COMMUNITY NEWS TERM 4 WEEK 8

BLESSINGS

This year the theme for the school has been blessings: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms, with every spiritual blessing in Christ – Ephesians 1:3

As a Christian, at the start of the year I understood what the Bible had to say about what blessings are. Like most people I tended to view blessings in terms of gifts, opportunities, growth and contentment. All of them are by their very nature positive events, experiences or opportunities. The focus was more on noticing the many blessings that we take for granted and hence fail to appreciate.

As is always the case God had a different plan and wanted me to understand more deeply about the biblical understanding of blessings.

With the myriad of challenges facing each of us, some more in one year than another, do we believe that God is good one year, even better the next or not very generous the next? Recently an article went around the internet loosely entitled I am a Christian and my House just Burnt Down. The purpose of the article was to challenge the notion that if God protected the house from being destroyed Christians would say God is good but we never say to the person when the house burns down God is good. In fact God is always good and it is not determined by the good and bad experiences.

The fact that God is good is an absolute fact. So when we say God is good we should not tie it to circumstances. It is appropriate then to say when the house burns down that because God is good His love will help us through the difficult circumstances. Knowing that God loves us more than any person and has a plan for our lives allows us to put our trust in Him more than any person.

Just like Job some years seem to have everything go wrong. But what we learn from the Book of Job is that God is God. As a Christian we need to understand that everything in God’s plan begins with God and must also end with God. We acknowledge the truth of the first part but the last part is our stumbling block. We tend to focus on our self and our circumstances.

We need to go back to the truth; God is truth, God is good and God is love. That is enough. Everything that God does is based on those principles. Living in a fallen world we experience pain, grief, suffering, loss and death. None of those facts changes the principles of who God is.

As is always the case, the more I focus on my experiences, problems, disappointments etc the less I put my trust in God. However, the more I receive bountiful blessings, the less I put my trust in God, I tend not to believe I need God. These seem to be contradictory but in fact have a common element - me. Both of them focus on me and my circumstances. We seem to think of God as some sort of Santa Claus rather than our Saviour.

As we come to the end of another school year and begin to focus on Christmas we need to stop and reflect on who God is, why He has created us and what He has done for us. God never does anything based on what He wants from us. It is not a negotiation based on God needing something from us. We need to understand that at the heart of God and creation is love. Even if we had not been born God is love, God is also blessing. His character and truth is not determined by His creation. The creator is complete, has always been complete and will always be complete.

Please this Christmas focus on the God of all blessings. Merry Christmas.

Gary Brummell, Principal

Our Vision To foster a Christ centred learning

community where all students receive an education which enables them to

know the Lord Jesus Christ, grow in Him and serve Him to their full potential

Regents Park Christian School 59 Regent Street Regents Park, 2143 Ph: 9644 5144 Fax: 9743 7082 principal@rpcs.nsw.edu.au www.rpcs.nsw.edu.au IMPORTANT DATES TERM 4

29 November Primary Musical and Presentation Night

6 December Term 4 Ends

IMPORTANT DATES TERM 1 2014

28 January All New Students (excluding Kindy)

29 January Years 1-12 return

30 January Kindergarten begin 11 February Secondary Swimming Carnival Primary Parent Information Evening 24 February Year 7 Family BBQ and Information Evening 7 March Kindergarten Teddy Bears Picnic

PRAYER POINTS Pray for our School Executive as they finalise plans for 2014. Pray for our staff as they continue their busy period of report writing. Pray for a safe holiday for all of our staff and students!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms, with every spiritual blessing in Christ – Ephesians 1:3

Term 4 Week 8 29 November 2013

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

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ALL SCHOOL NEWS

DISABILITY PROVISIONS FOR THE HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE 2014 The Board of Studies has specifically developed the disability examination provisions program to assist students in completing the Higher School Certificate examinations. The Board of Studies’ aim is to offer practical support to students by providing provisions such as extra time to rest and/or write, writers or readers, special coloured examination papers. If students have a special examination need – whether it is related to a physical condition, visual impairment, (including colour blindness), hearing loss or learning difficulties, please contact Diane in the school office, to discuss the special need and obtain an application form. Applications for 2014 must be lodged by Friday 11 April 2014.

