From the Principal
Dear Parents,
I pray you had a break from your busy schedules and were able to spend some time together as a family. I sensed our students were very tired towards the end of last term, so it was fantastic to be able to welcome back all of the students this week and see them with such positive energy and excited to be back with their friends and learning in class.
This week you received an email with a calendar of key events for the term. I encourage you to look over this and familiarise yourself with the key dates for the remainder of the year, as Term 4 tends to fly by very quickly!
Vale Dave Semeri
Many of you who have come to our Chapels on Friday would have seen Dave Semeri, who played Bass Guitar nearly every Friday for many years. Tragically, Dave passed away unexpectedly on Saturday the 5th of October.
Dave was a much-loved member of our school and our church community. He was a larger-than-life character, who exuded joy, kindness and love to all who encountered him.
Dave had been a member of HopePoint Church since the early 1990’s and was an incredibly talented musician who led worship and the music program at church for many years.
His five kids all went through the school as did many of his extended family, cousins and nieces/nephews. His niece Oriana, is currently in Year 4.
Nearly every Friday, Dave would play Bass Guitar and sometimes piano at our Chapels with passion and talent, he has done this for years, never making a fuss or seeking any recognition, or accolades. When the school was smaller, he was deeply involved in music tuition, mentoring many of our students, teaching them guitar and piano, guiding our students with his remarkable talent and infectious enthusiasm. He was a father figure to many students who were lucky enough to have “Uncle Dave” teach them music but also teach them valuable life lessons. I recently ran into someone, whose child was taught music by Dave years ago, and the profound impact that Dave’s mentoring had, was incredible. Up until early this year, with his family, Dave lived on-site in the homestead and made sure the school was secure and safe. His wife Melissa also worked at the school for a number of years and they both share a passion and deep love for HPCS. Every week, Dave would tell me he would pray for me and the school and I know that all of your children were included in that prayer, he really loved the school and the students.
For those fortunate enough to know him over the years, when you would run into him, he was a source of constant encouragement, support, and kindness. When Dave spoke to you, he always made you feel special and valued.
On a personal level, as our families are very close. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know him over the last five years and have watched his faith in action, how he treated his family and how he served so selflessly and with such a positive attitude. I’ve been reflecting since his passing and have come to the conclusion that he truly is the finest man I’ve ever known.
He will be greatly missed by all of us and will leave a huge hole in our school community.
I found this photo of Dave with one of our former students who he would teach guitar to, from all the way back in 2014, and one rather selfishly of him with my son. I think they paint a picture of the type of man he was. His life serves as an example for all of us. Rest in peace our dear friend.
My door is always open,
Joe Britton
Lunch Orders
Our Term 4 Lunch Orders are open! Thank you again to Georgette and her team for providing this service to our school community.
Lunch orders will take place every Friday for Term 4, starting Friday the 18 October 2024.
If you would like to volunteer and help out with the lunch order preparations, please be so kind as to email Mrs. Jordaan.
Please see below the menu and associated link for you to order the lunch orders for the term.
Week 1, 18 Oct: Sausage sizzle with or without a drink (click here)
Week 2, 25 Oct: Chicken, lettuce and mayo roll with or without a drink (click here)
Week 3, 01 Nov: Cheese burger with or without a drink (click here)
Week 4, 08 Nov: Rice with meat and chicken with or without a drink (click here)
Week 5, 15 Nov: Sausage Roll and watermelon with or without a drink (click here)
Week 6, 22 Nov: Meatballs and potatoes with rice in sauce with or without a drink (click here)
Week 7, 29 Nov: Chicken burger with or without a drink (click here)
Week 8, 06 Dec: Sausage sizzle and ice cream with or without a drink (click here)
A reminder our orders close on Thursdays at 11am.
If you have any questions, please email or speak with Mrs. Jordaan (pa@hpcs.nsw.edu.au).
2025 School Dates
Term 1
| Commences | ||
| Years 1-6 | Tuesday | 28 January 2025 |
| Kindergarten | Thursday | 30 January 2025 |
| Finishes | ||
| Friday | 11 April 2025 | |
| 11 weeks | ||
Easter Public Holidays: Friday 18 April – Monday 21 April (in school holidays)
Anzac Day Public Holiday: Friday 25 April (in school holidays)
Term 2
| Commences | ||
| Monday | 28 April 2025 | |
| Finishes | ||
| Friday | 4 July 2025 | |
| 10 weeks | ||
King’s Birthday Public holiday: Monday 9 June
Term 3
| Commences | ||
| Monday | 28 July 2025 | |
| Finishes | ||
| Friday | 26 September 2025 | |
| 9 weeks | ||
Term 4
| Commences | ||
| Monday | 13 October 2025 | |
| Finishes | ||
| Friday | 5 December 2025 | |
| 8 weeks | ||
Go Mangoes in October!
