T E [email protected] W · 2017. 11. 2. · 294 Redbank Rd Kurrajong NSW 2758 T 02 4573 2999...

294 Redbank Rd Kurrajong NSW 2758

T 02 4573 2999 E [email protected] W www.kuyper.nsw.edu.au

Thursday 2 November 2017 Dear Parents & Friends of Kuyper,

How great are excursions! What exciting times they are for learning to take place outside the classroom environment. Last week, K/1 had the opportunity to go on two excursions in a row – we were all exhausted by Wednesday but how awesome to explore God’s world at the Sydney Sealife Aquarium on Monday and experience the Polo World Championships on Tuesday.

Our LIGW unit, ‘The Sea is His and He made It’, has been enriched by being able to get up close and personal with the amazing variety of creatures that inhabit the oceans of the world. The students didn’t stop talking the whole way around the aquarium, making terrific observations and asking insightful questions. At the Polo, students were able to appreciate the creativity of artists and sculptors, the skill of riders and horses playing polo at breakneck speed, have fun at the petting zoo, play giant Lego and use the dragon slide.

It was with great excitement that we discovered the Primary entry into the mural competition at this event had been awarded first place. Our appreciation goes to Mrs Belle Kean (Mrs K) for her inspirational guidance and design of the art work. Each student created an individual patchwork piece that was blended together to create a landscape representing our Hawkesbury area – a true community effort. At both events, Kuyper students conducted themselves in such a way that positive comments were made to staff about their manners and the polite way they interacted with those around them, whether peers or adults. They represented our school well and honoured God by the choices they made. The participation of parents and grandparents as helpers was, as always, greatly appreciated and makes such occasions run smoothly; just another example of community and partnership at work in our school. A big ‘Thank You’ to you all. Sue Huxley Primary Coordinator

Thursday 2 November 2017

Nov

Fri 3 Year 7/8 PDHPE Swim Training

Fri 3 Year 9 PDHPE Swim Training

Sat 4 Wood & Wheels Day

Sat 4 Bronze Duke of Ed hike

Mon 6 Year 3/4 Long Neck Lagoon Exc.

Tues 7 U15 Boys’ Touch Football Comp.

Wed 8 Association EGM 8pm, KRC

Thurs 9 9/10 PASS Tennis Coaching

Thurs 9 Year 7 Muru Mittigar excursion

Fri 10 Year 1/2 The Gruffalo live perf.

Mon 13 Year 12 Graduation Dinner

Tues 14 Yr 10/11 RYDA Excursion


Wed 15 Prayer & Board Meetings, 7pm

Thurs 16 Year 11 Reports go home


Thurs 16 Year 4 Band Day-Tour



Fri 17 Yr 12 Farewell Celebrations

Mon 20 Year 3/4 Swimming Sessions


Tues 21 Year 3/4 Swimming Sessions

Wed 22 Year 3/4 Swimming Sessions


Thurs 23 Year 3/4 Swimming Sessions

Fri 24 Year 3/4 Swimming Sessions

Tues 28 Year 6 Graduation Dinner, 6pm

Thurs 30 9/10 PASS Putt Putt

Thurs 30 K-6 OASIS Fun Day, Windsor

Thurs 30 Music Recital, 7pm

Dec



Reminders:

If your child requires a particular brand or type of sunscreen please provide it for them, either to the Office or in their school bag. Kuyper provide a generic SPF50 sunscreen for staff and students. If this is not suitable for your child, please provide them with what they need. Book Club orders through the Office are now closed. However, you can still order online using the Loop. Proxy forms for the EGM are due on Monday 6 November. If you are an Association member and cannot attend the meeting on Wednesday, please send in your proxy form. Parents may have noticed or heard about “new uniform” being introduced in 2018: From January 2018, the cotton sport Polo Shirt will no longer be uniform. The new polo shirt is $38 from the Uniform Shop. A new Primary Dress is being introduced that better matches the Secondary Dress and is less prone to fading. The current Primary Dress is still being sold in some sizes, with the new dress being phased in over the next few years. For Secondary students, new sports shorts are being planned that will better match the new polo shirt. Again, these will be phased in over the next few years, with the current sports shorts still being sold in some sizes. Peaked caps as an option for Secondary are also being considered.

Prayer & Praise Praise God for these perfect Spring days. Pray for 2018 staff appointments. Pray for our staff and students as they travel for their

excursions; pray for safety, fun and learning. Pray for our students who are completing their HSC. Pray for our Board and Association as they meet at

the EGM to discuss and vote on decisions for the school.


