Insight

Insight Spring 2024

INSIDE 2024 Chinese Curriculum Trip Curriculum Reform: How the College is responding Primary School Transformation on Track MARY POPPINS Jr DELIGHTS

In 2024, we have been guided by the theme, Loved by Jesus ...

Contents

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3 Abeni’s Inspiring Journey

Primary School Transformation on Track

11 Ramsay Scholarship for Amy

5 Academic NSW Curriculum Reform

8 2024 Chinese Curriculum Trip

Cover Image Tahlia Coxon (Year 12) on stage during the College Musical, Mary Poppins Jr

12 Co-Curricular Mary Poppins Jr Nurtures Delight and Joy

Editorial Enquiries Editor Dr Johan Griesel Editorial enquiries are welcome and should be sent to marketing@tcc.nsw.edu.au

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LEADERSHIP

Principal’s Welcome

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Insight magazine. The College is proud of its Christian heritage, which has always been rooted in an unwavering faith in Jesus Christ our Saviour. This publication will highlight ways that God has blessed the College Community throughout the year. While we are aware that there are undoubtedly moments every day where God is at work in our staff and students in ways that may go unnoticed by most, Insight is an intentional opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our community and give glory to God for all that He is doing. In 2024, we have been guided by the theme, Loved by Jesus , a celebration of the knowledge of life and eternity through the Love that Christ displayed on the Cross, where “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8 NKJV). Jesus demonstrated His love for us by His willingness to die on the cross for us who are the least worthy of such love. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus said to His disciples that the way His Father loved Him, He loved us. He said in John 15:9 (NKJV), ”Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Jesus displayed the ultimate example of this by being the Sacrificial Lamb on the cross.

Paul describes this love beautifully in Galatians 2:20 (NKJV), “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Pastor Judah Smith reminds us that “Jesus loves us right now, just as we are. He isn’t standing aloof, yelling at us to climb out of our pits and clean ourselves up so we can be worthy of Him. He is wading waist-deep into the muck of life, weeping with the broken, rescuing the lost and healing the sick.” May we not forget or misunderstand Jesus’ unconditional love for us. The evidence of His love for us is His ultimate sacrifice. He not only died for our sins, He suffered a painful death on the cross for our sake. We can be rest assured that no one else has ever loved us as much as Jesus loves us and that this everlasting love can never be taken away from us. To be Loved by Jesus is to live our lives to the fullest. We need to embrace His love because the price was significant. May His love for us give us peace, endurance and the ability to love one another, because we are Loved by Jesus . It is my hope that Insight provides our wider community with a deeper understanding of how faith, life and learning is lived at Toongabbie Christian College every day.

Dr Johan Griesel, Principal

In His Service.

Dr Johan Griesel Principal

Loved by Jesus is the College theme for 2024.

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SERVICE

Abeni's Inspiring Journey

By Mrs Katherine Kerr, Head of Faculty - HSIE

Arts for Best Factual Entertainment Program. Abeni's parents felt profoundly blessed and proud, seeing her involvement as an affirmation to her courage and meaningful connections forged. Abeni's journey on Old People's Home for Teenagers is a testament to the power of intergenerational connections, highlighting the importance of understanding, empathy and shared humanity that transcends age. Abeni's story is an inspiring reminder of the profound impact such experiences can have on young people, fostering growth, faith and a deeper appreciation for the wisdom of older generations.

