming back to school. You may feel worried, nervous, angry or happy, or any feeling in between. Talking to friends and family can be helpful. You can even talk to your teacher or school counselor/school psychologist if you’d like to. Your school can help you get in contact with someone to talk to, just let your teacher, parent, or carer know. 

Watch out for your friends too! Ask them “Are you OK?”. It’s OK to tell someone if you are worried about your friend. 

School work

Try your best. Let your teacher, parent, or carer know what you found easy or hard when working from home. They are there to help you.

Be kind

Be kind to your classmates. Invite them to spend time with you. Be patient. It’s been a while since we have all been together.

If you feel a bit annoyed or angry while playing or learning, try taking some deep breaths, walk away to another area, or talk about it with your teacher.

Have some fun

Have fun with your class and teacher. Use your break time to spend some time outside with your friends.

Eat

Don’t forget to eat breakfast! Pack a healthy lunchbox and drink bottle for school. This will help you feel energised during the day.

Sleep

Make sure you go to bed on time! Sleep helps us concentrate, learn and enjoy the day at school.

Put your devices in another room, so your sleep is not disturbed.

You might notice you are more tired than usual. That’s ok, after a while you will get back into your school routine.

https://education.nsw.gov.au

Starting at a new school

By  ReachOut.com     

People change schools all the time, and it can be hard to adjust to a new place. There are a few things you can do to make it easier. It helps to be patient and to have someone to talk to.

 This could be for you if you:

• Are about to change schools
• Have just started at a new school
• You want to make more friends at your new school
• Miss your old mates
• Want to talk to someone about changing schools

Changing schools

Most people have to start at a new school at least once when they’re young – going from primary to high school. Lots of people change more than once. Maybe it’s because their parents moved, maybe they had problems with their old school, or maybe they/their family just decided they needed to change. Either way – at some point, you have to go through starting at a new school.

A Rough Ride

It’s normal to feel weird and different in a new place and to miss your old friends. Other things that could bother you are:

• Having to learn a different school layout
• Missing your old friends
• Feeling shy or nervous about talking to new people
• Being drained from adjusting to all this new stuff
• Being bullied by people who want to pick on the new kid. (See our ‘How to stop a bully‘ fact sheet for info on stopping bullying).

Making it easier

The first few weeks at your new school are probably going to be bumpy, just because you’re new. But there are things you can do:

• Do what you like. Whether it’s playing music, sports, writing, drawing or anything else, there’ll be someone who’s into the same things as you.
• Talk to people. They’re curious about you anyway because you’re new, so if there’s someone you like, have a chat with them.
• Keep in contact with your old friends – just because you’re not seeing them every day doesn’t mean you can’t stay close.
• Find an outlet. If you’ve got some way of expressing what’s happening for you – a journal, writing songs, playing sports or talking to someone – it’ll make the move easier.
• Be patient. It can be pretty annoying to have to learn all of the people, places, teachers and subjects again from scratch. But things will fall into place for you at your new school if you give them time.

Find an ally

If all of the changes are getting to you, find someone to talk to about it. This person could be a friend from your old school, a family member, a counsellor, or a doctor. Chatting with someone who’s a bit more distant from your situation can help. If you would prefer to talk to someone anonymously give Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) or (Lifeline 13 11 14) a call. They have counsellors available 24 hours a day.

What can I do now?

• Learn how to make new friends.
• Talk to someone you trust if you’re having a hard time.

How to make friends

Knowing how to be a good friend is the first step in making friends, followed by thinking about the places you can go to meet new people. If you’re having difficulty, there are also certain skills you can work on and people you can speak to for a bit of help.

This might help if:

• You’re looking to make new friends
• You want to build your social network
• You’d like to learn some skills for socialising

Friend ready

Just because you’re finding it hard to make friends, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. But there are a couple of things you can do to come across as a great potential friend and improve your chances of finding some new mates:

• Work on your self-awareness. When you’re looking to have any relationship with another person, it’s really important that you’re aware of who you are, your values and beliefs.
• Be patient instead of pushy. Don’t be too disappointed if your decision to make some new friends doesn’t result in heaps of friends straight away. Making a network of friends is quite a slow process, but if you’re patient, you’ll end up with a whole crew of people who are lucky to be your friend.
• Try not to Gossip. Whether you’re a guy or a girl, it can sometimes be hard to resist building friendships based on a shared dislike of someone else. But be aware that this can make you seem like an untrustworthy friend, so it can backfire if you’re not careful.
• Don’t forget who you are. Sometimes the urge to make friends can make us want to change who we are. But you shouldn’t feel that you have to give up a part of yourself to make friends with others. Not only will this mean that your friendships aren’t genuine, you’ll be missing out on meeting people who think the real you is awesome.

