Latest News

Senior Retreat 2024

The Senior Retreat was a blast for Years 11 and 12 students who spent three days at AGH Camp in South West Sydney. We participated in many activities such as zip-lining, canoeing, archery and the gorge swing, a large swing that overlooked a beautiful canyon filled with trees, rocks and a stunning blue river. Another activity included riding a bike along a tightrope which made us look like we were from ET riding along the sky and of course the high ropes and free fall drop. The students encouraged and cheered each other as students overcame fears and took on new challenges in all activities such as stepping off the freefall, going on the swing and the high ropes.

The activities were awesome and there were also many other fun aspects of the camp which included the dress up night involving students dressing up as their alter egos, great Bible talks done by Luke Blanch from UOW Bible Group, fun campfire songs and free time which mainly included massive jenga games and soccer.

We had an entertaining talent show that showed off talents such as stacking chairs, bad jokes, arm wrestles and dropping cutlery on the ground. In the alter egos dress up night there were many creative outfits which included not one but two Bob Ross outfits, Banana man, Epic Saxophone guy, Maverick, Rapunzel and an emo. For this part of the camp the alter egos were involved in a game where they interrogated each other to find out who was the best assassin in the group. To conclude the night a fun disco went ahead and everyone shared their unique music taste which was the same as the person next to them.

During the camp we also got to learn more about God through Luke Blanch who spoke to us about various topics such as our identity and how we can find that in Christ as well as the perfect creation. After his talks we broke up into smaller groups where we were able to pray and discuss further about how to apply the idea of finding our identity in Christ.

- Kayla T (Year 12)

Navigating Tough Tracks

In Term 1 I participated in the National XCO Mountain Bike series. The series consisted of 7 races with 2 of them being the National Championships. The first 2 races were at the Gold Coast on the same weekend. The track was short and had many short but steep and rocky climbs. On the first race I placed 14th and the second day I placed 9th out of 17. The next 2 races were at Canberra. The track was very difficult with its long steep and rocky climbs and downhills which were steeper than any other tracks. On the first race I placed 18th out of 19 and the second day I placed 15th out of 19. National Champs was next where on the first day I had a terrible race and the next day DNFed due to a stack causing a broken pinky. This injury caused me to not finish the series' last race. I ended in 10th for the overall series.

Last term I also went to Thredbo Mountain Bike Park to represent the school in Interschools. This event included 3 races being All Mountain, Flow and Downhill. The first day was All Mountain. I had trained the track 3 times before the race run and was ready to race. During the race I fell off toward the top followed by my chain falling off toward the bottom putting me into 77th place. The next day was Flowing. I had only practised flow once before the race but felt prepared enough placing 65th. On the last day it was Downhill. I had been training the last 2 days racking up 10 practice runs. I had a strong race run and ended in 52nd out of 173 with a time of 6:14.

Ned is currently a member of the Illawarra Academy of Sport Mountain Biking Squad for 2023-24. The IAS Mountain Biking Program aims to enhance athletes' chances of selection into national teams and the NSWIS program as scholarship holders, ensuring a smooth transition to higher-level squads. Through targeted training and education in sport-specific strength and conditioning, as well as personal and athletic development, the program seeks to increase athletes' success levels in competitions while fostering their overall growth and preparedness.

- Ned G (Year 11)

Students running for a Cause:  Elsie & Mia Take on the City2Surf

We are excited to announce that Elsie (Year 8) and Mia (Year 9) will participate in this year’s City2Surf event to raise funds for Feel the Magic, a camp supporting grieving children. Their commitment to this cause is truly inspiring.

To support their efforts, they have set up individual fundraising pages:

We encourage our school community to contribute to their fundraising goals. Every donation helps provide essential support to children in need.

We are incredibly proud of Elsie and Mia and wish them the best as they prepare for the race. Let’s come together to support them and cheer them on!

Thank you for your generosity and support.

Choir competes in Eisteddfod

On Thursday 9 May, the Secondary Choir went to Nowra City Church to compete in the Shoalhaven Eisteddfod. Accompanied by Mr West and Mrs Ellery the choir sang 'Somebody to love', 'I bought me a cat' and 'Kiss the girl'.

