..
If you don’t have time to read this, then read this!
Did you know that the clearest pointer to the potency of love is time? The importance of people and things to us can be measured by how much time we are willing to invest in them. The more time we give to something, the more it..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (College si....
Middle Years Flexible Learning Spaces
It is great to see that learning in our new Middle Years building is not just happening within the confines of the classroom walls, but in all the break out spaces as well. It has been just over six months since we introduced this new breakout furniture in......,
One little idea we’ve had tucked away for some time now is the idea of a ‘Cross Wall’ somewhere in the College. Linking in nicely to the International Baccalaureate concept of thinking globally, staff members have gradually been collecting crosses for the past few years from a..
Last week, for the Year 8 to 12 students, we had an amazing speaker come out called Reggie Dabbs. He shared with us his story about his life, being abandoned and being loved by a foster family and more importantly understanding the love of God in his life. It was an amazing testimony that move..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (College si..
Chapel Offerings
Chapel offerings are a part of Lutheran heritage. Lutheran Christians (and other Christians) give money in chapel or at church as a way of saying thank-you to God. We don't give because we have to, we give because we believe that God has already given us blessings in abunda..
Rock and Water Program
In Year 9 Health and Physical Education classes, we run a program called The Voyage. This program is a single sex course that is designed to help our young people transition from adolescence to adulthood. There is a huge focus on personal identity and teaching the studen..
Despite it being the run up to exams, we still have all the normal set of extracurricular activities going on, which are proving to be a blessing to both staff and students, and highlights just how important balance is in our lives. We all need an outlet from work, it doesn’t matter what y..
Winter Wonderland
St Philip’s Lutheran Church Youth Ministry continues to offer some great opportunities to get involved. Please consider taking part in ‘Winter Wonderland' on Friday, 15 June. See the advertisement below.
Year 9 Programming
Students in Year 9 have been explo..,
One of the primary objectives, as educators at Good News Lutheran College, is for us to equip our young people for life after school and help direct them into a vocation that allows them to utilise their God-given gifts. For some, career choices come relatively easily, as childhood dreams come t..
One of the many privileges of I enjoy as pastor of Good News is seeing kids helping kids. A number of Year 3-5 students, for example, love to spend their lunchtimes during the cooler months of the year practising actions to some of the songs we sing in chapels and class devotions. Normally, it..
St Philips Church Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (College site) ..
SEQTA App
Have you heard about or downloaded the SEQTA app yet? This app allows parents to access their SEQTA account much easier on their phones or tablets. It can send you notifications when your child has an assessment marked, you receive a Direqt Message and much more. You can find the apps..
Let’s celebrate how unique we are
We currently have 260 students in our Middle School, which means we have 260 unique individuals who all have gifts and who all contribute in some way to our College. We are proud of all 260 students and what they bring to us each day. I think it is i..
Senior Snippets
It is very hard to believe that we are in the middle of Term 2 and have started the roll towards the end of the term. This, however, this is actually one of the busiest times of the year for both staff and students.
For the students undertaking Units 3 and 4 VCE subjects, the..
Black Dog Presentation
Our Year 9 students were fortunate to be a part of a recent presentation by a representative from the Black Dog Institute (see below). Our guest speaker provided some invaluable insight into anxiety and depression, and how to seek appropriate support if these issues arise..,
Many of our students are challenging themselves to work beyond the regular class work. This week we honour their efforts and their demonstrations of the College values of Resilience, Perseverance, and Aspire.
Jump Rope for Heart
Five students were honoured at assembly for being the first..
1 Thessalonians 5:18 - Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
We have so much to be thankful for, we hear that all the time. Yet sometimes that reality gets lost in the day to day struggles or thoughts of our lives. As we come to the middle..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (College site)..
What NAPLAN doesn’t tell us about your child?
If you have a child in Year 7 or 9, then you are about to embark on another round of NAPLAN tests next week. Sometimes our students feel nervous or anxious during this time which is perfectly normal, however, it is important that we are ab..
SENIOR SNIPPETS
Lost in the Music
Rehearsals are well under way; it is so exciting seeing the whole show start to come together. Listening to the lovely harmonies and watching the dancers, gives the production staff goose bumps every week.
Come see us!! 10 & 11 August are the dates, ..
Open Day
The Good News Lutheran College Open Day proved a success with visitors providing terrific feedback in relation to our facilities, the numerous exhibits and particularly the communication skills and care of our student leaders on the occasion. Senior students led tours of the College..,
Courage
Do you remember the Apostle Peter through the Lent and Easter stories? He pops up at various times with a wide range of strong and forceful responses to what happens around him; "Never Lord, this (Jesus dying) shall never happen to you” Matt 16:22, “You shall never wash m..
500 kilometres west of Alice Springs lies the tiny settlement of Kintore. During summer, temperatures there soar beyond 40C and stay there for days on end. Yet the skies around Kintore are sometimes filled with hundreds of thousands of budgies. Native to such arid regions, budgies flock to pl..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (Coll..
