Principal’s PenA Lesson from the Fire AntsFor years scientists were baffled by the mystery of floating fire ants. When placed in water, an individual fire ant

will flounder, struggle, and then eventually sink. But when the fire ants band together they form life rafts that help

them survive the flash floods of the Brazilian rain forests. As a unified raft, they can even travel for months before

reaching dry land.

These ants provide a great illustration to us on the value and importance of team. It’s a message that I verbalise

often to the staff team at the College, but one that relates to each of us equally when considering the education

of our children. On our own, we are unable to deliver the best outcomes, but when we each work in our areas of

experience, wisdom or relationship, we can bring about a result that is extra-ordinary.

Thomas Merton was a monk who wrote a book, called ‘No Man is an Island’. Whilst he was an advocate for

silence and solitude, he also underscored the importance of community and the necessity of deep connectedness

to others. No matter our personality type, whether we prefer being on our own or in the midst of a crowd, the

benefit of working together is that we can individually reach our potential and deliver greater outcomes than we

could have on our own.

It’s a principle that we see over and over again in the stories in the Bible. God speaks to many great men and

women in history about the wisdom of not travelling alone. Even Moses, the leader of the Children of Israel was

told to build a team around him. God said of the team ‘they will bear the burden of the people along with you, so

you will not have to carry it alone’ (Numbers 11:17).

We need to be connected. We need each other. On our own we can’t navigate through the journey of education, or

even life, with the best results. But together – teachers, staff, parents and students - the result can be completely

different - it can be awesome!

this issueSwimming Carnivals

Boys and the InternetForm Returns Required

PO Box 775Grace CourtBusselton WA 6280p: (08) 9754 1144f: (08) 9754 1142e: admin@cornerstone.wa.edu.auw: www.cornerstone.wa.edu.au

www.cornerstone.wa.edu.au

DATES to REMEMBER

Mar 27Primary Parent Assembly Year 62:00pm Auditorium

Mar 28Primary Dental Screening PrePrimary, Year 3 & Year 6

Mar 31Secondary Showcase11:55am Auditorium

April 3Puberty Night Year 66:30pm - 7:30pm

April 7-9 and then 9-11Red Cross Cadets Tribal Camps

April 10Primary Parent Assembly Year 42:00pm Auditorium

TERM DATESMonday Feb 3 - Friday April 11

Term 2 DatesTuesday 29 April - Friday 4 July

Bruce

4I S S U E

2 5 t h M a r c h2 0 1 4

NEWSLETTER

A M i n i s t r y o f

C o r n e r s t o n e C h u r c h

o f C h r i s t I n c

w w w . c o r n e r s t o n e b u s s e l t o n . c o m

CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

Around the College

Cleaver’s ClangersWhen fish are in schools they sometimes take debate. A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

Loading Zone ParkingWould parents PLEASE NOT PARK in the Loading Zone at any time. To do so, is making deliveries problematic for our suppliers.The Loading Zone is not a normal parking bay. Please keep it free at all times.

UniformsThere are a number of orders for uniforms awaiting collection in the front office. If you have been notified that items are ready to be paid for and picked up, please attend to this as early as possible. Our poor office ladies need the space and are currently buried beneath your shirts and socks! See you in the office shortly.

Boys and the InternetMr Glen Saw ran two evenings last week, on providing a safe internet environment for your children, particularly boys. Thanks to the parents who attended, but thanks especially to Glen, who provided an informative and helpful session.

Parent AssembliesOn March 13, the Primary Parent Assembly, hosted by Mr Meyerink’s Year 5/6 class was held. Congratulations to the students who did a remarkable job of leading the student body and their parents on this occasion. The next Assembly is this Thursday, March 27th. It will be hosted by Mrs Ackerman’s and Mrs Posa’s Year 6 class, at 2:00pm in the Auditorium. We’d love to see you there.

Primary Beach CarnivalJust over a week ago, the Primary Beach Carnival was held at the Busselton Foreshore. It was a wonderful event, and thanks needs to go to Mr Caleb Murphy

and his team of remarkable staff and awesome parent helpers. We love this traditional carnival, and it is incredibly popular amongst students and parents alike.

