Tis the season!

Mrs Giddings

On Thursday of Week 7, 4B enjoyed festive activities as part of their Godspace lessons.

Our lessons finished with the importance of Mary and how God chose her from all women to be the mother of Jesus. We moved on to the humble beginnings of Jesus and discussed where Jesus was born. The lesson then focused on how Wise Men of great wealth travelled a considerable distance to worship the King of Kings who started off his life in a stable.

While many enjoy the art of creating elaborate gingerbread houses and sharing these with family, 4B created their own mini-stables, complete with baby Jesus resting within.

Afterwards, they created fancy Christmas decorations to remind them of the beautiful and joyous occasion this is for us all. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a safe and blessed New Year.

Year 10 Canberra Excursion

Following are some of the student accounts of their excursion to Canberra:

Noah S

After a long bus ride, we finally arrived in Canberra. Everyone in our year had hours' worth of energy to dispose of, so our first stop was very fitting. The AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) was very exciting and very enjoyable for all. It provided activities, ranging from response time and coordination to running off the wall and dunking on the rim. We all had a great time and it was definitely one of the best parts of the trip!

Although at The National Art Gallery we unfortunately missed the entertainment of climate activists glueing themselves to artworks the day prior, we had a great time as the gallery was interesting and eye-opening. We had a chance to see the same group hold up traffic for half an hour when we were heading to the Old Parliament House, so that made up for it.

Before dinner on Wednesday night, we visited Mount Ainsley. Our bus driver was very knowledgeable and told us some pretty amazing facts about the history behind the mountain and its name’s origin. We took some snazzy pictures and had a short amount of time looking over the beauty of Canberra, before returning and having dinner!

Kayleigh W

After a full day of driving and activities on Wednesday, we finally arrived at the Ibis Styles Canberra Tall Trees Motel for dinner and a bit of a rest. The accommodation was lovely and we spent a lot of time eating, chatting and unwinding after the long day.

After dinner, we went to Questacon - National Science and Technology Centre. We spent the evening exploring the different rooms and learning about different elements of science through practical examples and experiments. To end the night we went into the ‘Under the Moon’ exhibit, which was my personal favourite. We lay on couches and on the floor and looked up at the beautiful representation of the moon.

The next day, after a quick breakfast, we went to Lake Burley Griffin. We walked around the river, past the Australians of the Year over the past many years and the international flag display. Thanks to the teachers who took us to Canberra!

Noah T

A few stops on the second day included the Royal Australian Mint, The Australian War Museum, and the National Arboretum.

Having endured a long bus trip to the outskirts of Canberra, we found ourselves faced with the full beauty of Australia’s natural flora, laid out on the picturesque hills of Canberra’s west. We stopped and ate, then were put to the test with a scavenger hunt, racing through the gardens to find hidden markers.

After being run around and tired out, we got back on the road and headed to our next destination. The Royal Australian Mint is Australia’s largest minting company. On top of producing all of Australia’s circulating coins, it produces currency for over 30 different countries across the world. As we pulled up to the venue, you could visibly see that it was a very busy and important place, with placards and people buzzing around everywhere. Our guide, Ben, was quick to quiz us on our knowledge, as well as making sure we all took home some new information regarding Australia’s rich (albeit relatively) short history through currency.

After leaving the Mint with newfound knowledge, we continued on our journey to the Australian War Memorial. This experience was as solemn as it was intriguing, with helpful guides showing us around the exhibits, as well as giving us in-depth information about the artefacts within the glass cases. A personal favourite of mine was the dioramas, little still frames capturing stories on the battlefields. We were given insight into the struggles of nurses, as they went about their daily lives. The soldiers who fought in Gallipoli were studied in great depth, as well as intricate stories and daring inventions that never made it to the front page. It was an experience like no other, and I’m sure many of us will remember the tomb of the unknown soldier, and the rows of poppies in the main arena for years to come. Overall, it was a purposeful end to the trip, and marked the finish of a time in our lives that our year will look back on with smiles. A big thanks to the staff, volunteers and everyone else who were involved in making this a wonderful time for everyone.

