A Word from Martin Gee
This week I have been thinking about seeing, and what makes good art. Our HSC class is studying contemporary art. Damien Hirst, a British artist, took a tiger shark and stuck it in a display case filled with formaldehyde. It’s called ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.’ It would certainly give you a start, coming across that thing in a gallery. Another artist, Marina Abramovic, created a work called ‘The Artist is Present’. Abramovic sat in the gallery for eight hours each day. Visitors were invited to sit opposite her and look into her eyes. This is less of a shock than the tiger shark, but the idea is interesting. Normally the audience encounters the artwork, but not the artist. Here, the artist enters the artwork, directly engaging their audience.
I asked my class about these works. Jade said art should be beautiful and it should communicate something meaningful. Marissa said that art should display skill and technique. Lucy said that anything can be art; the main thing is that the artist has a message to communicate.
My Year 7 art class is creating artworks with beauty, skill and meaning. They are using an Indigenous painting style to represent their favourite place. They made up their own symbols to create an interesting design with a deeper meaning. Good artworks are like that; they catch our attention but have a deeper message. I’m not sure what the meaning of the dead shark is. Hirst paid a fisherman who caught it off Hervey Bay in Queensland. I wonder if the shark was a better artwork before Hirst killed it and put it in a tank.
I think back to Genesis, where art began and the world was new and full of glory. This is where the tiger shark belongs. Imagine Eve and Adam taking a dip and the shark is below them, muscling through the dark waters. Perhaps it is there to show them what real awe feels like. Maybe that is what a shark means. This is the original art gallery. Surrounded by all this created life, Adam and Eve hear the sound of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. The Artist is Present. Paying attention is always important, because the Artist is Present. This can be quite hard when life is busy.
There are lots of things to see, unwrapped gifts and free surprises. The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand.
Annie Dillard
A student illuminated this truth on Friday morning. I was busy, as adults are, unlocking toilets and watching the car park. Keeley called me over in excitement, ‘Mr Gee, look at this!’ She was pointing towards the bush. At first I didn’t see it, and then I did. After Thursday’s rain, the trees along the creek stood like ghosts against the dark gully. Suddenly the sun shone through, lighting up the air, filling it with mist, and touching every leaf with clear grace. Thursday morning was bitterly cold; Friday morning was like a resurrection.
This was an unwrapped gift, a free surprise. It reminded me that I need to pay attention, especially on busy days, because the Artist is Present.
Reminders
- The Parent Portal and Kuyper App will be the primary vehicle for day-to-day communications between the school and parents in 2023. The School Calendar, weekly news, event advice and other essential functions will only be available in the Parent Portal and Kuyper App. At least one parent/carer from each household where your child resides needs access to the portal or app. If you are not already using the App, or need assistance resetting your user account and password, call 4573 2999 and we will assist you to connect.
- Nurture Magazine has been sent home to each family via their eldest child. Look for an article by our very own Ruth Thompson on page 20.
- Lost Property is over-flowing. Please come and check if any of it is yours, as lost property will be discarded or re-sold at the end of the year.
- Parents are reminded to continue testing for COVID and advise us if there is COVID in their household. If concerned, we encourage students to wear a mask at school for their own and others’ protection. In line with NSW Health recommendations, we also ask that close contacts wear a mask indoors and on public transport (including the Kuyper bus) and test regularly. We still have a good supply of RAHT kits. Contact the Office if you would like some sent home.
- Reminder to parents to ensure that all fees are paid by the end of year. Contact the Office if you have any concerns.
- Families who rely on the Busways service need to know that there have been some changes to the timetables until the end of term. Use the buttons below to access the temporary timetables for Term 4.
Prayer & Praise
- Praise God that he continues in his sovereignty through all circumstances. Praise him that he is “the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God” (1 Timothy 1:17), and that he loves us.
- Give thanks for holidays, breaks and changes in rhythm. Pray for connection, peace and safety for all our families during these school holidays. Pray for connection and community to grow for all at Kuyper Christian School, particularly at Limelight!
- Pray for school families and staff families who are coping with illness and accident: Faithfull, Hill, Eastlake, Armstrong, Gubbins, Huxley, Daly. Pray for good rest, connection and healing for all our families, staff and students.
- Give thanks for our Government and those in authority. Pray that they would be led in wisdom and truth to lead our country for the future good of all. Pray that “every person be subject to the governing authorities.” Give thanks that our government has been “instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).
- Give thanks for our Board and Executive team as they interview potential new staff members. Pray for one-ness of purpose for our staff, Board, Executive team, and Association as they plan, prepare and budget for 2023. Praise the Lord for His provision to us all the time.
News & Notices
W.O.W. Band-a-thon, Thursday 22 July
This event is an opportunity for students to obtain sponsors, as well as practice, because they will play for four straight hours… If you need a sponsorship form, contact the Office.
Parents, carers and friends are most welcome to attend the the band-a-thon. Busker-style donations will be accepted on the day.
All money raised will go towards the Way Out West School Tour and ensure that all band members can have this wonderful experience.
Hot Lunch Day - Order Now!
We will welcome Term 3 with a Hot Lunch Day on Monday 26 July. Download the order form below and return it to the Office, with the correct money, by this Thursday 24 June (last Thursday of Term 2), then look forward to your hot lunch!
Collective Shout
Tomorrow, Wednesday 23 June, Melinda Tankard Reist will visit Kuyper to speak with our Year 7 – 12 students. She is the co-founder of Collective Shout, a grassroots campaigns movement against the objectification of women and the sexualisation of girls. Here is a snap-shot of what Melinda will talk about on the day:
Melinda and Daniel will take our young women on a ‘tour’ of media and popular culture in a dynamic, multi-visual presentation. They will unpack with our girls the images, messages and ideas they receive every day from games, music videos, advertising, marketing, social media and explicit se*ual imagery, conveying a message that their value and worth lies solely in their bodies and physical appearance. Students will critically evaluate how these messages contribute in harmful ways to their views of themselves, their bodies and relationships, affecting their physical, emotional and social development. Drawing from global research and personal accounts of young people, Melinda and Dan will then explore how young women can respond personally, including by resisting se*ual pressure, clarifying their values and enforcing boundaries, aspiring to relationships built on respect and mutuality – and collectively – by taking action for social change and cultural transformation.
Our young men are also bombarded with hyper-se*ualised messages and images in media and popular culture. Their lives are increasingly socialised, conditioned and informed by exposure to p*rn related content online. They are exposed to this content even before their first kiss, with average age of first exposure, 11. In a dynamic multi-media presentation which includes research, along with first person stories of young men, Melinda and Daniel will explore with male students how exposure to se*ual imagery is contributing to a distorted view of bodies and relationships. They will propose that boys are being raised in a callous version of masculinity through these toxic messages, hampering their ability to form healthy respect-based relationships. Melinda and Dan will help them understand what consent and healthy relationships should look like. In a po*nified cultural landscape, our young men will be encouraged to stand against the tide, resist the ‘bystander’ effect, and choose to act with integrity.
We are blessed to have this opportunity and look forward to the ongoing conversations Melinda’s visit will create.
Cyberbullying Survey for Years 7 - 9
Kuyper Christian School have agreed to participate in a Cyberbullying Research Project run by Macquarie University for Years 7-9. The research project is related to factors associated with cyberbullying and how this affects mental health. Students will be required to complete a 45 minute questionnaire. Staff will ensure that there is minimal disruption to the school day. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Office.
If you are the parent of a child in Years 7-9, please provide your consent for their participation electronically by following the link below. Please do not print the consent form. Use the red arrow at the bottom of the screen to submit consent online: https://tinyurl.com/mqconsent