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Newsletter – 22 June 2021

A Word from Es Stewart

Behold, the typical teenager phone. Despite its dilapidated state, it has great power to lure, trick, waylay, enthrall and consume.

I have four teenagers, ranging from 14 – 18 years old. All of them have a mobile phone, in various states of functionality. At 15, our eldest got her mobile and we opened Pandora’s Box, along with a large can of worms. Of course, she was only given an old second-hand thing so that she could be safe when she went out. I am now well aware of the irony of that statement.

When we gave our daughter that first mobile phone, we were the best parents in the world, for about 24 hours. By the end of a week, we had lost her, and become the worst parents ever. Before she got her mobile, our daughter would fill her spare time with reading and art. She never did much school work, but that didn’t bother us. She could read for hours on end, or draw or paint, sitting at the kitchen table. She would take the dog for a walk or watch a movie with her siblings. Now, with mobile in hand, she would lie in bed, the glare from the screen lighting her face, because she had forgotten to turn the light on. Her posture changed as she sat curled around the phone, chin down, completely absorbed in the endless and inescapable smorgasbord of entertainment. Before, when she was drawing, it would be hard to catch our daughter’s attention. We would have to come right up to her and speak. Now, however, it was impossible. Her eyes never left the screen. And if we forced an interruption, it would be met with indignation and impatience. The focus that allowed her to concentrate on reading or art for hours on end had become a snare in the new unbounded realm.

So, why didn’t we just take the phone away from her for good? Why don’t any of us just take them away from our kids? Because we understand that this is how the world is now. They actually need to learn how to negotiate these things. As scary as it is, we can’t put them in device-free cotton wool. They need to learn how to manage this temptation and we need to teach them.

When? Now. If your child has a mobile phone and you do not have any controls on it, you need to get some and you need to do it now. If this sounds blunt, it is only my opinion; I have no reports to cite or learned professionals to call upon. However, in my experience, no young person, under the age of 17 or 18 can manage a device. Grown men and women with busy lives fall prey to these things, how much more a child?

For some of you, your child does not yet have a device and you are perhaps wondering when this should occur. Whatever you decide, I recommend that you set up controls before you give them the device. Take advantage of the 24 hour honeymoon period when you are the best parents in the world. If you wait until there’s a problem, you will have a fight on your hands. At least that has been our experience, which is why I was asked to share what we have learned, through a great deal of trial and error.

As I said, we have four teenagers. Two of them have Android phones and two have Apple. My husband and I have Android. This is significant. If you have a choice, make sure that your kids use the same operating system as you. The best advice I have for Android is Google Family Link. The best advice I have for Apple is Screen Time. If you have Apple and your child has Android you can still use Google Family Link. If, like Paul and me, you have Android and your child has Apple, you will need to resort to some old fashioned controls. Our son hands his phone in each night at 9pm and we keep it for him until the morning. He is not allowed to use it in his bedroom. He must sit in a public space (e.g. kitchen or loungeroom) if he wishes to use his phone, or it is confiscated. He has had it confiscated so often now that we only get a sigh and an eye-roll when we take it away. He can even admit (now) that separation is healthy. So can our other kids, but it wasn’t like that in the beginning.

Family Link for Parents (available on Android & Apple)
Family Link for Children & Teens (available on Android only)

These two apps can be downloaded, free, through Google Play Store. You download the first one to your phone and the second one to your child’s Android phone, then follow the instructions to link the two devices. I am not going to try and walk you through the process. I am not any smarter at this than any of you. If you try, and get stuck, I probably can’t help you. I muddled through and got it installed on my phone and two of my kids’ phones, and I’m grateful.

Some more information:

  • Your child will need a google account.
  • Family Link will prevent them from having more than one google account per device.
  • Your child will need to agree to let you supervise their device. My husband had no trouble. He just told them they could have a phone with controls, or no phone.
  • You cannot see what they are searching on Google or YouTube etc. You can’t see who they’re talking to on SnapChat or Instagram or what they are saying to their friends.
  • Your child can always make calls. It’s a safety feature. They can call you even if their phone is locked. That also means they can call anyone in their contacts at any time.
  • Their alarm will also always work, even when the phone’s locked. So, if they tell you they need their phone unlocked so they can get up in time for school, it’s not true…

Here is an example of what I see on my phone for my daughter’s profile. I have limited the amount of time she has on some of her apps each day (YouTube for example). I have also blocked other problem apps. I have prescribed the hours during which she can use her phone. I have also limited the amount of time she has on her phone during those hours. We weathered the initial storm of protest and now see her working within these parameters; doing other things to entertain herself and leaving time to chat with her friends when they’re available. She’s learning to use her phone time wisely.