What is the Primary Years IB Programme?
During your visit to school with your child to attend Student Led Conferences (Drag and Brag) last term, you would have probably heard a lot about the PYP and Units of Inquiry. Hopefully this blog post from Primary Years Programme Coordinator Maria D..
Middle School Focus for Term Two
In a staff meeting last week with our Middle School teachers, we had a discussion about what we need to be doing to ensure we are creating the best possible Middle School we can here at GNLC. We discussed several areas that we feel our students perhaps n..
Senior Snippets
It has been a very busy first couple of weeks back for Term 2 with sporting events, Duke of Edinburgh Award activities, musical rehearsals, Red X training and our 3rd Annual Cabaret Night. It is wonderful to see so many staff and students sharing their God given gifts with th..
ANZAC Day
Thanks to Warrant Officer Hynds, the GNLC student body has a deeper understanding of the 1966 'Battle of Long Tan'. (See picture 1) The explanation was part of an ANZAC Day assembly that paid tribute to all of those men and women who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peace..,
Quality Schools Survey 2018
Dear Parents and Caregivers of Year 5-12 students.
This year our school will be participating in surveys managed by Research Australia Development and Innovation Institute (RADII). The surveys are being conducted for the school by RADII under a contract with ..
Easter is upon us and the end of the term is near. I would like to share a prayer with you all for the holiday.
God bless you all these holidays.
Dear God
We Praise You Father, for the atoning death and glorious resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We thank Y..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, T..
With thanks to our International Baccalaureate PYP Coordinator, Maria Denholm, we can learn more about International Mindedness.
In my last blog I wrote about the attributes of the Learner Profile being at the heart of an International Baccalaureate, and in particular a PYP education.
Th..
Adolescence
We all know that the adolescent years can be challenging at times, both for the adolescent and the parents. It is a time of change. Hormones are changing, bodies are changing. Friendships are changing. Attitudes are changing. This can also be a time of great uncertainty where ..
Senior Snippets
Well, this term has flown by and we find ourselves on the cusp of the Easter holidays. For students, this should be a time of reflection, both on a spiritual level and a work level, a break to think about other enjoying the world but also for catching up with work and revisin..
UNIFORM
Beginning in Term 2 until the end of April, students may choose to wear a full Summer Uniform or full Formal/Winter Uniform, depending on the weather. The uniform must be full Summer or full Winter, but, very importantly, not a combination of the two.
CROSSING DEPARTURE
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Friday, 16 March promises to be a colourful and event-filled day at Good News Lutheran College as, by sheer coincidence, three important days correspond.
As a College we will acknowledge the ‘National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence’. This is something that we strong..
One place our Year 6s visit in Canberra is the Australian War Memorial. Early in our visit, a guide took students to a spot he described as ‘often overlooked.’ It consisted of a letter written by some Turkish soldiers to some Australian soldiers in opposite trenches. The letter wa..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (Coll..
PYP Coordinator Maria Denholm has contributed this information in relation to the Learner Profile.
The Year 3 classes pulled apart the meanings of all the attributes of the Learner Profile. You can see them all in the corridor outside their classrooms.
What sort of person do you ..
The Furniture has arrived!
We welcomed the delivery, last Tuesday, of our new furniture for the breakout spaces inside the Middle Years building and it didn’t take long for the staff and students to utilise these areas. I was amazed to walk out of my office on Wednesday morning to find..
Senior Snippets
The past two weeks have continued to be busy in the Senior School. During these busy days full of learning, excursions, camps and all of the other exciting things we do, as humans we tend to forget to stop and reflect on how wonderful our gifts are and how God blesses us on a..
Year 6 Canberra Trip
Year 6 students from our College recently undertook an education tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. We are very..,
Reading Aloud to your Children is Important
One of the most important things parents can do is to read with them. That means starting when they are new-borns and continuing well beyond the years that they can read by themselves. Study after study shows that early reading with children helps ..
Mission Australia is the charity that was picked by our Middle School Mission leaders for this term. They chose this charity because it aims to help the people in Australia who need it the most. They have services that help homelessness, care for young children, those with disabilities a..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (Coll..
Essential Agreements v Rules
When you walk through Primary Years classrooms you will see Essential Agreements displayed in each classroom. As part of the movement toward the Primary Years Programme (PYP), we help students voice their own needs so that they feel ownership of and responsibilit..
Leadership from Within
For those who have had the pleasure of sitting in my previous office, they would have noticed the ‘Leadership’ picture on my wall of an eagle and the phrase ‘Leadership is action, not position’. I strongly believe that all students, regardless ..
Well, we seem to have been back at school forever but will only be four weeks by the end of this week. Everyone has been very busy starting the year and settling into routines. Assessments and course work are all well under way and posters and evidence of all that hard work can be seen all over ..
