School Newsletter

CRU® FIT (Followers in Training) is an event teaching Christian leadership skills to Stage 3 students from schools around NSW and ACT. 

The CRU Schools Ministry team ran electives on the day to teach the students practical and creative ways to be holy at home, at school and within their CRU Groups, these included: 

• – Growing students in personal holiness
• – Helping students be holy as they lead CRU Groups
• – Ideas to help CRU Groups grow in holiness

We are thankful to God that we can share the good news of the gospel at Calderwood Christian School and that our students have opportunities for servant leadership as they grow in their Christ-likeness. 

Mrs Rachel Deck 

Upper Junior School Coordinator (3-6) 

Leader of Teacher Innovation and Learning (K-12)

The "Easter House Games" have become a regular fixture on the Calderwood calendar and one of its primary aims is to build leadership capacity in our Year 6 students.

Our Year 6 cohort planned, created and led K-5 students in a wide array of activities. Our students participated in relays, wide games, parachute games, made Lego creations, art, dance/worship and team games. 

Year 6 students led the groups with maturity and enthusiasm. They stepped out of their comfort zone and engaged positively with students across all grade levels.   

Feedback from our teachers was that the Year 6 students:  

• – "Were organised, spoke well to the children as they led each activity and responded to individual needs"  
• – "Worked hard to have seen every student in the group participate in the activities"
• – "Showed excellent leadership and patience" 
• – "Were confident, keen and motivated to see the K-5 students succeed"  

As our school community prepares for this special time of Easter, a huge congratulations to all Year 6 students for running an amazing event for our Junior School!

Mrs Rachel Deck

Upper Junior School Coordinator (3-6)

Leader of Teacher Innovation and Learning (K-12)

Airshow Downunder Careers Day

During Week 4, 14 students attended a Careers Day at the Shellharbour Airport, as a prelude to the Airshow Downunder.

Students had the chance to look at exhibits, speak to volunteers and representatives from a variety of Aviation Industries, and listen to speakers talk at the Pavilion, using the 2-hour visit to educate and inspire themselves regarding future career opportunities.

Year 11 student Seb, who is studying to obtain his Pilot's License, also got the chance to sit in the flight deck of the Qantas 747-400 plane! Here's what he had to say about the day. 

"I signed up for this intending to network with other people and discuss other possible pathways I can take to achieve my dream of being an International Airline Pilot.

I got to talk to many ADF people, who were very helpful in discussing pathways to become a pilot through the Air Force and at a later date transfer to airlines.

I was also lucky enough to sit in the flight deck of the Qantas 747-400. The guide who was in the flight deck with me used to fly that exact plane, and since he could sense "some passion" from me, I got to use the throttle quadrant and also look at other parts of the flight deck while everything was turned on. It was absolutely amazing."

Abigail, a Year 10 student who also attended the Airshow Downunder Careers Day, also reflected on her experience:

"When I decided to attend the career day, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd never been exposed to the wide world of aviation, and it hadn't been a considered option for me. So, when presented with the opportunity to attend I thought, 'why not?'

I am so glad I went. Being able to learn about the different career pathways and see some really cool planes and helicopters was such a fun experience.

From that day, I have learned just how much I really can do and achieve if I want it. Everybody there inspired me to dream bigger than myself and aspire to take chances and try new things because you're never going to know if you like something until you give it a go."

Women in Careers Conversations

In acknowledgment of International Women's Day, celebrated each year on March 8, Illawarra Sports High School hosted a career event supported by The Regional Industry Education Partnerships program (RIEP). 

The event brought together 200 female students who heard over 30 women speak about their various careers, many of which were in non-traditional vocations.

Students spent 20 minutes before each panel and were encouraged to ask questions.

Nine of our Stage 5 and 6 female students attended and benefited from career advice and wisdom to help them make informed decisions about future study and career pathways.  

Conor M

"The day we went to the Treetops Adventure course was amazing! We saw cool animals and even got to pet Koalas.

