2021 Term 4 Week 2 15 Oct 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Today has been a special day for our Year 12 students as they were farewelled by their respective houses St Cuthbert, St Barnabas, St Andrews and St Stephen house. This is always an emotional and uplifting time as each house honours and pays tribute to the Year 12 house tutor leaders. This afternoon I was able to personally meet with the class of 2021 to convey the ongoing love, prayers and support of our school community as they conclude official classes and commence the study period leading into HSC exams commencing on 9 November.

As is the Lindisfarne Way our staff will remain connected and available to the students throughout the study period and HSC Exams. Following the HSC exams we look forward to celebrating the important ‘rites of passage’ that our Year 12 students and families look forward to each year including the Year 12 Eucharist, Farewell  Assembly, Walk of Honour, Formal and Senior School Speech Day.

The class of 2021 are a remarkable group of young people who have navigated the many Covid-19 adjustments of the last two years with great resilience, grace and dignity. Our School Community pays tribute to the class of 2021 and their resolve and determination.

It was exciting to be with the Jacks family at Victory MG Tweed as they were able to receive the keys to their new car from P&F Vice President, Steve Cornell, awarded from the FunFest Raffle last week. I wanted to again thank each family who supported this raffle and all our families who continue to support our Parents and Friends Association every year. Our students have often heard me say that we need to adjust our thinking from ‘what have I got to get’ into ‘what have I got to give’ and this small group of volunteers embodies that philosophy as they work tirelessly for the betterment of our students.

As we prepare for the 2022 school year we have further strengthened the Learning Enrichment team in each subschool. I'm pleased to announce Angela Mundy will remain as the Learning Enrichment Coordinator at the Junior School (P-4), Kathy-Lee Bamford will return from maternity leave to head the Learning Enrichment team as the Coordinator in the Middle School (5-8) and Jodie Duggan will head the Learning Enrichment programs as Coordinator in the Senior School (9-12). We congratulate Angela, Kathy-Lee and Jodie on their respective appointments and look forward to the positive work they will do to support our students, families and staff in 2022. The Chief Health Officer announced this morning that over 91% of eligible people in New South Wales aged 16 and over have received at least their first dose of Covid-19 vaccination. A reminder all people 12 years and over are now eligible for vaccination programs in Australia. For those still considering or progressing vaccination for Covid-19, now would be an excellent opportunity to book an appointment or consult your medical professional. Furthermore, the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) are strongly recommending Year 12 students pursue vaccination in the lead up to the 2021 HSC Exams.  A New South Wales Government Fact Sheet on Vaccination can be found here.

Stuart Marquardt
Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff and Students,

As a father of two young children, I’m obliged to leave the world better than I saw it for them and the future generation.

It’d be unfair and unjust for us to enjoy all the beautiful and diverse flora and fauna that we share our earth with but deprive our children of this joy due to our lack of proper care for the common home we inhabit.

The ecological crisis we are confronted with is not just a scientific and political crisis, but also a moral, spiritual and ‘sacramental’ crisis. The poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins, wrote that “the world is charged with the grandeur of God.”

We need to re-awaken the consciousness that the whole creation reveals God to us and so deserves our utmost love and care. And that we are part of, not separate from, creation. From birth to death we are nourished and sustained by the world we inhabit, and so ought to play our part in reciprocal stewardship of this world -human and other-than-human components.

Therefore, it behoves us to take the ecological crisis ‘personally’ and to make the necessary lifestyle changes needed to avert the looming ecological disaster. We are heartened by the work of our School’s sustainability team and are encouraged to continue to follow their lead.

Furthermore, as Thomas Berry rightly said, The contemporary environment movement, in the main, follows the path of empirical science, rational thinking, data collection and external action. This is good as far as it goes but it doesn’t go far enough. We need to include care of the soul as part of the care of the planet.

Caring for our souls also means caring for the souls and bodies of others, particularly those who are doing it tough in our society due to the economic and psychological consequences of the pandemic. 

Our School community will be reaching out again to support our homeless friends by asking for a donation of toiletries in Weeks 3 and 4 of this term. Please buy additional toiletries when shopping and bring them to school to support the work of Fred’s Place and Agape Outreach Centre for the homeless and needy. See the poster and details below…..Thanks so much in advance for your help.

Finally, we offer our prayers and best wishes to our Year 12s as they start three weeks’ study leave before their HSC exams. May God bless and reward your efforts as only He can.                                                           

I wish you a very restful and relaxing weekend, and God’s choicest blessings in every way.

Constantine Osuchukwu
Chaplain

Rev. Constantine Osuchukwu
Chaplain

Please support the businesses that support the Parents and Friends Association.