Car Park Use
Parents and Caregivers are reminded to obey all signs in the College car parks. This includes not parking in ‘reserved’ car parks and not stopping in the ‘drop-off zone’ immediately in front of the College buildings. The ‘drop-off zone’ (the c..,
Greetings all and welcome back to Good News Lutheran College for 2018. An extended welcome to all of our new families and students who joined us last week as they begin their journey with us and we pray that your time here is a very blessed and rewarding one. We are very excited to be beginnin..Pastor's Message
Last Sunday (February 4) the new executive director for Lutheran Schools in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, Julian Denholm (pictured on the left), was installed into office at our regular Sunday morning worship service here on campus. I have known Julian for almost 20 y..St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (College site) ..Junior School
Welcome back to those returning to the Junior School this year! Also, the Junior School extends a warm welcome to those who are new to our College.
At Good News, we value the partnership between families and teachers. Classroom teachers work very hard to let you know three thi..Middle School Camp Program
Welcome back to 2018 and welcome to all our new families in our Middle School. I hope you all had a successful first week and that you are excited about the year ahead. Term One is always busy and to add to this busyness, we always have our Middle School camps as wel..Welcome Back!
Well the year has well and truly started and while the Senior School has headed out from port we are not quite through the breakwaters and cruising at sea. Our ship is on course but all engines are not quite running, but by the end of next week all subject selections etc, should ..Back to school night
Parents and Caregivers are reminded that the College will host a ‘Back to School’ night on Tuesday, 13 February. The evening provides an opportunity to meet teachers, learn how to remain connected to the College and hear more about the International Baccalaureate..,..
The Church divides the year into different seasons that emphasize the life of Christ and the life of the Church. Beginning on Sunday December 3rd, 2017, the Lutheran Church enters the season of Advent. Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas, its purpose is that it prepares us for the celeb..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarnei..
RESILIENCE
The Bounce Back parenting site includes a lists of 25 ideas for teaching kids resilience (http://bouncebackparenting.com/25-ideas-for-teaching-your-kids-resilience/). To make these ideas more powerful,
1. Tell your child in advance how a particular activity will help them ..
THANK YOU!
As this is the last newsletter for 2017, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all those people who have been a part of the education of our students here at GNLC. The ability to educate our young people effectively relies on so many people and so many various factors. Sch..
SENIOR SNIPPETS
I simply can’t believe that this is the last newsletter of the College year, the months have just flashed by. This month, all of the Senior School students have been wading their way through end of year exams. It has been quite a rolling process, but we all made it thr..
STATE SELECTION
The entire GNLC community extends its best wishes to Year 7 student Priya D. (pictured below), as she travels to Adelaide for the Pacific School Games. Priya was selected in the Victorian team mid-way through the year and has been training hard in preparation for her competi..,
Mr Hughes has just returned from long service leave.
We look forward to him updating us on important events and decisions concerning the College in our next newsletter...
The story is told about a toastmaster who paid tribute to Prince Philip with first two lines of a poem by John Dryden:
A man so various that he seemed to be
Not one, but all mankind's epitome.
The Prince liked the lines so much he looked up the rest of the poem:
Stiff in op..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarnei..
MIDDLE SCHOOL ORIENTATION DAY: A NEW BEGINNING
On Friday, 17 November, we welcomed the new students who will be entering into our Middle School in 2018. This was a fantastic opportunity for these students to get to know a few teachers, experience a number of classes and understand the ..
RESILIENCE
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
I grew with toys called Weeble Wobbles. The key advertising phrase was "Weebles Wobble but they do..
SENIOR SNIPPETS
The Year 12’s had a fantastic last week of formal schooling. Their final Chapel was very moving as was the 'Walk of Honour' through the student population. On the Wednesday of that week they had their 'Big Day Out', which was a mystery tour followed by a sleep over in t..
ARTS NIGHT
Students’ work was in the limelight on Wednesday, 15 November when Good News Lutheran College conducted its annual Arts Night. The exhibits weren’t limited to visual arts, although, as the photos attached show, the College’s Art faculty did present an outst..,
Mr Hughes is continuing to enjoy his long service leave...
On the 31st of September, churches around the world celebrated the reformation, where Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the All Saints' Church in Wittenberg to spark discussion about certain practices that he thought went against the bible. This year marks 500 years sin..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.30am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarnei..
HAY FEVER SEASON
Hay fever season has begun, with many students suffering from symptoms such as sneezing, runny noses and itchy eyes.
The College recommends that, if your child suffers from hay fever, you give them an antihistamine such as Zyrtec or Claratyne before school.
If they a..
WHAT DOES 2018 HAVE IN STORE FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS?
As we have already begun the final term of 2017, we enter into a time of reflection and questions. Our students will begin wondering what changes are going to happen when they move up into the next year level? Are the expectation..
YEAR 12 CELEBRATION WEEK
Last week was a wonderful milestone for the Year 12 students as they completed their last, full days as students of Good News Lutheran College. Events began with a moving whole College chapel, which was preceded by a ‘Walk of Honour’ through the Col..