In November 2022, Year 9 Geography students focused on ‘Human Wellbeing in Australia’, with a particular emphasis on the lives of Australians in retirement. Following the conclusion of the school year, Abeni Henderson's mother unexpectedly came across promotional material for Old People's Home for Teenagers - an ABC television program - seeking young participants from Western Sydney. Abeni's interest in being a participant on the show further ignited a desire to bridge the generational gap and form meaningful connections. Abeni's journey on the show was both enlightening and challenging. She bonded with the elderly participants, discovering a wealth of stories, wisdom and warmth. Among these connections, her bond with Dale, a resilient woman with a remarkable life story, stood out. Dale's vibrant energy shone despite her visual impairment. Abeni found in Dale a kindred spirit, describing her as possessing "a cheeky personality that brought light to any situation.” A poignant moment in Abeni's experience was her initial visit to Dale at the retirement village, during which she presented her with homemade cookies in a lovingly crafted box. This heartfelt gesture marked the beginning of a deep and enduring friendship, highlighting Abeni's inherent kindness and the genuine connections fostered through the show. To this day, Abeni and Dale continue to share meaningful moments and maintain their bond. Abeni's faith in Christ played an important role throughout her journey. Her interactions, especially with Dale, often led to profound spiritual reflections about the meaning of life and the importance of community. Abeni’s faith was both challenged and strengthened, making her time on the show deeply fulfilling on a personal level.

To this day, Abeni and Dale continue to share meaningful moments and maintain their bond.

Abeni Henderson, pictured with Dale from Old People’s Home for Teenagers.

Old People’s Home for Teenagers was recognised by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television

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PRIMARY

Transformation on Track

The construction of the Primary School Building Project only hints at the transformation currently underway. Once complete, the three-storey building will house the College’s entire Primary School in purpose-built facilities designed for contemporary teaching and learning. The project has been in the planning phase since 2021 with construction services firm, Paynter Dixon. Coinciding with the design phase was the plan to provide classrooms and office spaces for Primary students and staff during the construction phase of the new building. In December 2022, F Block, the first building on the site, was demolished to make way for the new Primary Building. Finally, in November 2023 construction in partnership with Paynter Dixon commenced. When complete, the three-storey building will house the entire Primary School and its auxiliary services and administration. The building consists of classrooms for Kindergarten to Year 6, an external learning space on the top floor, specialised facilities for Learning Support, EALD, literacy and numeracy support and enrichment education. In addition, the building will include meeting and counselling rooms. The staffroom area will consist of staff facilities and separate work spaces. A reception area with meeting rooms and offices for the Primary Leadership Team will allow for the delivery of an enhanced professional service. The building will also house a new Uniform Shop and new Out of Hours Care (OOSH) facilities at the bottom of B Block. The top floor of B Block will be converted into specialist teaching and learning spaces for Music and Science and an open space for practical curriculum facilities. The building includes an area called the TCC Journey, where God’s Faithfulness to the College Community will be displayed. The space between

Toongabbie Creek and the back of the new building will be converted into a Kindergarten to Year 2 play area. The area where the current demountable buildings are situated will be converted into Primary play areas, which will include play equipment, in addition to the grass area in front of B Block.

The project is progressing well with a completion date set for June 2025.

We are honoured to have this opportunity to serve our College Community with a new building, but most of all we are grateful to our Heavenly Father for blessing us with the prospect of these wonderful new facilities.

The construction of the Primary School Building Project will transform the College’s Primary School and provide contemporary teaching and learning spaces for staff and students.

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ACADEMIC

NSW Curriculum Reform

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Primary School

The new Mathematics syllabus is focused on ensuring the basics of Mathematics are explicitly and effectively taught. The new syllabus provides teachers with the time to teach concepts deeply and ensure that students have mastered them. For example, a common complaint has been that the fractions syllabus content was too fast-paced. Common misconceptions about fractions were persisting into Senior Primary, which suggested that the syllabus was not allowing students enough time to build a solid understanding before jumping into more complex problems. The new syllabus allows students to leave Primary School with a strong conceptual understanding of all the basics. The College Board and leadership have generously supported the process of curriculum reform by creating two Senior Curriculum Advisor roles in Primary School. These roles focus on supporting teachers to implement the new syllabus documents and to ensure that students have a consistent learning experience. The College looks forward to partnering with parents/carers in the education of students as the journey of improvement continues.