Ramesh Sivabalan
President
Lindisfarne Parents and Friends Association

Schools across Australia and worldwide are reporting vaping as a serious and concerning issue for young people. Given the lack of research around this newly emergent area of addiction and consensus that there is no safe level of vaping, being informed and equipped with strategies to respond is essential for school staff, parents and community.

PARENT WORKSHOP WED 27th @7pm

REGISTER HERE:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QYY7MY9

WHAT: ‘Vaping. What do parents need to know’ is a free online webinar.

WHY:  Vaping is undoubtedly a complex issue that has become an increasing issue in school communities across the country. This workshop will be presented by Paul Dillon. The Director and founder of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training (DARTA).

HOW: To register for the parent presentation , please follow the QR Code in the flyer attached or here:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QYY7MY9

WHEN: Week 4- 7:00pm – 8:00pm, Wednesday 27th October 2021. All registered participants will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link 48 hrs prior to the webinar.

As the Communication Prefects for 2022, we have decided to create a brand new section in the newsletter as a platform for student representation at Lindisfarne. By using this platform regularly with contributions from a number of students, we are aiming to provide the student body with a voice that can be used to share our perspectives, experiences and opinions when it comes to current events and issues. 

We hope that this new section will empower students by providing them with an opportunity to use their voices to share their unique perspectives, ideas, opinions and experiences. 

We look forward to sharing our 'Student Voice' over the coming weeks.

Rosie Taylor and Luke Boulter 
Communication Prefects 2022

Year 11 students are in the process of deciding which subjects they will continue with in Year 12. This can be a difficult decision in weighing up the options when students consider the impact on their future choices of study and career. Students are encouraged to book a meeting with me, if they haven’t already, to discuss any concerns and questions they may have. While considering how certain subjects may impact overall results like the ATAR can be important, it is also important to consider the balance of study and workload in the students final year of schooling.

Any Year 12 school leavers who may be interested in gaining an apprenticeship next year are encouraged to explore the opportunities advertised this week with the Tweed Council. Applications close on the 25th of October. 

The Australian Government has also released the School Leavers Resource Kit which includes information about eligibility for government assistance and payments when students have finished school as well as useful information on setting up and using their myGov account.

The Australian Defence Force is offering a number of online sessions that might be of interest to students in Years 10 and 11 that are looking for a Defence pathway. It is often a good idea to start applications early for the Defence Force as many programs fill very early, including their gap year programs.

Lauren Ward
Director of Careers and VET

Chapel

This week’s chapel continued with the theme of friendship from last term. Once again the amazing Reverend Constantine had many words of wisdom and examples for our students to ponder and think about how they can bring more friendship and care for others into their lives.

Life without friends is a lonely life. We need friends to make life joyful and fulfilling. Friendship has to be looked after and nurtured, just as we look after a garden. We nurture our friendships through love, commitment and trust.

This bible passage is always a good reminder about how we should nurture our love with others.

Corinthians Chapter 13 beginning at verse 7:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not become angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always continues strong.

Quotes: 

“What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” ~Aristotle

"Friendship is the purest love” ~Osho

“Friends are the family we choose for ourselves” Edna Buchana

“And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.” Kahlil Gibran

“And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasure.” K. Gibran 

Reverend Constantine spoke to the students about not taking their friends for granted. If we want to inspire to make the world a better place, we need to start with ourselves and how we care for our friends. Be kind, gentle, patient; forgive friends, help them by becoming the best version of yourself.  Remember that Jesus is a friend that never lets us down. He is always there to give us hope and strength. Speak to him in your heart and he will be close to you. 

Cyber Safety

Just a reminder to parents about the importance of monitoring your child’s use of devices and apps at home. Many of our students are using Tik Tok and Snap Chat. These platforms should only legally be used by children 13 years and above. Please have a conversation with your child if they are using these apps and monitor. We are having an increasing number of issues in Stage 3 around how these apps are being used.

Amy Williamson and Kylie Thompson
Year 5 and Year 6 Coordinators

A great week back this week with students settling back into the routines of face-to-face learning. While we have been particularly fortunate in the Tweed region to have had relatively few disruptions to learning caused by lockdowns, it is important to recognise that our students have spent six of the past nine weeks away from school. With this in mind, our online Assembly this week focussed on our successful return to school for what is sure to be a jampacked whirlwind Term 4. Key messages delivered to all of the Middle School students during our fortnightly Assembly focussed on “world-class basics” and working on doing the little things really well. Reverend Constantine encouraged students to take the advice of Sir Ian McGeechan and focussing on perfecting the basics so that when pressure and difficulties arise, they have a strong foundation of skills and attributes on which they can draw. Along the same vein, I delved into the work of Dale Carnegie, perhaps best known for his 1936 work “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and shared “10 traits that require zero talent” on your way to “being an impressive worker, friend, and overall person without staring your resources.” The list covers a range of personal characteristics including:

1. Having a positive attitude.
2. Applying yourself.
3. Being energetic.
4. Punctuality.
5. Dedication.
6. Passion.
7. Doing extra.
8. Being prepared.
9. Being coachable.
10. Having a positive work ethic.