STUDENT COMMENCMENT DATES FOR 2014 Tuesday 28 January Year 7 and all new students (except Kindergarten)

9.30am to 1.30pm Wednesday 29 January All students (except Kindergarten) Thursday 30 January Kindergarten begin! Normal school hours in 2014 for Secondary are 8.28am to 3.00pm and for Primary 8.30am to 3.00pm.

UNIFORM SHOP NEWS The last trading date for 2013 will be THIS Wednesday 4 December not 11 December as reported last week. Opening Dates 2014 Wednesday 22 January 2014, 9.00am – 1.00pm Thursday 23 January 2014, 3.00pm – 8.00pm Tuesday 28 January 2014, 8.00am – 1.30pm

ON THEIR OWN CONCERT Our annual On Their Own Concert, which traditionally showcases the progress and talents of students having tuition at the school, will be on Monday, December 2 at 7pm. Our tutors this year – Melinda Gindy, Niko Verzosa, Daniel Gale, Jessica Pelkman, Esther Whitbread, Andrew Randall and Karen Evans – have been nurturing and discovering talent among many of our primary and high school talents and this event is always a highlight in our school year. The event is a chance for us to hear from students who have been learning for a little while right through to those who may have been learning an instrument for many years. Please come along and support our students and we ask that you bring a plate of supper to share afterwards. If you have any questions, please contact the school and ask to speak to Mrs Deal.

UNIFORM SHOP ANNOUNCEMENTS The high school has for many years sold second-hand uniforms on behalf of parents. This was done on a consignment basis with the school retaining a percentage of any sales proceeds. This is a very labour-intensive process and with the lack of volunteer help in the Uniform shop, it has become a significant administrative burden on the school. The Primary, on the other hand, has always accepted any second-hand uniforms purely on a donation basis.

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From the commencement of 2014, the Uniform Shop will no longer sell second-hand uniform on behalf of parents. This means that any second-hand uniform, with the exception of blazers, received by the uniform shop after 11 December 2013 will be treated as a donation to the school with any proceeds applied to the ongoing ministry of RPCS. In regards to blazers, parents are still encouraged to donate their second-hand blazers to the Uniform Shop, however the school is willing to purchase any saleable quality blazers from parents at a fair price. The school reserves the right to determine whether or not a second-hand blazer is of saleable quality and further to determine what a fair price is for the purchase of a second-hand blazer. The school will continue to honour the old arrangement for suitable second-hand uniform that has been received within the last 12 months or is received by the shop before 11 December 2013. The school will communicate with parents who have unsold second-hand uniform that was received more than 12 months ago. Parents will be invited to collect their unsold second-hand uniform by the end of February 2014 and arrange for the private sale or leave them with the Uniform shop as a donation.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the Uniform shop.

MUSIC TUITION PROGRAM UPDATE The Music Tuition Program at the school has expanded hugely this year and we would like to give you an update on the following.

Guitar Tuition – our new tutor, Daniel Gale, joined us in term 4. Daniel is currently teaching students from Years 5-9 and has some remaining places available.

Karen Evans, our saxophone tutor is currently teaching individual lessons and conducting a sax ensemble on Thursday afternoons from 2.45 – 3.30pm. Places are still available to join this group.

Jessica Pelkman, out Vocal tutor is currently teaching at the school on a Monday. There are minimal places available for tuition.

Andrew Randall, our brass tutor, is currently teaching individual and group lessons on a Wednesday during class time. There are some places available to learn a brass instrument.

Melinda Gindy and Esther Whitbread, our piano and flute tutors are currently in on 3 days during the week. Melinda has a primary school flute ensemble which meets on a Tuesday morning at 10.30. There are still a few places available for piano tuition with Esther on a Friday.

Niko Verzosa, our drum tutor is currently at the school on a Friday conducting lessons in the high school. There are only a few remaining spots for drum lessons.

Concert Band – Mr Chavura conducts a concert band rehearsal on Wednesday afternoons from 3 until 4pm for those students who are currently having tuition on the woodwind and brass instruments. If you are interested in joining this ensemble, please see Mr Chavura.

If you are in Years 5-11 and interested in having tuition on any of the instruments above, please see Mrs Deal at the high school or Mrs Guerra at the primary school.