Places to go

Beyond the usual places like school, there are some other alternative places to find friends that you might not have thought of:

• Hobby and special interest groups. Chances are there will be people there who you’ll get on with, because after all, you definitely have at least one thing in common!
• Volunteering. There are so many good things that can come out of volunteering. Not only are you helping others, but there’s also a chance you’ll make friends while doing it.
• Parties. Try not to turn down invitations to parties and social events. Because the more people you see, the more people you meet, and the more likely you are to make new friends!

Learn some skills

Making friends can be difficult if you’re not too confident about your social skills. A lot of people have difficulty knowing what to talk about and what the best approach is. So here are some extra tips on how to develop the confidence to become a real friend-making machine:

• Watch and learn from sociable people
• Practice socialising
• Listen, and don’t always feel like you have to talk
• Ask people about themselves

If It’s bigger than this

If these strategies don’t help, or you feel like a fear of socialising is affecting your life, you might be suffering from something called social anxiety. This is when it might be worth talking to someone who can help. By talking to someone you trust, or an experienced expert such as a counsellor or psychologist, you’ll be able to get some unique strategies that will be tailored to the particular challenges you are facing when it comes to making friends.

Have a great year ahead, 
Emmalene, Julie, Sarah & Susi
Wellness Team

Due to the additional new enrolments and students requiring travel on the Lindisfarne buses, the School had added an additional bus to accommodate students from the Byron Bay area.

Please ensure you review the new 2023 Bus Schedule and Timetable which will be attached to an email advising you of seat allocation for the commencement of Term 1 2023.

The Lindisfarne buses provide a service to and from the residential address of the family. The Lindisfarne Bus service does not have the capacity to meet requests for the Lindisfarne buses to transport students to swap buses to travel to other locations for sport, work, social or other reasons.

Should your child need to attend such an activity we advise you to make alternative arrangements like carpooling to transport your child to their event.

Your understanding in this matter is appreciated.

Please direct any Lindisfarne bus enquiries to bus@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au

Brett Dinsdale
Business Manager

PAYMENT PLANS

All parents who have requested a Payment Plan by direct debit for 2023 School Fees have been emailed the calculations and direct debit authority.

However, we have yet to receive a number of direct debit authorities from parents who indicated they would like to take up this option. If you still wish to proceed with a payment plan in 2023, could you please check your emails and ensure you scan and email your completed direct debit authority to accounts@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au as soon as possible. 

ANNUAL PAYMENTS

We are currently working through the many requests for calculations for 2023 Annual Fee Payments.

As the date for payment is not until Monday, 6 February, we will endeavour to complete these in plenty of time for payment.

Brett Dinsdale
Business Manager 

Our school photographer will be taking photos of our new students on Wednesday, 1 February to use for our school system.

Parents of new students will receive an email on Monday with further details.

Simon McKinley
Director of Community Engagement

Happy New Year! 

Welcome back to what is going to be a wonderful year filled with Fun, Games, and Sport. Last year we returned to the good old times of Playing Sports, competing in Gala Days, and the return of spectators at sporting events.. We are looking forward to 2023 once again being full of Sports and FUN!

Dates for Term 1

Please find below some Term 1 - Junior School key dates to add to your calendar.: 

• Friday 10 February (week 2) - Yr 3-8 Swimming Carnival 
• Friday 24 March (week 8) - FUN Cross Country Carnival

Junior and Middle Swimming Carnival 

Our first major carnival for the year will be the 3-8 Swimming Carnival to be held on Friday 10 February in week 2. All students in year 3 and 4 will attend the Carnival along with competitive swimmers that turn 8 in year 2. 

Information relating to the carnival will be snet to all those students who are eligible to attend.. Please read the information and if you have any questions please contact Damien Clucas Head of Sport or Nathan Croft at the Junior Campus.   

Total Football Academy - After school Program 

The Total Football Academy after school program will kick off in week 3 on Monday 13 February and will continue until week 10 Monday 3 April. 