In New South Wales, major curriculum reform is currently underway. In 2023, a new English and Mathematics syllabus was introduced for Kindergarten to Year 2. This year, the College implemented a new syllabus for English and Mathematics in Years 3 to 6. The rest of the Key Learning Areas will follow over the next few years. In Primary School, the staff are excited by this curriculum reform, which affirms what they are already doing. There is a vast body of research, commonly referred to as the Science of Learning and the Science of Reading, which outlines the most effective methods for teaching and learning. Content needs to be carefully sequenced in small steps with a lot of examples, checking for understanding and opportunities for review. Additionally, an approach called balanced literacy has dominated reading instruction in NSW over the past few decades despite compelling evidence that explicit systematic phonics instruction is the best way to ensure that all students learn to read. Parents/Carers may be familiar with predictable levelled readers with wording such as “This is a giraffe. It has spots. This is a zebra. It has stripes.” Much of this text is not decodable for a beginner reader and promotes guessing rather than actual reading – especially when paired with pictures of a giraffe and a zebra. Under the balanced literacy approach, too many students did not effectively learn to read because they were not explicitly taught. The College identified this several years ago and began a process of transforming instruction to be explicit and include the Sounds-Write systematic phonics program. Since then, the College has been consistently working to ensure that teaching practice provides all students the best possible opportunities to learn and grow. Previously, teachers were required to search beyond syllabus documents to find the best practices for teaching English, but that is no longer necessary. The updated English syllabus acknowledges the significance of the methods the College implemented many years ago. The College continues to teach explicit systematic phonics while building language comprehension through high-quality children’s literature so that all students are challenged. Reading and writing is now linked together so that students build knowledge and demonstrate comprehension and critical thinking through all their learning tasks in English. The approach to Spelling has been reviewed to ensure that students understand why particular spelling patterns exist and how they are to be used. It is encouraging to see increased student engagement and achievement as a result of these changes.

Mrs Susannah Wallace Senior Curriculum Advisor Primary

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New South Wales is embarking on a curriculum change that is the first major change in over 30 years. Priorities for the change are to build strong foundations, provide more time for teaching and strengthen post school pathways.

Secondary School

be taken in a variety of ways and across a range of different situations. This includes both in-class activities and formal Assessment Tasks.

Toongabbie Christian College has embarked on the implementation of the new curriculum journey in Secondary School. The planning began back in 2022 when the new English and Mathematics curriculum documents were released, along with other new curriculum such as Stage 6 Software Engineering, Geography and Stage 4 and 5 Languages. In 2024, the new Secondary School curriculum that has been implemented includes English, Mathematics and Languages for Years 7 to 10 along with Years 11 and 12 Geography and Software Engineering. In 2025, the new curriculum will be introduced at the College in Year 11 Health and Movement Science that will replace Senior PDHPE. For the development of English and Mathematics, the College created space and time for our expert teachers to dedicate the time to write and design our new curriculum programs and related assessment strategies. This took over 12 months to write and develop in consultation with teachers across faculties. This was seen as an investment in the core literacy and numeracy programs in the Secondary School to ensure that the tasks in the classroom increases learning outcomes for our students. The Secondary School saw that the Assessment and Reporting processes required a greater focus on the grading process. Assessments will now include on-balanced professional judgements that assess student performance based on a Common Grade Scale. Teachers will need to make judgements using a range of tasks and provide for a student to demonstrate their achievement based on the syllabus outcomes. The opportunities for students need to

This year, Academic Reports have included graded outcomes and an overall grade, marks or ranks.

The A-E grades on the report not only indicate the level of achievement at that time but can lead to goal setting and discussions around what a student needs to do to improve. This can be done with the classroom teacher or by looking at a Grade Scale.

The impact

Year 10 students have a yearly examination to create three assessment tasks per year per subject. This is to allow teachers the time to fully understand their students and observe how they learn and develop a culture of learning in the classroom that meets the needs of each student. The curriculum change is seen as a positive move by the students at Toongabbie Christian College. With the number of outcomes in subjects being reduced and content updated, the potential exists to lead towards a more engaging learning experience for students.