Young Woman In Public Affairs AwardCongratulations to our Year 12 student, Eilidh Lucas, who has just been announced as the winner of the region’s ‘Young Woman in Public Affairs Award’, in recognition of her contribution to the community and knowledge of the issues facing women.She is now in the running to progress towards National and International Recognition. Well done Eilidh.

Year 6 CampIn the first week of Term 2, the Year 6 students will be attending their annual camp.Parents will be updated as information comes to hand.It’s a terrific time for our students, and an event that leaves a strong and positive mark on the children that attend. Stay tuned for more information.

Puberty NightParents of students in Year 5 and Year 6 should have notification of the Puberty Night being held on April 3rd at 6:30pm.As students in this age group are at different development stages, it is optional for parents to have their Year 5 student participate this year or wait until Year 6. For all Year 6 students, this night is considered mandatory. We look forward to seeing you at the College on this evening.

In-Term ReportsThe Secondary School Interim Reports will be posted later this week, so please be on the look-out for these in your letterbox. Following their distribution, it may be necessary for appointments to be made with staff to discuss the progression of particular students. Accordingly, the Parent/Teacher interview night is scheduled for Tuesday April 1st. Details of this will be relayed to Secondary students shortly.

Praying in PartnershipThe College staff all rely heavily on God to perform their roles at the College, and make praying for your children a priority. At staff devotion times, the whispers of prayers for our overall work, as well as the specific needs of children is always spoken. It’s central to who we are. For parents who believe in the power of prayer, we would seek your support of our endeavours to perform our tasks. Please remember to pray for the College, for your children’s teachers and for the Leadership Team as we strive to perform God’s work in this place.

Keep your lives free from the love of

money and be content with what you have,

because God has said,“Never will I leave you;

never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

OFFICE HOURSThe Administration Office is

open from 8:15am to 4:30pm,

Monday to Friday.

Please note that if you call

the office before 8:15am it is

likely to go to message bank.

Additionally, coming into the

office prior to 8:15am will find it

unattended.

Staff are in meetings prior to

this time.

CANTEENThe College canteen is open

for business on Wednesday,

Thursday and Friday of each

week.

We prefer that orders be placed

via the online canteen.

Visit

www.ouronlinecanteen.com.au

The menu is also available for

viewing online at the College

website.

Orders must be placed by

9:30am.

UNIFORM SHOPThe uniform shop will be open

each Monday 8:30am - 9:30am

and Wednesday 3:00pm-4:00pm

You can also view the order form

on the College website at

www.cornerstone.wa.edu.au, or

complete an order form out of

your family information pack and

return it to school with your child.

YOUTH GROUPSCORE Youth - Years 7 to 9Friday night 7-9pm at Cornerstone0418 833 994 Julian/Karlien

Xtol Youth Group - Year 10 +Friday nights 7-9pm$4 entryBusso Bretho campsite0417 937 238 Margie0418 216 087 Graeme

Parent RepresentativesIn the above photo, a number of our recently appointed Parent Representatives for 2014, were seen gathering together for a morning tea.These women form a pivotal part of creating a sense of Community at the College, and work in a small voluntary capacity to encourage connections between parents in their relevant classes and the College. It is important to note that these ladies are not to be considered a vehicle to share your concerns about school matters - as these need to be directed to the class teacher or Head of Primary.We are delighted to have such a great team in this role - we celebrate their partnership with us.

Secondary ShowcaseThe Secondary Showcase for Term 1 is scheduled for Monday March 31st, at 11:55am in the Auditorium. All parents of Secondary students are invited to attend. We hope to see you there. It is a great time of acknowledging the hard work of students, as well as witnessing some of what has occurred during Term 1.

Water ChallengeRecently in health lessons, students in Year 1 and Year 2 have been learning abut the importance of drinking water. As part of their learning, many

students participated in a water challenge.Students were encouraged to drink at least 5 cups or water every day. Some children did extremely well and were able to drink 8 cups of water per day. Well done to Year 1 students, Charlotte Blennerhassett and Year 2 student, Tessa Schifferli, for winning the water challenge.

Sibling Enrolment FormsIf you have young children who you are planning to have enrolled at Cornerstone in 2015, now is the time to submit your enrolment forms. Places are beginning to fill up for next year, and as current families have priority on placements, we need to have those students allocated before we begin offering places to those external to the College community.