Applying these, relatively, simple traits will certainly be favourable for students as we enter the busyness of Term 4 assessments. I encourage families to keep a close eye on the assessment schedule as students strive to finish off yet another challenging year. 

“I am deeply convinced that our peace of mind and the joy we get out of living depends not on where we are or what we have or who we are, but solely upon our mental attitude.” – Dale Carnegie

Jeremy Godden
Head of Middle School

Year 12s

This week was an auspicious one in the life of a Year 12 Lindisfarne student - it marked the last week of formal classes before they embark on three weeks of Study Leave. The HSC Examinations are edging ever-closer, but it was important to balance the need for focus with a little bit of fun. There was certainly good participation in the traditional “uniform swap” with the girls enjoying wearing trousers for the day and the boys struggling with the complexities of life in a skirt! 

Year 10 Dinner Dance

Frustratingly, COVID-19 has impacted the School’s plans to run our annual Work Experience Program. However, we are currently working on an alternative offering for our Year 10 students to run in late November. What is also worthy of note, is the change to date to the Year 10 Dinner Dance. This will now take place on Wednesday, 1 December at Twin Towns. Further information will be sent to students and their families in the coming weeks regarding these new arrangements.

Safe On Social

This week I was fortunate enough to participate in an online masterclass entitled Keeping Your Students, Staff and School Safe On Social Media. This proved to be a timely reminder to consider the many and varied risks associated with social media use for our entire Lindisfarne Community. Parents are asked to keep an eye out for some helpful and practical information about keeping children safe on social media via the School newsletter over the coming weeks.

Kate Cornell
Head of Senior School

We have received our brand new Lindisfarne playing strips this week for our Touch Football and Football  representative teams. We are looking forward to being able to wear them as soon as restrictions are lifted and competition resumes!

NSWCIS

From the NSWCIS newsletter:

The decision has been made to cancel the two events that remained on the Term 4 CIS Calendar for 2021. This being the 15 & Under and Open Netball Challenge, as well as the Football Cup Finals. We understand the disappointment that may follow this announcement, however, as always, the health, safety and wellbeing of all members of the school community was at the heart of this decision.

We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate this challenging time.

The Australian Schools Volleyball Cup is now played on the Gold Coast.

We are taking registrations now for Lindisfarne's inaugural entry in the Australian Schools Volleyball Cup (a 5 day competition that runs in the last week of school in December on the Gold Coast). The tournament operators of this event are determined to proceed - even if it is just for QLD schools.

We will be running hour-long morning or afternoon training sessions for our squads that will be encouraged as compulsory for the selected students. Please register your interest via Student Cafe in the following age divisions and we will be in touch with further details via email:

• Year 7 and 8 Girls
• Year 7 and 8 Boys 
• Year 9 and 10 Girls
• Year 9 and 10 Boys 

**The tournament organisers are intending to run this competition - even if it is just for the predominant QLD schools, or schools that can access the border. However, Lindisfarne needs to see Level 3 directives to be changed to Level 2 or better to be able to compete.  

Australian Schools Basketball Championships CANCELLED

The 2021 Australian School Championships to be held from Saturday 27 November- Thursday 2 December at Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium on the Gold Coast has been cancelled by the tournament organisers due to the continuing COVID-19 outbreaks and uncertainty of interstate travel. 

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Level

Congratulations to Samuel Coleman (Year 10) who has successfully completed his Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Level Award. This is a highly commended achievement by Sam and we are very proud of him. 

Completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award has been quite challenging with COVID-19 limitations inhibiting normal pathways - especially Adventurous Journey and Service sections. We plan to launch the current Year 8 cohort as soon as possible, in a normal non-covid setting this is always launched in Term 3.

Damian Clucas
Head of Sports and Activities

We are still taking registrations for our Annual Lindisfarne Tennis Championships on Wednesday, December 1. This event also needs the Level 3 restrictions to be removed for it to proceed. 
Entries are now open, follow this link to register.

It is time to ask for Club Members to review 2021.

If you have any reflections and/or suggestions moving forward you wish to share with me, then please send me an email.

