This morning my wife and I asked our three daughters the question “what is Easter all about?”. Our eight and six year old girls eloquently explained that it is about “Jesus dying on the cross for all the naughty things we do''. Our four year old on the other hand, not impressed by her sister's answer, yelled exuberantly “EGGS, BUNNIES, CHOCOLATES”! While I felt like a bit of a failure as a pastor and a dad, it did leave me pondering the same question myself. What are we celebrating in the Easter story? Is a joyful celebration really something that you would naturally associate with a man being publicly, shamefully, and excruciatingly painfully executed? It seems a bit off, right…

Well, that would be true if it wasn’t for what happened Sunday morning. That Sunday morning the ladies who went to grieve at Jesus’ tomb were confronted by an angel. This angel sat perched on top of the stone that once sealed Jesus’ grave, just to be the one who got to share the best news anyone could ever hear. “He is not here, He has risen”. In that moment their plans to grieve were interrupted with an overwhelming urge to celebrate. 

While there is sorrow in remembering the incomparable pain Jesus suffered on our behalf, there is overwhelming cause for joy and celebration in recognising everything that has been made available to us because Jesus conquered death.

We celebrate that God knows and loves us, we celebrate that we can have eternal life, we celebrate that there is hope beyond death, we celebrate that there is something bigger in this world to belong to, we celebrate that we have a God who understands pain and suffering, and we celebrate that pain and suffering is something He has promised to remove. 

I hope you have a special Easter weekend. Relax, connect, have fun, and eat. But mostly celebrate all of the goodness that Jesus has made available to you through His sacrifice. 

Matthew 28:5-8 
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. 

Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples.

Pr Michael Chapman
Gateway Church Pastor

CURRENT COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

• Parents and caregivers may enter the campus to drop off students each morning and leave when the first bell rings. Parents may enter campus to collect students from 3.00pm onwards. 
• Please remember that parents of Primary students are asked to wait in the assembly area and lunch sheds after school instead of outside classrooms. This allows students to be engaged in learning until the end of the school day without distraction. 
• Parents of Secondary students are encouraged to wait for students near the Uniform Shop or in the external car park area.
• Sign-in is NOT required if you are on campus briefly to drop off or collect students.
• Any parent who is volunteering at school or has a pre-arranged meeting with a teacher MUST sign-in through one of the school offices. Parents visiting the library must also sign in at one of the offices.
• All parents are reminded to physically distance while on campus and to avoid coming onto campus if you are unwell.

HRIS CROSS COUNTRY
The HRIS Cross Country will be held on the grounds of Avondale University College on Friday April 30. Avondale School will be proudly running the food stall there. If you are wanting a fresh sandwich/salad option these need to be pre ordered for payment and collection on the day. The link to order is below and the password is cc21.https://www.avondaleschool.nsw.edu.au/news/events/hris-cross-country-food-pre-ordersAll other food/drinks/coffee can just be purchased on the day.
If you are able to help out for an hour or 2 please contact Terrina at terrina.mesaric@avondaleschool.nsw.edu.au or 0403 346 329.

The on-campus Before School Care runs from 7.00 – 9.00am, and After School Care from the bell time to 6.00pm. 

For more information, phone 0437 800 127, email avondale@oshclub.com.au, or visit www.oshclub.com.au/avondale-school/

SOUTH WEST LAKES SCHOOL BLAST CRICKET

Well done to both our teams going undefeated, including our Senior Primary team - defeating Heritage College in the Final to be crowned 2021 champions!

CHESS COACH

Starting Week 2 of Term 2, Mr Gary Losh who is our school chess coach will be commencing after school coaching on Mondays in the iCentre from 3.30 - 4.30pm. All members of the school chess teams are expected to attend.

NEWCASTLE PERMANENT MATHS COMPETITION
The Newcastle Permanent Maths Competition will be held at school on August 18. All Year 5 & 6 students and the top Year 4 students participate in this competition every year with outstanding results. If you would like to give your child some extra maths preparation for this competition please find previous Maths papers attached by following the link.  https://www.newcastlepermanent.com.au/community/primary-maths-competition

YEAR 11 PHYSICS

Year 11 Physics students were busy safely proving that physics theory matches the real life experience. They learnt how to calculate the force of friction from the tyres on the road surface and how it affects the time it takes to roll down the hill. The role of 'race-car' driver was very popular.

YEAR 10 CHANGE OF DATES

Nov 22 - 26 ... Y10 Jindabyne Camp

Nov 29 - Dec 3 .... Y10 Work Experience

ACCESS OUR eBOOK COLLECTION - Great for Family Trips in the Car! 

Don’t forget our eBooks and eAudiobooks collection. These online resources are a great way to pass the time whilst travelling so have a browse and find something the whole family would enjoy. Download it onto your device and take it away with you.

• eBooks and eAudiobooks can be easily accessed from the iCentre Landscape page. 
• For Primary ebooks, go to the Primary Landscape page.
• The Username is their student number and the password for everyone is ebooks.
• For Secondary ebooks, go to the High School Landscape page.
• The Username is their student number and the password for everyone is AvondaleLib1
• We hope this can create a harmonious atmosphere during your family car trip.

BOOK FAIR - May 24-27

Our annual library fundraiser Book Fair will be held in the iCentre during Week 6 of Term 2, from Monday May 24 through to Thursday May 27. We will be selling colourful picture books, fabulous fiction and noteworthy non-fiction books from Scholastic, and beautiful children’s Bibles and other Christian resources from Koorong. There will be books available to suit all budgets. All parents and friends of the school are welcome to attend so add this special event to your diaries now!