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• Diversity and inclusion
• Celebrating boarding
• Guest speakers
• RAT distribution

We are a school genuinely cognisant of the many benefits of diversity and inclusion. I make this point as we don’t use these words lightly, and we support our position with actuals – a community of families, students and staff from different geographic locations, religions, interests, mental and physical abilities, as well as different genders, races and cultures. Christ Church was established in 1910 as an open entry school and we remain an open entry school in 2022. I have always placed a high value on the diversity at Christ Church as it makes us stronger as a community.

I found a recent study by Deloitte University on diversity and inclusivity particularly interesting. Its findings suggest that 83% of millennials are actively engaged when they believe their organisation fosters an inclusive culture, compared to 60% engagement when an inclusive culture is absent. I know a large percentage of our students are Gen Z and Generation Alpha, however our boys, whether they are in Pre-Kindergarten or Senior School, are immersed in a diverse and inclusive culture. Furthermore, the findings in the report link cognitive diversity to creativity and innovation which speaks directly to our pedagogy and program creation. We know that our holistic education, combined with diversity, helps our students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will make them happy, successful, and informed contributors no matter what they pursue beyond Christ Church. Much of the learning that takes place in schools is through the “hidden curriculum” and with our diversity and inclusive nature we are preparing students for life.

This week as we celebrate National Boarding week, we have the opportunity to highlight some of the many great experiences our boarders and their families enjoy. Please follow this link to see more photos from the week. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Facebook post of the dogs cherished by our On Board students, who will be new to Christ Church and boarding in 2023 and enjoy a year of connection with our staff and students before this transition occurs.

It is very pleasing to see guest speakers back on the calendar. Last night we welcomed Arne Rubinstein and next week Paul Litherland, both exceptional individuals and experts in their fields. Please remember that when coming on to campus to a seated, indoors event, face masks are required.

By now, all families should have their supply of 20 RATs per student. These free RATs are provided to support students continuing to come to school for face-to-face learning, minimising disruption to their education. You will be able to use these tests with your son at home if they are feeling unwell, and you can also use the RATs if your child is a close contact to enable them to test daily and continue to attend school, as long as they (1) receive a negative result, (2) remain asymptomatic, and (3) wear a mask as per Government guidelines. Our COVID-19 infection numbers reflect those of society and I would like to thank the staff who are working extremely hard to maintain the excellent standards of a Christ Church education for all students.

Alan Jones
Principal

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• Celebrating Boarding Week
• Diversity at Christ Church
• Years 11 and 12 exams
• Winter Sport arrangements
• The Three Musketeers opens

We have been celebrating Boarding Week this week, and I encourage you to see our Facebook page with photos of the activities our Boarders took part in throughout the week. There is something special about having a boarding community within our school environment; there are always so many different stories to be listened to and shared. I welcome our community to reach out to our Boarding Director, Brad Downing, should they have friends or family who wish to consider their son joining our residential community.

The global pandemic has highlighted the importance of community and coming together in the face of adversity. In the Senior School this week, we recognised IDAHOBIT Day to raise awareness of the discrimination and exclusion still faced by the LGBTQIA+ community. It was great to see the support for this day of recognition by staff and students. We are proud that we can provide all our students with access to high-quality education that is free from discrimination.

Next week the Senior School takes on a different and somewhat quieter perspective. Years 11 and 12 boys begin their mid-year exams on Monday. The boys have been reminded that they need to maintain their sporting commitments during this period, despite the fact they are only required to attend school for scheduled exams. Senior School staff members are available for assistance during this period and boys can use the library for study. On all occasions, including their scheduled exams, boys are expected to attend school in winter uniform and have been given clear guidelines on equipment permitted during exams. We wish the Years 11 and 12 boys every success during this exam period.

As the winter sport season continues and the daylight hours fade, it is important to ensure arrangements regarding collection of boys after training, be it at school or the training venue, be clearly understood by all concerned. Supervising staff members on bus duty after training have been advised not to leave any boys unattended at sporting venues. Parents should also note that there is always an ‘after-school’ duty staff member available on campus until 5.45pm and can be contacted on 9442 1555 should you encounter problems. Details regarding all Friday and Saturday school sport fixtures, including bus departure and return times, can be found under the sport section in CCGS World.

This week the Drama Department opened The Three Musketeers, a Years 9 and 10 dramatic performance, in the Drama Centre. In what has been a challenging rehearsal period, where there hasn’t been a full cast rehearsal due to COVID-19, the cast and crew under the direction of Ms Kalika Duck have put together a stellar show. Tickets are still on sale here.

Upcoming Senior School Events

• The Three Musketeers – 18 to 21 May, 7.00pm to 9.00pm nightly
• PSA Sport v Guildford – Friday 20 and Saturday 21 May
• Year 9 OQD (Queenslea) begins – Saturday 21 May
• Year 7 Parent/Teacher/Student Night – Monday 23 May, 3.30pm to 7.00pm
• PSA Sport v Wesley – Friday 27 and Saturday 28 May
• New Senior Parent Event – Wednesday 1 June, 6.00pm to 7.30pm

Mark Morrissy
Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School

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• Integrated learning projects
• King’s Park Naturescape
• NAPLAN and ICAS testing
• Gifted Awareness Week

When students see connections across different subject areas, their understanding of the topic at hand is enhanced. This term, the Year 5 boys are combining their mathematics studies of probability, with design work in their Technology class. Using Shapr3D, boys were tasked with constructing a technical drawing of a random number generator, before exporting it as a DFX file to be laser cut. Boys will then use their spinner in their mathematics class to undertake simple chance experiments before representing the likelihood of events in percentages, decimals, and fractions.

Our Year 4 classes visited King’s Park for a full day excursion to learn more about the cultural history of the area on Wednesday. Each group was provided with a unique experience where they were able to explore, imagine, learn and connect with nature. Despite the weather, the group enjoyed a fun-filled day out in King’s Park Naturescape.

The NAPLAN sitting window has been extended to Friday 27 May. All boys who missed any of the NAPLAN tests due to absences, will have the opportunity to catch up through the remainder of this week and next.

ICAS Testing will be taking place during Term 3 and is designed to target students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Spelling and Digital Technologies. The assessments are suitable for boys wishing to extend themselves academically and take up the personal challenge of competing in an international assessment. All ICAS assessments will be online and are available for boys from Years 2 to 6. For information regarding registration, sitting dates and the purchasing of practice papers, please click here.

Next week we celebrate Gifted Awareness Week. Gifted Awareness Week was founded in 2015 to raise awareness of the identification, support and learning needs of gifted children and to celebrate the dedication of individuals and educational bodies who are making a positive difference in the lives of gifted children and their families. This year Christ Church will celebrate the Gifted Awareness Week “Like Minds” theme by holding some special lunchtime activities for “like minds” to engage in, from puzzle challenges and Spelling Bee’s to building aeroplanes. A timetable of events will be posted in the daily student bulletin outlining all the fun activities for all to attend!

A reminder that our rescheduled Inter House Athletics Carnival takes place Tuesday 24 May at St John’s Wood.

Congratulations to the following Building Good Men recipients for this week.

Dr Steven Males
Head of Preparatory School