This program was promoted at the end of 2022 and has some vacancies at this stage. This will be filled on a first come first basis, so if you are interested please sign up ASAP. . This program will be run again in term 2, 3, and possibly term 4 this year for those who missed out. Information about the program can be found in the Flyer here:  AFS Lindisfarne T1.pdf. 

Runners Club

Lindisfarne Junior School will start the runners club in week 3 at Sunshine Avenue. The purpose of the Runners club is to assist in the running development of our school students and preparation for the upcoming Cross Country competitions. 

Last year the Runners Club was a great success with students and parents joining in to improve their running, and fitness or just to spend time with each other doing physical activity. Students in years 1 - 4 are welcome to attend. 

Runners Club Training days will be Monday and Wednesday morning. The training sessions will begin at 7.30 am sharp and will conclude by 8.30 am. Students will be required to bring along their school uniform to change into after the completion of the session. Students will be given time to change and have something to eat before the first bell at 8.45 am. Parents and carers are more than welcome to come along and join in. 

Tennis - Inter-School Challenge

The Junior School will once again be participating in the Tennis Gold Coast - InterSchool Challenge. This is a Round Robin Doubles tournament. There are Boys teams, Girls Teams, or Mixed teams, however, Mixed teams will play in the Boy's event. 

The Primary division (yr4, 5, 6) is a Green Ball competition.

Date:  Sunday 19th February 2023

Venue: Queens Park Tennis Centre

Time: 8.00 am - 12.00 pm (7.45 am sign-on)

Cost: $10 Per Player (payable on the day)

Format: ROUND ROBIN DOUBLES

Teams will be nominated by the school, if you are interested please contact Mr. Nathan Croft - Head of Junior Sport via Email ncroft@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au. Team nominations will close on Monday 6 February. 

Rugby Union 7’s Gala Day - Year 4

We have an opportunity to enter a Year 4 team to play in a Rugby 7”s Gala Day early in Term 1. For those Year 4 students that are interested, there will be a meeting during lunchtime on Wednesday 2 February (week 1) in 4A. 

For more information please see Mr. Croft. 

All information relating to sporting programs, Gala Days, and Sporting Competitions run at the Junior Campus will be advertised in the Newsletter, and information sent home to parents. Please keep an eye on the Newsletter for relevant information throughout the year.  

Nathan Croft
PE Specialist P-4

As we begin a new school year, we would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our students and their families. We are excited to have another class of new students joining us in Year 4, and we look forward to getting to know them and helping them succeed in their academic and personal growth.

We are also thrilled to announce that our Early Learning Centre is now complete and ready for use. It was wonderful to finally see so many smiling faces making the most of the new play and learning spaces. We are confident that this new facility will provide them with the best possible learning environment as they begin their learning journey at Lindisfarne.

As we embark on this new school year, we want to remind you that the staff at Lindisfarne are dedicated to providing your children with a safe, supportive and challenging environment in which to learn and grow. We are committed to working in partnership with you to ensure that your child receives the best possible education, and we value your input and feedback.

We would also like to start the year with a friendly reminder to parents and guardians of the importance of supporting the school in upholding our standards and expectations for uniforms and appearance. At Lindisfarne, we believe that a neat and tidy appearance promotes a sense of pride, respect, and responsibility among our students. We expect all students to wear their uniforms with pride and to maintain a high standard of personal grooming and hygiene.

We understand that there may be some challenges or issues that arise with uniforms and appearance, and we encourage parents and guardians to contact us if they need any assistance or support. We also ask for your support in reinforcing these standards and expectations at home, so that together we can ensure that all of our students are prepared and ready to learn in a safe, supportive and challenging environment.

We are excited to introduce our school community to the You Can Do It! Program. The YCDI! Framework and program will provide a fantastic opportunity to develop your child’s social-emotional capabilities. This initiative will include students from K - 6 and, as such, will provide another opportunity to strengthen the transition between Junior and Middle School. 

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. Parking is not permitted on Sullivan Street.

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.

As the year gets underway, it’s also a good time to remind parents/carers about the process for dropoff and pickup when utilising the turning circle. 

The parent drop off/pick up area is provided to parents to drop off and pick up their children without the need to park along Sunshine Avenue and physically enter the school grounds.

Please note:  There is no parking along the left-hand side of Sunshine Avenue. This allows drivers to form a queue and only drop off or pick up students when in the designated zone. Please avoid stopping across driveways when queuing, as we need to be considerate of local residents during this busy period. 

