Recognising a significant milestone...

Today as our 600 students arrive for the new school year, we will be recognising a significant milestone in the life of our School. 

On 20 January, 60 Years ago, 77 students and staff arrived on this site for the first day of school at the newly opened Calvin Christian School (known simply as Calvin School).

“The story of this endeavour began much earlier than 1962...”

Our School was the first school amongst what would become a broader movement of Christian Schools that is now spread across the country. These schools share in common, their establishment by local communities for the purpose of educating their children academically, physically, and spiritually. The goal of these visionary founders was of a distinctively Christian Education, where their children would receive an excellent education with God set squarely at the heart of it.

The story of this endeavour began much earlier than 1962 as parents formed an association whose purpose was to work towards the establishment of this School. A notice of meeting from June 1960 called “to our members, and all those who value Christian Education and will strive for it”.

Above: Our 60 Year Anniversary logo

This year we will be celebrating this rich heritage through our 2022 school theme Past - Present - Future. A reminder that, at the heart of our School, is a founding vision which is as relevant today as it was on that first day in 1962.

“We will be celebrating this rich heritage through our 2022 school theme
Past - Present - Future”

We recognise that the start of this year has its challenges and, unfortunately, COVID will prevent us gathering as a community to celebrate. However, we look forward to a potentially easing of our current restrictions later in the year and to our shared celebrations. In the interim, we will be communicating with you regularly about COVID planning and precautions, aware that it is vital to keep a high vigilance. The Minister for Education yesterday stated that “classrooms are the best place for our students” and we are working to ensure, through regular cleaning, sanitisation, ventilation, and health precautions that this remains so.

Thank you to those who have been keeping in touch with the School both with expressions of concern and support. We value our partnership with you very highly and will continue to share openly through the course of this year.

Many blessings and prayers for you and your families,

Scott Ambrose — Principal

Calvin – 60 Years!

It has been so good to come together as a school community this week.

On Tuesday night, we were able to celebrate our Year 12s and I mentioned at the graduation event, the importance of our community and the significance of a year where we were able to meet again for events such as Oliebollen.

Under the leadership of our exceptional School Council, we raised nearly $30,000 at this year’s Festival. The Council are now looking to pour this and more funds into new play equipment for both campuses of the school. This will be part of our 2022 celebrations. 

“Under the leadership of School Council, we raised nearly $30,000 at this year’s Oliebollen Festival.”

There are many reasons to look forward to 2022 as it marks the 60th anniversary of Calvin Christian School. 60 years since that first group of 77 students met to begin a new journey in Christian Education that has been a trailblazer not just in Tasmania but nationally. The promise of our 60th celebration is highly anticipated by a number in our community, recognising the efforts of so many who have contributed to building and continuing this educational ministry. We have lots of exciting plans for our 2022 celebrations and we look forward to sharing these with you.

“ 2022 marks the 60th anniversary of Calvin Christian School.”

 2022 also promises to be an exciting year for other reasons, including the finalisation of our Primary carpark and drop off area at the start of the year and the launch of our future building projects. Significantly, we welcome our largest Year 11 and 12 cohort for many years and they will experience a re-developed 11 and 12 area. 2022 will also see the refurbishment of our long-neglected Year 7 courtyard and the introduction of new curriculum opportunities for our students.

 All of this began with a vision over 60 years ago that grew into a school. God has led us and blessed us as a community and we look forward to celebrating his goodness in 2022. As the plaque created for the school’s opening proclaimed: ‘This School was dedicated to the living Christ of the Scriptures + January 20 1962. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things.’ 

Romans 11:36 goes on to say ‘To Him be the glory forever. Amen’.

Scott Ambrose — Principal

Celebrations - a deeper purpose

Our end of year is a great time for celebration as we look back on a year of growth.

For our students, part of that celebration is that they have made it to the final days of school. Our celebrations have a much deeper purpose, to acknowledge effort and growth (academic, physical and spiritual) and to recognise the value of perseverance in our young people. Our celebrations are all the more enjoyable when they include a sense that challenges have been overcome and effort has been expended in the attainment of a goal.

On Monday night, I was able to enjoy an exciting game of basketball as our Year 7 boys (the Calvin Coconuts) won their grand final. Coming back from being ten points down early in the game, the Coconuts chipped away at the deficit before coming out on top. Their celebration was all the more enjoyable because they had to work for the win. 

“...our celebrations have a much deeper purpose, to acknowledge effort and growth (academic, physical and spiritual) and to recognise the value of perseverance in our young people. ”

Another recent point of celebration was hearing our Secondary Vocal Group perform in front of over 400 guests (including the Premier) as part of this year’s Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast at the Hotel Grand Chancellor. Each time the choir performed, they got better and better, to the point that their performance at the Prayer Breakfast, an event that could have been their most challenging, became the highlight.  That is the benefit of consistent effort throughout the year.

As you receive reports in the coming week, we pray that you will see in the comments and results a reflection of the successes that your child has experienced and challenges overcome; that you will see evidence of their growth and their transforming character. 

And even as we review the year, our staff are busily setting their minds to planning for 2022. Excitingly, we are looking forward to the possibility of opening up again with our 5/6 Canberra trip planned for late in the year along with our Year 3 - 12 camp experiences returning to full capacity. Our staff have been working on some new locations and camp experiences that will bring new opportunities for students. We look forward to sharing more with you about our plans for the coming year and hope that you will have a chance to connect with one of our celebration events this year.

Scott Ambrose — Principal