I have been away for the last few weeks with family and I would like to say a big “thank you” to all of our staff, students and families who have helped keep things happening as they should, in particular Mr Davis and Miss Bernoth. As a part of our travels, we drove from seeing one of my daughters in Hamilton, Victoria, to catching up with another daughter who is away travelling the west coast of Western Australia. If you check that on a map, it is a drive of several thousand kilometres. I actually think this is the longest I have ever driven in a single trip. The driving just seemed to go on and on and on.  Interestingly, there was no stage at which I thought, “This is silly. I've had enough. I think I’ll just turn around and go home.”

It brought home to me that if we really want something enough, if we really value it and see it as important, we will dig in and put up with the uncomfortable, irritating and annoying. I know that many of our families make great sacrifices to send their children to our school. Some of you work extra shifts, go without things for yourself, so that your kids can have the opportunities for learning provided at Prescott Northern. I want to acknowledge that and thank you – it sends a wonderful message to our children about how important they, and their learning, are.

Tomorrow is our Sports Day and it will be a great opportunity for our students to experience the rewards of persisting and doing their very best, even when it gets uncomfortable, irritating or annoying. Please join us if you can. What great life lessons. (As well as a great chance for us all to enjoy each other’s company and share in the lives of our students.)

Around school at the moment, there are fences and temporary walls and things that make our school life a little inconvenient, but again, let’s not let the uncomfortable, irritating and annoying distract us from pushing towards valuable. These are great conversation starters for talking with our kids about persistence, determination and patience.

The apostle Paul likens our journey through this life to running a race, pressing on towards the goal. He writes, “ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.“ (Phillipians 3:14)

I hope that we can recognise and share our experiences of persistence and pressing on to what’s really important with our children.

Have a great week with your kids (it’s great to be back home, by the way)

Mark B

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:12 - 14

The Styrofoam Cup

I heard a story about a retired Under Secretary of Defense in the USA, who gave a speech at a large conference. He took his place on the stage and began talking, sharing his prepared remarks with the audience. He paused to take a sip of coffee from the styrofoam cup he’d brought on stage with him. He took another sip, looked down at the cup and smiled.

“You know,” he said, interrupting his own speech, “I spoke here last year. I presented at this same conference on this same stage. But last year, I was still an Under Secretary of the USA,” he said.

“I flew here in business class and when I landed, there was someone waiting for me at the airport to take me to my hotel. Upon arriving at my hotel,” he continued, “there was someone else waiting for me. They had already checked me into the hotel, so they handed me my key and escorted me up to my room. The next morning, when I came down, again there was someone waiting for me in the lobby to drive me to this same venue that we are in today. I was taken through a back entrance, shown to the greenroom and handed a cup of coffee in a beautiful ceramic cup.”

“But this year, as I stand here to speak to you, I am no longer the Under Secretary,” he continued. “I flew here coach class and when I arrived at the airport yesterday there was no one there to meet me. I took a taxi to the hotel, and when I got there, I checked myself in and went by myself to my room. This morning, I came down to the lobby and caught another taxi to come here. I came in the front door and found my way backstage. Once there, I asked one of the techs if there was any coffee. He pointed to a coffee machine on a table against the wall. I walked over and poured myself a cup of coffee into this here styrofoam cup,” he said as he raised the cup to show the audience.

“It occurs to me,” he continued, “the ceramic cup they gave me last year . . . it was never meant for me at all. It was meant for the position I held. I deserve a styrofoam cup."

“This is the most important lesson I can impart to all of you,” he offered.

It’s amazing that in Gods kingdom, the ceramic cup is a gift from God. We deserve the styrofoam cup, but he offers the ceramic cup to us.

John 3:16-17 The Message (MSG)

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted.

School Fees

All Term 2 school fee accounts are due to be paid in full by Thursday 23rd May 2019.

Please check your statement, and if you have an outstanding balance you need to make your payment promptly.

A big Thank You to all the wonderful families that make their school fee payments on time.

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Basketball

Radioactive Cheeseballs Blitz Allstars

The League Ladder going into last week’s game had Prescott’s Radioactive Cheeseballs in 3rd, two places behind the Ardtornish Allstars in 1st place, and their match-up was promising to be a right spectacle.

With Coach Hatchard delayed at work, Seth and Alanna’s mum, Mrs Robson, took the reigns and opted for a full court man-on-man press.

Missing their main-star player, Hayden, the rest of the Allstars stepped up, and with a decent team effort, were 23 points to 6 up at half time, Akoul and Gawar the only Cheeseball players to score to that point.

The second half had the Radioactive Cheeseballs’ press trapping the ball mostly in their attacking half, and they managed to claw back 5 unanswered points to be 23 to 12 down with about ten minutes remaining.

Three quarters of the game gone, and with barely half their opponents’ points, something tweaked in the Cheeseball camp, and the stadium cottoned on - parents and spectators for both teams got behind their players, but the Cheeseballs responded in an unbelievable fashion.

First Seth made an awesome steal, and then Nate, and Seth again, with the Cheeseballs managing to convert, and all of a sudden we had a five-point-game on our hands.

Ardtornish’s Coach called a strategic time-out to try and break the Cheeseballs’ momentum.

Once play resumed, with only a few minutes remaining, the Radioactive Cheeseballs unleashed.

Peggy Lee strong on rebounds, Akoul scrapping for the ball in our back half, Alex hot on the dribble, and a combined team effort that practically locked the ball in our attacking half, with the Cheeseballs intercepting and scoring in a flurry to take the lead with minutes to go.

Prescott Wildcats Nail-biter Against Pedare

In a stellar display of incredible hijinks, team camaraderie and outlandish basketball shenanigans, the Prescott Wildcats displayed why they’re the team to watch this season in a nail biting showing against Pedare.

Dominating the court from the outset, the wonder twins Jonah and Zukiah landed baskets one and two to put Pedare on the back foot early and get the Wildcat clowder (google it) really yowling!

In the face of a rallying Pedare, and inspired by our defence master Sade, Gem put up a strong defence with his patented “hands everywhere” technique, frustrating all-comers with quick moves and tidy shuffles. Taking advantage of Gems distraction, Jonah, Scout and Simon showed outstanding teamwork in keeping the ball down the right end of the court.

Scoring in this round had everyones nails bitten to the quick! With Tanner and new team member “Harry High Pants” scoring strongly in the first half, scores were drawn at 8 to 8 at the first buzzer.

While most of the action was on the court, our relief “coach” Zukiah kept up the team motivation from the sidelines in his inimitable style!

The Wildcats performed perfectly in the second half with tit for tat scoring and at 20/20, Pedare’s coach called time out!!

With a rousing pep talk from coach Scarlett, Wildcats put in another point bringing the score to 20/22 with only seconds on the clock.

A foul shot on the buzzer put Pedare at line for 2 shots, sinking one and missing one….

Wildcats win by a hair!

Another top outing for the increasingly tight-knit Wildcats, could that be too much excitement for a Thursday evening game?

Cub Reporter Kieron Lomax relieving Head Writer Micah Hatchard.

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