Latest News

Bubbles, Steam, and Melting Ice

There was an extra buzz of excitement in the air this week as our Year 3 students stepped out of their regular classrooms and into the senior science laboratories for a special afternoon of hands-on learning. Hosted by Mr Lee and two Year 7 classes, the visit was designed to extend the students’ understanding of living things and the states of matter.

The Year 3 students looked like real scientists as they put on their lab coats and safety glasses, ready to observe the experiments.

Working in small groups, the students investigated how heat affects different states of matter. Under the careful guidance of the Year 7 students, who expertly operated the Bunsen burners, the Year 3s observed ice melting and water boiling. It was an engaging and interactive experience, with both year levels discussing the scientific processes of melting, evaporation and condensation as they watched matter change from one state to another.

The afternoon was full of great enthusiasm and excitement. We would like to extend a huge thank you to Mr Lee and the Year 7 students for welcoming us into their laboratories and sharing your expertise. We had a fabulous time!

Big Win for Year 2 Artist, Arabella!

Our very own Year 2 student, Arabella M, was recently awarded top honours in the prestigious Young Archies competition, hosted by the Shoalhaven City Council.

Arabella won the 5-to-8-year-old category with a stunning and heartfelt portrait of her cousin, Isla.

Because of her amazing win, Arabella's artwork has been selected as one of only three youth pieces to hang alongside the official 2025 Archibald Prize exhibition at the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery in Nowra. 

Having her work displayed next to all 57 of Australia's premier portrait finalists is an extraordinary achievement for such a young artist.

Gallery Director Zanny Begg noted that this year’s competition saw nearly 90 entries, most of which were moving tributes to family members. “There was a lot of beautiful touching stories,” she said. 

Go See It!  The exhibition runs from May 16 to July 18. If you are looking for a fantastic family outing, head down to the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery to see Arabella’s winning masterpiece on the big walls!

Congratulations, Arabella! The entire school community is incredibly proud of you!

Sport, Sausages and Socialising

On Friday 19 June, the fields were marked, the sun was shining and 50 Year 6 students boarded the bus bound for Southern Highlands Christian School. There was lots of excited chatter as we made the hour-long journey over the mountain to meet up with around 400 other Stage 3 students for a gala day of fun and skill development. 

Whilst the teachers rugged up in jumpers, coats, beanies and gloves, the students hit, kicked and tagged their way through basketball, Newcomb ball, 9-square, oz-tag and kick ball. There were lots of laughs, great sportsmanship, and much cheering throughout the 4 rounds played on the day. The sausage sandwiches and cans of drink were quickly devoured, and new friendships were made as we took time out to chat and eat together.

Some of our student reflections from the day…….

Ruby: I liked Newcomb ball and oz-tag because we got to verse other schools and hang out with our friends.

Addie: It was so much fun. We got to play a bunch of new sports and we got to choose if we wanted to play competitively or not.

Jash: It was fun, interactive and fair. The other teams were nice.

Elijah: My favourite sport was Newcomb ball because it was lots of fun working as a team.

Hallie: There were lots of good people with good sportsmanship.

Seb: It was lots of fun but very, very cold. I should bring a jumper next time.

Congratulations to all of our Year 6 students who stayed true to our values and were wonderful ambassadors for our school throughout the day. A special thank you to Mr Parker for all his hard work in getting us to the gala day, and to our Year 8 referees who joined us and kept the games running smoothly and fairly.  

Open Girls take on State

Following their undefeated run at the CSSA Zone Soccer Gala Day, our Opens Girls Football team recently stepped up to represent both NCS and the South Coast Zone at the CSSA Secondary Opens Girls State Football Finals.

The girls kicked off their campaign at Valentine Sports Park with a win against Oxford Falls Grammar. After a loss to Coffs Harbour, they bounced back beautifully to secure another victory against Parkes.

Finishing 2nd in their pool, the team advanced to the semi-finals to face Mamre. Despite a fierce performance, the girls fell 2-0 to a strong Mamre side, who went on to become the overall tournament champions.

We are incredibly proud of the sportsmanship, skill, and determination displayed by all of our players. A huge shout-out to our Year 7 superstars - Addi, Indi, and Izzi - who courageously stepped up to the challenge to support and play alongside the older girls for the day.

NCS Gymnasts Impress at CSSA State Gymnastics

Congratulations to Ruby P (Year 6) and Savannah M (Year 7), who proudly represented NCS at the CSSA State Gymnastics with strong performances across all apparatus.

Ruby – Level 4, Division 1 (Primary)

Competing in a large and highly competitive field, Ruby delivered a consistent all‑round routine:

Vault: 8.8

Bars: 8.35

Beam: 8.75

Floor: 8.875

All‑Around: 34.775 (16th)

Savannah – Level 4, Division 2 (Secondary)

Savannah produced outstanding results, including several podium finishes:

Vault: 8.85 (3rd)

Bars: 9.2 (2nd)

Beam: 8.975 (2nd)

Floor: 8.57 (3rd)

All‑Around: 35.6 (2nd)

Both girls should be extremely proud. They continue to refine new skills and represented NCS with excellence. 