COLLINGWOOD CHILDREN’S FARM
There was plenty of joy among the Preps recently when all four classes took their turn at visiting the inner-city Children’s Farm in Collingwood. Two classes went on Wednesday, 1 November, while the remaining two visited on the Thursday. The children ..,
Mr Hughes is currently on long-service leave and taking a well-deserved break...
QUESTION: What do a banana, a seahorse, a mountain goat’s horn and a chameleon’s tail have in common?
ANSWER: They all bear the same distinctive curve or ratio.
This distinctive curve is sometimes referred to as the Golden Ratio or the Divine Ratio. At the risk of making ..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.30am Sunday Weekly Worship
10.00am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarnei..
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
When I speak with parents during enrollment interviews, almost all parents state that they want their children in a school that focuses on values.
When applying for status as an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) College, the..
NEW BUILDINGS, NEW BEGINNINGS
Well what an exciting start to the term for some of our Middle School students. Everyone has come back from their holidays and I have come back from some Long Service Leave and we have walked into our brand new Middle Years building. From the moment you walk int..
SENIOR SNIPPETS
Next week, the final week of Year 12 is likely to be a time of mixed emotions for many of our students.
Amid the excitement of completing Year 12, there will also be sadness, as time at Good News Lutheran College draws to a close.
Some of our students hav..
COMMUNITY LUNCH
Wyndham Hobsons Bay Lutheran Church, is holding a community lunch on Sunday, 29 October from 11:30am, to fellowship and commemorate:
· 500 years since the Reformation;
· 50 years since churches joined together to make the Lutheran Chu..,
Movement toward our College adopting the International Baccalaureate (IB) will take another step forward early next term. Parents and Caregivers are invited to attend an information evening on Wednesday, 18 October, from 7pm, where we will have a representative of the IB visit us to explain the ..
I started to listen to the late Pastor Chuck Smith. An American who used a fantastic analogy for how we should live our lives. He talked about his desire to ride down some rapids.
He said it is a desire because it is fun! You can ride along, bumping back and forth, go down some small wat..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit..
1 Peter 4:10 'God has shown you His grace in many different ways. So be good servants and use whatever gift He has given you in a way that will best serve each other.'
Service is one way to show compassion (https://gnlcjuniorschool.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/college-value-compassion/). The Bib..
Mr Shrowder is currently on long-service leave...
The 2017 Presentation Ball (Friday, 15 September) is almost upon us and before we know it, we will be lining up for tickets to this year's Valedictory Dinner, and saying farewell to our second cohort of Year 12 students. Such is the life of a Senior School student with an amazingly busy and exha..
YEAR 5 SOVEREIGN HILL CAMP
The recent Year 5 Camp at Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill provided our students with a three-day adventure back in time. The opportunity to dress in 1850’s period costume was welcomed by the Year 5’s who embraced the lifestyle of children living on th..,
SOLAR PANEL PROJECT
There’s an amazing amount of work going on around our rapidly developing College, particularly with the three major projects: the expansion of the Administration block, the completion of the double-storey Middle School building and the commencement of ou..
A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT
About a week ago, I accompanied our Year 2 students to the Melbourne Zoo. Although the day looked wet and threatening as we departed Good News, it turned out to be a beautiful day with lots of sunny breaks, little wind and next to no rain. From the outset, I assumed..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit..
BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
Battle of the Books 2017 was a huge success, with two teams of Good News students answering questions related to 30 books comprising many genres.
The students competed against two teams from each of the following sister Lutheran schools: Geelong Lutheran College, St ..
Mr Shrowder is currently on long-service leave.
Upon his return, in Term 4, he will delighted to be operating out of the new Middle School building.
Please enjoy a sneak preview of the interior of the new double-storey, 11-classroom building...
SENIOR SNIPPETS
The last few weeks have been really busy for us all, one way and another, but it has been terrific to see so many events happening both in the College and out in the surrounding community.
THE SENIOR/MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL
The whole event went extremely well and..
WHOLE SCHOOL PHOTO
Good News College families will soon be able to purchase a ‘Whole School’ photo to mark the College’s 20th birthday. Representatives from our regular College photo providers, ‘Academy Photos’, were recently on hand to capture the entire studen..,
The International Baccalaureate
In 2011, with its first Year 7 classes, Good News visibly began the journey from small primary school to a much larger P-12 College. We reached Year 12 for the first time in 2016 and I am incredibly proud of the amazing effort that our staff and wider commun..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: ..
Parents and teachers of younger children double as detectives. We know the children are uncomfortable but the children (even adolescents!) don’t yet have the words to explain what they really feel. Even worse, they don’t know why they are feeling what they are feeling. A common..
Do you know what your children are really doing online?
Technology can be a wonderful thing…if used for its intended purpose!
The internet, for example, is an amazing tool that we use every day; however, quite often we tend to take it for granted. We have everything we ne..