School backpacks should be placed inside the car in the morning and afternoon, not in the boot, to allow easy access and prompt entry and exit of the vehicle. Students are to be encouraged to enter and leave the vehicle through the door closest to the school gate. 

To allow a constant flow of traffic, drivers are to remain in the car at all times and be mindful of their surroundings to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

If your child is unable to seat themselves and buckle their seat belts independently, please park in Sunshine Avenue and walk in to collect your child. All drivers entering and leaving the drop off/car park area must, by law, give way to all vehicles and pedestrians. 

Thank you to all of the parents/carers who have updated the end-of-day processes for picking up their child(ren). We know that circumstances change, and often variations to pick-up plans change too. May I please ask that these changes, or messages to children’s classrooms, are communicated prior to 2:30 pm? Our wonderful office staff will try their hardest to deliver messages to classes but cannot guarantee that messages received after 2:30 pm will be delivered in time. Parent Lounge/School Links/General Links/End Of Day Arrangements

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 at the End of Day Process form on Parent Lounge.

We look forward to a successful and rewarding school year ahead, and we are excited to see the progress and achievements of all of our students.

Jeremy Godden
Head of Junior School

Welcome

I would like to extend a warm welcome for the start of the new school year to both returning and new students and families to our Lindisfarne community.

This week has seen all staff undertaking planning and professional development ahead of the student's return on Monday 30 January 2023. It has been a terrific opportunity to meet the members of staff who have joined us for 2023 and to reconnect with returning staff. Everyone is looking rested and ready for an exciting new year ahead. We trust your family has had a wonderful break and are feeling energised for the academic year.

Student Drop-off and Pick-up Zones

As with the beginning of all School years, there is an influx in the number of students being dropped off and picked up from school, particularly in the first couple of weeks of the term.  Some information that may assist you in navigating this process is listed below:

There is a designated Drop-off and Pick-up zone located on the upper level of the Mahers Lane campus. 

There is a designated bus zone located on the lower level of Mahers Lane

Please refrain from dropping or collecting your child from the lower level bus zone. This is to enhance the safety of the large number of students who utilise the bus services. All buses need to arrive and depart in a timely and orderly fashion, unimpeded. I thank you in advance for your support. 

Afternoon collection of children from Mahers Lane - Please be aware that if you arrive early, you may need to allow the Kinetic and Lindisfarne school buses to enter the School driveway prior to 3:20pm. 

First Day Arrangements

As there is limited parking available on campus, next week we are encouraging families to deliver children to the drop-off zone. There will be many staff and student leaders on hand to meet, greet and escort new students as needed.

Afternoon departure will see Stage 3 (Year 5 and 6) teachers, delivering students to their respective departure points and ensuring all students understand the process for catching buses - where to wait, their bus number, what to do if they miss their bus.

Stage 4 ( Year 7 and 8) students will be buddied with a student in their classes who uses the same departure point and will be able to guide the new students through this process. 

Uniform 

From Monday, we look forward to seeing students arriving at school in Formal Uniform. In Term 1, this means no tie or blazer is required in Middle School. To refresh your understanding of the uniform standards, please refer to the 2023 Parent and Student Guide found on the Lindisfarne website.  (Menu > Parent Lounge > School Links > Parent Links > Parent Resource Links)

Year 7 and 8 Meet the Middle School Homeroom Teachers

The Middle School Meet the Homeroom Teacher Evening is an important event and one we recommend all Middle School parents of Year 7 and 8 students attend. As well as meeting key staff, parents will also get an overview of the Middle School structure for Year 7 and 8 students. Year Level Coordinators will also speak in detail about the Heroic Habits program, an important part of the Stage 4 Pastoral Care experience at Lindisfarne. It is also a great opportunity for parents to meet with other families in the same Homeroom group.

Date: Wednesday 1 February at 6:30 pm

Venue: Lindisfarne School Chapel, Mahers Lane for initial welcome then move to individual Homerooms with Homeroom teacher

Some students may be feeling a little bit anxious about the start of the school year. If you have a particular concern, please communicate with your Homeroom, Year Level Coordinator, or Head of Sub-School.

Semester 1 promises to be a busy and productive time for the School. This time will provide significant scope to build and strengthen relationships with students, families, and the broader community. I look forward to seeing all of the students in the coming weeks and meeting many parents during this time.

