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Presbyterian Church Schools' Resource Office Newsletter
Term 4 2019
Kia ora tatou
As we start the last term of the year I want to thank you for welcoming me as the new director. It has been a pleasure visiting schools, meeting with Principals, Chaplains, Board members and teaching staff over Term 3. If I haven't got to your school yet, it will happen. It is a privilege to be part of such an interesting and valuable network of schools.
Welcome Forgive me if I miss someone, or have you welcomed twice. (And please email me with any changes in contact details). So a warm welcome to the Presbyterian Schools' network to Francois Joubert chaplain at St Cuthbert's College, Deborah Wilson Chaplain at Queen Margaret College, Pauline Duffy Principal of Columba College and Janine Tupaea who starts Term 4 as Solway College's new principal. We hope you find this a good place to grow and thrive, and serve your school's community.
Farewell to Rev Dr Karen Nelson as chaplain at St Cuthbert's, Rev Warren Fortune as chaplain at Lindisfarne (although he's still filling in), Elizabeth Rogerson as principal of Solway College, Ken Edgecombe as chaplain of Queen Margaret (although still an RE teacher). And of course we cannot forget Sharon Ross Ensor former director of this Office. Thank you to you all for your service to our church schools.
I believe there have also been changes in RE teachers in various schools. Thank you to those of you who have taught and shared your faith with students. And welcome to the newcomers. Thank you for taking on this role in your schools. Do please contact me if you need resources of any sort. The website http://www.presschools.org.nz has heaps of good ideas, and links to lots of others. Plus, I will have some more stuff to share in this newsletter. (Again, please update me with any changes of staff, please)
I know it is early but could you please think about dates that it would be good for me to book for next year for a visit - Teacher Only Days (perhaps to talk to new teachers about the special character aspect), boarders first days/dinners, Founders' Days, Board meetings, etc.
Ka kite ano
Stephanie Wells
Director
021 02951129
stephanie@presbyterian.org.nz
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Presbyterian Church Schools Conference 2019
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Yr 8 students present their findings to the Church Schools Conference, from their concurrent course on service.
Note the slide showing the conference theme.
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The Moderator of PCANZ Right Rev Fakaofo Kaiao was one of many guests at the Church Schools Conference in August. Besides national Presbyterian Church team members Rev Wayne Matheson (Assembly Executive Secretary), Rev Phil King (Global Mission) and Gordon Fitch (Presbyterian Youth Ministries) we had Carl Nial and Kevin Dalesa, school chaplains from Vanuatu.
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The Presbyterian Church Schools Conference on 8-9 August this year in Auckland had the theme "Keeping the Faith". Saint Kenitgern's College took the PCSRO director's resignation in Term 1 in stride and hosted an "amazing conference". The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about the venue, catering, and speakers. Thank you David Smith, Reuben Hardie and all your team for "a very enjoyable two days."
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Presbyterian Church Schools Conference 2020
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I am very pleased to be able to finally give you the dates and venue for the 2020 Conference. It will be Thursday-Friday 6-7 August 2020 at Scots College, Wellington. Thank you to Scots for offering to host. Please put this in your diaries now.
In the past the church school conference has been in the same place as the previous NZARETSC conference. However next year this will be in Hamilton where the network has no schools. That meant some research since the 2019 Conference to consider the options. By choosing another city for our conference I am aware those who go to the conference in Hamilton earlier in the week will have to fly down to Wellington in time for the next one, but at least Scots College is close to the airport.
I am hoping to re-instate the Y12 programme held in past years. However I have heard some voices praising the Y7/8 event this year. So, please tell me which one you prefer,
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Congratulations to Rev. Paul Morrow chaplain of St Andrew's College on his ordination. He is the first to be made a Locally Ordained Minister for a school, as usually this is a role tied to a church. (Perhaps a sign of things to come?) The photo is of the moment when fellow ministers in the area lay hands on the newly ordained person and pray for them.