COLLEGE PRODUCTION
At the time of writing, the final touches are being added to preparations for the College production – ‘High School Musical’. Cast (pictured below) and crew are to be commended for their amazing level of effort in pulling the show together. The fac..
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
The development of Good News Lutheran College into a state-of-the-art facility means that we have three separate building projects in progress. Thanks to Facilities Manager, Mr Brinkman, we can have a closer look at two of them. The first photograph is part of the Admi..
This term our chapel donations will be going to Operation Christmas Child. (https://www.samaritanspurse.org.au (https://www.samaritanspurse.org.au/)) Basically this charity sends presents to kids aged 2-14 who may have never received a present or are living in a third world country and whose pa..,
The patience and cooperation of parents and caregivers in regard to the changed traffic conditions around the College, has been greatly appreciated. The continuation of building developments has certainly created some inconvenience, with regard to pick-up and drop-off, however the manner in whic..
Almost 400 years ago, a Dutch ship foundered off the coast of Western Australia. Several large chests filled with gold coins and precious ornaments were on board.
Most of the passengers and crew survived the shipwreck and managed to get themselves to some nearby islands. Not long a..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarnei..
Senior Snippets
It has been a mad dash since the start of the term, which was only last week. We have had many events taking place. It’s all go, go, go. It is such a privilege to witness the gifts God has blessed us with, shining out on a daily basis for the good of the whole communit..
How exciting is our new Middle School building?
With only a few months to go until completion there is a real sense of excitement in having all Middle School classes in the one fantastic building. With 11 classrooms and a number of breakout areas, our new Middle School building is going to ..
I would like to provide a friendly reminder that we maintain a very strict uniform policy at Good News Lutheran College, even with Winter accessories and hair styles. The spirit behind the policy is this: we wear a uniform because we all want to look uniform (the same). It adds to a feeling of u..
ATHLETICS
Congratulations are in order for Armstrong House after racing to success in the recent GNLC Middle and Senior School Athletics Carnival. Sports Captains Felicia O.S. and Jack C. (photo 1) were delighted to receive the perpetual trophy on behalf of their House. Lauren and Liam..,
LEAVING STAFF
As we reach the mid-point of the year we have several staff who we will be sad to see leaving the College. Several are finishing off short-term contracts, several are off to teach overseas (with the Northern Hemisphere typically starting the school year in August)..
As we enter the final week of the term, I would like to remind everyone of a famous piece of poetry by an unknown author to give all those who are struggling, exhausted or faint of heart some hope. It is called ‘Footprints in the Sand’.
One night I dreamed a dream.
..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarnei..
We are excited to share some staff news with you. As many of you have experienced, our lives expand when we travel and experience different cultures. One of our Year 3 teachers, Miss Hayleigh Davis, has taken the opportunity to move to an International School in England and will be leaving..
ADOLESCENCE – A ROCK CLIMBING ANALOGY
We all know that the adolescent years can be challenging at times, both for the adolescent and the parents. It is a time of change. Hormones are changing, bodies are changing. Friendships are changing. Attitudes are changing. This can also be a ..
“They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty; and I will meditate on your wonderful works.” Psalm 145:5.
As we make our way towards the end of term, we may be feeling very weary having made it through so many weeks and so much work. In the Senior School, ..
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART
Supervising teachers were delighted with the effort and energy demonstrated in the recent 'Jump Rope for Heart' event at GNLC. As the accompanying photos show there was also a high level of athleticism on display when our pupils threw themselves into the task at han..,
COLLEGE DEVELOPMENTS
The recently initiated work on the Good News Lutheran College Administration block has certainly transformed the look of the College from the Tarneit Road perspective. However, with the developments has come a greater challenge in dropping off and picking up students fro..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarnei..PLATINUM, GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE MERIT AWARDS: SOME CHANGES
Think back to when you were in school and sitting in awards ceremonies. Who was honoured? In my school, the awards were given to the super-athletes, the academic achievers and those with musical talent. Students at Good Ne..
ROCK AND WATER PROGRAM
For those parents who are not aware, in Year 9 we run a program across our Health and Physical Education classes called The Voyage. This program is a single sex course that is designed to help our young people transition from adolescence to adulthood. We have a huge f..
SENIOR SNIPPETS
This term is certainly flying by; mid-year examinations start tomorrow. Next week the examination timetable is a little complex at times but all will run well I am sure. Each student received their own personal copy of the timetable and information was also sent home to..
SCHOOL SPORT SELECTION
GNLC is delighted to hear that Year 7 student, Frankleen, has been selected to represent School Sport Victoria at the Rugby League State Championships later this year. Frankleen has been following a selection process since November 2016, with a final team of 16 ..
Did you know that the Werribee Water Treatment Plant has a bigger diversity of birdlife than the whole of Kakadu National Park? Indeed, the area around the plant is a haven for tens of thousands of birds and is regarded as a wetland of international significance. And it’s on our very doo..,
HELPING STUDENTS COPE
Resilience in the face of adversity isn’t a fixed personality trait. Resilience is an ability we can help our students build. This is an important fact for children who suffer from a serious illness or experience a grievous loss or setback.