Parking in WaratahThe College is currently working with the City of Busselton to resolve some of the concerns parents have over safety and parking in Waratah Court. Angle parking and a footpath are to be installed.Until the work occurs, can parents who park in Waratah PLEASE reverse park in, which will provide a safer visual exit when departing and hopefully avoid injury to children who may be walking down the street. Thanks for your help. We know you love your kids and want them safe.

Form FillingBreak

Do You Need a Break?For many families at the College, it is now becoming urgent to have the forms distributed at the commencement of the year returned. If you haven’t returned ALL the forms you need to within the family pack, please grab a cuppa and make it a priority today.PLEASE consider this matter as now critical. Your child’s involvement in some activities may be affected if this is not seen to.

www.cornerstone.wa.edu.au

The students across the College have recently participated in our own Swimming Carnivals, with the students with the highest results selected to represent Cornerstone at either a local competition, or at the ACC Carnival in Perth.Congratulations to our swim stars, who performed extremely well. The Secondary School saw us come in second over-all in our division, and we won the overall Junior Boy’s catergory. Well done to all!

New on the Website

www.cornerstone.wa.edu.au

• The Aussie Neighbour• Calling all AlumniWhilst you are taking a look at the website, sign up to receive your newsletter electronically. Never again will it get lost at the bottom of the school bag - it will be delivered straight to your inbox!

Discipline Policy Changes - Primary SchoolThe College Leadership team is in the process of making changes to the discipline policy for the Primary School. To follow is an explanation of the Student Management System changes and the thought behind what is being implemented.

Guiding and supporting student behaviourThe College believes all students should be treated with respect and seeks to build positive relationships with students and their families. At times students may need guidance and support to make responsible choices and regulate their own behaviour. They are guided towards taking responsibility for their own actions and build resilience as they learn how to manage their emotions and behaviours in socially acceptable ways. Students at Cornerstone are encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions within the framework of a loving and caring school community.

At Cornerstone we believe that every student and teacher has the right to:• Learnandteachfreefromdisruption• Betreatedwithrespect• Asafeandpositiveenvironment,freefromdiscrimination and abuse. At times, students may demonstrate challenging or persistently unacceptable behaviour that tests these boundaries. The Leadership Team is working on a restructured Student Management System that is similar to the current model. The new model works in partnership with parents and has clearly defined, increasingly serious consequences whilst supporting a system of specific interventions involving a balance of discpline and grace.We will have more details in the next two newsletters and will hold a Parent Information Evening to fully inform you of the changes on Wednesday 7 May.

Positive Teacher of the Year AwardDo you have a teacher that deserves recognition? The Positive Schools organisation is currently seeking nominations for teachers that deserve to be celebrated for their contribution to students, staff and school wellbeing. For further information, nominate online at www.PositiveSchools.com.au.

Parenting Insights with Michael Grose www.parentingideas.com.auAs parents we need to emphasise who is a “stranger”. Your definition and your child’s may be quite different.Engage with your children to help them understand that a stranger is simply someone whom they do not know. We do not know if someone is good or bad just by looking at them. Rather, we need to teach our children about “strangeness”.Five ways to enforce the new rule:1. Never go anywhere with anyone without asking permission first.2. Your personal alarm - Children have an innate sensitive personal alarm, which we can teach them to use.3. Trust your instincts.4. Personal space vs. safety zone - do your kids recognise their safety zone?5. Safe places, safe people - There are times when a child must ask for help quickly and instinctively. Encourage your child to tell an adult they trust when someone or something has frightened them.As parents we need to empower our children with self-confidence and trust in their ability to sense when something is just not right. It doesn’t matter if they can articulate it; they just have to feel it. For a more details version of this article, go to: http://www.parentingideas.com.au/newsletter/pdf/Kidsafe_article_Parentingideas_Magazine.pdf

Staff Blog Addresseshttp://cornerstonehighschool.wordpress.com/http://amudala.weebly.com/http://mrtullyshistorypages.weebly.com/http://christopherpoole.weebly.com/ http://missatcornerstone.wordpress.com/http://careersatcornerstone.weebly.comhttp://will-meyer.squarespace.com/