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Our sympathy goes to Scots and Queen Margaret Colleges on the deaths of two former students, made newsworthy by the details of their passing, and thus placing even more pressure of those that knew them.
FYI, I have some resources for rituals and/or services for such difficult times. I hope to put some on the website soon, but until then email direct and I can send you some ideas. I'd also love to share any ideas you have used. For example, Ellie Burge of Iona uses a candlelighting prayer that remembers deceased and living family and friends at every worship service.
Already on the website is a chapel service on courage and fear which may be helpful, see
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I signed up for every church schools' facebook page when I started this job. What wonderful things are being posted there. I encourage you to look at each others if you don't already.
Searching for school youtube clips has also been fascinating.
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Kids Friendly
Recent Kids Friendly e-news' can be found at http://www.kidsfriendly.org.nz They have great ideas for work with younger children that can often be adapted for older students too. There are resources for Advent/Christmas (yes, that time is coming up fast!) plus ideas for Professional Development in 2020. I note the New Zealand Children's Ministry Network http://www.nzcmn.org.nz has a good list of possibilities. (Yes, I know many are church-orientated but they can also be useful for the classroom and chapel).
The newsletter also mentions Presbytery Central's Children and Families page. What caught my eye there was some Pacific Resources they were advertising. Yes, so far they only have picture books in Tongan and Samoan but they are keen to gather more, so watch their page at http://www.presbyterycentral.org.nz. With our diverse school populations, having resources in other languages is becoming increasingly important. (If anyone knows of other language resources please pass them on to me)
And for the beginning of this term how about their link to the Week of Prayer for World Peace resources at http://www.weekofprayerforworldpeace.com (20-27 October)? Or alternatives to Halloween for later in the month?
Plus, if you've started thinking about 2020 take a look at their recommendation of http://www.sanctifiedart.org for some visual inspiration.
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Global Missions' 'Nambawan! newsletter is out. It covers news about Presbyterian work in Vanuatu. This month it has an article about Rangi Ruru's planned cross-cultural encounter there in 2020. Also mentioned is the visit from Vanuatu of youth leaders to Connect and chaplains to the church schools conference in August.
A group from Saint Kentigern School has just returned from building two playgrounds in schools in Vanuatu. Go to www.globalmission.org.nz to check it out, plus get some great ideas for future service learning, both here (you can host visitors) or abroad.
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Playing together on the newly installed climbing frame - New Zealand and Vanuatu.
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Book
Jane Tolerton (Booklovers Books, Wellington, NZ) has written this timely collection of stories about New Zealand women who were "the first". Well-known women like Kate Shepherd and Jacinda Adern have a page each, as do less famous people such as Esther James (the first woman to solo walk the length of New Zealand) and Iriaka Ratana (the first woman to represent Maori in parliament.)
Useful for the new New Zealand history curriculum or feminist and social studies as well as discussion-starters in RE classes eg. "What motivated these women?"
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Websites
Last year a new website was launched http://www.livinglibrary.org.nz It is a combined project of the Presbyterian Resource Centre (which is the Presbyterian Church's national library and archives) and Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership (their training arm). They have collected lots of their resources under five headings: Faith, Community, Witness, Leadership and Innovation. There are links to all sorts of interesting websites as well as heaps of photos that continue to be digitised from the PRC's huge collection. This is an ever-changing resource, so keep checking back for what is new.
The website http://www.proclaim.faithlife.com is advertising free resources (mainly multi media) to Christian Schools. Look in their 'Schools' section.
Local publisher Philip Garside Publishing Ltd has a monthly mailout with lots of interesting books (including ebooks) and other Christian resources. Go to http://www.pgpl.co.nz or email books@pgpl.co.nz for further information.
The Historical Abuse in State Care Royal Commission has a website
http://www.abuseinstatecare.royalcommission.govt.nz if you need, or want, to check this issue out. |
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Presbyterian Church Schools’ Resource Office on Facebook
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Apologies - the Church Schools Facebook page is not being updated at present as the PCANZ national office is considering new ways of using social media AND because I am concentrating on other technological up-skilling.
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