Mr David Carter Dean of Curriculum Secondary

The curriculum changes mean that reading and writing are linked together so that students

build knowledge and demonstrate comprehension and

The curriculum change is seen as a positive move by the students at Toongabbie Christian College.

critical thinking through all their learning tasks in English.

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FEATURE

2024 Chinese Curriculum Trip

By Mr Jonathan Kim

The program included opportunities to take a break from their academic studies and participate in activities ranging from traditional tuanshan fan making to engineering and testing water rockets. A highlight of student campus life was the international talent show nights that consisted of performances from Bulgaria, China, Russia and Nepal amongst other countries. Cultural excursions also included visiting famous landmarks symbolic of a nation’s rich tradition and culture. Students were treated to cultural landmarks such as the Great Wall of China. The group also travelled to the nation’s capital, Beijing, to visit historic sites such as the Summer Palace and Imperial Palace (Forbidden City). Excursions extended into showcasing features of modern China, from haggling and enjoying the markets that displayed China’s production prowess to appreciating the modern architectural showcase of Binhai Library. Student William Zhang summed up his experience: “The idea of not having our mobile phones and spending time in a foreign culture independently took some time to get used to, but it enhanced the experience a lot and I am glad the trip was designed in such a way. Not having my phone allowed me to enjoy building relationships with others and actively engage with a new experience that comes once in a lifetime. In the end, the brief experience of student life in China allowed me to build steady relationships with those from different areas of the world.” The College’s initiative for the Curriculum Trip is to provide students with opportunities and experiences that enhance their academic studies in new settings and further their insights into the diverse world in which we live. The 2024 Chinese Curriculum Trip represented a unique opportunity to further Toongabbie Christian College’s purpose of providing educational opportunities that develop the whole person.

On Friday 28 June 2024, a group of Toongabbie Christian College students took part in the 2024 Chinese Curriculum Trip. The trip aims to provide valuable opportunities to enhance the language proficiency of students, as well as providing genuine experiences of Chinese culture.

This wonderful opportunity involved eight Year 10 students currently studying Chinese Continuers. These students were accompanied by their subject teacher Mrs Hong Cui, along with Mrs Melissa Kuitert and Mr Jonathan Kim. To ensure a balance of academic rigour and authentic immersion in local cultural experiences, the College engaged with Tianjin Yinghua Experimental School’s “Summer Exchange Program”. Residing on Yinghua’s school grounds, students participated in dormitory life while attending classes with other schools from various countries who were also part of the program. For student Jun Xi Chen, dormitory life was a new experience. “The school provided us with food in the cafeteria, just like local students. It was interesting to live like Chinese students normally would.” As part of the immersion, students shared experiences and interactions with local and international students participating in streamed curriculum classes. Each student completed a pre-screening test to be allocated to a class appropriate for their level of language proficiency. Students then followed a typical Chinese timetable. Classes occurred between 8.00am to 12.30pm and involved recess and lunch breaks. Students then returned to their dormitories to rest, before engaging in evening classes and independent study periods. For student Ryan McCarthy, the experience proved rewarding: “I was challenged by the academic demands of the program. It was a new experience to study based on a different culture’s program, but it was rewarding.”

Students were also able to enjoy experiences of Chinese culture and the sights the nation has to offer.