END OF YEAR FEE MATTERS As we approach the end of the 2013 school year there are some important reminders with regard to fees and the school office. 1. All Tuition Fees must be fully settled by the end of term (6 December) unless an agreement is in place with the school.

Contact the school office immediately if you have any difficulty with this. 2. All Sundry Charges such as charges for excursions and consumable costs must be settled in full by the end of term – 6

December.

3. The School presumes that families who have not applied for fee assistance for 2013 by last week will not require assistance.

4. Please note that the school office will be open over the Christmas holidays except for the Christmas/New Year period of 24

December to 1 January.

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2014 FEE SCHEDULE Please find enclosed our fee schedule for 2014, as approved by the school board. Where parents are unable to pay the entire term’s tuition fee amount by the due dates, they need to contact the school by telephone or email accounts@rpcs.nsw.edu.au by Friday 6 December 2013 to discuss possible alternate arrangements where they must enter into an approved automated payment plan with the school. This plan will take the form of a weekly, fortnightly or monthly instalment paid to the school using our Direct Debit facility or Centrelink’s Centrepay Deductions.

REGENTS PARK COMMUNITY CHURCH – CHILDREN’S CONCERT A Children’s Concert conducted by Michelle Lin will be held at Regents Park Community Church on 7 December 2013 at 11.00am. All are welcome to come along!

2014 STATEMENTS EMAILED The School is moving to email fee and sundry statements to families who have email. If you are unsure if we have your email address please contact the school office to update any details.

SCHOOL BUS SERVICE 2014 From the start of 2014 the school will commence operation of its own bus to service to specific areas. The service: 1. Will run daily during term time from and to and from the areas of

o Newington

o Botanica

o Potts Hill estate

2. Is not available on an Ad hoc basis. Parents who want to use the service will need to book the service on a term by term

basis.

3. The school will make a nominal charge for the service of $50.00 per term which equates to approximately $1.00 per day

Please contact the school office if you are interested in using this service or want more information about it and pass the information to your family and friends.

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS With White Ribbon Day this week it seems timely to look at what is considered a healthy relationship and also the warning signs of a relationship becoming unhealthy and maybe even abusive. Communication is a key part to building a healthy relationship. The first step is making sure you both want and expect the same things -- being on the same page is very important. The following tips can help you create and maintain a healthy relationship:

Speak Up. In a healthy relationship, if something is bothering you, it’s best to talk about it instead of holding it in.

Respect Your Partner. Your partner's wishes and feelings have value. Let your significant other know you are making an effort to keep their ideas in mind. Mutual respect is essential in maintaining healthy relationships.

Compromise. Disagreements are a natural part of healthy relationships, but it’s important that you find a way to compromise if you disagree on something. Try to solve conflicts in a fair and rational way.

Be Supportive. Offer reassurance and encouragement to your partner. Also, let your partner know when you need their support. Healthy relationships are about building each other up, not putting each other down.

Respect Each Other’s Privacy. Just because you’re in a relationship, doesn’t mean you have to share everything and constantly be together. Healthy relationships require space.

Healthy Boundaries Creating boundaries is a good way to keep your relationship healthy and secure. By setting boundaries together, you can both have a deeper understanding of the type of relationship that you and your partner want. Boundaries are not meant to make you feel trapped or like you’re “walking on eggshells.” Creating boundaries is not a sign of secrecy or distrust -- it's an

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expression of what makes you feel comfortable and what you would like or not like to happen within the relationship. Remember, healthy boundaries shouldn’t restrict your ability to:

Go out with your friends without your partner.

Participate in activities and hobbies you like.

Not have to share passwords to your email, social media accounts or phone.

Respect each other’s individual likes and needs.

Healthy Relationship Boosters Even healthy relationships can use a boost now and then. You may need a boost if you feel disconnected from your partner or like the relationship has gotten stale. If so, find a fun, simple activity you both enjoy, like going on a walk, and talk about the reasons why you want to be in the relationship. Then, keep using healthy behaviors as you continue dating. What Isn't a Healthy Relationship? Relationships that are not healthy are based on power and control, not equality and respect. In the early stages of an abusive relationship, you may not think the unhealthy behaviors are a big deal. However, possessiveness, insults, jealous accusations, yelling, humiliation, pulling hair, pushing or other negative, abusive behaviors, are -- at their root -- exertions of power and control. Remember that abuse is always a choice and you deserve to be respected. There is no excuse for abuse of any kind. If you think your relationship is unhealthy, it's important to think about your safety now. Consider these points as you move forward:

Understand that a person can only change if they want to. You can't force your partner to alter their behavior if they don't believe they're wrong.

