Gisborne Christian Education Trust
“..providing Christian Education for the families of Gisborne...”
Newsletter
16-3-2010
Kia Ora Everyone
Welcome to another year at Sonrise Christian School - another year which will be full of God’s provision and grace to us.
This year we want to improve our communication with our school community as there is always news, background information and frequently asked questions that come up from time to time.
Background Information
Gisborne Christian Education Trust (GCET) are the Proprietors of Sonrise Christian School.
SonriseChristian Schoolis an integrated state school of special character. This means that the state pays the teachers and provides money to run the school. Like any other school, there is an elected Board of Trustees which sets the vision and future plans for the school, makes sure the school is working well and supports the staff and principal.
Another group, called the proprietors, supplies land, buildings, and any other facility which is a fixture such as landscaping and playgrounds. Proprietors charge attendance dues for this and of course are also assisted by grants from charitable trusts and donations. Dues are used only to finance these facilities and are not used to run the school. Proprietors are also responsible for guarding the special character of the school, and have four appointed positions on the Board of Trustees so that everyone works together to deliver special character education.
The members of the Trust are:
Dr Ken McFarlane (Chairman)
Dr Alison McFarlane (Secretary)
Mrs Dianne Holland (Treasurer)
Mrs Rowena Stevenson
Mr Graham Preston (founder of Bethlehem College)
All the trustees are extremely committed to the Trust and to the school. All except Graham Preston (who is based in Tauranga) have had (or do have) children at the school.
All the Trustees are volunteers and give many many unpaid hours to Trust and the school.
News
1-The Roll
It is very exciting to see the school grow. Eighteen years ago, at the start of the school the roll was 6, and since then it has risen and fallen. At one stage after the first buildings were built, it dropped as low as 19 which was a test of faith! But since then it has grown and grown and now is at 88, which is a great testimony to the faithfulness of God. Currently we have a roll cap of 104 students. It would be very exciting to see the school grow to this capacity.
2-The new block- Senior Class
It is really exciting to be able to provide education for our children at a high school level. Like the increase in roll this had to be approved by the Ministry of Education and is a real testament to God’s provision that this change for the school was approved.
We have just finished the new senior classroom block. This includes a classroom and a technical room which has been planned to accommodate science, art, home economics, and other technical subjects. It includes safety features such as a separate room for storage of chemicals, and a shower to handle any accidental spills.
3-The Preschool
Discussion with Cornerstone Preschool has been continuing and we now are very close to beginning another building on the lower block of land to house a preschool. This is a separate endeavour from the school buildings, and please be assured that your dues are not being used to finance this building—this will come from fees and government funding for those families using the preschool, in the form of a lease charged to Cornerstone. Again, GCET will provide land, buildings and fixtures and ensure the Special Character, while Cornerstone will provide teachers, equipment, and the skills needed to develop and deliver the curriculum. The Preschool will be a distinct entity from Sonrise School
4- Board of Trustees Elections
As you will be aware, nominations are now being called for the Board of Trustees elections. On our Board, there are 5 parent elected representatives. The Board of Trustees is responsible for the Governance of the school. We need a strong, committed Board to ensure the school functions in the way it should. We would encourage all of you to pray about whether you should stand for the board, and also who you should vote for. Please remember that we need the right people on the board – it is not a popularity contest.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I claim my attendance dues as school fees when I put in my donations rebate?
Answer: Unfortunately no. School dues are a compulsory charge for attendance at the school and cannot be claimed with your rebate. However, GCET is a registered charity and any donations (over and above the dues) to the Trustcanbe claimed for the rebate.
- Can the money the government gives to run the school be used be used for the buildings
Answer: Again, unfortunately not. The operations funding from the government can only be used for the running of the school and is specifically excluded from being used for the land and buildings. So although the school is operating very efficiently, it cannot divert money to the Trust.
- Why does my invoice cover dates that are not included in the school year?
Answer: The attendance dues are per calendar year. Usually at other Christian schools, attendance dues are charged per term, andpayable in advance. Early on the Trust recognised this would be very difficult for most of our families and so allows the payment of the dues on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis if that is easier for our families. However because this is usually spread over 52 weeks, it was prudent to have the invoices cover the calendar year.
- Can I get my invoices and statements via email
Answer: Yes! If you wish to receive your invoices and statements this way, please provide your email to the office, or directly to Dianne Holland at 
If you have any other questions you would like to see answered, or other queries about the role of the proprietors, please feel free to contact any of the proprietors.
Gisborne Christian Education Trust