What are the..
GRATITUDE
Gratitude is the value that our college is focusing on for the next week. Gratitude is so important to a person’s life, with gratitude comes happiness and contentment. Sometimes it is very easy to forget how well we have life in Australia and at Good News. In Australia we..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarnei..
GRATITUDE
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Always be full of joy. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus."
At younger ages, gratitude equates to using good manners. In later years, gratitude is a strong feeling of than..
FIDGET TOYS
Given the latest fidget spinner craze that has hit in recent months, I thought it would be appropriate to explain our views on these fidget devices and their impact in the classroom. We understand that for quite a few students, there is a need for them to be able to fidget ..
SENIOR SNIPPETS
Mid-term is upon us and some members of the College community may be feeling a little weary due to work, study and sport/performance. The weather has changed and day light hours are few and we know that the weather is going to get cooler from here on in. I encoura..
TERM 3 HOLIDAY BREAK
A reminder that the Term 3 holiday break consists of three weeks.
Term 3 ends on Friday, 15 September, with the holiday break continuing until the beginning of Term 4 on Monday, 9 October.
OUTDOOR EDUCATION
Congratulations are in order for the Year 9 stud..,
The red tape is nearly unravelled, and we expect that we should finally begin work on the much-needed Administration extension in the coming fortnight. This will impact the College, including parents, in two ways.
1) Administration Access: The Administration area will become access..
A MOTHER'S DAY MESSAGE
Mother’s Day is just around the corner – something shops, junior school classes and families are very much aware of. Recently, I read about a mum who had decided to stay at home for a year to care for her baby daughter. Countless hours of peek-a-boo and o..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, T..
When we interview students and families for admission at Good News Lutheran College, we explicitly share that the uniform policy is very strict. Between the time you interview and the time you begin school, it is easy to forget what was explained in an interview. Recently, we have no..
WHAT 'NAPLAN' DOESN'T TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHILD?
If you have a child in Year 7 or 9, then you have just experienced NAPLAN this week. How did your child feel they went? What sort of conversations did you have with them throughout the week about how they feel after each test? Did they appear ..
SENIOR SNIPPETS
The other day I came across the following quotation from Henry Ward Beecher, Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety, or the handle of faith.
It reminded me that as Christians we can live in the knowledge that God is always with u..
TREATMENT PLANT EXCURSION
Have you ever wondered what happens to the 485 million litres of waste that leaves our homes every day?
When you get an opportunity, ask one of these excited Year 8 Science students (pictured) who learned all about the fascinating science of water treatme..,
ALTERED ROAD CONDITIONS
Parents and caregivers of Good News Lutheran College students are reminded that the soon-to-begin extension to the Administration building will result in altered carpark arrangements for the next five months. It is imperative that drivers adhere to speed limits ..
God’s blessings to you all as we begin Term 2, we hope that the holidays were spent with family and focusing on Jesus sacrifice for us all.
On Monday, 24 April we held our ANZAC Day service, we had the privilege of having Warrant Officer Hynds talk to the College about why we remember..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, T..
Merit Points and Certificates in Middle School
For those parents who are not aware, here at GNLC, Merit Points are awarded to each student on a weekly basis. Merit Certificates are issued based on a student’s all-round behavior, attitude and work ethic and is not a reflection on..
A big welcome back to term two. This year is certainly moving along at quite a speed. I trust that Easter was a blessed time for all families.
I found the following prayer the other day and thought that I would share it with you.
Eternal God
Bless all schools, colleg..
MOTHER’S DAY STALL
With Mother’s Day on 14 May, the College community is reminded that the annual GNLC Mother’s Day stall will be held on Thursday, 11 May. Students may purchase gifts ranging from $1 to $10 in value.
COLLEGE PHOTO DAY
The College Photo d..
Camp is part of the GNLC curriculum. The camp experience fosters students’ courage and independence. Students learn more about themselves as individuals, forming a greater sense of identity.
Each year level camp has a different focus:
Year 2 sleepover helps students becom..,
Parent Evenings
It was wonderful to be able to walk around on Wednesday night and see so many excited students proudly displaying their progress and achievements to their families. It might be surprising to hear, but research shows us students self-assessing - giving students ownership of th..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, T..
For our younger students, love means being nice to everyone, even when we don’t want to. As children develop, they learn to show love by listening attentively to what others are saying and considering their feelings. As we grow, love means accepting people despite their weaknesses, unders..
Parenting our Middle School students
I was privileged to be at a Boys In Education conference in 2016 to hear the keynote presentation from Dr Arne Rubenstein about how to support boys in our schools and I am currently reading his book ‘The Making of Men – Raising boys to b..