Focus on your own needs. Are you taking care of yourself? Your wellness is always important. Watch your stress levels, take time to be with friends, get enough sleep. If you find that your relationship is draining you, consider ending it.

Connect with your support systems. Often, abusers try to isolate their partners. Talk to your friends, family members, teachers and others to make sure you're getting the emotional support you need. Remember, our advocates are always ready to talk if you need a listening ear.

Think about breaking up. Remember that you deserve to feel safe and accepted in your relationship. Even though you cannot change your partner, you can make changes in your own life to stay safe. Consider leaving your partner before the abuse gets worse.

This information was sourced and adapted from www.loveisrespect.org. Should you wish to discuss any concerns you have, please contact myself or Julia London, our school counsellor, on (02) 9644 5144 or email us on counsellor@rpcs.nsw.edu.au. Rochelle Dawson Student Wellbeing Co-ordinator

PRIMARY NEWS

NO HOMEWORK POLICY 2014 All parents should have received a letter advising of our implementation of a No Homework Policy for Primary students in 2014. Understandably the response has been mixed, some worried, others ecstatic! Please be assured that this decision was not made lightly or because we want to stop our children learning or succeeding academically. Over the past few years we have endeavoured to make research-based decisions, rather than continuing in what we do for no other reason than because we have always done it that way. Research indicates that homework in the primary years has little impact upon children’s academic success. We want to see our students taking greater responsibility for their learning and understanding that learning is a way of life. We will be providing students with opportunities to reflect upon their learning and to pose questions that they would like to investigate further. We will continue sharing with you what students are studying at school so that you can ask them about their wonderings.

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We will continue to emphasise reading for pleasure as a part of our school culture. That is why we encourage our families to ensure reading is a part of the family’s culture. Students require a rich and extensive vocabulary. Very few of us, in our day to day conversations, would use the vocabulary that students require for their learning. Students can only improve their vocabularies by reading and there is a greater likelihood of our children reading for pleasure if they see it modelled by their parents. If you want to invest in your children’s academic future: read to them, read with them and read in front of them. If you don’t have many books at home, join your council’s public library, if you haven’t done so already. It doesn’t cost you a cent and gives you access to a wide selection of interesting books. Read! Read! Read!

ABSENT NOTES Thank you for your improved diligence in sending in notes when your children have been away. We still have a number of unexplained absences for November. If your child has been away this month and you have not sent a note of explanation, please make this your top priority.

END OF YEAR PRESENTATION NIGHT – FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2013 Today, the primary students will be having a dress rehearsal for their secondary siblings! On Friday, we are looking forward to family and friends joining us as we celebrate the amazing gifts that God has given us. On the evening, students are to be taken to their teachers in the school hall at 6pm. K-5 students are to come dressed as instructed in their class note. Year 6 students are to wear their summer uniform and bring their costume. The performance will commence at 6:30 and upon its conclusion, we will share some of the highlights of the year and we will be presenting our graduating Year 6 students and installing our primary student leaders for 2014. Afterwards, we will enjoy a Fellowship Supper which we hope everyone will stay and enjoy our community! We are asking families for a $5 donation to help with the costs associated with the supper. Please send this in if you have not already done so. If any parents are able to help with the supper organization during the day or in the evening, please see Mrs Guerra in the primary office. As mentioned before, our student award ceremony will be held that morning during our primary assembly at 9:00. Parents are most welcome to attend.

COMPASSION FUN DAY – 6 DECEMBER 2013 Friday, 6 December 2013 is the last day of our 2013 School Year. We will be having a Compassion Fun Day in primary to celebrate the end of the year as well as to raise funds to support our Compassion children in Peru, Indonesia, Haiti and Kenya. We will also have our final Subway Friday for 2013 on that day! There will be a variety of fun activities and we will send home more information early that week.