The highlights of the trip for me were being able to pet a beautiful chestnut brown horse, it even allowed me to pet under its neck. It was pretty funny when some other kids went up to it and it sneezed all over them.

What I found really fascinating was about five minutes before the storm when it started to buck and trot in a circle. I told people that I thought a storm was coming because my mum told me animals react when they know a big storm is coming.

The Treetops course was very fun, but at some points scary when rock climbing, because there were only mossy rocks that you could put your feet on.

Altogether, it was very enjoyable! The trip was very fun and I would advise everyone to go and have fun."

Dara A

"The trip to the Shoalhaven Zoo was amazing. The treetops were really fun, and just being able to overcome my fears was good too.

Getting to go to the shops was nice, and even though it was hot we had a great time. Then it was time to do the treetops.

We all got harnesses and off we went! The climbing didn't seem so bad until we got to the back. It was terrifying! But I did it anyway!

We were close to the end, but came to the zipline – my worst enemy! I was super reluctant but did it anyway. It was great! We got to the end and finished.

I went again, but this time it started raining really badly. We went as fast as we could, praying as well. But it was too late – the storm and wind held us back. Soon enough we finished. We ran under shelter.

It was a great day!"

Ella N

"It was an awesome but boiling hot day at Shoalhaven Zoo, exploring God's creatures that he has made.

It was exciting to see a koala that had been in a movie only for two seconds, but the owner said, 'It's more than I will ever get to be in one!'

We got to see monkeys, crocodiles, birds and lions. Jaxson got to hold a baby crocodile, Kyle got to hold a massive snake and Ameera got to hold two albino ringtail possums – one on her head eating a carrot, and one in her hands. They were very soft.

We had a great time on the ziplines, climbing up cliffs, and walking on almost tight ropes (there were ropes to hold onto, though).

There was a massive storm that came through when people were in the trees, but thankfully everyone was okay and nobody got hurt too badly!

Other than that, it was a great day!"

Year 11 – Kangaroo Valley Canoe Camp

Year 11's Camp this year was a Canoe trip up Kangaroo Valley's River for a camping trip filled with exciting activities. The trip kicked off with a safety briefing before two people per canoe set off on a 10 km journey. 

After canoeing, the group set up camp and enjoyed swimming in the nearby waters. They even managed to break the record for the most people in a canoe. Some members tried to walk underwater while holding the canoe upside down, while others relaxed with games like Mafia. 

Many students attempted some daring feats. Uriah had 15 life jackets on him at one point, while Kai impressively ate six sandwiches in one go. The group eventually settled in for the night, catching some much-needed sleep before waking up to paddle another 10 km. 

Among the highlights of the trip were breaking the canoe record (holding 14 people at once!) and enjoying a swim soaking in the beautiful surroundings. However, the sore shoulders after camping proved to be a downside for some. 

Overall, the trip was filled with adventure, fun, and camaraderie, making for a memorable experience for all involved.

Mr Bram Leslie

Year 12 – Gerringong Study Camp

During the Monday and Tuesday of week 6, Year 12 travelled on a one-night camp to Chittick Lodge in Gerringong.

After Monday morning assembly (featuring the Price Is Right), we were bussed to Loves Bay, where we began the Kiama coastal walk to enjoy the wonderful creation, sunshine, and each other’s company. The best part was Bare Bluff, with views from Bulli to Conjola and an interesting discussion of how fast you could run to that house. When we arrived at Werri Beach, we played volleyball squares and then walked around the headland for a swim, and then on to the lodge. 

Arriving at the Lodge, we snacked on some food prepared by Mrs. Meek and engaged in some independent study. In the evening, we played an extremely competitive game of volleyball (Mr. Nicholls' side lost 2-3), before eating dinner (yum) and relaxing over a game of cards. The night ended with some delicious (seriously scrum-diddly-umptious and adventurous for some) mochi, which we were able to help Mrs Meek prepare. The way Mrs Meek described it was a bunch of "green goop", but it tasted amazing!  

