Message from Staff

Happy Mothers Day for yesterday to all you lovely ladies who are a mother figure to someone in your life – Your love brings hope, encouragement and blessings to others.

Last week we looked at the story of Joseph in Living Christianly, a story where at times looking at the circumstances, there was not much hope for a good outcome. However, throughout the story Joseph never lost his faith or his trust in his God. He went from being thrown down a well by his brothers (who actually wanted to kill him), to being in charge of Potipher’s household in Egypt. He then went from being wrongfully imprisoned to being put in charge of Egypt and saving the country from famine.  When things went wrong, Joseph did not lose hope. He knew that God had a bigger plan than his immediate circumstances, and chose to remain steadfast in his faith, continuing to live righteously and trust his Lord.

If you are anything like me, there will have been times when you yell at God “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this!” I imagine Joseph did too. It takes every ounce of faith and determination to trust and remember that ultimately God is in control even when things don’t go our way.  He is Sovereign. I sometimes think God gets blamed a lot for the consequences of human sin on the earth – currently we do not live in a perfect world because of the choices made way back in the Garden of Eden. If God wasn’t in control, things would be way worse – there would be no hope, only lies, scheming, war, murder and deception, and a world devoid of any love at all.

So, like the story of Joseph, there is HOPE when our circumstances are dire. We must keep talking to God, listening to Him, trusting Him and enduring.  As it says in Colossians 1 vs 5  (we must hold on to the)  ” faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven …, also not forgetting Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”.   And lastly, we must endure.  Hebrews 12:1-2  says “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”.

Kia Kaha!

Mandy Cleave.

Exploring the Values at Home

This week we continue our exploration of Love and Hope by relating our own experiences to those we read about in the story of Joseph in the Bible. We will explore how we can trust in God, know He loves us, and that we are able to continue to live in hope. We will explore how God can be trusted when things are challenging. We are also exploring how it is helpful to identify a problem in a positive way.

Family challenge of the week:
Record / remember these and pray that God would help these situations.

Discussion:
What is a problem that you face in your life?

What is a problem that is happening your family?

What is a problem that is in your community?

What is a challenge that is in our world?

What’s Happening

Informative morning teas – Tomorrow 9am

Please come along at 9am tomorrow to learn about ways you can enhance your child’s learning through our Home Learning Programme, particularly focussing on the matrix. This will be a good opportunity to build your understanding of our approach here at RCS and also to connect with other parents in our school community. Cookies are provided and pre-schoolers are welcome.

Devotions and Assemblies

Remember you are welcome to join us for school devotions on a Monday morning, 9am, and school assembly on a Friday at 2.15pm.  

Practical Support

What’s Coming Up

Board of Trustees Elections:
We have the Triennial BOT elections coming up soon. Our current Board is doing a wonderful job, but there is an election every three years, country wide, to elect the Board. Three of our parent elected members will be standing for election again, while one trustee is standing down.

If you are interested in being a Trustee please click here for more information .

For more information about Board elections in general click here for more information.

From the PCG

Entertainment Books

The PCG will be selling The Entertainment Book again this year. Please start promoting this with friends and family. The link below allows people to buy the book all around the country, so please share it with friends and family. The school receives $12 for each book sold, so this goes a long way towards our fundraising.   https://www.entertainmentbook.co.nz/orderbooks/9b26634

PCG Meeting – Tonight, 7pm.

The next PCG will be held at 7pm tonight. We look forward to seeing you there.

School Mum’s Bible Study:

Mums Bible study groups are going to be held this term twice a week. Wednesday afternoon: 2-3pm in the school staffroom and Thursday evening: 7-8.30pm, venue yet to be decided. Please talk to Cristene Trenuela-Chan (trenuela.chan@vodafone.co.nz), Jacqueline Pieterse or Amy Steven (0212254653, blair.and.amy@gmail.com) if you are keen to be a part of this, and we will make sure we have a study book for you. We are a multi denominational group, with mums who are at different stages of their walk with Christ. 

Purchasing to support RCS

By purchasing at the following businesses you will be supporting RCS with our fundraising efforts.

Reminders

• Wheels Day is on a Wednesday – children may bring any type of ‘wheels’ they choose.
• Now that it is getting cold, students may like to wear black thermal tops under their polo shirts. Girls may like to wear black woollen stockings. Please name all items of clothing.
• If your child brings anything home that is not theirs please return it to school.
• Please check your child’s head for lice regularly, and please make sure that long hair is tied up at school.

House Buying or Selling through our RCS community

I will contribute $500 to the school when any family or friends of RCS looking at buying or selling their homes use my services, resulting in a list and sell through me.
Contact me anytime to discuss your real estate needs.

Details as below,

Kind Regards
Rachael

Community Notices

Canterbury District Health Board: Community Dental Service:
Free dental care for children.
One of our Community Dental Service preventive mobiles will be visiting your school soon.

• We will be aiming to see that all school age children enrolled with the Community Dental Service have their dental check-up in the dental mobile while it is there.
• The dental therapist will not only be checking the children’s teeth but will also Xray, clean, and apply protective treatments (including fluoride) if required.
• If your child requires further dental care such as filings they will bring home a ‘Care Plan’ which will explain what dental care and appointment times are required.
• When you receive the ‘Care Plan’ please contact our Call Centre as soon as possible as you will need to arrange a time to bring your child to one of our Community Clinics for this dental care.
• Please let us know ASAP if you do not wish your child to have any of this care, you can talk to the staff in the mobile or phone/email our Call Centre.

If you wish to be present at your child’s check up this will need to take place at our community clinic so please phone our Call Centre to make an appointment.
Call Centre for an information or questions: 0800 846 983, email: commdental@cdhb.health.nz

Southern Region Inaugural Sport Stacking Tournament:
The Southern Region Inaugural Sport Stacking Tournament is being held at Maori Hill School, DUNEDIN on Saturday 28 May 2016. This is the first sport stacking tournament to be held in the South Island and is for all ages from 3 – 60+. Registrations can be done online. All details are on the Speed Stacks (NZ) website Tournaments page: www.speedstacks.co.nz/pages/south-island-tournament 

Early registration ends 13 May. Entries close 23 May.

Bellyful Selwyn:
Bellyful is a nationwide not for profit registered charity, founded in Auckland in 2009, born out of the desire to see families being supported by their fellow community members. Bellyful Selwyn was established as the 18th branch of Bellyful NZ in July 2015.
Our volunteers cook together about once a month at a ‘cookathon’ and deliver these meals to families with newborns or families with young children struggling with serious illness. There is no catch, or payment involved. We do what we do because we know that these periods in life are hard enough as it is, without having to try and worry about getting dinner on the table.
Bellyful’s main criteria is simply that the families we support don’t have others available to do what we do – cook and deliver free meals. The family must fall into one of these categories: have a new baby, have a young family with someone in the family unit with illness or terminal illness.
Please see www.bellyful.org.nz or www.facebook.com/BellyfulSelwyn, for more information.

The Parenting Place – upcoming Hot Tips Parenting Roadshow:
Raising happy, confident and resilient children – with Petra Bagust and John Cowan.
Monday 9th May, 7.30pm at Grace Vineyard Beach Campus, $5.

• Customised parenting techniques
• Giving your kids ‘grit’
• How to enjoy your kids!

Growing great relationships – with John Cowan.
Friday 12th May, 7.30pm-9pm, $10 per person, $15 per couple. Riccarton High School.
For more information, phone: 379 6053, Kirsten Wyllie and Lynley Garratt.

Fathering Adventures
Please find attached an exciting opportunity for fathers and their children. Click here for more information.