This week we look at Instagram, what Instagram is and how you use it. On the next page I have included an article comparing Snap Chat and Instagram. What is Instagram? Instagram is a social media application designed for people to share photos and videos using their smart phones. How old do you have to be to join up? You must be at least 13 years old. How do you use it? It is similar but simpler than Facebook. You make your own account using a valid email address. You then create your own profile and, like Facebook, you then have your own newsfeed where you upload photos. How do you communicate? Other users can follow you and will see your posts in their own feed. You can also see posts from other users who you have followed. Other ways you can communicate is by commenting on your own and other users’ photos, liking, tagging and private messaging. There is also the option to save photos you like from other users. Can I have a private account on Instagram? You can have a private account on Instagram. This means that you need to accept anyone who wants to follow you, however, there is no guarantee your child won't be seen on Instagram because users can post photos of each other and other people who are not on Instagram. Of course, having a public account on Instagram means that anyone can follow you.

What Kuyper students say … “It connects you with others around the world and it’s a more casual platform than Facebook…it’s more private” “It’s aimed at a younger audience. You don’t have friends but followers. They can follow you but you can’t always follow them” “It’s a way to keep up with people” “There’s plenty of good pages to look at, however, once I went on a page and there was lots of nude pictures on there” “I’ve been tagged in things that aren’t appropriate and I’ve had 18+ adults follow me” “It’s like Snapchat except the pictures stay on there forever. You can delete them but there’s still a record of them on your account” “It is great for those who are artistic and like to take photographs, however, there is a lot of people who become obsessed with images of themselves”


Posted 18 June at 20:41h in App Risks by Chris McKenna In the battle of teen social media heavyweights, Snapchat vs. Instagram, which poses greater risks to kids? For years, Snapchat struggled under the negative label of being that “sexting app,” only used by “bad kids” for sending nudes. Compare that to where they are today, firmly established as a top-tier media platform, valued at over $16 billion with over 100 million users. The app’s 8 billion daily video views put it on par with King Facebook. According to Snapchat’s own data, on any given day, Snapchat reaches 41% of all American 18-34 year-olds in a single day. Stop and read that again, because it’s a staggering figure. But, Instagram is far from dead. With a dazzling array of beautiful picture filters that can turn any amateur into an expert photographer, Instagram boasts over 400 million users with over 75% of its user base living outside of the U.S. Instagram is a key strategic cog in the Facebook social media empire, so it has the funding and global reach to compete with anyone. But, which app is best for kids? Let’s compare. WHICH APP PROVIDES THE EASIEST ACCESS TO PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL? Answer: Instagram Because Instagram’s 400 million users share over 70 million photos daily, Instagram could easily be classified as an unfiltered internet search engine. Do you want to find a picture of #cutecamels? Hey, I just found 121 pictures with that hashtag from all over the world. But, these same snappy hashtags also serve as a sorting mechanism for photos, making it very easy to find just about anything. If you know where to look, it is not difficult to find straight-up sex in a 15-second looping video. And, since there are no parental controls, and search history is easily erased in the settings, the risk of inappropriate use is high for certain types of kids. WHICH APP HAS THE GREATEST NEGATIVE IMPACT ON SELF-ESTEEM? Answer: Instagram Here’s what I wrote in a recent blog post for Protect Young Minds: “Anyone can create a gorgeous image with the “X-Pro” filter and a bit of hue. But, for young teenage girls, the pressure to produce the perfect selfie, complete with skinny arm and up/off to the right (for the perfect angle)….that’s the goal. Such a photo maximizes likes (because I’m constantly comparing my likes to everyone else) and revs my popularity engine in front of my peers. But, it creates a damaging exchange. With each photo, I’m exchanging real beauty for manufactured beauty. And, I’ve attached my heart and overall self-worth to the hearts I do (or don’t) receive from my followers.” Popularity was an issue when I was a kid, but it was somewhat subjective. Today, things are different. In the words of pastor and author, Craig Groeschel, “Now empirical data can tell you with absolute precision where you rank: ‘Let’s see…If I have seventy-three followers, and my BFF has 423, that means she’s almost six times more popular than I am.’” There are pages of rules for taking selfies. Go ahead. Google it! The pressures felt by some kids to be perfect and to achieve a certain level of quantified popularity within a social network is having a tremendous impact on the overall contentment of tweens and teens. They are seeing the lives of their peers in real-time, constantly comparing, and constantly longing for the greener grass. And, what they discover is that no matter how amazing and satisfying their own life might be, it can’t compare to what others appear to have. Pastor Andy Stanley says, “There is no win in comparisons.” Instagram is a comparison monster, taking no prisoners.


