newsletter ISSUE 4 | 17 March 2014 PatricK INNES-HILL Principal Last week I was able to attend two events which were both our students. Seeing those students chatting with, laughing with remarkable. and praying with the Crossroaders made the morning even more touching! The first was the drama department’s annualOff the Cuff festival of improvisation. This involved fifty of our Senior Students in Attending these two, very different, events was a real privilege. two hours of “drama sports” – hilarious improvisational team It was so good to see so much energy, confidence, skill and challenges along the line of “Whose Line is it Anyway.” So, I fun at Off the Cuff, but it was even better to see the sense of was able to watch our Year 12 boys team produce a two minute camaraderie amongst the students - I loved the fact that the Cinderella, in the style of an opera; I saw an interview with an seniors were so encouraging to the juniors! To then see the “expert” on the training of flying monkeys, improvised by our students exploring the practical outworking of their sense of Year 7 boys; I was treated to the entire history of Australia in two compassion and service, as well as learning so much from the minutes (including didgeridoo accompaniment); and I was able Crossroaders was wonderful. to watch the instant development of a drama entitled “Tommy In his book “Bread for the Journey” Nouwen wrote: and his Time Travelling Trainers,” complete with an uproarious discussion of the physics of time-travel and the “Tommy killed his “Joy is hidden in compassion….Being with a person … offering own Grandfather therefore Tommy cannot exist” paradox. simple presence to someone … can bring us deep joy. Not happiness, not excitement, not great satisfaction, but the quiet joy Then, the following morning, I went to the Crossroads Service at of being there for someone else and living in deep solidarity with New Life Church, Robina, which was being led by the Emmanuel our brothers and sisters in this human family. Often this is solidarity Chapel Band – something they do every term. Crossroads is in weakness, in brokenness, in woundedness, but it leads us to the no ordinary service; it a weekly event “where people 18yrs+ who centre of joy, which is sharing our humanity with others.” have a physical and/or intellectual disability meet every week” for worship and fellowship1. So I was able to spend an hour in the I strongly suspect the ‘competitors’ in Off the Cuff felt some of that company of some wonderful people, chatting with them about joy in the support they shared, as did our students at Crossroads. everything from autograph hunting to the problems in the EPL, to If they can take the memory of these events forward into the whether it’s better to clap or raise your hands in worship. And I wider world, then they will undoubtedly become the kind of future was reminded of Henri Nouwen, who himself gave up the life of citizens we as a College, and we know you as parents, dream of a Harvard Theologian to live in community with adults rejected nurturing. because of their disabilities. Nouwen once said, “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” Choosing to share worship with the Crossroaders Patrick Innes-Hill was a choice to open myself up to joy. The morning was made 1http://www.church.nu/experience-worship/disability-programs/ even more remarkable because we were being led in that joy by www.emmanuel.qld.edu.au spiritual life MARK GLADMAN Head of Spiritual Life Lent Lent is a season of 40 Days in Memories the lead up to Easter, set aside A grief support program as a time of repentance, prayer and fasting. It is a season in which we seriously reflect on ’Memories’ is a program to support our walk with God and on senior school students who have the person of Jesus as we experienced loss. It is a group approach the time where we interaction and education program regarding grief and loss from an commemorate his death on the adolescent perspective. Sessions will cross, burial and resurrection. be facilitated fortnightly by our school Lent is a time in which we focus on Jesus’ sacrifice, contemplate what this means counsellor, Mr Unser. for us and reflect on how we are living our lives in the light of these truths. It has The group process will ensure that traditionally included times of fasting or denial of something; or, in recent years although students will be encouraged has included taking something on for our edification as Christians. Either way, to engage in discussion and learning, these are never meant to be to show piety, but as an act which encourages us to no student will be forced to speak. maintain steadfastness during the Lenten season. The focus of the group learning experience is to provide strategies and Lent is not an