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ALUMNI

Ramsay Scholarship for Amy

By Mr David Galliford, Secondary Teacher

Amy Galliford, former College Captain and Dux of Toongabbie Christian College (2018), will soon depart for the University of Cambridge as a Ramsay Scholar, having been announced as one of the outstanding young students to be granted the award in 2024. Amy graduated in 2018, having been Prefect, College Captain and Dux in Year 12. She attended The University of Sydney in 2019, planning to study English and Sociology, where she was awarded a Dalyell Scholarship by the University, part of which included a travel grant that she could use to fund study at an overseas university as part of her degree. A week of study at summer school at Cambridge during the Australian mid-year break was the catalyst that sowed the seed of ambition to one day return and further her education and personal growth overseas. On her return from summer school, she completed her double degree. She now holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies from The University of Sydney, for which she was named a Dalyell Scholar and was included on the Dean’s List for academic merit. Since graduating, Amy has worked as a reporter for a church network and supported an author in the cultivation of ideas for his recent book on the art of persuasion. While her current positions involve communications and creative strategy, Amy’s passion for ideas and language expresses itself through essay, poetry and song. Earlier this year, Amy applied for a place in a Masters Program at the University of Cambridge to enhance her learning and further develop her world experience, as well as for a scholarship from The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation that would provide the funding to do so. After a series of what she describes as miracles, she was granted both a place at Cambridge and the Ramsay Scholarship.

With the Ramsay Scholarship, Amy will study a MPhil in Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion where she is keen to explore questions of free will, belief, meaning and purpose. In the future, she hopes to influence public opinions through both intellectual and artistic avenues, illuminating the timeless truths most vital to our cultural moment. The scholarships are awarded each year by The Ramsay Centre to students who are “committed to advancing a deeper understanding of our civilisation through study at the world’s best overseas universities”. Toongabbie Christian College congratulates Amy on this special step in her blossoming future and we wish her God’s continuing blessings as she embarks on this new adventure. We farewell her with our prayers and blessings and we thank God for His goodness and grace.

Amy receiving the award of the World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship from the The Ramsay Centre CEO Dr Martin Fahy and Board Member Dr Amanda Bell AM.

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CO-CURRICULAR

Mary Poppins Jr Nurtures Delight and Joy

By Mrs Eirlys Mendes, Secondary Teacher

At the end of Term 2, 148 students from Year 1 to Year 12 showcased their performance talents including singing, dancing and acting in the Toongabbie Christian College performance of Mary Poppins Jr. Students embraced the chance to bring to life the classic tale of the magical nanny who comes to rescue the Banks family from suppressive precision and order. Mary Poppins Jr proved a popular choice drawing a record number of student participants including 66 Secondary and 82 Primary School performers. Each student volunteered and embraced their respective roles of lead cast member, ensemble performer or stage crew . No small feat with just 13 weeks of rehearsals. Bi-weekly rehearsals commenced in Week 7 Term 1, with a 4-show run from 27 to 29 June. The run concluded with sold out shows for the Saturday matinee and evening performances. The day prior to opening night, Toongabbie Christian College invited three local schools to view the final dress rehearsal. Approximately 300 students were enthralled with the calibre of our students’ performances and attempted to spell Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Our Year 12 students showcased leadership by example as they evinced vigour and sparkle as the Mary Poppins lead characters. Tahlia Coxon’s Mary Poppins and Joshua Wilson’s Bert were confident and compelling, who invited and transported the audience into 1912, Cherry Tree Lane. Notwithstanding the visual feast of Mary Poppins and the invitation to enjoy the spectral colour and movement on stage, it was the building of community within the diverse cast that highlighted the joy of being a part of a Christian production. It was great to see students who would not normally have interacted working together with the metaphorical and physical boundaries of the College being removed. during intermission: a skill each of the 148 Mary Poppins Jr cast members can excel.

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Individual and collective group achievements were celebrated. Students from Year 1 to Year 12 with a common purpose to honour and be in service with one another were routinely ratified by showing kindness, care and genuine empathy.

