7 March 2022 

Welcome back to campus!

Dear Parents and Carers

After the COVID restrictions, limiting parent access to our campuses and the recent storms and flood damage on the Carbrook campus, we are excited to be welcoming you back to our campuses from today. Happy Hens at Springwood will once again become the special community space it has been for so many years now and, on or Carbrook campus we welcome you to linger over a treat at Canteen Connect. The new Canteen tables and chairs on order have not yet arrived so we hope you will feel welcomed despite the older furniture from the former café while we await the delivery of our gleaming new furniture. Please enjoy the hospitality offered on each campus.

P&F Special Meeting

The Presidents of the P&F Associations from BOTH CAMPUSES invite you to a special general meeting of both P&F bodies to be held on 16 March (next Wednesday) at Real Life Christian Church on Dennis Road in Springwood at 7:00pm. This is a significant meeting in the life of our Calvary Community as an important vote will be held to determine whether there will be changes to the way parents volunteer and partner deeply with the College in the future.

Flood Damage Carbrook Campus

You will have seen images of the level to which waters rose as the Logan river flooded the oval, farm and sports facilities at the Carbrook campus. The damage and our losses are worse than what we experienced in 2011. The oval will probably be out of bounds to students for the next few months and we will find alternative venues for sports events impacted. The affected areas are fenced off for the safety of students as, even though these may dry out, the ground will be contaminated. Once wiring dries out, electrics will need to be tested, soil tests will be carried out and I shall keep you informed of our progress. Please encourage your children to observe the fencing and stay away from affected areas even when they appear safe. 

 The College does have flood insurance but of course, the expenses incurred in re-establishing these areas for safe use exceed any insurance payment we may receive. Again, I shall keep you informed as we progress. I would appreciate parent support in fund raising for sports equipment lost, losses to farm equipment and also extra hands as you may volunteer to help with the clean-up. Please contact Chris Paech (Head of Sport), Angela Haupt (Farm Manager) or Ben Kemp (Facilities Manager) to find out what we need and how you can help. The Soccer Club that operates from our premises (also as a mission of Real Life Christian Church) incurred losses as the sports sheds were inundated. I know that they lost refrigerators.

Please remember too, that donations to the College building fund are tax deductible and could aid in not only the redevelopment of damaged areas but also would make a difference to the timing of our next building project which I am keen to share with you in the next few months. On the Springwood campus we are looking to expand Kingdom Kids, Noah Centre, as well as refurbish and update the Prep classrooms. Look out for this exciting development!

Thank you for your patience over this term with the ‘slow start’ to the year and then the flood interruptions. We look forward to moving ahead with our plans for Exceptional Learning experiences for your children over the rest of this year. Look out for parent teacher interviews and the opportunity to chat with our staff about the learning progress of your child.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the P&F meeting on 16 March at 7:00pm. Please be encouraged to join in and contribute to the future direction of our community. This is an opportunity to use your voice and make your choice – just as we encourage your children to do.

Yours sincerely

Cherylynne Gostelow

Principal and CEO