observance commanded in scripture, but neither is it condemned or encouragement for coping with grief forbidden. The facets which make it up - fasting, penitence, prayer, devotion, are and loss. either explicitly commanded, or encouraged in the Bible, often by Jesus Himself. If you would like more information As a multi-denominational school, we have students, families and staff whose regarding this program, please contact denominations explicitly encourage the Lenten season. There are also a growing Mr Unser [email protected] number of mainline evangelical and Pentecostal denominations who over the past or Mrs Ramsay decade or so have rediscovered Lent and its meaning in the Church, encouraging [email protected] their members to actively involve themselves in Lent as a time of intentional “There is not a typical revitalising of their faith in the lead up to Easter. response to loss, as there is At Emmanuel, we no typical loss” are encouraging our students from Prep Meeting Times: through to Year 12 to consider the season of Tuesdays - each fortnight, excluding exam periods and other whole school Lent in age appropriate commitments. Each meeting will be held ways. This began on during a different period so students will Tuesday March 4, with only miss one individual class in a term. our inaugural Shrove Tuesday Service in the Venue: Student Support room near B8 College Courtyard in Group Leader: Mr Unser with the morning, and the invitations to occasional special guests Pancake “Chooseday” Topics: Race for our whole school at lunch. In Christian Education classes and chapels, students are • Myths and Facts about Grief reflecting on the Easter story and are considering their response to that. • The ‘Right Way’ to Grieve • What to Say and How to Answer If you would like more information on Lent or what various year levels are doing • Stages of Grief during these last weeks of Term 1 as we approach Easter, please feel free to • Symptoms of Grief contact me. • How to Support a Friend • New Roles in the Family • Balancing Home, School and Friends New Chaplaincy Contact • Discovering Your Own Strengths • Understanding Resilience To assist us in continuing to provide the school with the best Chaplaincy support • Dealing with Depression we can, we have created two new and easy ways to contact the Chaplaincy • Strategies for Grieving Your Way Team. We now have the following email address: [email protected]. au This will ensure that the appropriate member of the chaplaincy team receives Mrs Adele Ramsay and responds to your need. Please use the above email address for everything, Director of Student Welfare from prayer requests to making appointments for you or your children. Alternately, you are invited to contact me directly on 5561 4034. Should I not be in my office, your call will be forwarded to me wherever I am, on or off campus. We hope that these communication systems will enable us to serve you better. events / notices Term 1 2014 2014 CAREERS EXPO Weeks 8, 9 and 10 Junior School Wed 26 Mar JS Parent/Teacher Interviews Mon 31 Mar JS Parent/Teacher Interviews Thurs 3 April House Cross Country Prep – Year 3: 9.00 – 10.30am 9 – 10 Year Olds: 1.00 – 12.30pm 13 – 19 Year Olds: 1.00 – 3.00pm Fri 4 April Easter Service 1.00 – 1.40pm One Day Only: 9am – 7pm Parents Welcome For further details, please go to: www.gccareersexpo.com.au Co-curricular/Dance Program Concludes Last Day Term 1 7 April – 20 April Easter School Holidays Mon 21 April Easter Monday Public Holiday Students in Year 7 (Years 4,5,8,9 and 10 were offered in 2013) Tues 22 April First Day Term 2 have been provided with an oral health care examination card to take home. Co-curricular/Dance Program Resumes If your child is in Year 7, or if they are new to the school and did not receive an examination card and you would like to arrange for Senior School your child to receive oral health care, please contact: The Oral Health Call Centre on: 1300 300 850 Mon 17 Mar Year 7 – 12 Exam Prep Week Monday - Friday 8.00 am – 4.30 pm excluding Public Holidays. Mon 24 Mar Year 7 – 12 Exam Week If your child requires disability access, please identify this requirement with the Call Centre Operator. Wed 26 Mar Master Minds Master Class at 3.30pm Fri 28 Mar Round One – SS APS Intermediate Band Camp Departs 4.00pm Sat 29 Mar Intermediate Band Camp Parking and Traffic Sun 30 Mar Intermediate Band Camp Concert 12.00pm QLD time (1.00pm NSW time) The Busbay carpark Intermediate Band Camp Returns • A reminder that the bus-lane is not available for drop-offs Mon 31 Mar Year 10 Accounting QPEC’s Eco Man and pick-ups between 8am and 4pm Incursion – Day 1 • When entering the pick-up/drop-off area, please enter the Tues 1 Apr Year 10 Accounting QPEC’s Eco Man left-hand lane if there is space.