On stage, students boldly embraced the skills of performance, especially within

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Step in Time requiring the combination of all musical theatre skills: singing, acting and dancing. Students eagerly adopted the original actions for each of the 26 constants and 18 vowels of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and dancing performances of musical theatre jazz, tap dancing and Irish hard-shoe performances in Step in Time . To bring the show to life, a team of ten Toongabbie Christian College staff were instrumental in its development: Mrs Rachelle Baker and Mrs Brooke Hawkins – administration, marketing and overall production coordination, Ms Pip Cordorey, Mrs Christie Barter and Miss Rachel Edney – coordination of the Primary cast performance, Mr Stephen Edney – vocal development, Mrs Eirlys Mendes – choreography and dance development, Miss Sharna Begg – stage management and lighting development and production with the assistance of Mr Tim Anakin in sound and lighting production, and Mrs Penny Wilson – leadership and direction. Notwithstanding these staff members, the College-wide production was supported by Mr Trevor Duncan and the College Maintenance Team with the building of set props and the setting of ToonieBITES under twinkling lights between the Saturday shows. Mary Poppins may be the story of a magical figure who, in companion with Bert, leads Jane and Michael Banks to fantastical places; it is a Toongabbie Christian College story of how determination, God-given gifting, kindness and passion entwine to build fond memories of school-life beyond the realm of Metella Road.

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COMMUNITY

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Mr Seth Mayo, ICT Operations Manager

As a former student of Toongabbie Christian College, my passion for IT in education began when I helped the then librarian, Jenny Walker, maintain the few College computers during lunchtime. In 2016, Michael Playford, the IT Technician hired just before I graduated, invited me back to this community as a member of his team. Today, I lead an outstanding technical team that enhances the education experience for students, parents/carers and staff by using technology to consistently intensify results. Since returning to the College, I have been reminded of the unique ability we have to show students Christ's love through education. It is a privilege to work in a community where parents/carers, staff

and students all see the importance of faith being interwoven into the curriculum.

Day-to-day, my work aims to support this by streamlining business processes, minimising teacher administrative overhead and improving the visibility of data in teaching. I am particularly passionate about using technology to work smarter. I contribute to the College’s overall impact by helping it approach data management and system functionality in a sustainable and ever-growing way. This goal requires close work with leadership to embrace each opportunity to refine and enhance what the College achieves through the use of technology.

Mr Seth Mayo ICT Operations Manager

Mrs Alison van’t Spyker, Acting Head of Faculty Visual Arts and Languages

Teaching is a passion and a privilege. Schools like Toongabbie Christian College have a unique opportunity to feed into the lives of young people equipping them with tools to navigate their world, from a Christian perspective. We are privileged to be in a position to help students develop attitudes and values that will set them up to be positive impactful ambassadors for Christ in their whole lives. I began my teaching career 28 years ago in a Parent Controlled Christian School with an excellent grounding in the value of Christian education and how important a Biblical Worldview is when working with teenagers. I taught English and History as well as starting my career in student wellbeing. After having my children, I moved to a large Anglican school where I was heavily involved in student welfare, leading wellbeing programs in the middle and senior school as well as developing and implementing whole school programs. During this time, I was involved in caring for Solomon Islands scholarships students. This led me to attend, and then lead, many school mission trips to the Solomon Islands. During these trips,

God opened my eyes to the desperate need for teacher training in the Solomons. I returned passionate about developing teaching training programs. My plan for 2024 was to move, with my husband, and work in the Solomon Islands. Due to a few factors, God closed some doors and I was led to Toongabbie Christian College. Starting at the College felt like coming home. The deep commitment to Christian education and a Biblical Worldview was so refreshing and a much-needed reminder of my purpose in coming into education. My role at the College is an acting role where I am using my many years of management experience to lead the Visual Art and Languages faculties. I am particularly passionate about student wellbeing and how we can help young people flourish not just at school but in life beyond school and I am keen to see where God leads me to use my gifts and talents to serve Him and His kingdom.

