Worth it?
Mark Ramsay, Head of Learning & Development
Are you worth dying for?
There have been so many powerful movie scenes depicting the sacrifice of a hero for other people. Spoiler alert; I’m about to tell you who dies in a few movies…
Tony Stark in Endgame has to be my all-time favourite. I may have shed a tear in that one. Superman in Dawn of Justice and Russell Casse in Independence Day are also worthy mentions. In all these movies, the hero is making a sacrifice for friends and family, which is noble and moving. Perhaps we hope that we would do the same, if necessary.
But what if the people who are saved aren’t connected to the hero? What if they are indifferent to the sacrifice? What if they are enemies?
The Bible speaks clearly. All humans are God’s enemies.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…
2 Timothy 3: 2-4
We are not mischievous puppies who chew God’s favourite shoes. We are not lovable rascals. We are ‘boastful’, ‘proud’, ‘disobedient’, ‘ungrateful’, ‘unforgiving’, ‘rash’. This is who we are, and it’s not pretty. But it’s true.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Romans 5:6-10
And this is also true; even though we weren’t worth dying for, Jesus died for us. Why? Because God loves us!
Don’t get tricked into believing that God owes you anything. He doesn’t owe us health or wealth or success. We have no right to expect anything good from God, and this makes His generous, gracious, abundant love and kindness even more beautiful. We don’t need a Tony Stark or Superman or Russell Casse because we have the Son of God offering us salvation.
As we enjoy the Easter long weekend and spend time with friends and family, remember that the death and resurrection of Jesus for us is significant because we are not worth dying for. But Jesus did it anyway.
Reminders
- TOMORROW Primary students who have ordered soup may enjoy it!
- Reminder to all parents, not to use the Bus Bay to drop off or pick up your children as it hinders bus movements and is unsafe.
- Families are reminded to ensure that at least half of your school fees for the year are paid by the end of June. If you need to discuss this, please contact Tina in the Office Monday – Thursday.
- We have oodles of lost property here in the Office. We will send home any that is labelled today.
- We would still like some help with morning tea on Friday 1 July for the 40 Year Celebration Service. Please email admin@kuyper.nsw.edu.au if you can assist.
- Eczema Support Australia has recently released a new video series with Dr Justin Coulson on Practical Parenting for Eczema Families. The video resource provides an insight into the daily challenges faced by families with eczema. It also provides strategies to help develop positive coping mechanisms and reduce feelings of isolation for the family unit. Please use this link to view the video series.
Prayer & Praise
- Praise God that he continues in his sovereignty through all circumstances. Praise God for His grace towards us through Jesus Christ. He is worthy of all of our love and devotion. Worship and thank Him for His sacrifice that rescued us from death.
- Pray for Joshua Miller, who is unwell in hospital at present. Please pray for healing, wisdom for the doctors, and hope and strength for Josh’s family.
- Give thanks for our staff. Pray that the Lord would restore us all to full health and strength to finish Term 2 well.
- Give thanks for all our students and their families. Pray for the ministry of the Holy Spirit through those who know Him, to lead us in prayer, words and deeds to encourage and exhort each other and find our health, peace and direction in the Lord. Pray for protection over the hearts and minds of our children and young people.
- Give thanks for our CEN schools. Pray for Dubbo Christian School, and their Principal. Pray for healing, fellowship and peace.
- Pray for our 40 year celebrations; that we would be truly thankful and joyful for what God has provided and achieved for us and through us. Pray that we would continue in the spirit we began with in 1982.
- Give thanks for our Kuyper families. Pray for connections to strengthen and grow in genuine community and care for eachother.
- 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).