Cathy Cox
Head of Middle School

As we begin the new school year, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all new students and their families as they join the Lindisfarne community. Equally, I would like to bid a warm welcome back to all exisiting students, staff and families. 

As we begin this new academic year, I want to take a moment to share some important expectations for the year. We will be continuing to focus on academic rigour and supporting our students in achieving their full potential. We will also be continuing our work in fostering positive school culture. This starts with what we anticipate to be full attendance at the Senior School swimming carnival on Thursday, 9 February.

I would like to remind students that regular attendance and punctuality are essential to success at Lindisfarne. The School will be closely monitoring attendance and addressing any issues as they arise.

Finally, I want to remind you that communication is key. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s House Tutor or Head of House (whose details have been sent in previous correspondence). Together, we can ensure that this is a safe and nurturing learning environment for all students. 

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to a terrific year ahead.

Kate Cornell
Head of Senior School

I am delighted to be returning this term and look forward to getting into the classroom with our Year 10’s in Careers class and meeting with Year 11’s and 12’s throughout the coming weeks. Please note in Term 1 I am available Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week.

Year 11 and 12 students studying at TAFE will generally start in the week starting the 6th of February (Week 2). It is important to note that this will also be your financial liability date where you will be financially liable for the full year of fees regardless of if you wish to continue with TAFE. If your plans have changed and you wish to withdraw please let me know as soon as possible. You will receive communication from me in the coming week regarding your class and the timing of your study day.

Lauren Ward
Director of Careers and VET

A warm welcome to our entire community for the beginning of a fresh year rich with many extra-curricular sporting pursuits and opportunities. Our sporting calendar seems to be ever growing and we have mapped out the calendar for Semester One as best as we can - here. This calendar document is live, so we will continually update it - this is the copy the Sports Department uses. Some dates are still fluid in their planning stage, so as soon as Lindisfarne is alerted of date consolidations, we will add them.

Lindisfarne Sport Explained

We have two broad sport terminology umbrellas that we work under which I will outline to alleviate any confusion within the community.

1. Integrated Sports Program
2. Extra-curricular Sport activities

Integrated Sports Program is the compulsory sport timetabled into students academic calendar. This is part of the NSW Education and Standards Authority (NESA) mandates minimum hours of Physical Activity within the school's curriculum, hence our comprehensive Integrated Sports program is part of this process for Lindisfarne.

Please note that in 2023, our compulsory Integrated School Sports program will be during the following school periods:

• Years 7 to 10 - Thursday, Periods 3 and 4 (Year 11 and 12 students can choose sport if they wish)
• Years 5 and 6 - Friday, Periods 5 and 6

The sports choices for Term One (which most of you have already completed the sign-ups are):

Years 5 to 6 

Years 7 to 12

Extra-Curricular Sport activities are where students sign up to potentially represent Lindisfarne in a particular sport, or have qualified to represent our school through our carnivals (Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics). 

We have a whole range of opportunities throughout the year for students to pursue many different sports opportunities. Students and Parents are notified of sports opportunities as they present through the year via a combination of email, student notices (in Home Room or House Tutor Groups), and in the Sports section of the weekly Newsletter. 

All parents/students will receive a comprehensive Sport Introduction email early next week. Entailed within will be some very clear sign-up instructions so that children can follow to synch their names into our Sports database for further communication/trial information. For example, Football (Soccer) trials will be starting in Week 2 - so please ensure you sign up if you want to be involved. 

Swimming Carnivals

Our Swimming Carnivals are fast approaching. Find a brief overview of both the Years 3-8 and the Years 9-12 Carnivals - here.

Tennis

Once again, Tennis Gold Coast has its 2023 Annual Inter-School Challenge (Event Flyer - here). Students are free to organise their own partners and register directly with the organisers - please cc Mr. Clucas when doing so. 

Likewise, if students are stuck for a partner, please contact Mr Clucas, and we will try to assist here. 

Age Groups below:

Primary (Yr’s 4,5,6)  Green Ball

Sunday 19th February & Boys & Girls 8.00am ± 12.00pm (7.45am sign-on)

Middle School (Yr’s 7,8,9)

Sunday 19th February & Boys & Girls 12.30pm ± 5.00pm (12.15pm sign-on)

Secondary (Yr 10,11,12)

Sunday 19th February & Boys & Girls 12.30pm ± 5.00pm (12.15pm sign-on)

Queens Park Tennis Centre, 19 Queen Street, SOUTHPORT (+ multiple tennis venues)

Tennis - After School Program 

The Tennis Terranora after school Tennis lessons will start again on Tuesday afternoons in week 2 Term 1 at Lindisfarne Mahers lane Campus Tennis Courts. These sessions are capped at 20 students.