Tweed Netball Association is also in the process of wrapping up the season and Tahu wishes for all of the Lindisfarne Umpires to complete the survey sent via FaceBook. At the last count, only 3 umpires had responded - and one of those was me!

The Lindisfarne Lions Netball Club Presentation Evening will now take place on Friday, 5 November. How this will look will depend on the pandemic measures, but we are hoping we can have all of the Netball Community join us in the Ngahriyah to celebrate the 2021 season. The Passing the Pride, when the 2022 Netball Captain is announced to work alongside Ebony Richards, and we thank Samantha Harvey for her outstanding contribution to netball at Lindisfarne, will also take place on Presentation Evening.

Netball Colours for Year 9 - Year 12 players will also be awarded. Players will have to have represented the School for two consecutive years to receive half-colours and for full-colours, they need to have been involved in Netball at Rep level also.

Netball Coaching 2022

Anyone who is interested in, even looking forward to, coaching a Lindisfarne Team in 2022, please contact Head Coach Suzanne Evans for an information pack. Suzanne is running courses for all levels of coaching on:

Saturday, 30 October - 9.00am - 12:00pm

Saturday ,6 November - 9.00am - 12:00pm

You may also like to gain accreditation for your netball coaching expertise. If so, then please could you make sure you have your current WWCC and have completed the Foundation Course. The course costs $65 and will be refunded when you are a Lions Coach next year. 

TNA is also looking for coaches.

Please see the information below

Netball Centre of Excellence 

In November, we will conduct some after School and Saturday training workshops for all players who wish to trial for the 2022 Centre of Excellence and the Rep squads. Players may attend all of their age appropriate sessions but this is not mandatory. The workshops will be run at Arkinstall Park by some of our present coaches who will assist in selecting the squads. The teams will be named before the end of the year.

The Netball Workshop dates and times are:

• Thursday, 28 October - 4.30pm - 6.30pm for Year 7 - Open (Boys included) 
• Thursday, 4 November - 4.30pm - 6.30pm for Year 4 - Year 8
• Saturday, 6 November - 9.00am - 12.00pm for Year 4 - Year 8
• Tuesday, 9 November - 4.30pm - 6.30pm for Year 7 - Open (Boys included)
• Thursday, 11 November - 4.30pm - 6.30pm for Year 7 - Year 10 (Boys included)
• Tuesday, 16 November - 4.30pm - 6.30pm for Year 4 - Year 8 (Year 7 Orientation Day)
• Thursday, 18 November - 4.30pm - 6.30pm for Year 7 - Open (Boys included)

This information was sent by TNA this week re Rep in 2022:

If you have any questions re: netball, please do not hesitate to email me.

“I’m here if you need!”

Gay Maynard 
Teacher in Charge of Netball

Despite COVID restrictions, the 2021 Public Speaking Competition at Lindisfarne went ahead. However, the event was rather different. This year, the final selection was made via an online format. A huge thank you is extended to Mr Jeremy vGodden for selecting the Middle School Public Speaking winners and Mrs Kate Cornell for deciding the Senior School winners. 

The 2021 Public Speaking Winners are:

Marcus Fox
Stage 3 Winner

Bethani Broad
Stage 4 Winner

Fergus Hogan
Stage 5 Winner

Miranda Rhodes
Stage 6 Winner

All the participants who entered the 2021 Public Speaking Competition are commended for their willingness to represent their House. A special congratulations is extended to Marcus, Bethani, Fergus and Miranda on their public speaking success this year. 

Suellen Walker
English Coordinator

There is a full week of PDHPE-related activities happening from 18 to 22 October:

On Monday, we will continue to have Parent/Teacher interviews for Year 5 to Year 10 students. They are very important meetings where we look at strategies to support our young learners. 

On Tuesday, we are encouraging parents and guardians to join the no-cost “Positive Choices” webinar with Paul Dillon from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA). This webinar is for all parents and families and will discuss practical parenting tips around risk-taking, alcohol and other drugs. As a PDHPE Department, we have worked with Paul Dillon a number of times and often use the Positive Choices resources. Paul is the guru on this topic! Please follow the link here.

We have more Parent/ Teacher interviews on Wednesday, 20 October, this time for the Year 11 PDHPE students. These Stage 6 pupils are finishing their Preliminary Course and are just about to embark on their training for a sprint finish to the HSC in 2022.

On Thursday, plan to do one thing new or different, maybe a random act of kindness. Ideas include: mowing your neighbours' lawn after finishing your own, taping the bus fare to the bus stop, letting someone go in front of you in the shopping queue or simply just saying hello to everyone you meet.