- Praise God for the faithful Pioneers of Kuyper Christian School. Give thanks for those who have continued to nurture and grow those beginnings. Give thanks for Abraham Kuyper, his vision and his teachings. Give thanks that our foundations are in Christ, who is the source of all Truth. Give thanks that we are in partnership with each other – staff, parents and carers – as we serve the Lord by nurturing children in the knowledge and love of Him. Thank Him for each individual who makes up the Kuyper Community and lead us to value the whole person, so that each one may be encouraged in their relationship with God. Thank God for the students he has entrusted to our care, made in His image, to glorify Him. Worship Him because He is holy. Thank Him for His love and faithfulness towards His creation. Praise Him as Creator God, from whom we inherit our creativity. Give abundant thanks for his mercy and grace, without which we would be lost indeed. Give thanks also for His justice, that will not fail, and His forgiveness which is freely extended to all who would accept it. Give thanks for our God and his omnipotence; his power and influence is unlimited! Give thanks for our God and his omniscience; his universal understanding and complete knowledge. Give thanks for our God and his omnipresence; he is present everywhere at the same time.
- Give thanks for our Board and Executive teams. Pray for one-ness of purpose for our staff, Board, Executive team, and Association.
News & Notices
Non-Uniform Day
On Thursday 30 June, Kuyper will be holding a non-uniform Crazy Glasses day for CBM (Christian Blind Mission). Bring a gold coin if you are wearing non-uniform.
Students are encouraged to make a spectacle of themselves to draw attention to the good work being done by CBM in saving people’s vision. They operate in countries that do not have adequate medical supplies or professional help. For more information go to www.cbm.org.au
By holding this event on 30 June, we intend to take advantage of the Australian Government’s x 7 co-contribution. The grant means that a donation of (for example) $100, becomes $700, so please join in and give generously.
Premier's Reading Challenge
Every year, students from Kuyper Christian School participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge. The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure and enable students to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more, and to read more widely. The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is open to all NSW students in Kindergarten to Year 10.
To take part, email Mrs Vincenti, dvincenti@kuyper.nsw.edu.au
Contact the Office if you have any questions or need some help.
More RAHTs for Everyone!
Thank you to all our parents who are conscientiously conducting regular RAHTs and keeping students at home if they are unwell. Please continue using your RAHTs regularly, particularly if you may have come in contact with someone who has tested positive.
We will be sending home more RAHT kits this week for each student, but if you ever need extra ones, please contact the Office.
Updated NSW Health advice confirms that if a student is unwell and has any symptoms they should always test for COVID-19. If the test comes back negative for COVID-19, the student should still not return to school until either:
- they no longer have any symptoms, or
- a medical certificate is provided to the school confirming that symptoms are explained by another diagnosis (such as hay fever).
NSW Health has advised that it is important that students do not attend school if they are unwell, even if they have tested negative for COVID-19. Rapid antigen tests can produce false negative results and symptoms of other illnesses can also be similar to COVID-19, including flu, the common cold and stomach bugs.
Health advice is that students who are sick should always stay home to rest and recover and avoid putting other students and staff at risk of getting sick.
Run4Bibles (Kuyper Cross Country)
The Kuyper Cross Country Carnival, incorporating Run4Bibles, will be held on Friday this week. Bible League International invites you to join the “good fight” by raising money for Bibles for South African public schools. We would love every student at Kuyper to find at least 1 sponsor and be part of this great mission. $7 provides 1 bible for a student in a South African school.
Last term, students received their sponsorship forms for Run4Bibles. Here is the link to print one if you missed out, or need some more.
Since 2009, and with the support of thousands of students across Australia and New Zealand, Bible League International have seen more than 340,000 students in South African public schools receive the Good News of Jesus Christ. Many of these students have their own history of pain, rejection and hurt. In 2009 God opened a door for Bible League to get Bibles into public schools. They are now able to minister directly to students, speak into their situations, open up possibilities for a future they may never have imagined, and invite them into the life that God wants them to live.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7
Seussical Fashion
If you are a Seussical cast or crew member and would like to strut your stuff in a Kuyper Seussical shirt or hoodie, download the order form below and return it to the Office, this week.
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: