Term 4, Week 8 30 November 2016

Copeland Road, Hastings Phone: (06) 878-6696 Fax (06) 878-9539 E-Mail: office@hcs.school.nz Website: www.hcs.school.nz

School Mission Statement Hastings Christian School aims to teach pupils the knowledge of God and the world, as revealed in the Scriptures

and to equip the pupils with the knowledge and skills needed to function effectively as Christians and citizens in today’s world.

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Hastings Christian School

NEWSLETTER

Page 2

Notices:

This is the last paper newsletter for the year. Please re-member to check the email notices next Wednesday! Swimming Day This has been booked for Monday 5th of December at the Havelock Pools. This is a house event so students are en-couraged to wear house coloured clothing (no face paint though please.) Please make sure students have enough drink, lunch and sunblock for the day as well as a hat. We will need some parent help transporting students to the pool so if you are available, please come to school at 10.15am. Students can be picked up from the pool at 2.30pm. The home and school committee will be selling sausages, drinks and chocolate bars at the swim-ming sports. All just $1 each. Supplies are limited so per-haps pack a light lunch and top up with a sausage, drink, chocolate or all 3!

Itinerant Lessons 2017 It is that time of year again to enrol for itinerant lessons next year. An enrolment form has been included in the newsletter. If you wish your child to learn/ continue learning an instrument, it is really im-portant that you fill out the form and re-turn it to the office by Friday.

Uniform for 2017 If your child is moving up to Year 7 or Year 11 next year they will need new uniform items.

Year 7 Boys: grey shorts, white polo shirt, navy blue jersey, navy cap and new sports uniform. For win-ter, navy blue knee length socks.

Year 7 Girls: blue dress (summer), navy jersey, na-vy cap and new sports uniform. For winter, grey skirt, white shirt with blue opaques or navy socks.

Please note that all Year 7&8 students must bring covered footwear for Technology Hard Materials and Food and Fabric.

Year 11 Boys: grey shorts, white shirt, navy jersey and tie. For winter a blazer is added to existing uni-form along with grey trousers and navy socks.

Year 11 Girls: grey skirt, white shirt, navy jersey and tie. For winter a blazer is added to existing uni-form along with navy opaques.

Please pick up a uniform order sheet from the office if you need any uniform items. There may be some secondhand blazers available for sale if needed. Please email the office on office@hcs.school.nz if you are interested in purchasing a secondhand blazer. The uniform shop will also be open in January before school begins, date still to be decided.

'The Silly Season,' what an unworthy name to give to such a significant time in the Christian calendar! However the reality is that the frenetic pace which inevitably seems to accompany this time of the year, means that sadly the name is often appropriate. The school calendar has been very full the whole year. Each term has been packed with many events – none more so than the last one. Some of the things that have contributed to the busyness of this term have included: benchmark exams, school outings, parent meetings, an itinerant music concert, inter school athletics, farewell assemblies, a leavers dinner and of course we can't forget the marvellous 'Market Day!' But wait, there's more still to come, with a year 1-8 school disco this Friday, swimming sports next Monday, year nine day trips, and a year 10 camp - and to top things off the school prize-giving on Tuesday the 13th! With all the activity associated with this time of the year it's easy be distracted from thinking about the true signifi-cance behind the holiday we will be celebrating on the 25th of December. While many Christians have different convictions about whether it is right to celebrate a holiday with the pagan origins that Christmas has, I think John MacArthur's got it right when he said, "w e should be focused on the Christ of Christmas and giving all dili-gence to remembering the real reason for the season." The well-known Christmas Carol 'Joy to the World,' en-courages, in one verse, every heart to prepare Him (Christ) room. In his Advent (arrival) Christmas devotion-als, John Piper had as his goal to help parents prepare

their children to celebrate the 'real reason for the season.' In the first of these meditations Piper said, "What John the Baptist did for Israel, Advent can do for us. Don’t let Christmas find you unprepared. I mean spiritually unpre-pared. Its joy and impact will be so much greater if you are ready! That you might be prepared . . . Meditate on the fact that we need a Saviour.

Christmas is an indictment before it becomes a de-light. It will not have its intended effect until we feel desperately the need for a Saviour.

Engage in sober self-examination. Advent is to Christmas what Lent is to Easter. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Psalm 139:23.

Build God-centered anticipation and expec-tancy and excitement into your home — espe-cially for the children. If you are excited about Christ, they will be too. If you can only make Christmas exciting with material things, how will the children get a thirst for God? Bend the efforts of your imagination to make the wonder of the King’s arrival visible for the children.

Be much in the Scriptures, and memorise the great passages! “Is not my word like fire, says the Lord!” Gather ‘round that fire this Advent sea-son. It is warm. It is sparkling with colours of grace. It is healing for a thousand hurts. It is light for dark nights.

May you make time over this busy period to regularly take time out to reflect on and prepare your hearts - and those of your children, to celebrate the real reason for the Christmas season!