SUBWAY DAY – FRIDAY 6 DECEMBER 2013 Next Friday will be our last Subway Friday of the year. Subway orders will be sent home Friday, 29 November and if your child would like a Subway meal on Friday, 6 December, you will need to place your order by next Wednesday, 4 December. The cost is $6 for a 6” Subway plus drink and dessert.

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YEAR 6 FAREWELL – MONDAY 2 DECEMBER 2013 Monday evening, 2 December, we will be celebrating Year 6’s final week in primary. A permission slip containing more information was sent home today.

OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE 2014 In 2014 we will no longer have access to National Partnership funding to be able to provide the Homework Centre or Out of School Hours Care. Noah’s Little Ark, Berala, provides very affordable Out of School Hours Care and their bus collects our students from the gate. If you think you may need to use this service next year, it is imperative that you begin the application process now. They will be unable to provide emergency care unless they have all your paperwork in order. Visit their website www.noahslittleark.biz or call them on 1300 545 275.

SEMESTER TWO REPORTS Primary Reports will be sent home with the children on Wednesday, 2 December 2013. If you have any concerns about their contents or wish to discuss any matters further, please contact the primary office to make an appointment. Teachers will be available during school hours on Monday, 9 December 2013.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS We pray that God’s richest blessings will be yours as you celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Enjoy a restful and happy summer holidays with your children. Please make sure to visit your local library often and (you know the drill) read and read some more! For those families who will be leaving the school community at the end of this year, we thank you for the opportunity to share in your family’s life and we hope that your time with us has been rewarding. We pray that you will extend the fragrance of Christ in your new school communities.

SECONDARY NEWS

NEW TEXTBOOKS Textbook lists for 2014 have been distributed to all students. All students should have all required textbooks by Wednesday, 5 February 5, 2014. Parents, please note the following options:

a. Fill in the textbook form as an order with credit card details, and return it to Mr Inglis. He will forward it to Campion

and the book packages will be available for student collection on the first day back next year, Wednesday, 29 January

2014. Orders can be sent in to the school office up to Wednesday, 11 December, 2013.

b. order on-line at www.campion.com.au The books will be delivered to your home address (for a fee).

c. purchase from one of the following specialist textbook stores

DYMOCKS in Parramatta Westfields

YORKE EDUCATION in Argyle St, Parramatta

BELLBIRD BOOKS at 199 Burwood Road, Burwood

DYMOCKS at 424 George St, Sydney.

URGENT - SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS 2014 It has come to our attention that there is a problem with the texts that were booklisted for Year 7 and Year 9 Science for next year. The problem is that the e-book will not run on the Surface RT tablet that Year 7 students will be supplied with. We have had discussions with Pearson, but they have been unable to provide us with a suitable alternative. Unfortunately, we need to make a change.

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The books we will now be using are – Year 7 – Core Science NSW: Stage 4 – eBook PLUS only Year 9 – Core Science NSW: Stage 5, either –

eBook PLUS Only

Text & eBook PLUS

The eBook only option is a registration card that allows access to an electronic version of the text. Year 7 students will need to have this installed on their tablets. Please note that this is a NEW text book and is not the same as the Core Science texts used previously. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this late change. If you have already purchased the Pearson texts previously listed, you should try to arrange a refund or exchange from your supplier. If you are unable to do this, please contact the school. Mrs Lois White Science Coordinator

NEWS FROM AUBURN LIBRARY Homework Help: Free homework help is now available for students 5 days a week at Auburn library (4-7 Monday-Thursday and 4-6 Friday) and on Wednesday afternoons (4-6) at Regents Park Library. It is run by qualified teachers and students have access to computers and the internet for research purposes. No bookings are necessary.

INTRODUCING EBOOK It’s time of the year, when all the library books must be returned before the holiday. However, this doesn’t mean you stop reading as now you can borrow some ebooks from the library. How? Go to school moodle – Resources – Library – Ebook. You will need to sign in using the same username & password as to login to the school network. You can borrow three ebooks at a time for a two week period. If you use Surface as your device, you’ll need to download “Overdrive Media Console” from the app store (a free app) to enable you to read ebooks.

