Toongabbie Christian College

JO-ANNE PEACOCK (née JENKYN) Student 1985-1994

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my time spent in the Ministry Choir. The brainchild of the extraordinary Lynette Hester, Ministry Choir was an important outlet for me during my school years. It was a diverse gathering of TBCCS students of different ages and dispositions, all coming together in the name of music, to form this unique assortment of singers. We would rehearse weekly, at lunchtimes and after school, learning song after song, and getting our EH-NUN-SEE-AY-SHUN right. We adored and feared Mrs Hester in equal parts. She commanded our utmost and managed to draw out our full potential, both as individuals and as a choir. Mrs Hester’s no-nonsense style kept rebels like me in check and maintained a culture of excellence. In turn, this helped us to truly value what we were achieving and contributed to a strong sense of self-worth in the group. Because the choir included a range of ages, we were able to foster friendships with people in different grades. Friendships were formed with the most unlikely combinations of personalities and ages – one of the great benefits of true community. As kids, we were given a platform to showcase our gifts, practice teamwork, discover unity, appreciate music, develop discipline, and most importantly, lift up our voices to God, for His glory. We all knew it was an honour to be part of the choir, but it’s only as I’ve left childhood behind that I realise what a great opportunity it was. An opportunity to be stretched and shaped, to build resilience, to value teamwork, and to have confidence and boldness forged in us. As I reflect on those years, I remember countless and varied performances. We took the stage at Presentation Night every year, visited many local nursing homes for special concerts and performed at Seven Hills Shopping Centre, among others. We sang at Parramatta for Carols by Candlelight and featured on Good Morning Australia with Gordon Moyes. We even took our show on the road and toured parts of New Zealand, what an adventure that was! And there was so much more! These treasured memories of my time in the Ministry Choir are a source of great joy and nostalgia and I’m grateful that it’s part of my story as a coach and performer. 35 years ago, I started my education journey at Toongabbie Baptist Christian Community School. Little did I know that the friends I made in that happy Kindy room would be with me 35 years later... that we would share such joyous adventures in learning and life together. We attended pretend tea parties together in the adjoining leafy courtyard, a foundation for the real tea parties shared in our adult lives. We found adventures galore in the dusty gum forest (our playground before new learning centres were built). We poked sticks at trapdoor spider holes, ran up and down dirt mounds and collected gum leaves. We climbed the monkey bars till our hands were calloused and cartwheeled till we were dizzy on the grassy spot in front of the high school portables. We sang our hearts out with pride in the Ministry Choir. The profound biblical words from the hymns we sang are still with me today and have guided me through so many difficult times. The most lasting memories I have of primary school at Toongabbie Baptist Christian Community School was playing happily with my friends in a nurturing Christian community environment. High School was not the easiest for me. My family suffered several tragedies and family deaths throughout my high school years. The trauma was significant and some would say unbelievable. I can honestly say that I believe God had me in the very best place for that time of my life. The teachers were firm yet compassionate when I needed this most.

REBECCA LAUKKA (née SHRIGLEY) Student 1986-1998

28