On Tuesday morning after a cracker of a sunrise and about two hours of sleep, we continued studying and received study advice from both Mr Schaefer and Miss Semenchuk. We ate some cake (yum yum) in celebration of a classmate’s birthday before and a sleepy cake-filled bus ride home.  

Joel Mion and Hannah Kramer

Year 12 Students

During break times, representatives from our Year 10 cohort accompanied the visiting students around the school and engaged them in fun games. They also led a Bible study and ran some amazing pastoral care activities with the Stage 3 students.

Parents also met our Principal, Mr Darren Hutton, and our Head of Secondary, Mrs Evelyn Meek. They were provided with a school tour to observe the school and Try Year 7 Day in action!

We are grateful to God for the numerous students who visited our school. It was wonderful to see so many new friendships forming among the new and existing students.

Here's what some students who attended had to say about their experience at Try Year 7 Day:

"Try Year 7 Day was a fun experience. My friends and I enjoyed science the most as we liked working with electricity. I liked the fun activities and lessons we were taught. I’m really looking forward to Year 7 and I think my friends are too." – Charlotte

"I think that Try Year 7 day was really enjoyable and I made friends with the new kids. All the activities we did make me excited about going to Year 7. I especially enjoyed woodwork!" – Travis

Mrs Rachel Deck

Upper Junior School Coordinator

Over their days in Canberra, our captains learned about what leadership looks like, how it is important to read and understand the Bible in context, and what the Biblical story is. The sessions were taught by Graham Stanton, Jeff Nagle, Mark Ryan, Matt Stackhouse and Erica Jones.

Besides listening to talks, the group visited the Australian War Memorial, the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, and Parliament House. At Parliament House, they met independent Senator David Pocock, who shared his passion to make a difference in the world as a leader, encouraging our school captains to remember that as young people, we have a voice on issues that matter to us.

Rachel, Nick and Lani also had fun at the Bush Dance on their last night in Canberra, with the Macarena and Nut Bush among the highlights.

Our captains shared what they took away from the conference, and reflected on what they might like to implement into their leadership at Calderwood. Here's what they had to say:

What did you learn?

Rachel

I found that the Compass Conference was an amazing time of bonding, not only with Nick, Lani, Mr Hutton and Mrs Meek, but also with the other student leaders from schools all around the country. I was so encouraged by the friendliness of those students, and I found their passion for their roles infectious.

The conference helped expand my perspective of the culture I am a part of, and encouraged me to seek God as I grow into my leadership position in our school. I am thankful for the privilege of being able to attend, explore, and actively engage in each session, and I can’t wait to begin implementing what I learnt throughout the Compass Conference.  

Nick

At the Compass Conference I learned new ideas, values, and methods on how to be an effective leader for the Calderwood school community, and for other service roles within school.

The 5-day conference provided insight as well as skills into areas of faith I had only ever scratched the surface of, such as:

• – What is lament?
• – Lament in the church
• – Lament in faith
• – How to be a Christian leader in today’s culture
• – Current social and political trends 

Overall, the Compass Camp was a spectacular time for meeting like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ from all over Australia, as well as having the opportunity to join in fellowship with other student leaders in Canberra!

Lani

Over the 4-day Compass Conference, I developed an appreciation for other perspectives from fellow students, teachers and leaders.

I was grateful for my discussion group leader who created a comfortable space to share and collaborate thoughts and ideas. From learning new approaches to reading the Bible to exploring practices such as lament, I was able to step outside my comfort zone.

I met some incredible people and loved getting to know my fellow captains Rachel and Nick, and Mr Hutton and Mrs Meek better. A couple of highlights for me were eating mochi, gelato, extra-MSG flavoured noodles, getting extremely competitive in games of uno, and best of all learning to bush dance for the first time!

What would you like to implement at Calderwood?

Rachel

From individuals focused upon the advancement of self, to a community that values humility, uplifting others and placing them first.  

Nick

From a culture of egotistical self-improvement to a culture of the improvement of others in faith, and education.  

Lani

From friends in school, to family in Christ.