HANDMADE CARDS To help fundraising for the school mission projects, there are some handmade Christmas & other greeting cards for sale at the Front Office.

WHAT WAS K4K ALL ABOUT? For some of you, the word ‘Kilusakwalo’ has no meaning or significance in your general day to day life. For some in our school community – both here and the wider community – it signifies a place which has been the start of new relationships, of new found talents and where a deeper understanding of God’s goodness has been apparent. In 2005, the school began a journey of starting and nurturing a relationship with a school community in the Solomon Islands. The village of Kilusakwalo on the island of Malaita has been a home away from home for over 130 students from RPCS (formerly CCHS), members of the 8 teams who have travelled there. The trips have provided an opportunity for our teams to grow, use their musical talents, make new friends and appreciate what they have so much more and encourage others. One thing which our wider school community has been involved in is helping the school in the building of their school hall. We originally saw the plans for the hall in 2007. It really was a long term dream to be able to have somewhere for the students to go out of the hot sun and frequent rain. However, with some smaller fundraising events from about 2010 until now, we have given them some money which they have put towards building the hall. Over the past 4 years we have seen it start as a marked out area on the grass and progress to a proud structure with a roof. The only thing it still needed was concrete to replace the rough stones upon which the students sat for their assemblies and formal ceremonies. When we returned from the Solomons this year, the staff made a pledge to commit to raising the money to buy the cement and gravel needed for the floor.

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We decided a whole high school event was the best way to not only raise the money but also remind our students about the importance of thinking of others. The success of walking kilometres for Kilusakwalo has been amazing and our total amount of about $5,800 far exceeded our goal of $3,300. Thank you for your support with this. Thank you for sharing the vision we had and have of helping our brothers and sisters in Kilusakwalo in Solomon Islands. Something as simple as a concrete floor will be such a great blessing to the school and wider community over there. We have seen God’s hand at work in so many ways and we are excited about continuing this journey with the people in Kilusakwalo in the future. Tracey Deal, Solomon Islands Music Ministry Mission Team Leader

April 2010 April 2013

YEAR 7 PUBLIC SPEAKING WINNERS Last week six of our very enthusiastic Year 7 students competed in the final round of the Public Speaking Competition. Students spoke about a book that has inspired them in their first year of High School. Throughout the year classes visited our school library regularly and participated in a range of exciting activities organised by Mrs Budiawan. The speeches conveyed messages of hope and encouragement as well as the challenge to persevere through difficult situations. Special thanks to Andrew Huynh (chairperson), Jacob Oxford (timekeeper), and Joeli Hala’Apiapi (timekeeper) who did an excellent job on the day. The results were as follows: Stephen Knight and Aliny Leao (Equal 1st), James Azzi (2nd), Nikky Le, Tylah Semeri and Thomas Vincent (Runners Up). Congratulations!

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SCHEDULE OF FEES & CHARGES 2014 Enrolment Fees

Application Fee $30 Per Student $60 Per Family

Payable when Application for Enrolment is lodged. The Application Fee (which is non-refundable and inclusive of GST) is payable to RPCS

Bond $400 First Secondary Child $150 (additional) For Two or more Secondary children

A bond of $400 per student or $550 per family must be paid on acceptance of a position in the secondary department. There is currently no bond in the primary department. Refunded at the completion of your child’s schooling providing proper notice is given and all outstanding liabilities are met in accordance with the Conditions of Enrolment.

School Fees

Number of Billing Terms

Per Annum Per Term

Primary Years K-6 4 $3,580 $895

Junior Secondary Years 7-10 4 $6,964 $1,741

Senior Secondary

Year 11 4 $7,956 $1,989

Year 12 3 $7,956 $2,652

All fees are due and payable by the end of the first full week of term

We accept the following methods of payment

BPAY (refer to Tuition Fee Statement) EFTPOS (in office) Visa/MasterCard via school website Direct Debit (contact office for details) Centrepay (contact office for details) Cash / cheque / money order

Where parents are unable to pay the entire term’s tuition fee amount by the above dates, they need to contact the school by telephone or email accounts@rpcs.nsw.edu.au by Friday 6 December 2013 to discuss possible alternate arrangements where they must enter into an approved automated payment plan with the school. This plan will take the form of a weekly, fortnightly or monthly instalment paid to the school using our Direct Debit facility or Centrelink’s Centrepay Deductions.

