Wise words with...

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5: 14-16

A Final Farewell

As I sit down to write this Bytes article, I am very aware that this is the final time that I will do so in my role as principal of Nowra Christian School. This realisation has led me to ponder as to what message I desire to leave with all members of the NCS ‘family’ that I have grown very attached to during my six years here at our school. 

After some further consideration, I have chosen my final focus verses from the book of Matthew, chapter 5 and verses 14 and 16. I will return to discuss the relevance of these verses as I conclude my article.

As part of this reflection process, I thought that I would re-visit the first few Bytes articles that I wrote some six years ago as my wife Sharon and I were being welcomed into the NCS ‘family’. In these articles, I was presenting my initial reflections in relation to the school community that I now feel a very close link to. I would like to share with you an observation that I made at the completion of my very first week at Nowra Christian School. It read; ‘…I have seen, time and time again, during this past week, staff, students and parents/carers working together as a team to achieve pleasing outcomes. When we look out for each other and willingly use our God-given gifts and talents, we can achieve great things.’

With the hindsight of a further six years, I can confidently state that this has continued to be one of the hallmarks of our NCS ‘family’. During these past six years, our community has been through many challenging times, including bushfires, floods and the COVID pandemic. However, we have not been defeated by such obstacles but, in God’s strength, we have been able to overcome. At the same time, we have experienced innumerable occasions where we have delighted in God’s rich blessings on our NCS community. These have included special events, the provision of new buildings and resources, the amazing educational achievements of our students and so many other striking examples. On all of these occasions, I have been greatly encouraged to witness how staff, students and parents/carers have worked together as a team to achieve great outcomes. 

Our final two weeks of term have been exceptionally busy ones as we have brought our 2022 school year to a fitting conclusion. Many primary classes and secondary year levels have been involved in excursions and activities that have taken them well beyond our school. There have been primary swimming lessons, road safety adventures, stand-up paddle-boarding sessions and various groups have gone to locations such as Plantation Point and elsewhere for their end-of-year events.

At the same time, back at school, we have held a range of assemblies, including Primary and Secondary Award Assemblies where we have recognised the excellent performances of many of our students in a wide variety of areas. Tuesday 6 December was a particularly busy day. During the day, we held our Year 6 Graduation Assembly where we fittingly recognised the contributions of our Year 6 students during their time at Primary School. We also celebrated their graduation to the world of Secondary school, commencing in 2023. It was a pleasure to have many parents/carers and extended family members present to celebrate this occasion and to enjoy an afternoon tea after the event. Of course, in the evening, all members of the NCS ‘family’ gathered together to thank God for His blessings on our 2022 school year as we held our Thanksgiving Evening. All present were delighted that we were able to come together as a school family, not having been able to do so since 2019 due to the impacts of the COVID pandemic. For the very first time, this event was held off-site, using the excellent facilities of the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre. I am confident that all present will agree that this was a very memorable occasion where we were able to fittingly recognise the gifts, talents and amazing achievements of our students from Kindergarten all the way through to Year 12.

I would now like to conclude my final Bytes article by looking a little more closely at my chosen focus verses taken from Matthew’s gospel. These verses come from a section of the book of Matthew that has the heading ‘salt and light’. (I would encourage you to read the entire passage found in Matthew 5:13-16.) Although the context of these verses relates directly to how individual Christians are to live their lives, I would like to take the liberty of making a comparison with how our Nowra Christian School has the opportunity to be seen by members of our wider Nowra community.

During every enrolment interview that I hold with prospective NCS families, I share in detail what is special about the world of Christian education. I indicate to these future NCS parents/carers that I trust that they have been drawn to our school by the wholesome flavour and aroma that should always emanate from a Christian School community. In a world that is being increasingly beset by the pressures of materialism and consumerism that frequently lead to feelings of excessive anxiety, Christian schools should indeed be seen as a ‘light on a hill’. Our schools have the opportunity to offer a refreshing hope that comes from a worldview that is in many ways counter-cultural to the norms of our secular world. And, of course, we look to the perfect example of Jesus to provide us with the model for life that we desire to share with our students and school families. 

Sharon and I are now saying our fond farewell to all members of the NCS ‘family’ and ultimately we will return to our own families in Victoria. As this process takes place, it is my prayer that Nowra Christian School will continue to be that ‘light on the hill’, offering a brand of education that is refreshingly distinctive and wholesomely appealing. I am confident that, as Mr Jolliffe comes to lead the NCS community for the next chapter of your journey, that he will be delighted to join with such a vibrant and welcoming school ‘family’. We extend our Christmas greetings to one and all, trusting that we will all have the opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus, which is the true ‘reason for the season’. God Bless!