Horsemen

Shareen Liggins, Secondary Teacher
I feel like it is pretty obvious right now to write an article about “the state of our world today”; to comment on these last few years of plague, pestilence, fire, floods, famine and war; even to joke, as Australian’s do, about The Four Horsemen. Then, to wonder quite seriously, and long for, the return of Jesus when all things will be made new.
To us now, disaster and death is nothing new, is it? We all know it. We all expect it. We handle it as best we can. It would be great if we could allow ourselves, especially as Christians, to be comforted and strengthened by the awareness that God is handling it now too, perfectly, righteously, compassionately and with an eternal perspective.
The 17th century poet, John Donne, who was famously converted from profligacy to a vigorous Christian faith, wrote about this in his Holy Sonnet Death, Be Not Proud:
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
This somewhat cheeky Sonnet tells us a lot about how the poet handled his suffering; suffering that would have been very familiar to residents of the 16th and 17th century. “Fate, chance, kings, and desperate men … poison, war, and sickness”; sound familiar?
Donne lost five of his twelve children to still-birth and disease. His wife also passed away after 16 years of marriage and he himself experienced poverty, anxiety, depression, and near-fatal illness. The England he lived in was scarred by centuries of internal conflict and war among the great powers of Europe. Yet he could write this defiant poem, triumphantly proclaiming “death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die”. What was he on about?
Donne believed in the power of Christ to redeem and liberate us from the perils of this world. For Donne, the powers that apparently rule our lives are completely impotent before the power of the Cross, that overthrows even death. Although I don’t always feel so self-assured as to shake my fist at “Death” (and I marvel and rejoice in Donne’s assurance), I am completely sure that Jesus, the friend of sinners, who went to the Cross for me, has conquered death.
So, we can continue to face the plagues of humanity with courage, in Christ, being “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything…
Ephesians 1:18-22
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
Parent/Teacher Interviews for Senior Students


Parent/Teacher interviews for Senior students will be held in the Library on Wednesday 14 September, from 4pm. Use the button below to make your bookings.
Bookings close on Thursday 8 September. Academic Reports for Senior students will be emailed to you before 14 September.
Flood Support Opportunity


We have all seen the devastating impact of the floods in NSW. Over 100 regional Independent schools, and tens of thousands of students who are part of our wider Independent schools community have experienced damage to their homes and have lost school equipment such as laptops, books and uniforms. They need our support.
You can directly support affected students by clicking on this link to donate to the Australian Independent Schools Fund’s (AISF) Flood Relief Appeal. All donations over $2 are tax deductable and a receipt will be generated and emailed to you automatically. The AISF has no administrative costs; every dollar donated will go directly to supporting flood-affected students and will be distributed to families promptly.
The AISF was established in 2017 by the Association of Independent Schools of NSW to provide tax deductable financial donations directly to disadvantaged students, including those needing emergency relief due to natural disasters such as bushfires, floods and storms. In 2020, the AISF distributed more than $600,000 directly, within days, to 176 families who had suffered catastrophe in the summer bushfires. A further $263,700 went directly to 76 families impacted by storms and floods the same year. This funding was delivered to affected families within days and their gratitude was overwhelming.
Thank you for reaching out to families in our sister schools in NSW and providing your support for those among us who are in need.
NAPLAN Online, Tuesday 10 May


NAPLAN Online for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will begin on Tuesday next week (10 May). All participating students will need to bring plug-in headphones. Secondary students will need to ensure that their Chromebook is fully charged for the start of the day.
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. All NSW schools will sit NAPLAN online in 2022.
Please contact the School Office if you need more information on special provisions or the process required to gain a formal exemption.
Where possible, we will arrange for individual students who are absent at the time of testing to complete missed tests at another time during our test schedule.
If you have any questions about NAPLAN Online, please contact the Office or your child’s teacher.
Additional resources:
Seussical Tickets: still some left!



Only 7 days until Opening Night (and counting), and Seussical tickets are still available! They can be booked online, by using the button below. It’s going to be amazing, so please join us and bring your family and friends!
- Performance Dates:
- Opening Night – Wednesday 10 August, 7:30pm
- Thursday 11 August, 7:30pm
- Friday 12 August, 7:30pm
- Matinee – Saturday 13 August, 2pm
- Closing Night – Saturday 13 August, 7:30pm
The show runs for approximately two hours including Interval. The Seussical Cafe will be in operation before each show and at Interval, selling delicious Seussical themed food and drinks. If you have any questions at all when purchasing your tickets, please contact the Office on 4573 2999 or email admin@kuyper.nsw.edu.au