Term 1 due: 7 February 2014

Term 2 due: 2 May 2014

Term 3 due: 25 July 2014

Term 4 due: 17 October 2014

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Sundry/Other Activity Fees Fees for sundry and other activities, e.g. excursions, sporting events, are charged from time to time as they relate to an individual student’s activities within the school community. A statement of sundry charges is sent to each family at the beginning of each term. Voluntary Contributions Families are encouraged to contribute to the school’s Building and Library Fund which is tax deductible. We suggest a contribution of $70 (for one student) or $100 (per family) per term. This supports the future growth and development of the school. Fee Assistance If you would like to apply for fee assistance for 2014, please contact the school office by telephone or email accounts@rpcs.nsw.edu.au before Friday 6 December 2013. Once you have contacted us we will organise an application to be emailed or posted which will need to be returned immediately prior to Friday 7 February 2014. Please refer to the attached Fee Assistance Policy or contact the school on 9644 5144 if you would like further information on fee assistance. Contact Information Regents Park Christian School 59 Regent St Regents Park NSW 2143 Ph: (02)96445 144 Fax: (02) 9743 7082 enrolments@rpcs.nsw.edu.au accounts@rpcs.nsw.edu.au www.rpcs.nsw.edu.au

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CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL LIMITED

FEE ASSISTANCE POLICY The Enrolment Policy of the Board of CCSL in relation to Rebates states that: “The School offers appropriate rebates on school fees for parents with genuine needs. Rebates are not given automatically but

are subject to a new application by parents each year. All rebate applications are treated confidentially, with the Principal and the Business Manager being responsible for their processing and approval. “

Students are not disqualified from acceptance based on financial grounds. The School executive has consistently applied this

principle. CLARIFICATION OF THE POLICY

The Board further clarifies the policy as follows:

Parents choose to send their children to the School. Parents are therefore responsible for the cost of this decision which should not be taken lightly.

It is not the responsibility of others to pay for the consequences of this choice.

No rebates are therefore given automatically.

Tempering the above is one of the underpinning tenets on which the school was founded, namely that of Christian Community. Christian Community is interpreted in this context to mean those parents that are able to pay full fees should do so, and that assistance should only be sought in cases of genuine need (as opposed to perceived need). In cases of genuine need the school community will help out to the extent that is feasible given the overall ability of the community to assist at any point in time.

Given the above, financial grounds refers to genuine financial need. This means there has to be a demonstrated financial need acceptable to the School, which the school believes the community should be willing to support but only to the extent that it is feasible at the point in time the assistance is sought.

Notwithstanding the diversity and subjectiveness of lifestyle choices existing in any community, such assistance is not offered to subsidise lifestyles which are considered outside of ordinary and reasonable parameters, with the interpretation of "lifestyle" and "reasonable" being determined by the school. It will by necessity be judged on the financial decisions made by families compared to other families seeking assistance.

The true sense for this policy is that parents must believe that Christian education is a priority and demonstrate commitment to this belief both financially and in relation to their involvement in the life of the school.

It is important to remember that Rebates offered by the School are a sacrifice made by the school community and as such are basically subsidised by those families who are paying full fees.

The School, through its Executive, is the final arbiter of the parameters by which this policy is implemented.

All rebate decisions are based upon the availability of school funds.

Needs based rebates are offered to families on a conditional basis whereby the family not only must demonstrate a genuine financial need but also a commitment to the school and active involvement in a Christian church. Rebates may be withdrawn if there is evidence that the family is not maintaining its commitment to the School where this commitment includes:

Paying the amount determined by the School and never being in arrears by more than one term; Adherence to any payment agreement by automatic electronic methods as specified by the School; Satisfactory attendance and application (as defined by the school) at School by the student or students each

semester; Supporting and upholding the teaching program, discipline and academic care program as well as allowing

the student to participate in the spiritual program of the School. CONFIDENTIALITY Rebates are offered in confidence. The school will not divulge personal information to other parties neither will parents divulge

rebate information to others. Students are to be treated equally and will not to be made aware of any difference in their tuition fees by the school.