DE Newsletter April 2024

Dates for the Diary

From the Principal's Pen

It is great to be back at school!!

A warm welcome to new students and families, I look forward to journeying with you, as your child progresses academically, physically and socially at Jubilee Christian College.

I am really excited to welcome our newest teacher to Jubilee, Mr Peter Read. Mr Read brings with him a wealth of experience and teaching practice. Mr Read has spent four years as a missionary in India, and most recently taught at Belgrave Heights Christian School. We are so grateful that God has provided Mr Read to Jubilee Christian College.

Curriculum

If your home is anything like mine, no two weeks are ever the same. One week my children may have the flu, the next week they are attending a sporting carnival and the next a visitor from interstate. Our home fluctuates from one week to the next and so, as a parent I am needing to make decisions about what the priorities are for the week (in consultation with my wife of course).

As parents, you are best placed to make decisions about your child’s learning program. Some weeks you may need to go back over core learning material, or skip some learning material or add your own material to extend your child’s particular interest. Please know that whatever your week looks like, your teachers are here to support you and your child. 

For any support questions please email support@jubileecc.qld.edu.au

 Reflection

The Greek philosopher, Aristotle (384-322 BC), taught that without slaves to do labour, enlightened people wouldn’t have the energy and leisure to pursue wisdom and virtue.  Plato (428-348 BC) held the belief that slaves lacked souls and therefore had no inherent human rights. Slavery represents the ultimate denial of human liberty. Among the world's religions, including the three great monotheisms, only Christianity developed the idea that slavery was sinful and should be abolished. William Wilberforce dedicated his career and life to the abolition of slavery. After 18 years of relentless advocacy, a bill to abolish the slave trade finally passed, resulting in the liberation of approximately 700,000 slaves.

William Wilberforce personified the Christian arm of the Enlightenment at its best and ….set the world on a different and a finer course^1.

I share this reflection as a reminder to all students that whilst the opposition to change (local or global) can sometimes seem so overwhelming “If God is for us, who can be against us” Romans 8:31.

Dr Chris Radcliffe 

 1.        James, S. (2021). Christianity transformed the world. Scotland: Christian Focus Publications.

Prep - Year 9

At the start of a new term, it is a good idea to think about how the last term went and consider ways to do it better. There are a couple of time management strategies that can significantly boost productivity in Distance Education.

1. Create an effective learning routine 

These days everyone leads busy lives and interruptions to your learning schedule are inevitable but having a plan to follow helps students learn to take responsibility for their own learning.

Assisting students to make a personalised weekly timetable is a great start (see example below). Sample timetables for each grade level can be found on the DE Family Portal >DE Curriculum page. These timetables contain the recommended time frames for each subject per week and can be used as a guide to help you create your own. Your teacher can provide you with a timetable template for this purpose. To get started:

•  Fill in any regular weekly appointments or commitments.
• Consider a starting time that will help your student make the most of their ‘morning brain’ but also allow enough time to prepare for school.
• Fill in any regular GMeets or online lessons (if applicable).
• Schedule Maths and English before lunch if possible.

2. Teach students to use their Assessment Calendar and/or Term Overview

Your student’s term overview is a tab in their ILP, which you can find in their Student Records Folder. At the beginning of each term your teacher will also email you a pdf copy which you can print and display so your student can tick off tasks as they are completed.

Families with multiple students, can ask their teacher for an assessment calendar which will display all of their students assessment tasks in one place for easier reference (similar to the Term Overview but allows for multiple students/year levels).

Creating a timetable and using the term overview effectively are just two strategies that can help your student (& you) better manage their time, allowing more time to prioritise family activities and spend quality time with loved ones.

Mrs Loma Kirk (Deputy Principal)

Mrs Colleen Chandler (DE Head of P-9)

Student Representative Council

This year the SRC will embark on an exciting Emerging Leaders program. The team will consider what servant focused leadership looks like using Jesus as the ultimate example, while working towards delivering a whole school project at the end of the year.

The SRC are also supporting the JCC mission trip with fundraising. 

Please reach out to SRC in your PC classes, to share your feedback suggestions, thoughts and ideas. You can contact the SRC - by emailing them at seniorphase@jubileecc.qld.edu.au

The SRC wants to hear from you.

From our SWAN Team

If you have had the opportunity to read the book by Alex and Brett Harris “Do Hard Things”, you may have been inspired by the encouraging and challenging concepts that the book raises (we have a year 9 English unit based around this book). There are so many great stories and ideas presented in this book that encourage young people to discover their untapped potential and remind us that never trying is worse than losing.  This book serves as an excellent reminder of the benefits of embracing challenges and facing things that scare us, regardless of the outcome. 

As teachers, we have the privilege of coming into contact with many different students from vastly different circumstances. The challenges faced by our students differ from family to family, but each student is given with the opportunity to find value in their situation, just as their parents are in everyday life. Any teacher you speak with will tell you how amazed we are by the strength and courage of our students and how much that encourages us to be braver in the challenges we face.