Mango Cheesecake
Spring has finally sprung and it has brought along with it a range of fantastic new-season fruit and vegetables. Here’s a recipe with one of October’s best produce: Mangoes
Mango season has now arrived, so keep a look out for these heavenly scented fruit. Opt for unblemished fruit that has a little ‘give’ near the stem and store them at room temperature for up to 3–4 days.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 tbs gelatine powder
- 125 g biscuits
- 75g butter, melted
- 500 g cream cheese softened
- 2/3 cup caster sugar
- 500 g mango diced
- 300 ml thickened cream
- 1 mango sliced *to serve
Method
Place water in a small heatproof jug. Sprinkle over gelatine. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 20 to 30 seconds or until gelatine is dissolved, stirring halfway through cooking. Set aside to cool.
Grease a 22cm-round (base) springform cake pan. Line side with baking paper, extending paper 1cm above edge of pan.
Meanwhile, process biscuits until fine crumbs. Add butter. Process until combined. Press biscuit mixture over base of prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
Wipe processor clean. Process cream cheese, sugar and half the diced mango until smooth and combined. Add cream. Process for 30 seconds or until combined. With motor running, gradually add cooled gelatine mixture, processing until combined. Transfer to a bowl. Fold in remaining diced mango. Pour over prepared base in pan. Refrigerate overnight or until set.
Serve chilled cheesecake topped with sliced mango.
Mozzie Season.
Mozzie season is fast approaching.
As much as we love the heat the itchy bites can be very irritating.
We would recommend applying some mosquito repellent before school to help reduce mozzie bites.
Students of the Week
Congratulations to the following students for receiving Merit Awards this week:
Kindergarten – S
Elijah C. for his willingness to help and serve others!
Mia G. for consistently showing respect and kindness!
Arthur P. for using Mathematical language to describe volume in Maths!
Kindergarten – G
Jude G. for excellent listening skills and focus during class.
Theo S. for mastering new math concepts and applying them confidently.
Reagan H. for demonstrating kindness and reflecting God’s love.
Year 1
Taylor P. for an excellent explanation of chance in Maths.
Benjamin T. for amazing participation and engagement.
Victoria E. for a great holiday recount.
Livia T. for fantastic and improved reading fluency.
Sari T. for a great start to Term 4.
Year 2
Aleksa K. for great effort in identifying fractions.
Julia A. for writing an outstanding recount about her holidays.
Moa F. for being a kind and thoughtful student.
Year 3
Isaac P. for listening to teacher instructions attentively.
Betsy S. for her great start at HopePoint Christian School.
Naiya A. for using chance vocabulary correctly in Maths lessons.
Rosie G. for presenting her work neatly in all subjects.
Oscar C. for his helpfulness in completing classroom responsibilities.
Year 4
Jaxson S. for his excellent work in measuring mass.
Neriah P. for her great reading of a rhyming poem.
Joshua D. for working collaboratively in Maths.
Alannah T. for her amazing brainstorm in PDH.
Year 5
Ellena T. for a fantastic effort in Reading!
Dylan L. for producing an excellent biome diorama for Geography!
Amelia M. for consistently applying herself to all set tasks!
Year 6
Aiden C. for his attentive listening and thoughtful engagement.
Ivona K. for her proactive approach in seeking help when unsure of a task.
Save the Dates: Upcoming Dates
14 October: Term 4 start
18 October: Year 5 Chapel
23 October: Kindergarten Swimming Lessons
25 October: Kindergarten 2025 Orientation
25 October: KS + KG Chapel
30 October: Kindergarten Swimming Lessons
30 October: Amazing Me Incursion Year 5 +6
31 October: Stage 2 Excursion @ Wattamolla
1 November: Kindergarten 2025 Orientation
1 November: No Chapel
6 November: Kindergarten Swimming Lessons
7 November: Stage 1 Science Incursion
8 November: Year 4 Chapel
11 November: Year 5 + 6 Basketball Gala Day
13 November: Kindergarten Swimming Lessons
15 November : Year 3 Chapel
18 November: Year 3 +4 Basketball Galal Day
19 November: 2025 School Captains Speeches
20 November: Kindergarten Swimming Lessons
22 November: Pet Safety Incursion – Kindy, Year 1+2
22 November: Kindergarten Graduation Chapel
27 November: Year 6 Fun day
28 November: Year 6 @ Jamberoo
29 November: Christmas Chapel
4 December: Year 6 Graduation Dinner
5 December: Presentation Night
6 December: Graduation Ceremony
6 December: End of Term 4