Have you heard the one about the magician who was performing on a cruise ship? Every time he did a trick, the Captain's parrot would squawk, "It's a trick! He's a fraud. That's not magic!" Then one evening during a storm, the ship sank while the magician was performing. The parrot and t..
Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
As I watched our students pour into the Gym for Multicultural Harmony Day, I was called to think of how wonderfully different we all are. It is ama..
MULTICULTURAL HARMONY DAY
Multicultural Harmony Day on, 21 March, provided a wonderful celebration of diversity in culture. Many different ethnicities are represented at Good News Lutheran College, each bringing unique qualities and traditions to our learning environment. We rejoice in that ..,
Get Connected Evening
If you have been at the College for more than a year or two, you will have noticed the gradual move towards more digital delivery of communication where it has been of benefit. This is a different way of working, however, and we understand that various intern..
As the long weekend is here, as well as it being the middle of a very busy term, I thought it would be fitting to talk about resting and recuperating. We all know that God can do amazing things; he created everything in the universe. He did this in 6 days! It is phenomenal to think ..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tar..Multicultural Harmony Day 2017 (https://gnlcjuniorschool.wordpress.com/2017/03/01/multicultural-harmony-day-2017/?iframe=true&theme_preview=true)
Students and families of Good News speak over 50 different languages. We have celebrated our diversity in past years with a Multicultural The..
How is your child going so far?
We are now into Week 6 and it is probably a good time to check in on your child and ask them how the year has gone so far. The busyness of the first weeks of the year is now over, and your child should have had a variety of assessment pieces already...
This month has only just started but we have managed to engage in many activities, both in and out of the College. The wonderful sunshine has really been a blessing to us, as none of the planned activities have had to be cancelled because of poor weather.
I have visited many classe..
WYNDHAM DIVISION INTERSCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL
It was with great pride that 36 Year 3-6 students and eight Year 7-12 students represented Good News Lutheran College at the Wyndham Division Swimming Carnivals on Tuesday, 28 February and Thursday, 2 March. All students approached their event....
The Resource Centre would be extremely grateful to any current parents, who could give some assistance with covering books in the next couple of weeks.
Please contact the Resource Centre.
Thank you...,
Construction
We are now only a week or so away from beginning the construction of additional staff space with a significant extension to the Administration building, something that we’ve been planning gradually for nearly two years now. It is going to be messy unfortunately, as ..
Did you know that next Tuesday is Pancake Day? (I’m salivating already!)
Actually, a more precise name for next Tuesday would be Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving that Christians once practiced on this day. Shriving means to confess your sins ..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (College site)
Pastor..
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: READING IN YEARS P-4
The huge parent turnout on Parent Night confirmed what we already knew: You care about your children’s education at Good News and you want to be involved. Now that students are settled into the routines of the classroom, we i..
New Middle School Philosophy
This year we have introduced a new overarching Middle School Philosophy that gives clear direction as to the progress and the development that we will be focusing on in each year level. I introduced this at our Middle School Parent Information Night in We..
The year is already rolling along at a rapid rate. We have already had the Swimming Carnival, which was a great day. It was wonderful to see so much House support and students, and staff, dressed up in House colours. There was a real feeling of community, which was a real blessing.
In the Se..
GINA - THE SEEING EYE DOG
An exciting new 'enrolment' at our College this year is Gina the Seeing Eye Dog, in training. Gina will be at our College for about 12 months, then she will return to Seeing Eye Dogs Australia where she will undergo formal training. We, as a College, are doin..,
Welcome back to all our families and students at Good News Lutheran College. An extended welcome to all of our new students as they begin their education journey with us. This year sees our 2nd cohort of Year 12 beginning their final year of secondary education with us and our third ..
God’s blessings to you all as we embark on a new year of schooling together. This term the College is donating all chapel offerings to ‘Kids Helpline’. Kids Helpline is a fantastic organisation that offers any person under the age of 25 the chance to call them and talk about ..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road,..
This week, your Year Level blogs will clarify what homework should look like for 2017.
As you read the expectations, please understand that assigning homework is not easy. Teachers have two main struggles when assigning homework: A task that takes one child 5 minutes to complete m..
Welcome Back to 2017!
Welcome back to another great year ahead, and a very warm welcome to any new families into our Middle School community. I look forward to getting to know you more throughout the year. If you are not aware, GNLC is celebrating its 20th birthday this year ..
“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle, and does not live according to our teaching.” (Idle, in this sense means disorder.)
At our informal welcome assembly, I reminded the Senior students about..
FAMILY TWILIGHT PICNIC
Preparations are well underway for the annual Twilight Family Picnic for current College families.
The event, on Friday, February 24, will feature face painters, balloon twisters, fairy floss, slushies and popcorn.
Coffee will be available for the adults, while..,
The excitement of our most recent building developments reached its peak last week with the opening of our Middle and Senior Schools’ Science Centre, and Materials and Technology Centre.
With our growth through to Year 12 this year, these two buildings are two important stage..
Middle School Orientation Day: A new beginning!