Charley B and Kent E received some excellent feedback for their solos and the ensemble responded really well to the cues given.

The choir did really well to get themselves ready for the performances and represented themselves and the school very well. Ending up with a highly commended and a 1st place prize, it ended up being a fantastic day of singing. We all look forward to next year.

CIS Boys 19&U Volleyball Trials

The CIS (NSW Combined Independent Schools) Boys 19&U Volleyball Trials were held at Sydney Grammar School. There were upwards of 50 boys trialling for a spot on the CIS team. Sadly Jesse didn’t make it through to join the team. It was a good experience though and has shown Jesse what skills he needs to develop and improve on to be able to make the team at next year's trial.

Jesse is currently a member of the Illawarra Academy of Sport Volleyball Squad for 2023-24, which includes training in both indoor and beach volleyball. The IAS Volleyball Program is tailored to meet the developmental requirements of talented young volleyball players in the region, offering top-tier sport development initiatives. Its primary goal is to elevate the skills and knowledge of athletes, thereby improving their prospects for advancement within the VNSW performance pathway.

Zhik Combined High Schools (CHS) Sailing Champions

In the first week of the school holidays, I had the awesome opportunity to participate in the annual CHS (Combined High School) Sailing competition. In this regatta, my friend and I competed against 60 other combined teams, racing in challenging conditions and having fun.

Although we had a great time and learnt a lot, we did not come home with the win, but instead a third. I’ve been sailing since the age of seven and love it to bits. I encourage anyone who wants to try something new, to have a go at sailing, no matter what boat (catamarans are the most fun though). You can learn how to go fast and understand and appreciate the incredible design of God’s nature. There are so many opportunities to travel to regattas and make lifelong friends.

- Noah S (Year 12)

Mother's Day Stall

On Tuesday 7 May we had a steady flow of children from Kindy to Year 6 (and some secondary at lunch), Mum Dollars in hand and ready to shop for the special mums, grandparents or mum figures in their life.  Children were taken through one class at a time and it was so fun to see the children choose these special gifts and bring back the old tradition of a Mother's Day Stall.  Mums and grandmas, we trust it warmed your heart to open the gifts your children selected especially for you.  A big thank you to the mums who helped run the stall on the day.

We hope to run a Father's Day stall at the end of August, so keep an eye out for future emails or notices in Bytes with the date and how you can purchase Dad Dollars for your children.  

If you may be a parent/carer willing to help on a Father's Day stall, please express your interest to Mrs Huisman through the school email:  office@ncs.nsw.edu.au 

Team Spirit Shines at Futsal Schools Championships

The Futsal Schools Championships Gala Day was awesome. There was talent around every corner. Schools from all over the South Coast of NSW came to play.

The Senior Boys sadly did not come home with the cup win, but we came home with victory under our belts. The first game we faced Vincentia High and sadly lost 1-0. The second game was against Cedars but again we lost 2-1. Our hopes weren’t high but we started slow and gave it to TIGS and just lost 3-2. So we finally came to our last game of the day against Corrimal. We needed to get a win on the board so we pulled together as a team and FINALLY won 2-0! We came home with our heads up high and smiles printed on our faces.

The Open Girls team also had a great day with a 3 x Draws, 1 x Loss & 1 x Win. What a day!

Thanks to Mr Clarke, Mr Curran & Mrs Curline for coaching & supervising on the day.

- Ethan L (Year 11)

Our school connects with a school in France for the 2024 Paris Olympics

Our school has been matched with a school in France to participate in the AIMS 2024 Program. Amis 2024 connects Australian and French schools, giving teachers and students the opportunity to foster friendships and experience a cultural exchange, aligned with the Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence. 

'Amis 2024' translates as 'Friends 2024' and signifies the foundation of the program being built on friendship between countries. 

We are excited to announce that our AMIS 2024 School is .....

Collège Jules Ferry Terrasson-Lavilledieu - Year 8 / 4éme!

Collège Jules Ferry Terrasson-Lavilledieu is located in Terrasson-Lavilledieu.

We look forward to hearing about the friendships and connections Year 8 make with students from this college in Fran