Group lessons for beginners and competition players

Pricing: $80 for 8 weeks (sign up on parent lounge, Events and Payments)

Time: Tuesdays 3:30-4:30 pm

Week 2 to Week 9 (07/0223)-(28/03/23) 

Location: Lindisfarne Mahers lane Campus Tennis courts

Run By Tennis Terranora Coach Caleb Maxted

Please see the information Flyer - here

Hockey

Lindisfarne has a Memorandum of Understanding with Casuarina Hockey Club (CHC), and as such fully encourages and advocates for interested Lindisfarne students to sign up with CHC as their club.

Casuarina Hockey Club sign on days at Casuarina Hockey Club House, 1 Barclay drive Casuarina. Facebook link - here.

Time: Sunday 5th & 12th February 3 pm – 5 pm

Junior Teams available for sign-ups include: U6 &; U8 Boys &;Girls Development hockey (Play Mid-week at Casuarina)

U11, U14 Boys & Girls (Play at Tweed Saturdays)

U18 Boys & Girls (Play both at Tweed & amp; Gold Coast Fridays)

Spotlight on Riley Johnston

Congratulations to Riley Johnson, who competed at the 2022 QLD State Championships in December. His amazing effort saw him come away winning 5 Gold medals and 1 Bronze Medal.

Best of luck to Riley who will be kicking off the year with the Gold Coast Sprint Championships on the 28th of January.

Spotlight on Lily O’Sullivan - Alumna (‘22)

18-year-old Alumni student Lily O'Sullivan is currently competing in the Nutri-Grain Iron Series with the best iron women in the world. This is Lily's second year in the series and she is really making her moves through the rankings. She is currently sitting in 8th position overall after the first four rounds in Manly and Maroubra. The last two rounds are set for Kurrawa Beach on the Gold Coast on February 4th and 5th, with racing commencing at 1 pm NSW time. It would be great to get some local support behind her if you can make the event. If you can't make the event at Kurrawa, tune in to SBS Sports where you can watch the live coverage. If Lily stays in the top 10 she will automatically qualify for next year's series.

Our Rugby Union program is in its second year and we are looking to build on some of the great success we had in 2022. Similar to last year, our program will be for both boys and girls and in general, boys will have XV-a-side opportunities in Terms 1 and 2 and 7-a-side opportunities in Term 3 and at the beginning of Term 4. Meanwhile, girls will have 7-aside opportunities from Terms 2, 3 and at the beginning of Term 4 and we will be releasing a registration for all girls squads towards the end of term 1.

We have a number of exciting fixtures for 2023 which includes: 

• Intra-school trials for the 1st XV
• The Emerging Schools Cup for our U13 and U15 squads
• The Len Diett Cup for our U13, U15 and 1st XV squads
• Major tournaments like the Ballymore Cup, Queensland All Schools 7s, and the largest primary school tournament in Australia, The Armidale School Carnival for our Y5-6 boys.
• A fixture against Collingwood High School from Canada for our 1st XV. 

Please have a look at a 2023 Rugby Union Program Information Pack HERE or click on the image below.

More Information

Parents should be aware that some of these tournaments/fixtures may be in the school holidays (e.g., The Armidale School Rugby Carnival is in the second week of the April holidays) and please plan accordingly if your child is selected in their respective squads.

As part of selecting these squads for our boys’ squads, all year 5-12 boys interested in playing rugby for the school in our XV and 7’s squads will need to a) select rugby in integrated school sport selections and b) complete the following rugby union registration HERE.

Stack Team App

The Lindisfarne Rugby Union program’s main form of communication in 2023 for our Boy’s U13, U15, 1st XVs and 7’s and Girl’s 7s will be the Stack Team app with email being used as minimally as possible. The Stack Team app will host news and updates to schedules, live scores, player availability, important documents, and links to our sponsors.

To download the Stack team app, use the following links:

• iOS: https://www.teamapp.com/ios-ap...
• Android: https://www.teamapp.com/androi...