On Friday 11 November we welcomed the new students who will be entering into our Middle School in 2017. This was a fantastic opportunity for these students to get to know a few teachers, experience a number of classes and understand ..
Orientation
Year 12 Orientation took place last week and all got off to a good start. There was a flurry of photocopying going on in the staff room for this event and all were prepared ready to start our second round of Year 12.
Students were set work for the coming break from ..
With only a couple of weeks to go, it is a great chance to reflect and be thankful. As we reflect, we should also ask God to give us the wisdom to learn from where things didn't go well and the ability to focus on the things that we have been blessed with. We are so lucky to be where we are..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (College site)
Pastor: ..
RED X Racing
Saturday, 19 November saw the Red X Racing outfit have three teams compete in the RACV Energy Breakthrough HPV competition. Students commenced the race at 1.00pm on Saturday and took it in turns riding for 24 hours. Jack Coles made an outstanding personal best perfor..Give Blood - Save Three Lives
With blood supplies typically dwindling over the holiday period, members of the GNLC community are encouraged to consider donating to this very worthy cause.
Werribee Donor Centre - 7 Bridge St, Werribee...,
Last week was a strange week for many community members here at Good News; that is – the final few days of our first graduating class of Year 12 students. It’s taken such a very long time to get here, but was gone in such a very short period of time.
The College (bac..
With the Year 12s starting exams and the rest of Senior School not far behind, stress can become an issue for us all. It is a great time for us to re-focus on God and the strength he promises us. 1 Peter 5:7 says ‘Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.’
G..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (College site)
Pastor: ..
The previous fortnightly post encouraged you to begin using Direqt Messaging to contact teachers (https://gnlcjuniorschool.wordpress.com/2016/09/09/communicating-with-teachers-via-seqta-direqt-message/). In 2017 the Junior School will discontinue the use of hard copy diaries. Instead, written co..
As Christians, forgiveness is such an important aspect of our lives. We know that Christ died on the cross in order for our sins to be forgiven. As a result of this, we know we also need to forgive others for the things they have done to us – forgive others just as Christ has for..
Last week was the Year 12 Celebration Week which was a blessing to all involved. The week unfolded as follows:
18th Tuesday – Whole College Chapel in the Gym which was preceded by ‘A Walk of Honour’ by the Year 12s through the whole College community. This was a wonder..
College Closure Day - Monday 31 October, 2016
This is a reminder that the College will be closed on Monday 31 October, 2016, the day before Melbourne Cup Day, as per previous years.
Only Year 12 students and supervising staff will be in attendance for exams.
GNLC After School Care St..,
I have been extremely blessed to have just come back from several weeks Sabbatical Leave in Europe with around twenty other Lutheran Principals and associated staff, following the journeys of Paul around current-day Greece and Turkey. We were able to gain an incredible insight into th..
1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Term 4 brings with it many things that keep a college busy. Exams, assessments, farewells, graduation, arts nights, camps and many m..
St Philips Church
Service Time: 9.00am Sunday Weekly Worship
9.30am Sunday School (school terms)
9.00am First Sunday of month - family/ youth service
Where: 580 Tarneit Road, Ta..Communicating with Teachers via SEQTA Direqt Message (https://gnlcjuniorschool.wordpress.com/2016/09/09/communicating-with-teachers-via-seqta-direqt-message/?iframe=true&theme_preview=true)
Thank you to the parents who have been using SEQTA and who want to learn more about what the sit..
As we begin the final term of 2016, we enter into a time of reflection and questions. Our students will begin wondering what changes are going to happen when they move up into the next year level. Are the expectations of school work going to be harder? What subjects should they be cho..
Senior Snippets
Welcome back to Term 4. I can hardly believe it is already Term 4 and nearly the end of Week 2. Time seems to be flying but there is much to be done prior to the end of term.
The Year 12s will soon go into the VCE exam period, which starts on 26 October. Some..
Spellmasters Australia
On Sunday, 9 October, Jordanne T. won the third place prize in the Junior Division of the 2016 Round 9 Competition of Spellmasters Australia. Jordanne has earned a place in the junior finals next month on Sunday, 20 November.
Good luck Jordanne, at the fi..
Late in Term 2, the College participated in ‘Jump Rope for Heart’ which saw the Junior School participate in a range of skipping activities and raise funds for the Heart Foundation. It is with excitement that it can be announced, that as a College, students raised in excess of ..
The Year 7 Boys Interschool Cricket team played very well against Werribee Secondary College, going down 135 to 90 runs.
Congratulations to all players on their fighting attitude and teamwork.
A special mention goes to Shannon V. and Sebastian D. for their assistance with coaching over t..
The cover of this issue of ‘Kids Nation’ (pictured below) features beautiful artwork by one of our Good News Lutheran College students, Alicia D. (3MG)
In this issue:
LEADERSHIP: Is every kid supposed to be a leader?
TIPS: Community service ideas for kids
IN..,..............,