CSSA South Coast Zone Touch Football Gala Day

On 25 November, 45 secondary students went to Thomas Dalton Park in Fairy Meadow to play touch football.

The Open Girls and Junior Boys managed to win their whole competition and the Open Boys and Junior Girls also played very well. 21 people scored a try and Ollie E and Jarrod M both scored hat-tricks in a game.

The Gala Day also doubled as selection matches for the CSSA South Coast Zone Touch Football teams to contest the CSSA Secondary State Touch Football Championships being held at Penrith in 2023.

Over 12 NCS students were selected as players and shadows for those teams. It was a great day and everyone agreed it was much better than going to school. The day closed with a lot of sweaty shirts and a long bus ride home, but it was an amazing day overall. Well done to everyone who came and a big thank you to the teachers and Mrs Weissel who coached, organised and helped on the day.

A very cold case

Year 11 Ancient History students were plunged into the crime scene investigation of an ancient bog body as part of an introductory topic. Students were tasked with deciphering a series of clues while learning about archaeological techniques and ethical considerations, as well as scientific dating methods. It's possible that some of the conclusions from the activity could rewrite the history books. Well done to all members of the Senior Ancient History class!

Secondary Maths, English and Science Awards

Each year, part of our enrichment program involves nominated students from our whole school participating in academic competitions.

In the Secondary Department this year, students competed in the Maths Competition run by the Australian Maths Trust as well as ICAS Competitions run by the University of New South Wales in Science and English. These opportunities are important to expose students with strengths in certain areas to concepts and challenges outside the normal curriculum and to push them in their problem-solving capacity. Even those who do not gain an award are to be congratulated for their participation in these challenging competitions.

Congratulations to the following award recipients:

ICAS English Awards

Principal's Award and High Distinction: Zara H

Distinction: Kent E and Hayley E

Credit: Harvey W, Eli H and Noah T

Merit: Evy M, Jalesa P and Kayleigh W

ICAS Science Awards

Principal's Award and Distinction: Harvey W

Credit: Chloe C, Kent E, Eli H, Erik K and Toby M

Merit: James M

AMT Australian Mathematics Competition

Principal's Award and Distinction: Kent E

Credit: Chris M, Eli H, Ned G, Erik K and Courtney L

Thank you for contributing to the Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes

A total of 56 shoe boxes have now been packed, collected and taken for final shipment. We would like to thank everyone who donated and made our participation in this important ministry possible.

A huge thank you also needs to go to our staff for their extremely generous cash donations, which were used to pay for the shipping of the boxes and for ‘The Greatest Journey’ discipleship course.

Thanks to these contributions, a child will receive a gift box filled with toys, clothing, items for school and self care. But, most importantly, each box is filled with love, given by you, to them. So thank you!

Stage 5 PASS Kayaking & SUP session

Earlier this month, our Stage 5 PASS class went on an excursion to Shark Net Beach, Huskisson.

We all had a go at using the standup paddle boards and kayaks. We had a great time paddling out to the small island just off the beach. As we raced around the island, it reminded me of a scene out of Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The waves were pounding against the boats and everyone was fighting hard to come first.

'It was a great day, it was good fun watching everyone fall off the paddle boards and kayaking.' Madeleine C

'Never bring a banana on a boat.' Jono Mc

'The water was really nice, and fresh and felt like summer. We also did a race around the reef rocks. I really enjoyed paddleboarding for the first time and found that it’s easier than I thought!' Millie W

'Overall our time at Shark Net Beach was fun and exciting. I give the excursion a rating of 5 out of 5' Archie W

'Great day, nice people, 10/10, 100% would go again, highly recommended, beautiful scenery, lovely weather.' Eli H

Prayer Points