Although the goals and expectations for each student may differ greatly, the one common thread in each set of circumstances is that God has big plans for each one of us.  As we face each challenge , large or small, be reminded that the success you experience may not come in the traditional means of achieving what you had set out to achieve.  It may come as learning a new skill, stretching yourself in ways you hadn’t before, persevering in doing something hard or the honour of hearing the Lord’s voice in a new way.

Look for ways to grow, even if you find something to be hard, and be encouraged that you are growing and learning every day.  

The Careers Corner

Welcome to term two and the start of the Year 10 students' VET journey.

Vocational Education Training (VET) Completing a Cert III in Year 10 lays the foundation for future success, by alleviating academic stress and pressure in Years 11/12. 

Providing students the freedom and flexibility to choose an ATAR - (4 x General Subjects) or Alternate Study Pathway.

• VET provides students with valuable QCE Credits
• VET uses available government funding - minimal or No cost to parents
• VET sets students up for success in years 11/12 
• VET equips students with practical skills and knowledge that are directly applicable to real-world job settings
• VET provides a hands-on approach allowing students to become job-ready and highly competitive in the workforce
• VET courses cater to a wide range of industries, offering diverse career options
• VET fosters personal growth, self-confidence, and a sense of accomplishment
• A Cert III VET Qualification opens the door to a range of future study options, including University

To support students' VET success, this year we have partnered with two leading RTOs to deliver a comprehensive program for senior students.

Embarking on Your Future - Your Way!

Have a fantastic week!

Chappy Corner

At a recent Parent's Connect Devotional group, our Chappy Wendy shared a great quote from a book called - Parenting by the Book, Biblical Wisdom for Raising your Child, By John Rosemond

"One of Grandma's favorite parenting aphorisms was "good citizenship begins at home," which simply means that at all times, and in all things, parents should "aim" their child-rearing at the goal of producing a good citizen, a person of value to the culture. In this regard, Grandma understood that she was raising an adult, not a child. This is also the meaning of Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.. Grandma's Three R's:In Grandma's day, home and family were a character-education classroom in which parents were teachers and children, students. Within this classroom, parents developed and delivered a curriculum designed to teach children a set of values essential to good citizenship.The core of this curriculum was composed of the following "Three R's":

1. Respect: for the fundamental dignity of every human being, which children develop by first learning respect for people in positions of legitimate authority, beginning with their parents. 

2. Responsibility: in two equally important senses of the term: first accountability for one's own actions; second, a willingness to carry out tasks assigned by authority figures (as well as those that are simply due the family/community by virtue of one's membership within it). 

3. Resourcefulness: a hang in there, tough it out, try-and-try again attitude brought to the challenges of life. ."

Wendy's devotionals have greatly encouraged those who have been attending. Wendy will shortly be heading off on maternity leave. We wish her God's richest blessings as she and her husband welcome their second child and continue their parenting journey. 

We plan to have someone else in place to continue to facilitate her Parent Connect Devotional Group and will be in touch with more details in the coming weeks.

Swimming Carnival

Do you ever wish your children had the opportunity to attend a swimming event that encouraged participation, celebrated personal achievement, and gave them a chance to connect with other children in a safe and supported environment? If this is you, our SEQ Jubilee Swimming Carnival provided all of that and more in 2024!

Students, parents, and teachers had an absolute blast at the Bethania Aquatic Center, on Thursday, the 7th of March. It was wonderful to see students pushing their limits cheered on by enthusiastic spectators. The delight of students receiving their first ribbon was a sight to behold with even parents and staff joining in to tear up the pool in the novelty races!

A big thank you to students Orlando, Leilani, Deborah, and Dante who volunteered to assist our little ones in the pool in between their races. They did a marvelous job and it was heartwarming to see the care they took.

Student Activities & Achievements

Recently JCC students Martin and Mason Mdzingwa had the opportunity to compete in a tennis tournament in Zimbabwe. Both boys took home medals as national age champions! 

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We would like to congratulate Rhiarna Harper (Year 9) who just completed a Certificate II in Music (Performance). Rhiarna is working towards her goal of one day becoming a music therapist to help people of all ages through music. Well done, Rhiarna!

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Far North Queensland students had a great start to the year with a visit from Toonworld Education. Students took part in designing their cartoon characters and exploring various drawing techniques. They finished the day by building a model of an animal character. We saw many models of God's amazing animals showcasing His great design. Parents spent a session hearing more about Cambridge Go our new year seven to nine online maths textbook and website. They then spent time cartooning and modelling with students and networking with each other. 

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In term one, students in years five and six studied the art of author and illustrator Barbara Reid. Using the same techniques and medium students made their own pieces. The medium used was plasticine. Below are some examples of the amazing creations from students

Community Notices