Mrs Alison van’t Spyker Acting Head of Faculty Visual Arts and Languages

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COMMUNITY

NAIDOC Week Jesus is our Peace

By Miss Clare Warren, Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

The College Community celebrated NAIDOC Week guided by our 2024 NAIDOC theme: Jesus is our Peace based on Galatians 3:26-29 (NIV): “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

The acronym: NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and was acknowledged nationally from 7 to 14 July 2024. As these dates fell during the Term 2 holidays, the College celebrated NAIDOC Week from 5 to 9 August 2024. The week’s celebrations commenced with College parent, Mrs Alicia Smith, gathering with our staff to share an Acknowledgement of Country with staff and students as they engaged in this week of celebration. Our students were able to engage in curriculum based activities led by their teachers in their classrooms such as reading The Emu Who Ran Through the Sky , by Helen Milroy, for the Years 3 to 6 students. Each morning across the College, students reflected on a devotional series created by a staff member which encouraged us to think about and pray for First Nations people. Thursday saw the students continue the celebration by wearing the colours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags (red, yellow, black, blue, green, white). Students across the College were also able to enter in a colouring and writing competition to demonstrate how they were impacted by the College’s NAIDOC theme across the week. The Library created a book display to engage students and showcase books written by First Nations authors that focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Staff also received the latest annotated bibliography of the resources available in the Library.

Classrooms display a map of Indigenous Australia and students engage in curriculum-based activities relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, led by their teachers in their classrooms, throughout the year. NAIDOC Week was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the rich heritage of First Nations people that exist throughout our community and across the country. The College is proud to continue to recognise this important part of our nation’s identity throughout the year.

As a College, we proudly fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags on our College grounds.

The College Library depicting the NAIDOC Week theme, Jesus is our Peace.

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VALE

Rev Doctor Robert J Frisken AM

By Mrs Gai Thomas, Deputy Principal Secondary

Rev Frisken's wife, vale Maryanne Frisken, was a long‑serving staff member and Coordinator at Toongabbie Christian College for 14 years from 1988 to 2001. The Maryanne Frisken Award for Christian Leadership has been created in honour of her significant contribution to the College and the way her life exemplified true Christian leadership. Rev Frisken presented this award at the College’s annual presentation nights on behalf of his wife for many years. Rev Frisken remained committed to equipping teachers to be effective Christian educators. He was a regular contributor at Christian Community Schools (CCS) Conferences and in 1989 he took on the role of Education Director for CCS. In 1999, Rev Frisken and Maryanne set up New Hope International (NHI) where their passion for Christian education extended into and throughout less developed countries. Rev Frisken has been widely recognised for his incredible contribution to Christian education. In 2018, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Recognition of Service to the field of Christian education. In 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal for his services to Christian Schooling in Australia and in 2002, he was made a member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to our nation and the Pacific Region. Reverend Doctor Robert (Bob) J Frisken AM passed away into eternity on Monday 4 March 2024 leaving a legacy of Christian education that will continue to impact and grow young men and women in their faith and in the equipping of Christian teachers to further God’s Kingdom through education.

Christian Community High School commenced in 1976 with Rev Frisken as Principal. In 1981, Toongabbie Baptist Christian Community School commenced with Rev Peter Hester as Principal, with only 35 students and two teachers. It is through the heritage of strong people of faith, like Rev Frisken, that Christian Schools continue to flourish. Toongabbie Baptist Christian Community School (now Toongabbie Christian College) has grown to 1,170 students belonging to an association of 200 Christian schools impacting over 86,000 students across Australia. With training in both education and theology, Rev Frisken combined his passions for education and pastoral ministry to develop a model of Christian education anchored in a Christ-centred learning community where students’ lives would be shaped by the Biblical story. The aim would be to develop a Christian community where students “would grow up into Christ in all things.” (Ephesians 4:15).

References 1. Blanch, H. (2024) Faithful Footprints of a Founder, Reverend Doctor Robert J Frisken AM. The Excellence Centre 2. https://www.csa.edu.au/CSA/CSA/About-Us/Our-Story.aspx?hkey=6104b09c-1637-4696-9228-cf820242d0a6 6 August 2024 12:55pm

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Faith, life and learning.

Toongabbie Christian College 30-40 Metella Road Toongabbie NSW 2146 (02) 8863 2952 enquiries@tcc.nsw.edu.au www.tcc.nsw.edu.au