You may also note my favourite feature; the lock/unlock button. If you want your teen’s attention, just use this little tool. There’ll be immediate screams, but at least they’re communicating with you, right?

And one last piece of advice:

Have a lock screen on your phone, and change the lock code regularly. My kids are master code crackers and they work as a team. If you think that Family Link is not working any more, go in and check the settings on your app. Chances are one of them has worked out your lock screen code and made some adjustments to their daily limit and bedtime, and helped their siblings do the same. 

It’s war people.

Screen Time on an Apple phone is found in Settings. If you both have Apple, then this is a good option for you. Use the “set up screen time for family” function and go from there.

Of course, nothing’s perfect; my kids are constantly on the look out for ways around the controls, so these apps can never replace active parenting in this area. As I said, we take our son’s phone away every night at 9pm.

I would like to acknowledge the contribution my children have made to this article, as they continue to submit to our parenting with a good grace, even offering us helpful advice and encouragement on how we can improve (with examples from other households too!). Particular thanks goes to daughter no. 2 who voluntarily helped me find the information I needed to set up controls on her Apple phone. I would also like to thank daughter no. 3 for being willing to admit that her phone was too important to her, daughter no. 1 for submitting to our controls even after turning 18, and our son, for being honest and contrite when caught manipulating the system, at least most of the time.

Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.

Mark 4:18-19

Reminders

Keep up to date with important information for this week.

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  • 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.
Busways Route 680 – AM
Busways Route 5060 – AM
Busways Route 5572 – PM

Prayer & Praise

Please join us in bringing our community before our great God.

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  • 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

Hot Lunch Day - Order Now!

We will welcome Term 3 with a Hot Lunch Day on Monday 26 July but you will need to get your order in before the end of this term. Download the order form here now!

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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!

Download Order Form

Collective Shout

On Wednesday 23 June, Melinda Tankard Reist will be visiting Kuyper to speak with our Year 7 - 12 students. She is the co-founder of Collective Shout. Here are some of the topics she will cover during her visit.

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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.

W.O.W. Band-a-thon, Thursday 22 July

Parents, carers and friends are invited to attend the the W.O.W. Band-a-thon from 8am this Friday. Busker-style donations will be accepted on the day.

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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.

Working Bee, this Saturday 15 October

We are looking forward to our next Working Bee for 2022. Come along any time between 8am and 12 noon on Saturday 15 October. Register your intention by emailing the Office.

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Our Term 4 Working Bee will be held this Saturday 15 October. Come along between 8am and 12 noon. Morning tea will be provided. You are welcome to attend part or all of the time; any help is welcome! Children may attend, but they are the parents’ responsibility.

Please register your intention to participate by emailing admin@kuyper.nsw.edu.au and bring along your gum boots, shovels, whipper snippers and safety gear. We need you!

In This Issue

Calendar

November 2022

  • Wed 30: 5 – 6 Swim School, 11am, Richmond
  • Wed 30: 3 – 4 Swim School, 12pm, Richmond
  • Wed 30: K – 2 Swim School, 1pm, Richmond
  • Wed 30: Year 6 Graduation Dinner, 5:30pm

December 2022

  • Thurs 1: Year 8 Japanese Tanken Centre Excursion
  • Thurs 1: Year 6 Fun Day (for everyone!)
  • Friday 2: Kuyper Concert Band Rehearsal, 8am, Hall
  • Friday 2: Selected Secondary students, Positive Paws Program
  • Friday 2: Year 9 Swimming Program, Richmond
  • Friday 2: Parent Connect, 6:45pm, Library for dessert and prayer. All welcome!
  • Tues 6: Limelight! from 5pm
  • Wed 7: Year 6 Big Day Out!
  • Thurs 8: Parent Connect, 2pm, Hall, prior to the Assembly. All welcome!
  • Thurs 8: Celebration Assembly, 2:30pm, Hall.
  • Thurs 8: Last Day Term 4

January 2023

  • Mon 23: Curriculum Week begins (staff only)
  • Mon 30: First Day Term 1 for Years 1 – 12
  • Tues 31: First Day Term 1 for Prep & Kindy
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