On Friday 22 October, we will raise money and awareness for the Cancer Council for Pink and Blue Day. Students will be invited to wear Pink and Blue mufti (normal rules apply) and donate a gold coin. The new leaders are also discussing other ways to involve all staff and students in this whole school event.

The PDHPE Faculty

Excellence

As the end of the year approaches, it is an appropriate time to celebrate Excellence. Our students do remarkable things and we should applaud them for their achievements.

The highest level of school science available for our students to study is the extension course which is offered in Year 12. This provides an opportunity for our most highly motivated students to conduct their own investigation and write a report at a level that would be required for submission to a scientific journal.

This week we showcase Madeleine Warner who conducted both research and first hand investigation into the photoelectric effect. Here is what she had to say about her project:

My project was focused on the photoelectric effect, a phenomenon in which shining light on a metal causes it to emit electrons. This was one of the first pieces of evidence to support the current quantum model of light, and was the research field that earned Albert Einstein his Nobel prize. It is especially important in modern science because of its applications, such as its use in solar panels. This is because the photoelectric effect is the mechanism by which solar panels can convert sunlight into electricity.

When I started the Science Extension course, I had no idea what I wanted to research. All I knew was that I wanted to look into something physics based, so I talked to Mrs Sands and Mr Marriott and they both recommended Planck’s constant and the photoelectric effect. From there I started researching and confirmed this as my topic, however simply examining the relationships involved was too simple for a research report. So, I decided to do a statistical analysis project and took a 250 point data set using the school’s apparatus.

I analysed the accuracy of this apparatus by conducting a student’s t-test and comparing the true value of Planck’s constant with the value indicated from my data. This showed that there was an error of 27.79%, which was outside the advertised range of 7-20%, and that the results were statistically significant. The presence of this error led to an analysis of the factors involved, including research into the effect of caesiation (caesium coating) of the cathode and the temperature-dependence of readings taken.

In other words, Madeleine was able to replicate a famous experiment in physics first attempted by Albert Einstein and show that one of our pieces of equipment is not as accurate as it is advertised to be. As a faculty, we acknowledge the amount of work that was required to produce her report and we look forward to seeing what this exceptional young scientist ends up doing in the future.

As the great man himself said: “It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry”

Have a wonderful week in Science and be curious about everything because, to paraphrase Alice, the more you learn the curiouser and curiouser the world becomes.

Hamish Inksetter
Science Teacher

Earlier in the year, our Junior and Middle School students created artworks to enter into the Les Peterkin Art Awards. The theme this year was “Selfie”. We are proud to be able to announce the certificate and prize winners this week. Year 5 students received their awards in our Middle School online assembly this week and our Junior School students can look forward to being presented with their certificates next week. 

The work is on display at the Tweed Regional Gallery and due to recent lockdown restrictions, the Tweed Regional Gallery created a website where the work can be viewed. There is also a wonderful YouTube video announcing the prize winners.  

https://artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au/LesPeterkin

Prize Winners Announcements

A huge congratulations to all students who created and entered artwork in this award, your work is magnificent! Thanks to all the teachers who worked so creatively with classes on this project and special thanks to Linda Terry and Amy Williamson for their work organising student entries - a huge job! 

Friends Encouragement Award
Merram Usman 

(Skater Girl by Merram Usman)

(Friends Encouragement Award Winner Merram Usman and her Teacher Scott Lewis)

Category Award Winner 11-13 years
Creed Butler

(Dripping Love by Creed Butler)

Highly Commended

• Mason Weake
• Georgia Brunke
• Milli Sampson
• Marie Bold
• Indianna Smith
• James Dowker
• Eve Doyle
• Eva Taylor
• Ella Agolley

(Minor Award Winner - Indianna Smith)

Bronwyn Dann
Acting Director of Visual Arts

Yadavindra Public School invites delegations of six students aged 13-15 for a RS Zoom Postcard on Wednesday, 3 November with the theme “The Importance of Physical Fitness”.

Before the call our hosts invite participants to summarise on a single page, either by words or pictures, an indoor game unique to our part of the world.

The call will take place at 7:30pm AEDT. If you are interested in this opportunity please email Mr Lush no later than Wednesday, 27 October.

Mike Lush
Round Square Coordinator

Lindisfarne has been nominated for the 2021 Tweed Sustainability Awards. The Tweed Sustainability Awards run once every two years and celebrate local groups, businesses and individuals that are making a positive environmental difference in the Tweed Shire. Lindisfarne is nominated under the Tweed Sustainability and People’s Choice Awards sections. If you want to vote or look at the other nominees click here. 

Patrick Brabant
School Assistant - Sustainability