Thursday 9 February 2017 There were smiles all round during the first week of school for 2017! Dates to Remember February Friday 10 MS Swimming Carnival Junior School and Family Photos Monday 13 MS & SS Photos Tuesday 14 SS Swimming Carnival JS & MS Parent Teacher Interviews Thursday 16 Worship Service Friday 17 Tarago Swimming (Years 4–6) Mon 20 – Tues 21 OES Thomson River Trip Tuesday 21 New Parents Coffee & Dessert Evening SSV WG Boys Cricket Wednesday 22 Year 7 Immunisations Hockey Clinic (Years 1–4) Wed 22 – Fri 24 OES Unit 3 Field Trip Year 5 Allambee Camp Tuesday 28 SSV WG Swimming (Years 7–12) March Thursday 2 SS Parent Teacher Interviews Mon 6 – Fri 10 Year 7 Canberra Camp Year 8 Coolamatong Camp Tuesday 7 SS Parent Teacher Interviews Follow Chairo on Facebook SSV WG Swimming (Years 4–6) facebook.com/chairo.drouin.east Thursday 9 Year 11 Walhalla Excursion facebook.com/chairo.drouin Friday 10 GIS Ecumenical Service Monday 13 Labour Day Public Holiday Whole School News opportunities over the recent well-earned breaks, and Welcome to 2017 have also prepared students physically and emotionally Welcome to a new school year! I trust that the start has for a positive return to school. Well done! been positive and productive for all members of the And finally, it has been humbling to see staff members Chairo Christian School community. and families working in partnership to show Jesus to our It is a real privilege to have commenced in my role as students. This has happened as people have greeted, and the new Executive Principal at Chairo. I am very pleased shared, and cared, and prayed, and worked and served to report that my predecessor Rob Bray and his wife together. It is a privilege for me to be in a community Sharon have made a strong transition to southern NSW that takes seriously this command to ‘love each other’, where Rob is now Principal at Nowra Christian School. and in doing that to show Jesus to each other and the My wife Veronica and I have loved our move to West watching world—including our students! Gippsland over the summer. After 27 years in Tasmania, I would love the opportunity to meet families more I have ‘returned home’ to Victoria and am thoroughly personally. I hope to be able to do that by participating in enjoying settling into my new position. For the past nine a number of events at each campus, and would certainly years, I have served as the Chief Executive Officer of welcome the opportunity to speak with all families about Christian Schools Tasmania, which operates four schools their experience of Chairo. across Hobart. I hope to be able to catch up in person over the I have been struck by a number of very exciting coming weeks and months. things as I have commenced settling in at Chairo. Firstly, Simon Matthews, Executive Principal I have been extremely pleased (and very blessed) by how welcoming colleagues, families and students have Outlook 2016 been. This is a wonderful quality in any community, but The end-of-year magazine for 2016 has arrived from especially in a school. If you are also ‘new’ to the Chairo the printer today and copies will be distributed by the community, I trust you have also been made to feel very middle of next week to all 2016 families via the eldest welcome and valued. child in each family. It has also been delightful to experience the passion of those working across our campuses. Whether it was Parent Access to Linc people renovating and refurbishing buildings, preparing New parents should recently have received login notices, lists and forms, or turning up to start-of-year information for Linc, our learning management professional learning, there has been a tangible sense system. An email was also sent last week to all parents of excitement and purpose. People seem genuinely regarding how to access Linc if you don’t know your committed to and passionate about serving within username or password. Chairo. Again, I trust that you have had the opportunity Remember, there’s a link to Linc on the school to experience this vital quality in the staff members that website. If you’re having any problems signing into you have already met this year. Linc, please contact Leslie Borg at the Drouin Campus I have also been impressed by the preparedness of ([email protected]). everyone for the start of a new school year. From early In addition to all of the teaching and learning January, our schools have been busy places with people information, and details about the work requirements getting learning spaces and technology and timetables and progress of your children, parents will need to and equipment ready for the return of students and use Linc to read important news, book parent/teacher families. Equally, it was delightful to see so many interviews via PTO, find canteen price lists, etc. students, many with families in tow, turning up on the first day with uniforms, bags, books and attitudes ready Chairo Buy, Swap, Sell for a new year. How exciting to see everyone across our We have recently launched a Buy, Swap, Sell group on community being prepared for a great start! Facebook specifically for Chairo families. The group It has been a delight to see students—from functions as a collective place to advertise second hand Kindergarten to Year 12—turning up ready to learn. I uniform items, text books and general school supplies. have no doubt that they were also excited about seeing It is also a great place to find something that your child friends again and playing around the beautiful grounds may require. The group can easily be found by simply that we have, but as I spoke with and watched students, searching for Chairo Buy, Swap, Sell on Facebook. they were genuinely ready to commit to another year of growing and learning. This is a credit to the parents and carers who have provided rejuvenating, restful Finance News From the Senior Chaplain Four-Year-Old Kinder Subsidy Form (Blue Form) Welcome back for 2017, and to our new families, The four-year-old Kinder Subsidy is a Victorian welcome for the first time! I pray that God will use Government Allowance provided to families that have a Chairo in 2017 to bring your child into a deeper child attending four-year-old kinder and hold an eligible relationship with God through His Son Jesus, the Victorian Government concession care (e.g. Health Care Saviour of the world. Card). If you think you may be eligible and have not I love teaching students of all ages about ‘teaspoon applied or for further information, please contact the prayers’. Teaspoon prayers are a very simple way of Finance Office. helping students to structure their prayers. In recipes, ‘teaspoon’ is shortened to TSP: School Fees – Statement of Accounts • T is for thanks. We begin our prayers by All accounts have been sent out to families. If you have thanking and praising God – for who He not received your statement of account please contact the is, for what He’s done, for the specific Finance Office as soon as possible. blessings in our lives and for Jesus, • Quarterly payments will be deducted this week through whom we can come to God as • First monthly deduction is from 23/2/17 (cards) or our perfect Heavenly Father. 24/2/17 (bank account) • S is for sorry. We confess our sin to God • Yearly-in-advance is due 3/3/17 and admit that we have rejected Him, ignored Him and fallen short of the Camps, Sports and Excursion Funds (CSEF) standard that he requires of us. The Victorian government funding for student camps, • P is for please. We ask God for the things sports and excursions is available to parents with an that are on our heart, taking care not eligible Victorian concession card. only to ask God for things concerning us Families were sent application forms in November to directly, but to pray for others as well. apply for 2017 funding. If you hold an eligible concession Of course, there are other models of prayer that are card but have not yet completed an application, please equally helpful, but I love teaspoon prayers for their contact the Finance Office. simplicity. Everyone from Prep to Year 12 can benefit from remembering TSP in their prayers. School Payment Commitment Form and This leads me to invite you to our Parent Prayer Conveyance Forms Groups for 2017! We would love you to join us for The School Payment Commitment form carries over parent prayer at Leongatha or Drouin on Mondays, and each year. If you want to change the way you pay your Pakenham on Tuesdays. Arrive when you can, leave school fees, you will need to contact the Finance Office as when you must. If you have young children, you are soon as possible. more than welcome to bring them with you. Conveyance forms for car or bus travel also carry Whether you come to our parent prayer meetings over each year unless there have been changes to your or not, thank you so much for your prayer support for circumstances. Please contact the Finance Office if you Chairo in 2017! The prayer of a righteous person is powerful have changed address or travel arrangements, or if you and effective. James 5:16 don’t believe you have filled out a Conveyance form. Medon Loupis, Senior Chaplain Unknown Deposits Two unknown deposits were received in January, Careers at Chairo amounting to $1000 and $400.