Once downloaded, please search for 'Lindisfarne Rugby Program' and request to join. Note, both

parents and Boy’s U13, U15, 1st XVs and 7’s and Girl’s 7s students who have parental permission for

smartphones should download the app and join the relevant squad in the app (e.g., 1st XV, U15 XV, U13 XV, Girls 7s).

As a reminder, if you are interested in playing for the school this year, please complete the rugby union registration HERE. If you have any questions on any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Coyne (jcoyne@lindiisfarne.nsw.edu.au).

Dr Joseph Coyne
Teacher in Charge Of Rugby 

We are proud to be able to share our Strategic Intent with our community at the upcoming Netball Support Group Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, 31 January 2023.  The AGM will be held in the Chapel at Mahers Lane and commence at 6:30 pm sharp - please find the agenda here.  A General Meeting will follow from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Mike McLaughlin will be attending to guide us through the Strategic Intent for Netball@Lindisfarne and Danielle Watters will lead us through operational updates.  We welcome and encourage students, parents, carers, and other interested community members to attend.

As we move into 2023, I'm delighted to announce some of the wonderful opportunities available within the Round Square Program this year. 

Participants in the program will have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities including international service projects, international student exchanges, conferences, and more. These experiences provide opportunities to experience different cultures, serve others in need, and develop skills such as leadership, team building, and problem-solving.

A significant milestone for us as a school has been official recognition as a Global Member. While in London to attend the Round Square Head’s Symposium, Stuart Marquardt was presented with Lindisfarne’s Global Membership and the accompanying Round Square flag that recognises our commitment to the IDEALS and ethos of Round Square. This is a big achievement for our School. 

Conferences

As we and the rest of the world learn to live with Covid-19, borders are well and truly open across the majority of the globe. This means that conference opportunities have moved from online platforms to face-to-face experiences.

In two weeks, eight students will be traveling to Ottawa and attending a conference hosted by Ashbury College. The theme is Living in the North and will showcase what winter is like in Canada through the lens of Indigenous perspectives and winter activities. Part of the focus will be on climate change in the Arctic region and how it is affecting local communities, and traditions, and what action is being taken. Many of the winter activities will take place in the beautiful Le Chateau Montebello, the world's largest log cabin. Our students will also enjoy Ottawa at the height of the annual Winterlude Winter Carnival and will be billeted by host families during their stay for an authentic Canadian experience. 

There are three more conference opportunities later in the year. Kenya in October, Atlanta in November, and New Zealand in December.  More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

The largest of all these is the Round Square International Conference, held each year and open to students 16 and older from right around the entire global network. Here are some details below.

RSIC2023

The Round Square International Conference 2023 is being hosted by the Brookhouse School in Nairobi, Kenya, from 8-14 October. The theme for the conference "The New Africa'' will allow those attending to explore the many ways in which the continent has evolved and is defining its position in the 21st Century. Brookhouse is planning a program of keynotes and panel discussions that will highlight an array of African innovators. The conference will be hosted jointly across Brookhouse’s two campuses in Nairobi. Brookhouse families will provide homestay accommodation and a first-hand experience of African hospitality for student delegates.

The conference will come together for the Opening and Closing days, whilst the Adventure, Service and Democracy days will provide smaller group opportunities on a rotation of activities across the middle three days of the conference, hosted at the two Brookhouse campuses, in Karen and Runda. The Adventure Day will feature a night under African skies, camping in the Nairobi National Park, with wildlife game drives and an environmental conservation focus. The promotional film can be viewed here.

In the not-too-distant future, I will be asking for expressions of interest from students who wish to take part in one of these amazing conference opportunities.

Exchanges

These have traditionally been the mainstay of Round Square, whether they be domestic or international reciprocal exchanges. 

On the international scene, we have a current Year 10 student heading to Cobham Hall School in Kent, England, for a six-week exchange from mid-February. The school is an independent day and boarding school for girls and is housed in Cobham Hall, a Tudor-era manor house situated on 150 acres of historic parkland on the edge of the Kent Downs. 

Schools in South America are also very keen to exchange,  and recently I caught up with my Round Square colleague from UWCSEA, Singapore, to discuss possible Middle School exchanges commencing in Semester 1.

Next Week

It is a very exciting time across the Round Square network and next week I will share with you when I am going to run an information evening about exchange opportunities, conferences, and all things Round Square.

Mike Lush
Round Square Coordinator 

Patrick Brabant
School Assistant - Sustainability