Notices:

End of year information

Prizegiving will be held at 7pm on Tuesday 13th of December at Riverbend Bible Church on Te Aute Rd

There will be a practice in the morning of the 13th. Students will need to be dropped off at Riverbend at 9am and then transported back to school around 10.30am. Choir, band & orchestra—you will be contacted regarding practice times

School magazines will be available at the end of prizegiving (one per family)

School will finish on Wednesday 14th of December at 12.45pm

Start Dates for 2017 January Monday 30 January Teacher only day 1-3pm Mr Feyter available for senior course confirmation 3-4pm iPad assistance (year 5s) Tuesday 31 January Year 1-8 students start Year 13 leave for camp Wednesday 1 February Year 9-10 students start Thursday 2 February Year 11-12 student start Monday 6 February Waitangi Day Tuesday 7 February Year 13 students start Full school in attendance Teacher Aide Position We have a teacher aide position available for 2017 working with a boy in B2. This would initially be approx. 12 hours per week (mornings) with reducing hours as the year goes on. Expressions of interest can be made to Anita Nieuwland a.nieuwland@hcs.school.nz Hawkes Bay Athletics Champs Well done to all the students who competed at the Hawkes Bay Athletics Champs last week. Special congratulations to Richmond Walker who came 1st in the 800m and 1st in the 1500m! Sports Uniforms Please have a look out at home if you have any sports uniforms borrowed from us for recent sports events, and return them to school. Lost Property Once again there is a pile of lost property in the sick bay. Please take a look. Items will be put out on Friday (weather permitting). Anything not claimed by the end of term will be donated to an opshop. Year 10 Camp This will be held at Camp David on Thursday 8th-Friday 9th of December. Please make sure medical forms have been returned and that you have made payment. Stationery We will not be giving out anymore stationery to students. If your child requires anything, could you please purchase it for them. Senior Students Textbooks & Exams

As exams are now over, could all senior students please return all their textbooks to the school office in a named plastic bag. Students will be charged for any misplaced or damaged textbooks.

We would also encourage student to not throw out their exams when they get them back (Year 13 in particular) but if they could drop them into the office

next year, that would be most appreciated! They are really helpful for the teachers and next years students.

School Library Books Please have a look around at home and return any school library books. Accounts Invoices have been included in today’s newsletter. Please clear these as soon as possible. Prayer Items

Please remember to keep the Crous and van der Werff families in your prayers

Leavers Dinner We had a great night out on Friday with the year 13’s for their leavers dinner. Many thanks to Mrs Major for her organization of the evening and those who came to help on the night.

Stationery Lists for 2017 These will be up on the Office Max My School website shortly(see flyer enclosed.) These are items required by class and subject teachers. Please remember that you may remove items on the list if you already have them at home. DISCO - THIS FRIDAY! Who? Yr 1 – 8 When? Friday 2nd December Time? 6:30 – 8pm Where? Elim Church Cost? $3 per child Disco cost includes: 1x Drink 1x Snack 1x sweet 1x glow in the dark and a WHOLE LOT OF FUN!!!! FOR CATERING PURPOSES YOU MUST PAY BY THURSDAY 1ST DECEMBER Disco can be paid for by: Depositing into Home and School account 123439001716000 – please specify Surname name on your payment! Village Press Olive Oil Fundraiser for school that makes a perfect Christmas present. Available at the office while stocks last. $25 per pack for 3 bottles of deliciousness. Numbers are strictly limited so get in while you can! Thanks for your support - Home & School committee Hastings Baptist Church Christmas Walk Through – Friday 16th December from 6.00pm, cnr Karamu/Lyndon Rd. Families welcome!

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12.2

Further Notices:

Pupil Of The Week

Last Week E3 Ben for writing an excellent Literary Response essay. E2 Joshua for a great first week at a new school. B3 Alice for being a kind, caring student who always works hard and does her best. B4 Quinn for learning how to solve addition problems when the counters are hidden. Great effort Quinn. B4 Isabelle always being enthusiastic during Maori and participating with a positive attitude. This Week E3 Vahri for excellent contributions to a class debate. E2 Maddie for a willingness to help when needed. E1 Emily for taking a strong and capable lead in performing arts. B3 Iziah for working hard in writing our secret letters and concentrating well. B4 Emma for showing perseverance with writing, even when it was more difficult this week. B4 Jesse for quickly starting independent work and staying focused. B2 Ciara for diligence in schoolwork and willingness to serve others.

Term Dates 2017

Term 1 31 January—13 April Term 2 1 May-7 July Term 3 24 July—29 September Term 4 16 October-13 December (approx.)

What’s Happening DECEMBER 5ht Swimming Day 7-9th Y10 Camp 7-9th Y9 day trips 13th Prizegiving 14th Last Day of Term (12.45pm finish)

School Text Messages Occasionally the school sends out text messages with important notices/reminders. This is also a way we would contact parents during an emergen-cy. If you have not yet signed up, you can so by sending the following message follow hast_christian to 8987