Middle School

In this Article:

• Year 7R's study of the history of the Church: Nick Rodda, Middle School Teacher
• Wellbeing Day: Jonathan Carpenter, Head of Middle School

Year 7R presents the history of the Church

Every Monday, our Middle School meets for an assembly focused on community building, celebrating achievements, worship and sharing. This year, we've delved into three theological themes, one for each term so far: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. These certainly aren't small topics. As we transition into Term 4, our focus turns to The Church - Community. 

Week 2’s assembly was run by Mr Rodda’s Year 7 class who put a spotlight on the history of the church. 

Trying to explain the intricacies of Church history feels a bit like explaining the plot of "Inception" after watching it for the first time - you're confident you understand it, but putting it into words? 

We gave it a crack and brought the Middle School back in time. Understanding Church history is important for students. It provides a foundation for faith, understanding the evolution of Christian thought, and recognising the role of Christianity in shaping our society and culture.

Our assembly was underpinned by an analogy; the Church is like a movie franchise, spanning for 2000 years: having different movies (eras and events), various spin-offs (denominations and sects), different directors and scriptwriters (leaders and influencers), but always featuring the main protagonist, Jesus. The students shared that, just as movie franchises aim for epic climaxes that tie all storylines together, God too has an ultimate vision for His Church. In the final reel, distinctions fade away, and the overwhelming theme is love and unity. 

"…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."

John 17:21 (NIV)

The students spent some time in Christian Studies preparing by researching key figures in history like St Augustine, Martin Luther, Mother Teresa and more. They paraded as these figures in hand-crafted hats, designed to imitate their chosen historical figure.

We finished the assembly by sharing a map of Adelaide, pinpointing the students' Church homes. The students got to appreciate the variety of Churches that make up the Body of Christ within their Middle School, with a new appreciation for how each denomination and expression of faith is a wonderful demonstration of the Glory of God.

Middle School Wellbeing Day

Our Middle School Wellbeing Day was a great success after being postponed from its originally planned day due to poor weather. Each year, the format of the Middle School Wellbeing Day changes from the previous year, to provide a variety of activities for our Year 7, 8 and 9 students. This year was our ‘off-site’ year as part of our three-year-rotation. 

We took all the Middle School students to Belair National Park to enjoy a wide range of planned activities. 

Students engaged in activities in three zones located in key areas within the park:

1. Zone One involved Home Group challenges.
2. Team challenges in House Teams were played at Zone Two.
3. Zone Three saw students enjoying the adventure playground, rest areas, and a variety of free-choice activities.

The wellbeing of our Middle School students is a high priority. 

This is why we set aside a full day to allow them to build relationships, have fun, engage in challenges, laugh, and interact with their teachers and members of the Student Wellbeing Team in a different environment. Many students had never visited the National Park and said they were keen to come back and visit this beautiful space with their families. Many fun moments occurred and great memories were created. Scripture encourages us to build one another up and lift our gaze. 

Hebrews 10:24 (NIV) says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” 

Philippians 4:8 (NIV) encourages us, “...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.”

How easily we are drawn to focus on negatives. God instead encourages us not to ignore or dismiss genuine challenges, but to choose to focus our attention on excellent and praiseworthy things. It was a joy to see the Middle School community building one another up and enjoying God’s creation together. 

Jonathan Carpenter

Head of Middle School