Well done, girls!

Year 8's Medieval Day

Last week, Year 8 History students stepped back in time for their annual Medieval Day, and what an incredibly immersive, action-packed day it was! 

The day kicked off with a captivating demonstration and display from Medieval expert James Adams, bringing the history books to life right before our eyes. From there, students dove headfirst into the Middle Ages with a fantastic lineup of activities, including:

•  Pool Noodle Jousting: High-stakes competition (with much softer landings!).
•  Illuminated Letter: In Visual Arts, students channeling their inner medieval scribes to create elaborate capital letters, which historically served as luxury status symbols and helpful visual navigation tools before the printing press existed.
•  The Pillory: Students took turns facing the music for their "crimes" while their peers threw wet sponges at them! 
•  The Black Death Escape Room: A thrilling race against time to escape the plague.
• To top it all off, the year group enjoyed a grand medieval banquet, were beautifully serenaded by Mrs 'troubadour' Pickering, and joined a medieval dance led by Lady Stewart. They then worked in groups on a role based quest led by Jester Cowley to complete historic challenges using individualised character cards.

A massive thank you to Mrs Rebel, Mrs Weathersbee, Mr Cowley, Mrs Stewart and Mrs Pickering for putting together such a memorable experience for our students. And a special shoutout to Mr Cowley, who fully committed to his Jester character all day long, a performance none of the students will forget anytime soon! 

First Aid & CPR Training Empowers Our Students

Carly’s Helping Hearts recently partnered with our school to deliver an engaging and highly practical First Aid and CPR program. This initiative gave students a valuable opportunity to build confidence and capability in responding to real‑world emergencies.

Year 7, selected Year 8 students, and Stage 5 PASS classes took part in the hands‑on training, developing essential skills across the DRSABCD action plan, CPR, and the safe use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Students worked through realistic scenarios, learning how to stay calm, assess danger, and take effective action when someone needs help.

This learning experience not only strengthened their understanding of first aid but also empowered them with life‑saving knowledge they can carry into everyday situations.

We extend our thanks to Tamara from Carly’s Helping Hearts for supporting our students and enriching their learning in PDHPE and PASS.

CSSA State Netball Gala Day Highlights

A huge congratulations to our Junior Girls Netball team, who recently traveled to Penrith to compete in the CSSA State Netball Gala Day.

The girls faced some tough competition and played with incredible heart and sportsmanship all day. They secured three fantastic wins against Dubbo, Mount Annan, and Wycliffe, and put up a brilliant fight in four losses against Richard Johnson, PHCS, William Carey, and NWCC.

The team finished 5th overall in their pool. We are incredibly proud of all the players for their hard work and team spirit!

A special thank you to Mrs Toole for coaching the girls and to Mrs Drury for umpiring throughout the day.

Football Triumph: Yongjae Strikes Gold!

We have some incredible sporting news to celebrate in our community! Earlier this term, Yongjae Kim (Year 10) travelled to Valentine Sports Park in Sydney to compete in the prestigious 2026 CommBank Emerging Socceroos Championships.

The high-stakes tournament brought together the absolute best Under-15 and Under-16 boys' talent from Australia's nine State and Territory Member Federations, alongside elite invitational squads.

Yongjae was selected to represent NSW Navy in the Under-16 division. In a fantastic twist, he found himself playing alongside many of the rival players he usually faces week-in and week-out in the JPL while playing for his club, Marconi Stallions FC.

The NSW Navy squad proved to be an unstoppable force, tearing through the competition to be crowned the official Under-16 National Champions! To compete at a national level is a massive feat, but to walk away with the championship trophy is truly spectacular. This is an incredible achievement, Yongjae, and the entire school community is immensely proud of your dedication, skill, and sportsmanship. We can't wait to see where your football journey takes you next.

Finding Strength Through Sport

Jasmine Locke, a rising kayaking athlete, recently visited our Stage 5 PASS students through the Olympics Unleashed initiative, delivering an inspiring session.

Students heard firsthand about Jasmine’s journey in elite sport, gaining meaningful insights into resilience, goal‑setting, and discovering personal passions. She spoke openly about the challenges she has faced and the determination required to excel at the highest level.

Jasmine also highlighted the powerful life lessons learned through sport - lessons that extend far beyond competition. Her message encouraged students to apply these skills across all areas of life, including academics, friendships, family, and their own sporting pursuits.

We extend our thanks to Jasmine for sharing her story and inspiring our students.

Primary Athletics Age Champions

Congratulations to our Primary Athletics Age Champions who were presented with their banners this week. Well done Alexandria N, Noah P, Cameron C and Dakota B!