WHICH APP CREATES THE GREATEST TEMPTATION TO BE STUPID? Answer: Snapchat Snapchat might have shaken the “sexting app” label, but the premise that pictures disappear is automatically going to increase a teen’s risk tolerance and cause them to take riskier photos (even though Snapchat has admitted the pictures don’t really disappear). Certain kids will have a blast with the app, because honestly, it’s a ton of fun. But, other kids will find it way too easy to send inappropriate photos, risking their future. Remember, when minors take nude photos of themselves, it’s typically considered child pornography by the legal system. **July 6, 2016 update – with the most recent feature update, the “risk of stupid” has increased pretty dramatically for Snapchat. Snaps no longer disappear (“Memories”) and the addition of a passcode protected private photo vault is concerning. Instagram isn’t perfect here. There isn’t a way for parents to know if their son or daughter has created a fake account for inappropriate photos or for masking bullying activity. Fake Instagram accounts are called “Finstas” and are quite common. Not all Finstas are nefarious – some kids use them to hold more personal pictures or more embarrassing shots they only share with a certain core group of friends. WHICH APP IS HARDER FOR PARENTS TO MONITOR? Answer: Even This one was really a toss-up. Neither app has parental controls, and none of the parental controls on iOS or Android devices have any impact on Instagram or Snapchat, as I explain in our “App Risk” pages. Now that snaps are kept in “Memories,” maybe there’s a house rule that no snaps are deleted. It’s impossible to know if the rules are being adhered to, but it’s a start. With Instagram, although kids can easily clear their search history, at least the search history can be captured. Maybe the house rule is that search history isn’t deleted. With both apps, the real “parental control” happens through open, honest conversation. Imagine the power of a conversation like this between a dad and his son, “The truth is, you could hide a search for inappropriate things, and I would never know. But, I love you a ton, and I know that looking at those pictures can really mess with the way God has wired us as men. I want you to know that you can be honest if you ever bump into these kinds of things. It’s every guy’s battle, and I’m in this with you.” This creates an open dialogue, and everything that we keep in the light is easier to deal with. CONCLUSION I started by asking a question, “which app is best for kids?” My answer? Well, it depends. Kids who have a history of stumbling into pornography will struggle with staying pure on Instagram. On the other hand, a child who might be in a risky relationship might struggle to stay pure on Snapchat. My daughter won’t have either of them until she’s at least 13. This decision is based on what we know about our daughter and the risk attached to each app. It comes down to knowing your child, knowing each app’s risks, and then making an informed, loving decision. Copied with permission from: https://protectyoungeyes.com/snapchat-vs-instagram/ Alexis Clarke Secondary Teacher

(Lad, Dads & Daughters)

9:00am – 12:00am Saturday 4 November 2017

Following on from our Lads & Dads Remote Control Day last year, this year we are extending the day to

include our Kuyper daughters too.

Wood & Wheels Day is a day to enjoy things made from wood and things with wheels. We ask

students and parents to bring along interesting wheeled and wooden things to share and show and

shine.

Bring your

Interesting cars and bikes for display only

Wooden projects that would be of interest (e.g. father and child projects from the shed)

Remote-control cars, bikes and planes

Money to buy food and drinks

9:00am Arrive at School, Show and Shine, view wood and wheels on display

9:30am Remote control racing and play outside Hall

10:00am Fire bins, fire lighting and marshmallow roasting

10:30am Timber whistle production in the Technology Room

11:30am Remote control play

12:00noon Morning concludes. Go home to mow the lawn…

Sausage sandwiches and drinks will be on sale throughout the morning. The School will be open from

8:30am to receive cars, bikes and wooden things for display. Contact Ian Shaw if you have any

questions about what to bring (0416 191 254).



If you are not on SchoolEasyPay, please ensure that school fees for 2017 are paid by the end of Term 4 this year (Thursday 7 December). If you have any questions, please contact Tina on 4573 2999 Monday—Thursday. If you are on SchoolEasyPay, your agreement is already in place and there is no need to worry.

School Chaplain Position 2018

Josh Wilson, our current School Chaplain, has indicated that he will be leaving us at the end of the year to take on a challenging new role serving a growing church in Quaker’s Hill. Josh has been a blessing to us as he has served and ministered to our students for 3 years. Being an ex-Kuyper student, Josh knew the community well from the start and was able to connect with students, counsel and lead them. We pray Josh will continue to be a blessing to his new church community as he has been to us for many years, initially as a student and now a staff member. We thank Josh for his faithful ministry and trust God will bless his new work. Michael Hottinger will be joining us in 2018 to pick up from where Josh finishes. Michael is known to some at Kuyper and is highly qualified for the chaplaincy role in addition to the student support work he will perform in the Secondary School. Michael has a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Cultural studies, Diploma of Theology in Youth Ministry, Cert IV in Local Mission and a Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy and Counselling. Michael can speak French, German and Swiss. He has worked with young people in Springwood and Winmalee churches and schools and has a heart for teaching and mentoring. Mike is married to Amanda and lives in the Blue Mountains.

T E [email protected] W · 2017. 11. 2. · 294 Redbank Rd Kurrajong NSW 2758 T 02 4573 2999...

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Transcript of T E [email protected] W · 2017. 11. 2. · 294 Redbank Rd Kurrajong NSW 2758 T 02 4573 2999...